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POETRY.

PSALM XII. 4. COMPARED WITH 1 COR. VI. 19.

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Selinginsk.

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O when the strife is o'er,

How great will be the joy!

Where sin shall never reach me more,

Where, praising, I shall still explore,
("Twill every heart employ,)

The unfolded plan,

Of love to man,

Which wondering saints and angels ne'er shall fully scan.

W. S.

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REVIEW OF BOOKS.

A Vindication of "The Religion of the Land" from Misrepresentation; and an Exposure of the absurd Pretensions of the Gareloch Enthusiasts. In a Letter to Thomas Erskine, Esq., Advocate. By the Rev. A. Robertson, A. M. Edinburgh: White and Co. 4s. THERE have been certain strange "sayings and doings" in the West of Scotland, which have made no little noise in that part of our land, in consequence of the Rev. John M'Leod Campbell, of Row, and the Rev. James Storrie, of Rosneath, Dumbartonshire, having been joined by Thomas Erskine, of Linlethan, from Fifeshire, who took up a temporary residence in Helensburgh. This town is contiguous to and in the parish of Row, and one of those places now rendered commodious to the City of Glasgow by steam conveyance, so that persons may go and return at any hour. Row is situated on one side of the Gareloch and Rosneath, right opposite; the ferry between is not broad. It was in this spot where these luxuriant opinions have been progressing to maturity; and the adjacent maritime towns of Greenock and Port Glasgow, as well as the City of Glasgow itself, have been frequently the scenes of the operations of these new lights. In Glasgow their meetings were held in the dining-rooms of some of their friends, and cards of invitation given to a tea party, were followed by lectures of from three to four hours in length. Of late the female apostles have taken the lead, and it is now no uncommon thing for ladies to pray and speak, sometimes in a known and at other times in an unknown tongue; (if that can be called a tongue which never has been spoken by any human being, ancient or modern,

and in all probability never will ;) and these meetings are conducted in such a vociferous manner, that

crowds are frequently attracted while passing in the street.

We have heretofore abstained from entering very deeply into this subject; but when it has drawn forth such antagonists as Drs. Hamilton, of Strathblane; Burns, of Paisley; Barr, of Port Glasgow; Smyth, of Glasgow; Thomson, of Edinburgh, in the established church-Dr. Wardlaw, of Glasgow; Mr. Russell, of Dundee; and Mr. Arthur, of Helensburgh, among the Congregationalists; and Mr. Barclay, of Inverary, among the Baptists; we cannot deem the matter of trivial importance. And as the recent production of Mr. Robertson's pen has brought these opinions before us in their newest shape, accompanied with some facts which he had every opportu nity of investigating, and which we deem to be uncontradicted, we trust our readers will bear with our entering a little into detail, though in the districts in which some of them live, the Row heresy may have made little or no noise.

The history of Mr. Erskine is well known. Not many years ago, he was hailed as a zealous advocate of evangelical truth. His Treatise on "Faith," though deemed by some to contain error, was not challenged by the evangelical critics. His work on the 66 Unconditional Freeness of the

Gospel" was doubtless intended to introduce the doctrine of universal pardon. Still moving onwards, however, his preface to "Letters by a Lady," has fully established his deviation from scriptural truth, while his identifying himself with the wild notions

and wilder practices of the Rowites, seems almost to indicate a failure of intellect.

John M'Leod Campbell, a few years ago, knew not the theory of the gospel; he left his alma mater a dashing youth, whose discourses were neither in form nor order, but a perfect chaos of what he could borrow from heathen or Christian. By-and-by, after his settlement at Row, he became serious and solemn in his manner; began to preach long and earnestly, though his sermons never were distinguished for clearness in the statement, or ability in the illustration of scripture truth.

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While in this stage of his progress, he caught the idea of the full assurance" of faith, as held by the party called Bereans, in Scotland, and preached by some foreigners, as Malan of Geneva. At first he announced it in rather a modified manner; dwelt on the love of God with much fervour, and spoke of assurance as desirable; but latterly he has held it up as indispensable, and the faith of the gospel is, according to him, a believing in your own salvation. Yet it was only since he gave his countenance to the miracles, gifts of healing, tongues, &c. &c., that sober people began to speak of him in accents of lamentation. Such are the leaders :the followers are a motley group; but the centre of attraction has been the Maid of Fernicarry-the Johanna Southcote of the West of Scotland.

