that more correct views and kindlier feelings may be the result of my course, however far I may be from doing the subject the justice it deserves.

The first topic to which I shall direct your attention, is the all-important question of evangelical doctrine. It is not denied, that we maintain, in their fullest latitude, the cardinal points of the Trinity, the divinity of Christ, his incarnation, his perfect obedience to the law, and the blessed atonement rendered for our sins by his sacrifice upon the cross, through which alone we are justified before God, by faith. The corruption of the human heart by nature, since the fall, and the necessity of the divine influence of the Holy Spirit, to every good thought, desire, and action, are also admitted to be held by us, and for the most part, in their true scriptural extent of meaning. But it is averred that we retain many gross errors notwithstanding; for example, that all persons, whether infants or adults, are born again in baptism, without any regard to a change of heart; that our bishops can forgive sins, and confer the Holy Ghost in the ordinance of confirmation, for which no other qualification is required than a mere verbal repetition of the creed, the Lord's prayer, the ten commandments, and the catechism; that all who are baptised and confirmed may come to the holy communion without any examination, any relation of experience, or any renunciation of worldly pleasure; and thus, that although we profess, in our articles, all the fundamental points of sound Christian doctrine, we have only the form of godliness, being destitute of its power; so that with a name to live,' we are, in fact, dead to all true sense of vital religion. In farther corroboration of these serious charges, it is said that our clergy, as a body, are indifferent to missionary efforts, and to the Bible society; that they are opposed to prayer

meetings, and revivals; and that they are hostile to the temperance reform.

Now here is, truly, a mass of accusation; enough, in all reason, to alarm any simple soul who can be induced to believe it just; and more than enough to account for the very evil repute in which we are said to stand with a large number of our brethren, who, hearing their spiritual guides repeat these charges, take it very naturally for granted that we deserve all the opprobrium cast upon us. But let us patiently examine the catalogue, separate what is false from what is true, and bring the result to the standard of the Scriptures; and we fear not to assure you, that we shall not be found wanting in any doctrine, provided our friends will be content to weigh our sentiments in the balance of the sanctuary. Of the various topics, however, which I have mentioned, a portion only of the first can be disposed of within the limits of the present lecture, although I design to notice them all before the course is closed.

The allegation, then, which I shall first answer, is the charge, that according to our views, regeneration, or the new birth, takes place in baptism; from which our accusers deduce this inference, that we do not require or expect any spiritual change of heart in the Christian profession.

To this I reply, that I admit the charge, but totally deny the inference. I admit that the Church connects the new birth, or regeneration, with baptism; but I deny that we dispense with the requisition of a spiritual change of heart. So far from it, that no body of Christians upon earth insist more strongly on the necessity of this change: none can hold more plainly, that if any man be in Christ he is a new creature: none can set forth more clearly, that without holiness no man shall see the Lord,

In order, however, to be fully understood upon a subject, which has been greatly obscured by many of those who have undertaken to explain it, let me first cite those portions of our public formulary which bear upon the question.

In the exhortation of the baptismal office, the minister quotes the declaration of Christ, that none can enter the kingdom of God, except he be regenerate and born anew, of water and the Holy Ghost,' and calls upon the congregation to offer their prayers, that the child or adult may be baptised' with water and the Holy Ghost, received into Christ's holy Church, and made a lively member of the same.'

In the prayer which follows, the Lord is besought to wash and sanctify the individual, whether child or adult, with the Holy Ghost.

In the exhortation delivered immediately before the baptism, the minister is directed to say, 'Ye have prayed that our Lord Jesus Christ would vouchsafe to receive this individual, to release him from sin, to sanctify him with the Holy Ghost, to give him the kingdom of heaven and everlasting life. Ye have heard also, that our Lord Jesus Christ hath promised in his Gospel, to 'grant all those things that ye have prayed for, which promise he, for his part, will most surely keep and perform.'

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In the prayer just before the baptism, it is asked that the Lord' would sanctify this water to the mystical washing away of sin. After the baptism, the minister is directed to say, that the individual baptised is now, regenerate, and grafted into the body of Christ's Church,' and in the prayer which follows the baptism of infants, these words occur, 'We yield thee hearty thanks, most merciful Father, that it hath pleased thee to regenerate this infant with thy Holy Spirit, to receive him for thine own child by adoption, and to incorporate him into thy holy Church.'

In the supplication after the baptism of adults, the minister uses this language: 'Give thy Holy Spirit to this person, that being now born again, and made an heir of everlasting salvation, through our Lord Jesus Christ, he may continue thy servant, and attain thy promises.'

And in the concluding exhortation, the minister addresses the person baptised, in these words: And as for you, who have now by baptism put on Christ, it is your part and duty also, being made the child of God and of the light, by faith in Jesus Christ, to walk answerably to your Christian calling, and as becometh the children of light.'

In addition to all this, it is appointed for those who repeat the catechism, to say, that in baptism they were made 'members of Christ, children of God, and inheritors of the kingdom of heaven ;' and in answer to the question in the same catechism, 'What is the inward and spiritual grace in baptism?' we read this reply: 'A death unto sin, and a new birth unto righteousness: for being by nature born in sin, we are hereby made the children of grace.'

If any thing more is required to shew our doctrine on this question, it is furnished by the explicit language of the 27th article, where we read that baptism is a sign of regeneration, or new birth, whereby, as by an instrument, they that receive baptism rightly, are grafted into the Church; the promises of the forgiveness of sin, and of our adoption to be the sons of God by the Holy Ghost, are visibly signed and sealed; faith is confirmed, and grace increased by virtue of prayer unto God.'

Now these various passages concur in the doctrine, that regeneration, or the new birth, is granted in baptism. I know that much ingenuity and labor have been spent in the effort to extract some other meaning from them, but in my mind, with no other effect than to shew how good

men may waste their strength in support of any favorite theological error. For myself, I consider the doctrine of the Church too clear for equivocation. Let us next try whether it be Apostolic doctrine; and this we shall find an easy subject of inquiry, if we only prosecute it rightly. But in order to arrive at definite ideas upon the various points involved in the discussion, we shall consider,

First, What is regeneration, or the new birth.
Secondly, What is a change of heart.

And Thirdly, What place do we assign to this change of heart in relation to baptism.

1. Regeneration, as presented to us in Scripture, signifies that act of divine grace, through Jesus Christ, in which we are received as the sons of God by adoption. By our first generation, we are born the children of wrath, in consequence of our corrupt and sinful nature; and we must be born again in order to become the children of God. This second generation is our regeneration.

The great authority on this question is our Lord's assurance to Nicodemus, 'Verily, verily,' saith he, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.' And when Nicodemus wonders how this second birth could be, the Saviour explains his meaning, by saying 'Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.' Now we have here the express declaration of Christ himself, that in the new birth, or the regeneration of the sinner, he is born of water, and of the Spirit; in which it is remarkable that the water is placed first, as if to prove incontestably that the spiritual adoption follows the application of the water, instead of preceding it.

2. Let us next turn to the question, what is a change of heart? The heart, as you all know, is a figure of