Изображения страниц
PDF
EPUB

justification, as explained by St. Paul, consists in our restoration to the life and privileges which we forfeit in Adam, and “that it is by baptism alone that infants, as well as those of riper years, can. be admitted into the church, or justified; that such is certainly the doctrine of the church of England, and as it appears to me, of Christ and his apostles." Now, it occurs as a very natural question, what is the condition, in respect of immortality and the future state, of these countless myriads who have never been baptized, that is, never justified, or released from the penalty attached to the first transgression? Are we not brought by such considerations to almost the same conclusion which was drawn from similar reasoning by the celebrated author of the " Guide to the Church;" namely, that all who are not regularly baptized shall fail to be clothed upon with immortality, but sink at death into eternal annihilation. In truth, we do not see how the Bishop, without rejecting the ordinance of baptism as the essential and indispensable means of justification, can extend the effects of that justification-viz. the restoration to immortality-to the whole human race, baptized and unbaptized. This, however, is not Pelagianism, nor is it Semi-pelagianism: perhaps Mr. Wilkinson, who has kindly informed us, on the authority of the late Dr. Heys, that the whole church of England is semi-pelagian, holding a course equally distant from the horrible system of Calvin and the philosophic plan of Pelagius, will be able, in his next critical sermon, to expose fully all the errors, and point out all the inconsistency into which the Scottish Prelate has fallen.

We have not time to do more than mention the titles of the other Dissertations with which Bishop Gleig has enriched this edition of Stackhouse; among which, besides the Essays on "Original Sin," and on the "Principal Doctrines of Christianity," we have to particularize those on the "Three First Gospels," and on "Miracles." The last is a very able performance-a perfect specimen indeed of close and unanswerable reasoning; constructed, too, as a confutation of, or reply to, a most insidious article on the doctrine of Chances, which appeared some time ago in a celebrated Northern Journal. Since Campbell's book on Miracles, we can safely say that we have not seen any thing worthy of being compared to the "Supplementary Dissertation" on that interesting subject, now furnished by the Right Reverend Editor.

As to the Essay on the Priority and Comparative Originality of the Three First Gospels, we have only to observe, that it is written with the same talent and knowledge of the point at issue, which characterize the Dissertation on Miracles; and our theological readers require not to be told of the high interest attached to these questions, since the publication of the several works of

Marsh and Churton. Indeed, the Dissertations we have named appear to us so extremely valuable that we fondly cherish the hope, that the author will be induced to publish them in a separate form; adding what, upon a revisal of the whole, may seem wanting to fortify particular conclusions, or to obviate unforeseen objections.

There is also much useful matter introduced occasionally throughout the work, both with the view of supplying information not accessible to the original author, and of confuting the arguments, or exposing the ignorance, of infidels, whose cavilling he had only the industry to transcribe, without the ability to answer it. Indeed we have already suggested that Stackhouse's "objections," as he very significantly calls them, ought to be left out, or at least greatly modified in their expression; for he not only enables the enemy to fight to the best advantage, but admits him into the very fortress of our faith, and puts poisoned weapons into his hand. In pointing out, too, such things as we should wish to be omitted in any subsequent publication of the original articles now before us, we are inclined to mention the occasional use which is made by the Bishop of physical laws, with the view of explaining events avowedly miraculous. We agree with Bruce, the traveller, that in such matters we have nothing to do with physical laws; for when an occurrence, whatever it may be, stands on record in Holy Scripture, as a supernatural manifestation of Divine power or goodness, it ought to be received as such, without any attempt either to explain or defend it. We allude more particularly at present to the standing still of the sun, as mentioned in the book of Joshua, and the distant prospect which Moses was allowed to obtain from the top of Pisgah of the promised land; both of which facts are attempted to be accounted for by an extraordinary atmospherical refraction of the solar rays. This, it is worthy of remark, is the notion of Le Clerc, which was so severely condemned by Reeves, the translator of the " Apologies." "Quod (meaning the solstice) fieri potuit," says the Frenchman," insolitis refractionibus, quibus, ut notum est, sol nobis supra horizontem esse videtur, cum nondum ortus sit, et jam occiderit. In commenting upon which, our zealous countryman is certainly more out of temper than the occasion called for. "To naturalize miracles," says he, "and thereby to undermine the authority of Scripture which expressly asserts them, and is built upon them, he (Le Clerc) has recourse to refractions; the nature of which had he but tolerably understood, he would have known how very little serviceable it is to the wretched purpose for which he allegeth it. For by the natural laws thereof, as opticians give them, it is impossible to make the sun seem to stand still for a whole day, as Joshua ex

pressly saith it did. To make an object in a very swift and ob lique motion to the eye, to appear quiescent for a whole day, or, which in effect is the same, to make that which is seen under different angles, and in divers places, to appear, by refraction, as if for many hours it still kept the same place, is a problem in dioptrics yet unknown to the masters of that science." * We are aware that when Bishop Gleig adopts such opinions, it is not to diminish the credibility of the miracle considered as such, but merely to point out the particular laws of nature which were employed by the Almighty to effect his purpose; still, as all miracles are alike violations or interruptions of the established constitution of things, it is perhaps adviseable in a divine to regard them simply as supernatural events, not to be accounted for on any known physical principle; more especially in these times, when half learned philosophists busy themselves, amid their experiments or speculations, to reduce all the wonders of revealed religion to certain classes of natural phenomena. On the whole, however, we regard this edition of Stackhouse as a most valuable accession to the literature, the philosophy, and the sacred criticism of the present age; as worthy not only of Dr. Gleig's high talents and reputation, but also of the enlightened church and people of England to whom it is more particularly addressed. What is original in it is written with that freedom, without which there could be no discussion of doctrinal topics, and no separation of truth from error-with that intimate acquaintance with all that has been maintained by authors of eminence, without which plausible novelties could not be distinguished from ancient heresy,-and, above all, with that critical knowledge of the original language in which the Holy Scriptures were composed, without which it is extremely difficult to ascertain the dictates of Inspiration from the interpolations and scholia of fallible

men,

[ocr errors]

ART. XI.-BASIS OF NATIONAL WELFARE.

