THE FAITH AND HOPE OF THE GOSPEL VINDICATED.

A LETTER

ΤΟ

A FRIEND IN GLASGOW,

CONTAINING

BRIEF REMARKS

ON

DR. CHALMERS'S LATE ADDRESS

TO THE

INHABITANTS OF THE PARISH OF KILMANY.

[First Published 1816.]

The References in the following Letter are made from the first Edition of Dr. Chalmers's Address.

A LETTER, &c.

My dear sir,-You have more than once intimated a wish, that I should send you some remarks on Dr. Chalmers's Address to his late parishioners. I now avail myself of a little comparative leisure to comply with your desire.

You know something of the interest that was excited in me last year, by some circumstances which I heard of the writer: and I confess that I indulged hopes which I now see were no more warranted by the occasion, than they hitherto appear justified by the result. However, they led me to open his pamphlet with every favourable disposition. From my knowledge indeed of the unscriptural nature of the writer's profession and connexion,-his clerical

profession, and his connexion with a politico-religious body,--I was prepared to meet with much that would be censurable: but I was also prepared to make great allowances; to hail joyfully all appearances of a mind enlightened to see the Glory of the Divine Truth, and to regard many passages and sentiments of a different complexion as but some of the remaining chaff, which I might expect the fire of the Word progressively to consume.

I am sorry to say that an attentive perusal of the pamphlet forces me to discard these sanguine imaginations. I must still indeed view the writer with the same hope, of which every sinner is the object, as one who may yet be brought to the knowledge of the Truth: but I cannot longer conceive of him as at present discerning it. The great body of his pamphlet is in direct and unequivocal opposition to it. But I am still more painfully struck with observing that, even where he aims at being most evangelical-the real glory of the Gospel (as a divine revelation of mercy and salvation to the lost) appears out of his view and he seems with many to prize it, chiefly, as a convenient instrument for producing some imaginary reformation in the heart and life of a sinner.

The one and only true Gospel, when perceived, does indeed produce in the sinner a new mind and a new spirit; and is, in this respect, as in every other, "the power of God unto salvation." The people "that know righteousness," are a people that have his "law in their hearts," (Isa. li. 7.) even that law which hath gone forth out of Zion; as, in the same new covenant in which God declares "I will be merciful to their unrighteousness"-he also declares-" I will put my laws into their minds and write them in their hearts." But they know nothing yet of either blessing, who conceive of any fancied reformation of the heart or life as advancing the sinner towards the remission of his sins, as preparing him to receive the gospel doctrine, or placing him "in likelier circumstances than others for being brought to the belief" of it. (p. 31. & 20.) Repentance, or a new mind, and the remission of sins, are inseparably connected; and both alike accompany the belief of the Gospel. The divine testimony concerning Jesus Christ presents an object so glorious, and reveals such a view of the distinctive character of the only living and true God, (as the just God and the Saviour, just and justifying the ungodly) -that whoever discerns it-whoever believes the report-has at once peace with God, and has that new mind of the Spirit which is according to the mind of God. He delights in that one object, in which alone God is well pleased, and abhors all the course and all the sentiments which he before most admired. Being now made "free from sin and become a servant to God, he has his fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life;" in the good hope of which he rejoices, and is taught by that grace (or rich mercy) of God which has brought him salvation, "that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, he should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world:" and he now sees the friendship of this world to be enmity with God, as he sees that in all its most specious forms it is opposed to that revealed truth of God, in which all the divine will is manifested.

The Apostles knew nothing of favourable and hopeful circumstances, in those who did not believe their glad tidings concerning Jesus Christ. And all who did believe them, they address as children of God and saints in Christ Jesus, made meet "to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light." Their doctrine also was plain and simple, requiring no length of time to understand it, though none believed it but those on whom the Lord had mercy.

But of those who did not receive it, who did not discern its divine certainty and glory, the Apostles speak in that decisive language-" if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost; in whom the god of this world hath blinded their minds, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ should shine into them."

Not so, according to Dr. Chalmers and his "grand renewing process." (p. 9.) "The statement of the evangelical ground of a sinner's acceptance may not be comprehended all at once: it may be years before the comfort of it is at all felt or appropriated by the doubting and melancholy enquirer." (p. 21.) "It accords with experience, that this doctrine might be addressed, without effect, for years to men enquiring after salvation." (p. 22.) 'Months or years may be consumed, ere the purified fountain send forth its streams, or the repentance he is aspiring after tell on the plain and palpable doings of his ordinary conduct." (p. 12.) But in the meantime these disciples of Dr. Chalmers, who do not comprehend the evangelical ground of a sinner's acceptance, and therefore certainly do not believe the Gospel, he considers and speaks of as "enquirers," "enquiring Christians," "enquiring after salvation," "aspiring after repentance," "visited with a desire after salvation." (p. 10, 12, 17, 18, 21, 22.)

And he tells us that they "may and ought to be urged with the call of departing from their iniquities." (p. 21.) What he means by this he leaves us no room to doubt. He informs such of various steps, "without which the object they aim at is unattainable." (p. 18.) The faithful performance of their daily tasks is one step: obedience to their parents is another step: the adoption of just weights and measures is another step. Can the Gospel be more plainly contradicted than it is by this doctrine? When did the Apostles employ themselves in trying to reform the conduct of those who believed not their Gospel? But above all, when did they teach that such reformations of the outward conduct—such departures from their more palpable iniquities-would be so many steps towards their salvation? When did they consider such unbelieving hearers, however demure and serious and anxious about obtaining eternal life, as in the way of salvation, and giving proof of their earnestness in it by turning them from the evil of their manifest iniquities? (p. 21.)

