not attainable by the creature. Faith, in the common acceptance and recognition of it, is but too commonly in these days a substitute-and a most treacherous and delusive one, too-for works. Whilst professing to apprehend and rejoice in the finished and completely-perfected work of the Lord Jesus Christ, it sets the creature working in another way; that is, in the attaining (and, in reality, the proud and vain boasting of), the possessing, and the personal acting out of this perpetuated, unvarying, unshaken, immovable faith. If this faith consisted in the simple recognition of the everlastingly-consummated mediatorial work of the Lord Jesus Christ, we should not have a word to say against it; but it is when that faith is represented as having a firm, unvarying, never-shaken grasp of personal interest and unalienable share in and of that work, doubts arise in our mind as to the real author and the genuine character of that faith. We well know that by this remark we lay ourselves open to the charge of advocating God-dishonouring doubts and fears. Let men have it so, if they will. In spite of such accusation, we contend that, wherever and whenever there is a God-wrought faith, there is a God-sent test and trial of that faith. Whatever the boasted attainments and popular pretensions of the day, in the so-called religious world, personally we have never got beyond, nor do we ever expect to do so in our time-state, the Apostle's words, "if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations, that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ."

We have been in the habit of visiting Aylestone, from time to time, during the last seven-and-twenty years. We are naturally led to think of those whom, at our visits, we have met there. How many have gone

the way of all the earth, and the place that then knew them knows them no more for ever. But we ask ourselves, what supported them in life, with all its trials; and what sustained them in death, with all its dread realities? Was it a merely nominal faith, or a creature-cherished confidence? Nay. It was nought instrumentally, but a Spirit-implanted and a Spirit-maintained principle and power, the which needed to be continuously renewed, strengthened, and invigorated by its great and gracious Begetter, leaving the possessor not the veriest ground for creatureboast of abstract attainment. In other words, bringing the recipient under a deeper and still deeper sense of human vileness, ignorance, and helplessness; being operated upon-and an otherwise absolute destructiveness counteracted-by divine purity, wisdom, and power.

Although a rebel may be pardoned, what ground is there for his boasting of the hope or the confidence he previously had in his Judge or his Sovereign? In proportion as he laid stress upon that hope or that confidence, would he not be diverting and detracting from the kindnessand compassion of the Judge or the Sovereign, by drawing attention to himself and his attainments or doings? Were he under a right influence, he would be perpetually dwelling upon the wondrous condescension and marvellous mercy of Him by whom he had been released from the hapless destruction due to his misdeeds. In a word, his deliverer would be his object and subject, and not his own belief in that deliverer. Certain we are that there are thousands substituting FAITH for the OBJECT of faith h; and hence, with all their zeal on behalf of others, they throw stumblingblocks in their way, by leading them to strive for that in themselves which is only to be found in Christ. All this may be denied in so many words, but the fact remains the same.

To quote one example from those whom we have been accustomed to meet at Aylestone, and who has since our last visit been called home. We refer to that champion for God and truth, the "Watchman on the Walls"-and he was in very deed a watchman on the walls—the late venerable WILLIAM GARRARD. Well versed in the letter of Scripture, deeply taught of the Spirit, with a rich insight into the true spiritual nature of the Word, and a life-long experience of the vast and important distinction between the two natures in every Spirit-quickened soul, this aged servant of God knew what it was to cast himself upon divine mercy, and hang a sensible dependant upon divine bounty, to the latest hour of his earthly sojourn, when the Lord sweetly, gently, blessedly, took him to Himself. Unmoved had he been by any of the vagaries, the sophistries, the new-fangled notions and vainly-imagined better and brighter discoveries of the nature, operations, and final issues of what the Apostle Jude calls "the common salvation," Mr. GARRARD was one-and (blessed be God!) there are thousands still in common with him—who contend for and are contented with a "Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls."

Upon reaching home, we found, among the letters awaiting us, the following, to which we gladly give insertion, as directly bearing upon and confirmatory of the views to which we have just given expression.

"PROVE ALL THINGS."

UNDER this title, Mr. Pearsall Smith has published a tract, which is generally supposed to be a retractation of the errors which he has revived upon the subject of the higher life, or, in other words, human perfection. It is a mistake to suppose the tract expresses anything of the kind. All that Mr. Smith admits is, that, "through unguardedness of expression, he has been misunderstood," and in very ambiguous language, that may perhaps deceive the simple, he only confirms the error he has revived.