1. The Basis of National Welfare: considered in reference chiefly to the Prosperity of Britain, and Safety of the Church of England: with an Examination of the Parliamentary Reports on Education, the Police, the Population of Parishes, and the Capacity of Churches and Chapels: and a further Illustration of the Chief Facts noticed in "The Church in Danger." In a Second Letter to the Right Hon. the Earl of Liverpool, K. G. By the Rev. Richard Yates, B. D. 8vo. pp. 374. Rivingtons. London, 1817.

* Reeves' Apologies, vol. ii. p 176.

2. A Letter on the Distresses of the Country: addressed to His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent, in consequence of his Motion respecting" the Revulsion of Trade, and our sudden Transition from a System of extensive War to a State of Peace:" in which the supposed Influence of our Debt and Taxes, upon our Manufactures and Foreign Trade, is investigated. By John Ashton Yates. 8vo. pp. 211. Longman and Co. London, 1817.

THE case represented in the Acts of the Apostles has been very much the case of all succeeding ages. Some believe the things spoken, and some believe them not. But the present time differs from others in this, that those who believe cannot be distinguished from those who believe not, by any practical testimony of their faith, as far as public measures are concerned: the most opposite principles lead to the same course of action, or rather, in the matters which press upon us now, of inaction.

At no time, perhaps, since the Restoration, has speculative infidelity been so rare as at present in England, among those who take the lead in public opinion, and are capable from education of forming a judgment upon such a subject. The evidences by which the Christian Revelation is confirmed have been placed in such various and striking points of view, the objections have been set aside so triumphantly, and the masterly summary of testimony drawn up by Paley is at once so popular and so unanswerable, that infidelity has been fairly driven off the field, and those who are unconvinced at least are silenced. But we are little the better for having conquered systematic unbelief, if we have only exchanged it for inconsistent faith. We call that inconsistent faith, which acknowledges the premises, but refuses to act upon the conclusion, and does not admit in practice that to which it gives an unhesitating assent in speculation. The trite, but energetic exhortation, SAPERE AUDE, dare to follow out your principles, was suggested by clear views of the weakness of human

nature.

The conduct of our legislature, in matters of the greatest consequence in our domestic policy, affords a melancholy illustration of the preceding remarks. It is afraid to act upon acknowledged principles. While the truth of our religion is confessed, and public business is opened with its forms, that business is no sooner begun than Christianity is degraded into a sort of privilegium; as if it were an excellent rule, beyond dispute, in the direction of individual conduct and private obligation, but by no means an universal law for the empire at large; and thus the most opposite characters insensibly become partisans of those philosophic unbelievers, who, as Mr. Yates observes, "have proceeded upon a system of excluding, as much as possible, all religious con

siderations, all impressions of and regard to FUTURE EXISTENCE, from public business and public habits."

These are grave charges: we wish it were less easy to substantiate them. Look first at many of our financial expedients, and see whether they bear the stamp of heathenism, or of Christianity. The idolater of gold was wont to argue:

REM facias, REM,

Si possis, rectè; și non, quocunque modo, REM.

But the Christian has two principles directly opposed to this maxim: first, he is taught to pursue right measures at all events, and to trust to the consequences; nothing doubting that actions, done on a good principle, and directed to a right end, will, in the course of events, meet with success, and be favoured by the Divine Blessing. Next, he is still more unequivocally assured that no apparent expediency can warrant him in countenancing what is wrong, or encouraging what is immoral. Such is the profession of our national faith: now let us turn to our national practice. Take the lottery for example; it is proposed, defended, and carried into execution, by those very persons to whose own principles all gaming is most repugnant; and all the concomitant evils which follow in its train, and have been so often and so unanswerably exposed, are introduced and virtually sanctioned; because, forsooth, the Treasury cannot afford to lose two or three hundred thousand pounds. If this is not to act on the grounds of rem, quocunque modo, rem; if this is not to do evil, with a view to expediency, we shall be at a loss to find an instance of that forbidden policy; and if it is, what is it but the open and systematic violation of a Christian precept?

And yet the Minister who should dare to say, This measure is wrong, I cannot consent to it; this practice is unchristian, I cannot consistently sanction it;-might find abundance of cool and sober reasoning, by which he might rebut the charge of enthusiasm, or the more serious imputation of expecting a miracle to support his measures. In proportion as men are moral, active, and industrious, they are useful to the state; in proportion as they are idle and vicious, they are unproductive, or even burthensome to society. This is the ordinary course of things; this the providential arrangement of human affairs; by which, without visible interposition, the promises of the Gospel are made good, and the observance of its precepts rewarded. Money, too, thus spared from the promotion and encouragement of the various forms of více and misery, would still be money, and a part of the property of the community. It would either be saved, or spent in some other channel; if saved, it would be added to the productive capital of the country; if spent, how could it fail of con

« ПредыдущаяПродолжить »