The idea of an instantaneous and miraculous "new birth" was unknown to the disciples, and all the apostles of Christ. Read the history of the conversion of Peter and Andrew, James, John and Matthew; Matt. iv. 18 -23. Also Luke xii. 1-10; and Acts viii. 26-38; where we have an account of the simple and unceremonious manner in which the first Christians became followers of Christ. In truth, the present vulgar dogma of a miraculous and sudden "new birth" was unknown to all the Fathers, for many hundred years after Christ. This silly notion originated among the Druids, a rude tribe of heathen fanatics, who inhabited a portion of ancient Britain and Gaul. They retired to the caves and woods, where they indulged a savage ferocity in worship-plunged at once in religion and crime. They made great pretensions to a wonderful "new birth;" and it is a remarkable fact, that the modern plan of revivals is an exact copy from the superstition of the old Druidical worship. These ceremonies all began in gloom and terror, and ended in joy and light. First there came awful descriptions of the depravity and weakness of poor dependant man; then the dark curtain was lifted, and the candidate impressed with the joy of immortal blessing. The object seemed to be first, to harrow the soul with every mental torture, and then release it by softer delineations and milder treatment. And after this followed the "new birth," the "wonderful of wonders."

Many of these barbarians were converted to Christianity in the fifth century; but, from this period, on

* Mosh. Inst. Eccl. Hist., Vol. i. p. 327, note. Harp. & Bro. ed.

through many ages, we find no traces of the modern "new birth" notions, in the church. Indeed, I have not been able to find any considerable marks of this superstition among Christians, until the days of those fathers of revivals-Whitfield, Tennant, and Davenport. For ought that appears to the contrary, these men brought this wild dogma of fanaticism to a prominence in a minor branch of the church. And, to this day, the Catholics and Episcopalians—who adhere more closely than any other denominations to the older forms and ceremonies of the church-have not embraced the new birth superstition.

No. 4.

1 Cor. vi. 9. "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?"

"St. Paul was not surely a Universalist preacher, for who ever heard a Universalist minister say that any who were guilty of these 'crimes, would not enter heaven ?"

Our explanation of Matt. v. 20, in this chapter, will enable the reader to understand this passage. The word that is here rendered inherit, (oidate,*) is generally in the English New Testament transtament, translated to see. It means, says Greenfield, "to understand, to comprehend." It is impossible for the unrighteous man to understand or appreciate the kingdom of Christ. So long as he remains unrighteous, he is effectually excluded from a participation of those joys.

We have to inform the gentleman, that it is quite certain that Paul was a Universalist preacher, for he de clares, himself, that he suffered reproach for preaching the salvation of all men. "Therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men." Had the Rev. gentleman been a preacher in Paul's day, he would not prob

* From eido, to see, to enjoy. According to the learned Leigh, to know certainly." Crit. Sac. N. T., p. 79.

† Polymicrian, Gr. Lex. in loc:

ably have suffered much for trusting in a God who is the Saviour of all men. He would have been hailed by the Pharisees as a regular pepper-corn preacher of the first

water.

Matt. vii. 13, 14. "Enter ye in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be who go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth to life, and few there be that find it."

If the Rev. gentleman really contends that the broad road is a way to endless misery, and the narrow and difficult gate the only path to future bliss, we pronounce him unqualifiedly a blasphemer. That the benevolent Deity has only opened up a narrow and difficult passage to heaven, while he has laid a broad McAdamized road to facilitate the passage of mankind to eternal damnation, is too horribly blasphemous to be believed by any but a madman.

What the strait gate is, Christ informs us in the verse preceding the text: "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even so unto them; for this is the law and the prophets." This was the gate through which men were to enter into the kingdom of Christ; "doing to others as they would that others should do unto them," which was a strait and very difficult gate to the Jews, who had been taught "an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth." While the old way of retaliation was indeed a broad way, and emphatically led to destruction, apoleian,* a misera

* From apollum, which, according to Sir Edward Leigh, signifies "to die by some miserable means, as with hunger,"

ble death, as the original reads; and this was literally the fate of the unbelieving Jews, who refused to enter into the kingdom of the Messiah, and went on blindly in the broad road to their own destruction.

Bishop Pearce has informed us that, " By a gate, the Jews understood that which leads or lets men into the sense and knowledge of any doctrine. Hence Maimonides' treatise concerning the law of Moses, is called by a word signifying the gate of Moses."* An expression not unlike this occurs in Acts xiv. 27, where we read that God had opened a door (gate) of faith to the Gentiles. This was the strait gate which was first opened to the Jews, but they refused to enter, prefering the broad way that lead to the destruction of their whole nation.

CHAPTER VII.

The Revelation of the Lord Jesus from Heaven.-The coming of Christ.-Parable of the fan.—Parable of the net. -End of the world.-Meaning of aion.

"Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to those who trouble you; and to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall be punished with everlasting destruction, from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his power."-2 Thess. i. 6-10.

"This portion of Scripture one would jndge would be sufficient to convince any man, that the system of Universalism is untrue."

Dr. Pearce's com. in loc,