We may remark, en passant, that Isabella Campbell, who died some time ago, and respecting whom Mr. Storrie published a wordy and book-making memoir, had she been dealt fairly with, was an interesting damsel; but there were some irregular traits in her character; she was an ascetic, a visionary, and a dreamer. She

had all the romance of highland character, intermingled with deep and prevading piety; she wanted in life a faithful counsellor; and she wanted in death a biographer, in whom was true piety, combined with a chasteness of taste and a well regulated imagination. This she has not found; and with all respect for her biographer, we must say, that he did not know how to distinguish the chaff from the wheat.

"The Memoirs of Isabella, which are

well known, must satisfy every intelligent Christian, that her piety, though ardent and sincere, was connected with much her bed at midnight, and wandering weakness and inconsistency. Leaving

about for hours in the fields, even in the depth of winter, no principle of Christianity can justify; and this, along with ficiently proves, that, though a devoted other instances of a similar nature, sufChristian, ske possessed a wildness of imagination, which, combined with mental weakness, had a tendency to produce Her spiritual fathers, by over indulactions of a highly imprudent nature. gence, misdirected her feelings, naturally less strong than those of her sisters; and, like a spoiled child, she was allowed admonition and Christian advice. to dictate, when she required salutary

Some of the clergymen in her vicinity were unsettled in opinion, and her errors and theirs being mutually exchanged, and then combined into one creed, they became helpers of each other's belief. At this stage in particular, the doctrine of assurance as essential to faith was embraced, and shortly afterwards, that of discoveries, Fernicarry has become a hotUniversal Pardon; and by successive new bed for the growth of every exotic which Messrs. Erskine, Campbell, Irving, &c. choose to plant; and which, from the nature of the soil, grows with such luxuriance, as to astonish not only those who are unacquainted with the horticulture of heresy, but even the spiritual gardeners themselves.”—p. 250.

Miss Mary Campbell was reported to be in a deep consumption she assumed the character of a beata, and all the pious ladies, and even gentlemen, flocked to Fernicarry as the devotees of another country would congregate about the shrine of a saint.

Those who wish to peruse the

marvellous, may gratify that propensity by studying Mr. Robertson's Appendix. The letters of James M Donald and Miss Mary Campbell have never been deemed spurious, yea, we have good authority for affirming that Mr. Campbell rejoiced in them as stubborn facts, and told a few ladies that they "would yet see greater things than these that they might marvel.”

We are not aware that any thing has so much moved our steady northern friends since the days of persecution the high excitement that has been produced, especially among young ladies, has had a withering effect on practical religion, and while these people have been running to and fro, many hopeful blossoms have been shrivelled, if not completely destroyed.*

But we must proceed to notice Mr. Robertson's work.

The first part is in the form of a Letter to Thomas Erskine, Esq., and covers 220 pages. The opinions of Mr. Erskine are taken from his Introductory Essay to "Extracts of Letters. By a Lady."

Mr. Robertson blames Mr. Erskine, and we have thought justly, for assuming, that because the lady held the doctrine of Universal Redemption, she held it with all the oddities he and his friends attach to it. The various topics touched on by Mr. R. are thus enumerated:-1. The Character of God. 2. The Fall of Man. 3. The Gospel. 4. Faith. 5. Assurance. 6. Obedience, and the Operation of the Spirit. 7. Election. 8. The Resurrec

* Some young ladies, in one of the parishes in the City of Glasgow, had been at the watering place, and caught the mania; and when their worthy parochial minister preached against it, they coolly said, "O, we think very highly of Dr. S-, but we have the witness in ourselves."

tion. 9. Judgment. - Mr. Robertson afterwards quotes from Mr. Erskine the views which he entertains of the religion of those we call Christians, and it is арраrent that Mr. E. narrows the pale of discipleship much, though he holds out a full pardon to all

It would be impossible in our limits to give even a skeleton of Mr. Erskine's opinions, but, we have no doubt, they are here stated in his ipsissima verba.

We present our readers with a specimen of Mr. Robertson's manner of replying.