Do they not on the contrary inculcate on the believers of the Gospel,—(whom alone they address as in the way of salvation)-that such unbelieving religionists are not advanced a whit towards salvation by all the "stir and diligence and doing and visible reformation," (p. 18.) which Dr. Chalmers is so anxious to produce among them? Do they not illustrate and enforce this their doctrine-( glorifying to God but confounding to the vanity of man)-by adducing the case of the Jews and Gentiles,-the religious, working, striving Jews, and

the ungodly, careless, wicked Heathens; declaring that the Gentiles, "which followed not after righteousness, had attained to righteousness," but that the Jews, who "followed after the law of righteousness, had not attained" to it, but were stumbling at that stumblingstone and rock of offence laid in Zion, ignorant of and not submitting themselves to the righteousness of God? (Rom. ix. x.) When did the apostles aim at getting the unbelieving world to "struggle it with their more palpable iniquities?" Or when did they, succeeding in this unrighteous object, bless God that He wrought this effect in them, and avow that it was to such, and not to those "trenched in obstinacy and unconcern," that they should "look for an earnest desire after the offered Saviour?" (p. 25.)

If ever Dr. Chalmers be himself brought to the knowledge of that truth which he now opposes, he will see that he has been hitherto a blind leader of the blind; and that all those supposed earnest desires after the Saviour, which he thinks so hopeful symptoms in himself and others like him, have been but earnest desires after the vain imaginations of their own ungodly minds, and not after the Christ of God; whom none can desire but those who know him, and therefore have peace with God in him; He being "made unto them of God wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption."

The contrast between the Doctor and the Apostles will be still more evident, if we compare the way in which he presses practical reformation on his disciples, and they way in which they handled such subjects with the disciples of Christ. Dr. Chalmers urges his halfconverts to "grapple it,"-to "struggle it" immediately "with every sin which is within the reach of their exertions," (p. 10.) that they may be "put into a state of preparation for the Saviour," (p. 17.) that a preparation of the way of the Lord may be 'set agoing in their behalf." (p. 22.) that they may be "in a likelier way of receiving larger measures of truth," (ib.) or, in plain English, in a likelier way for believing the Gospel. And thus he urges the thief to restrain himself from stealing, &c. the faithless housemaid in the family from all purloining, and all idleness;" (p. 15.) telling them that "unless they are walking in this particular line they will not reach the object they are aiming at," (p. 23.) i. e. the object of getting to heaven. (p. 24.)

But how did the Apostles exhort Christian servants to be obedient to their masters, not with eye-service, &c.? Why, they exhort them to this as the servants of Christ, as unto Christ; (Eph. vi. 5, 6.)— 'knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance, for ye serve the Lord Christ;" (Col. iii. 24.)-" that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed; (1 Tim, vi. 1.)—that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things." (Tit. ii. 10.) See also 1 Pet. ii. 18.-25. Thus the Apostles view those to whom they address practical Christian exhortations as already the servants of Christ, as heirs of the heavenly inheritance: and their practical exhortations are but a reminding them of that Gospel which they had believed, and of the conversation that became it,-exhortations derived from the state of blessed relation in which they stood towards the living God, and enforced upon them as children, by the constraining consideration of the glory of his name.

But can we wonder at the difference of their exhortations and the Doctor's, when we recollect that the Apostles were shepherds of the flock of Christ; but that Dr. Chalmers avows himself a goatherd, training into what he considers as Christianity those whom he does not yet consider as children of God, addressing his religious exhortations--not to the Christians of his quondam parish-but to all its inhabitants, towards all of whom he stood in the relation of a pastor. He does indeed speak of them all as partakers of the same faith with himself; and it is very probable that in this he speaks the truth. For he tells us, that his prayer for them all is "that they may so grow in the fruits of their common faith, as to be made meet for" the eternal inheritance. (p. 3.) We have here, as throughout the pamphlet, intimated to us what his faith is. He conceives that sinners are made meet for that inheritance, by progressive growth in what he calls the fruits of faith. Whereas, according to the doctrine of the Apostles, every sinner alike who has believed their testimony is made meet to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints, and has a hope laid up for him in heaven," (Col. i. 5, 12.)—a hope that maketh not ashamed.

As to the good words and fair speeches about the Gospel and Christ's righteousness, which Dr. Chalmers at times employs, it is sufficiently evident from what we have already seen, that they can be but good words and fair speeches, calculated to deceive, by dressing up an antiscriptural system in shreds of scriptural language. But we need only attend to one sentence, in which he aims at being very evangelical, to be convinced that his gospel is altogether opposed to the true; that by Christ's righteousness, &c. he means something quite different from that of which the Apostles testify. After having said (p. 37.)-"let Christ, in all the perfection of that righteousness, which is unto all them and upon all them that believe, be the alone rock of your confidence ;"-he adds-" your feet will never get on a sure place, till they be established on that foundation than which there is no other and to delay a single moment IN YOUR ATTEMPTS TO REACH IT AND TO FIND REST UPON IT, after it is so broadly announced to you, is to incur the aggravated guilt," &c. &c.

:

Here we have in a small compass the quintessence of all the antichristian doctrine, by which the popular teachers have for ages beguiled the religious world. Grand words about the perfection of Christ's righteousness, as the only foundation for a sinner; but something remaining to be done by the sinner to get at it. And in this unrighteous labour the Reverend Doctors of Divinity are ready at hand, as guides and assistants to the exercised souls, whom they can prevail on "to be up and doing." (p. 36.)

ATTEMPTS to reach it and to find rest upon it! Let Dr Chalmers know that every such attempt only manifests the unbelief of him who engages in it. That word-"not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy"-ought to check Dr. Chalmers's keenness of zeal on this subject. And while that maxim stands divinely true, I am warranted in telling him, that whether he be yet engaged in the strenuous effort to reach that foundation, or suppose that he has succeeded in the attempt, he is alike a