When John Wesley began to slip away from the doctrines of grace, and denounce those who held them, he took up the doctrine of creature perfection as the sequence of creature ability; upon which doctrine the whole tenets of Arminius turned. Mr. S. has only followed in the wake of Wesley, and revived certain opinions upon the subject of creature perfection which Mr. Wesley has left upon record in his writings, and which his followers, though not universally, receive at the present time as a part of their creed, and as a fact capable of being attained by believers. It requires something more than is contained in this eight-paged tract to disabuse the minds of those who have adopted his opinions or satisfy the judgment of the truthful, that Mr. S. has abandoned his pernicious errors, of which we give the following example from his published tracts:-"The soul, surrounded by temptation and defilement, feels itself somewhat as a dead miser would be in the presence of a bag of gold." Again, "You need not be all your life dying, and yet never dead; always on the cross, yet never crucified to the world.... When on the battlefield a man is wounded, he limps away, or is carried off to the hospital; but, if he throws up his hands suddenly, everyone knows he is a dead man, the bullet has reached his heart. It is thus, dear Christians, I

desire death in you, not so much by the process of a gradual, neveraccomplished crucifixion of the flesh, but by dying in the centre of your existence to self, that is, to that bundle of passions, selfishness, ambitions, uncleannesses, and idolatries, which constitute the many members of the body of death which is to be destroyed."

We could multiply quotations to prove how greatly Mr. S. has erred upon this subject of the so-called higher life. His tract, which he calls "A Word of Explanation and Exhortation," has not one sentence that intimates a candid acknowledgment of his errors, unless the mild admission, "unguardedness of expression," can be made to bear the weight of all the errors which are so abundant in his writings. But a terrible stumbling-block in the way of this "higher life" is the seventh of Romans; therefore it must be got rid of. Wesley declared it was Paul's experience in his unregenerate state. Mr. P. Smith says "it is the experience of a man in a backsliding state, fallen from grace; hence, sin had revived in him; for, the natural will being dead, the agony of a divided life and purpose is gone, for now our glorious motive-power, God's own will, works in us, freed from internal opposition." This comment upon the seventh of Romans will show the feeblest believer where Mr. Smith stands, and how much he has yet to learn of true Christian experience. The mistake these speculators make is plain to a Spirit-taught child of God. The believer, by virtue of eternal union with Christ, stands beneficially interested in all that Christ is and has. He is made of God unto such "wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption;" therefore "this is the name whereby she (the Church of God) shall be called the Lord our Righteousness," even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ; so that in this righteousness "God hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, nor seen perverseness in Israel." Thence they shall all be presented "holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight." This is the high life here below, and the glorious privilege of the Church of God. Such honour have all His saints, whether they know it or not; this is their relative and abiding holiness as in Christ Jesus. But there is a practical holiness which is also the privilege of the saints, when called by grace, that is manifested in the affections, words, and ways. The elect are "God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works." They are "born of God," and "partakers of the divine nature;" therefore put forth fruits in accordance with the divine principle, which is the new birth or new creation, bestowed upon the family of God, holy in quality, but checked in its degree by the old Adam nature, which, set on by the world and Satan, opposes the gracious affections and godly walk of the children of God, so that "the good they would they do not, and the evil which they would not, that they do." Hence the conflict the seventh of Romans describes, which is the mint-mark, so to speak, that divides between "reprobate silver" and the true coin of the King of kings. And herein is seen by the Church the glory of salvation in Jesus that gave the elect a secure standing in Christ "before the world began ;" and a holy nature, in time, that makes the believer hate the sin which dwells within, causes him often to " groan, being burdened," while it makes him value the precious blood of Christ "that cleanseth from all sin." The seventh of Romans strikes a chord that vibrates in the breast of every living soulit tells out the feelings of the strongest as well as the weakest saintand, while the believer exclaims, under the sight and sense of indwelling sin, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of

this death?" the true translation into a higher life is just to be taught of the Spirit to say, "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord." And, in proof that there is neither extinction of sin, nor expulsion of the old Adam nature, he adds, by divine teaching, "So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin."