"What then is the Gospel? As is the fall, so is the atonement; and as is the atonement, so is the gospel. It is a message from God to man, and such a message as an all-perfect God would give, and fallen man required. It is an exhibition of the covenant of grace to men, and an absolutely gracious declaration of the good-will of God to sinful man, setting before them, and freely offering them, Jesus Christ and all his righteousness, and salvation in him, to be received by them, even the worst, without money and without price. In this view, the

gospel differs widely from the law, and is the very reverse of it. The law demands from us perfect holiness of nature and life, and an atonement for whatever offence we have been guilty of: the gospel demands nothing from us, and indeed it is impossible it could require any thing not required in the law, which is exceeding broad; but it represents to us, what God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, have done for us; what blessings they have prepared for us, and are ready to bestow on us, and holds forth the same, in the most encouraging manner, to be received by us. This is the sum of all its doctrinal declarations, absolutely free promises, and kind offers and invitations. This gospel was proclaimed to our first parents immediately after their first apostacy, in the gracious declaration, 'The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head;' it was published by an angel when in the fulness of time the promised deliverer appeared: Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day, a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men;' and it was fully developed by an inspired apostle, when he said: 'The grace of God that bringeth salva

tion hath appeared to all men, teaching us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, even our Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.'

"This message declares what God has done, and also what God now, in virtue of Christ's atonement, can do, and will do, to all who accept the offered message. The gospel, however, is not pardon, it is merely the offer of pardon. By the atonement full satisfaction has been made, in one sense, for the sins of all, but with God remains the removal of the penalty, by bestowing pardon, and also the residue of the Spirit, by giving a meetness for heaven. Those whom, in virtue of his good pleasure, he foreknew as the heirs of glory, he calls from darkness to light; and whom he calls, them he also justifies; and whom he justifies, them he also sanctifies, or predestinates to be conformed to the image of his Son, and, as the consummation of this great work, glorifies. Many of your mistakes with regard to the nature of the gospel, arise from the ideas you attach to justification. You define it to be a sense of pardon, whereas, in the work of redemption, it is neither pardon nor a sense of pardon. It is a forensic term, and is applied, as in common language, to denote a change made in our state in respect to the law, before God as Judge. Pardon is the effect of being justified, and a sense of pardon is not justification, but rather sanctification, or the state of the renewed man in heart and life before God as a father. This confusion of terms is necessary for the support of your system, but it is in every respect, opposed to the word of God. I should like to hear your expo. sition of the passage in Romans to which I have adverted. There every part is in beautiful harmony, cause and effect succeeding from the commencement of redemption till its completion. There is in this splendid climax, even no mention made of pardon, because it is unnecessary. A cause cannot operate without producing an effect, and pardon being the effect of justification, is understood. To say that a man is justified and not pardoned, is a contradiction. You say, that as sinners are justified by faith, it must be also true that they are pardoned by faith. That we are justified by faith,' is a declaration of the Bible, but that we are pardoned by faith is a declaration of your own. The matter is just as the Bible represents it-we are jus

tified by faith, and if so, we are pardoned in consequence of being justified. We are not justified on account of faith. These words you attach to our system, whereas it is absolutely false that we acknowledge any such doctrine. We are justified by faith as the appointed means, and not on account of faith as a ground of pardon. Is it fair dealing thus to charge us with holding doctrines which are as much abhorred by us as by yourself? Is it fair dealing to make up a confused jumble of opinions, alike contrary to our belief and to the word of God, and then say that this is the religion of the land?' It is the chicanery of a court of law, the trick of a pleader for a party, but as a dealing it is unfair, and as an action, unjust."—pp. 67--70.

Again,

"Enthusiasm modifies Antinomianism, and while the enthusiast is virtually an Antinomian, there is much in his religion similar to genuine Christianity. He adds to the law what accords with his warm feelings, and does not so much oppose the laws of God, as caricature them. His joy is transport-his elevation, rapture— his communion, reveries, trances, and revelations. The law of God, though exceeding broad, is too narrow for the range of his mind, and he adopts whatever else suits his feelings, and revels at large in his own spiritual experience, assurance, heavenly joy, ecstatic communion, beatific visions, and new revelations. These additions to the law, in part or in whole, according to the standing of the initiated, are their badges of distinction; and while the law of the Bible is still acknowledged, its mutilations and perversions are made the vehicle of their enthusiastic Antinomianism. This is the Antinomianism of Gareloch. When called Antinomians, your adherents refer to their lives as a practical refutation of the charge. Their lives, however, are a living witness of the fact. Satan is too wise for their weak heads. He adapts his temptations to their besetting sins, and in this manner gains his end. They would revolt at any other species of Antinomianism, and he allows them to take their own way, and, as an angel of light, he sees with as much pleasure the effect of their own law, as if he gained their services by any other delusion. The prince of darkness may easily be discovered amidst all their bustling spirituality, and well may they be asked, "Who hath required such things at your hands?' There is a gross mistake among people respecting their apparent piety. It is the native result

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