502 HENRY KIRKE WHITE*S REMAINS. 



denial; because a well-educated, sensible lad will see 

 so many inconveniences in vicious indulgences, that he 

 will choose the virtuous by a natural effort of the under- 

 standing ; and so, according to this system, he will en- 

 sure heaven by the soundness of his policy, and the rec- 

 titude of his understanding. 



Admitting this to be a true doctrine, Christianity has 

 been of no material service to mankind ; and the Son of 

 God might have spared his blood : for the heathens knew 

 all this, and not only knew it. but many of them put it 

 into practice. "What then has Christianity done ? But 

 the Scripture teaches us the reverse of this : it teaches 

 us to give God our whole heart, to live to hira, to pray 

 continually, and to fix our affections not on things tem- 

 poral, but on things eternal. Kow, I ask you, whether, 

 without any sophistry, or any perversion of the meaning 

 of words, you can reconcile this with your religious in- 

 struction to your son ? 



I think, likewise, that you do not define the essentials 

 of religion distinctly. We are either saved by the atone- 

 ment of Jesus Christ, or we are not ; and if we are, then 

 all men are necessarily saved ; or some are necessarily 

 not saved ; and if some are not saved, it must be from 

 causes either existing in the individuals themselves, or 

 from causes existing in the economy of God's dispen- 

 sations. Now, Madam, we are told tliat Jesus Christ 

 died for all ; but we grant that all are not saved. Why 

 then are some not saved ? It is because they do not act 

 in a manner Avorthy of God's favour ! Then a man's 

 salvation depends upon his actions. But we are told 

 in Scripture, that it does not depend on his actions — 

 " By faith are ye saved, without the works of the law :" 

 therefore, it either must depend on some other effort 

 of the creature, or on the will of the Creator. I will not 

 dispute the question of Calvinism with you ; I will 

 grant that Galvanism is indefensible ; but this all must 

 concede who believe the Scriptures — that we are to 

 be saved by faith only through Jesus Christ. I ask 

 therefore, whether you have taught this to your son : 

 and 1 ask whether there is one trait in your instructions, 



