Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

Glory of Christ as God-Man displayed!" and from beginning to end, the work is conformable to its title.

"It is very evident to me, that our blessed Saviour is often represented in Scripture as a complex person, wherein God and man are united, so as to make up one complex agent, one intellectual compound being; God, joined with man, so as to become one common principle of action and passion." Preface, P. iii.

"Though we learn from Scripture, that true and proper Deity is ascribed to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and they are represented often in Scripture as distinct personal agents, yet, after all our inquiries and prayers, we may be still much at a loss to determine exactly wherein this distinct personality consists, and what is the distinct communion of each of them in the Divine nature. We have never yet been able, with any strong evidence and clear certainty, precisely to adjust this sacred difficulty, how far they are one, and how far they are three." P. iv.

"All that I pretend to maintain here is, that our blessed Saviour must be God, and he must be man; God and man, in two distinct natures, and one person." P. v.

"There is not one sentence in all these discourses, but what is very consistent with a firm belief of the Divinity of Christ, and a just and sincere concern for the most eminent and glorious truths of the gospel as they are professed by Protestants among us, against the Socinian and Arian errors." P. vii.

[ocr errors]

The first Discourse in this work is entitled "A Survey of the Visible Appearances of Christ, as God, before his incarnation; and the drift of the whole is, through almost a hundred pages, that the Jehovah of Israel, in all his visible appearances under the former dispensation, was no other than the Lord Jesus Christ.

"The Angel of the covenant, Christ Jesus, is God himself, is intimately and personally united to Godhead, and is one with God: because he assumes Divine names and titles, and speaks the words which can belong only to God." P. 75.

"The denying of these glorious and sublime titles of Jehovah, the Lord God, the God of Israel, etc. to belong to Christ, or the interpreting of them in such a diminished and inferior sense, as may belong to a mere inferior spirit, a contingent or created being, without any personal union to Godhead, seems to run contrary to the most plain and obvious sense and meaning, both of the sacred writers, of the ancient Jews, and the Primitive Christians." P. 98.

"The union of the Divine and human natures in the complete person of Christ, is one of those sublime wonders which could never have been found out by the reason of man, and which were revealed slowly to the church in succeeding ages. But in these latter days, we have a most evident and certain revelation made to us, that Christ Jesus the Mediator, who was of the seed of David according to the flesh, is God over all, blessed forever.'" P. 99.

"We know that Jesus Christ is true God, and that his human nature is united to the Divine. The sacred doctrine of the Divinity, united to the human nature in Christ, ought to be supported by all just expositions of Scripture. It is an article that WE CANNOT PART WITH OUT OF OUR RELIGION, WITHOUT SHAKING THE FOUNDATIONS." Pp. 102, 103.

"I am well assured of the doctrine of the Deity of Christ, from many Scriptures; so if there be anything which I have asserted that runs counter to that doctrine, I desire it to be expunged and forgiven.” P. 232.

Quotations of a similar character to those here given might be multiplied to any extent. To feel the force of them it must be kept in mind, that they are from the last publications of Dr. Watts on the subject, and exhibit "the last authentic account of his sentiments, as avowed by himself." He made this avowal of them, long after his controversies with Bradbury, and with Tomkins, an Arian; after the time when Dr. Lardner supposes he became a Unitarian; and indeed but a few months previous to the confinement which terminated in his death. And he left no writing or declaration, of which we have any knowledge, which goes at all to contradict, or even to modify, the views here expressed. On the contrary, if we may credit the worthy family in which he lived and died; if we may credit those who were with him in his last sickness; if we may credit the venerable clergyman who preached at his funeral; if we may credit his own words; he held fast his integrity to the end, and continued faithful unto death.

With what justice or propriety, then, is it said, and repeated, that Dr. Watts renounced his orthodoxy, and that "his last thoughts were completely Unitarian?" With what propriety are the old surmises and glosses, which have been so often-times refuted, paraded forth about once every dozen years, to support so grave a slander of the holy dead? The Unitarians profess to despise authority in matters of faith, and yet will even steal the good name of the pious dead, though the theft is so sure to be detected and chastised. We do not ourselves accept Dr. Watts's peculiar "explications" of the doctrine of the Trinity; still, if Mr. Burnap and his Unitarian brethren were only such as he, we would have no more controversy with them. We would gladly give them the right hand of fellowship. We would bid them God speed, in every work of faith and labor of love. Even more; we would come and sit at their feet, and hear them discourse of "the Glory of Christ," and sound forth, as did Watts with his living and his dying breath, the wonders of redeeming love.

--

OBSERVATIONS ON MEN, BOOKS, AND THINGS.

[ocr errors]