DEAR MR. EDITOR,-My soul was pressed under a burden of many evils. The first and greatest was the load, power, and oppression of indwelling sin, the old man, who is corrupt according to deceitful lusts, who is "earthly, sensual, devilish." Then the burden of the abounding error and heresies of the present day, caused mainly by men who have run unsent into the office of the Gospel ministry-a generation clean in their own eyes, but not washed from their filthiness, nor delivered from the native enmity of their carnal minds to the truth of the everlasting Gospel of the blessed God. Having succeeded in deceiving them into this false position, Satan will not suffer them to be idle in it. If it be not safe openly to attack the doctrines of grace, they must labour to undermine them. Is the eternal election of the Church in Christ a truth? Then they must have "bowels of compassion" for the whole world, and proclaim in its stead the universal love of God to mankind. Is Christ's agony and death a complete and accepted satisfaction for the sins of His people a truth? Then they must proclaim it a noble act of exemplary selfsacrifice, or roundly declare He died for all men. Is the fall of man a truth? No less terrible in hell itself than it is at times in the bitter experience of the Lord's exercised family. How, then, do they deal with, or rather fight against, it? They do so by publishing the "yea-andnay" Gospel, which not only secures their own minds against their real condition in the absolute ruin of the fall, but also agrees well with the native free-will principles of their unconverted hearers. Is the absolute need of the new birth a truth? Then, in how many ways do they fight against, explain away, or deceive their hearers with regard to the true nature of it and its invariable accompanying Scriptural fruits! The Broad Church party show they are still on the broad road which leadeth to destruction, by fighting against it, calling it a figure of speech, and so forth. The Pharisaic Ritualistic Church party assert it takes place in baptism, thus deluding themselves and their hearers who obey them. The Revivalists, who are doing a great work in Scotland at present, show their enmity to the truth by ignoring the Holy Ghost as the Almighty Agent in the regeneration of every redeemed child of God. Is it a fruit of election? They preach it as the act of the creature in deciding for Christ. Is it only accomplished in a day of divine power, and at " time to favour Zion ?" They proclaim it must be done by all their hearers ere they leave the meeting. Yea, they will call a special after-meeting, lest any should go away without performing this work, rather than trust the Almighty covenant-keeping Jehovah with the performance of it.

a set

These, dear sir, are evils surely to be mourned over; and it was my unspeakable mercy to be led to a throne of grace about them, and to find the Word brought sweetly into my mind (which also wonderfully lifted off these burdens): "Sing ye unto the Lord, for He hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea. The Lord is a Man of war; the Lord is His name." Yes; when the Lord, in His afflicted Church, has triumphed over all foes and evils of this present

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time-state, the man of sin included, what a shout of praise shall ascend to Him, for He only is worthy.-I am, dear Mr. Editor, respectfully yours,

Protestant Beacon.

ENGLAND'S CHURCH AND CONSTITUTION.

G. A.

OUR Protestant countrymen must lend us their ears. God has given them one more chance of rescuing this good old land of England from the degrading thraldom in which, for the last fifty years, Romanism has held it fast. A little band of selfish unscrupulous Papists, swayed by the will of a foreign despot, has acted so powerfully on successive Parliaments in which, Whig and Tory strove for mastery, that Protestant interests were continually sacrificed, and Protestant feeling constantly defied. But it is high time this sort of thing should cease. What do the great mass of Englishmen care, whether Gladstone or Disraeli reign supreme, so long as the chief competition between the rival leaders is as to who shall drop the most sugar-plums into the Pope's mouth! This, one would think, was bad enough, but a new plague has been hatched in our Church and universities, which borrows everything from Popery except submissiveness to the Pope, so that while political selfishness clogs the wheels of Parliamentary action, the pest of priestcraft poisons the wells from whence our supplies of moral and religious teaching are drawn. And, as the bishops have-or say they have-no power to arrest the mischief in their department, and as our Parliamentry leaders can or will do nothing to mend matters in the affairs of state, it follows that unless Protestant people put their shoulder to the electoral wheel as-to their shame be it spokenthey have not done for many a long day, things, instead of improving, can only go on from bad to worse, until some terrible crash brings all our existing institutions to the ground. First of all, let each man among us take his stand on the reverse of the Earl of Denbigh's famous axiom, and, putting politics aside for awhile, boldly declare himself a Whig, a Tory, a Radical-what you please-but first of all a Protestant. Acting on this principle, before he troubles himself to cross-examine a candidate on minor matters, let him come to the point at once, and ask him a few plain questions, such as- -(1) Are you a Protestant? (2) Will you brook no tampering with the coronation oath which is our sole security that none but Protestants shall ever mount the British throne? (3) Will you vote for the inspection of nunneries? (4) Will you oppose whatever legislation may tend to the injury of Protestantism and the encouragement of Romanism, whether within or without the pale of the English Church? All these points-excepting perhaps number three, and we cannot understand a man of any true feeling objecting to that are vital; and, if a candidate for Parliamentary honours shrug his shoulders, and seek to evade them, we should wish to see his advances scouted by every decent constituency in the kingdom. We have said nothing yet about disestablishment or disendowment, because-whether we like such things or not-come they will, unless we succeed in purging the Establishment of its Romish leaven. Better a thousand times break it up, than suffer its churches to be transformed into mass-houses, and its ministers into wafer-worshippers and confession-mongers."-The Rock.