HON. S. A. ELIOT'S HISTORY OF HARVARD COLLEGE. This work, and an elaborate review of it in the Christian Examiner, from the pen of Rev. G. E. Ellis, may be taken as samples of the way in which our Unitarian brethren politely apologize to their own consciences for the sin of embezzling and perverting a State institution to their sectarian purposes. Mr. Eliot repeats all the quibbles of President Quincy as to that outrage upon moral honesty, the perversion of the Hollis divinity fund to the support of a Unitarian professor; notwithstanding that those quibbling misstatements were so thoroughly "detected and exposed in the first volume of the OBSERVATORY. Mr. Eliot would argue, that Hollis did not intend by "sound and orthodox principles" what that expression now means, because he was opposed to religious tests in a certain case in England; as though the same were not still the case with all the staunch Calvinistic Dissenters in that country, who, owing to the old "Test Act" and other impositions of a State religion, have almost a morbid jealousy in regard to such matters. Mr. Eliot has the temerity to assert that "not a dollar given to the College has ever gone to the Theological School." Whereas it is notorious, whatever may be the case now, that much of the instruction, and some of the subsistence, of the divinity students has been derived from the College professors and endowments.— Mr. Ellis, in his review, says that the "Liberal party," when it found itself entrenched in full possession of the College, "resolved to maintain the position" they had obtained by the arts of intrigue and concealment, "from an honest and reasonable conviction, that rights which they held sacred would be encroached upon, if abandoned to the other party." Here is some fine-rigged morality for you! Stripped of its Unitarian feathers it would read thus: "Now I have the chance, I will take the initiative in playing the rogue: I will cheat that fellow out of his just rights, for fear that if he gets what belongs to him, it may enable him to cheat me!" We trust that, if ever the orthodox shall recover their rights, they will not abuse them, however tempted by the example which that Unitarian corporation has been setting us for the last forty years. Mr. Ellis says: 66 There never has been a period in which some of the offices of instruction and government were not held, as now, by Trinitarians." This statement is as true as that there is silver in Missouri lead, from a ton of which enough of the precious metal might be obtained to make a tea-spoon! Such an assertion is an insult to all the Trinitarians in the commonwealth. Judging from what they have done, it is all but certain that the present Corporation will never appoint a permanent instructor whose character and abilities would be likely to inspire the undergraduates with much respect for his sentiments. If anything more were needed to prove the sectarianism of that Board, it might be found in their acceptance of a legacy of several thousand dollars from a Henry Lienow, given, in express terms, "FOR THE FURTHERANCE OF THE UNITARIAN FAITH." A trust, no doubt, carefully fulfilled. But what if donations were to be offered for the promotion of Episcopacy, or Cal

[ocr errors]

570 CHILD'S COMMENTATOR ON THE HOLY SCRIPTURES, ETC.

vinism, or simply Trinitarianism? Would they accept the trust? Or accepting it, would it be with any other intent than to pervert it, as they have so many others? Let eternal infamy rest upon such dishonesty; and everlasting shame upon the wretched sophistry which attempts its justification!

THE CHILD'S COMMENTATOR ON THE HOLY SCRIPTURES.-This work is reprinted from a London edition, in four compact and beautiful volumes, by the Massachusetts Sabbath School Society. The American editor, Rev. A. R. Baker of Medford, has introduced numerous improvements and illustrations, both printed and pictured, adapting the work more fully to the wants of our own families and Sabbath Schools. We have often thought, that a commentary on the Bible, condensed, simple, and practical, prepared expressly for the young, would be a most valuable help in the sacred duty of domestic religious instruction. Such a work would also be of great value in aiding children to understand their Sabbath lessons, and to learn the proper answers to the questions in their class-books. We trust that the volumes before us will fully answer these purposes; and that having had a wide circulation in old England, they may prove valuable immigrants to this country, especially as they have been duly naturalized at the proper office. They actually speak as good English as we do! and no one could distinguish them from "native Americans."

BIBLIOTHECA SACRA. This work, like all things in nature, is "beautiful in its season." And we rejoice to learn that it has taken so deep root in the favor of the literary republic, that it promises to be a well-rooted standard, whose fruit shall furnish food for years to come. The Bibliotheca is a most welcome visitor to him "whose study is his paradise, which he leaves only to perform some good office." And to him who, like Dr. Thomas Goodwin, not content with superficial knowledge, "loves to study a subject down." It is under the conduct of ripe and profound scholars and men of taste, in whom the smoke from the lamp of science has not dimmed the lamp of devotion. Their labors are exceedingly helpful to the preacher, who, as Dr. Harris said two hundred years ago, "hath three books to study; the Bible, himself, and his people." Each of these books is duly commented upon, in the exegetical, philosophical, and historical articles of this noble quarterly. Nor is its interest by any means confined to ministers, though to them it is almost as necessary as a second coat. It is no less valuable to the man of cultivated mind, who would at least preach to himself, and would teach his own soul what to know, and how to know it. Success to the Bibliotheca Sacra!

REV. E. N. KIRK'S HOME MISSIONARY SERMON. It is the object of this discourse to shew that "the church is essential to the republic," as the chief conservative power therein. The subject has been much discussed, but we have never seen it treated more judiciously. Moreover, it is to our apprehension, much the most satisfactory and interesting of all the discourses which the accomplished author

H

has committed to the press. It instructs, stimulates, and cheers the Christian reader; and urges on the good work of establishing throughout our newer States those institutions, which, wherever they are planted, prove to be the salt of the earth, and the only reliable preservative against the disorganizing and barbarizing tendencies of human corruption.

[ocr errors]

SEWALL'S SKETCHES OF ST. AUGUSTINE, IN FLORIDA. As we are very often applied to, both verbally and by letter, for an opinion as to the benefit likely to result from a change of climate to persons affected with pulmonary diseases, we may as well say something on the subject here. Having felt great advantage from it in our own case, and witnessed it in the case of very many patients who came under our notice during a three years abode in Florida, we feel great confidence in it in all recent cases where the symptoms do not indicate a rapid course of disease. Though we have known some instances of recovery, in cases so desperate as to border well on the marvellous, yet to those who have consumption seated on them, and whose whole constitution is going to wreck, our advice is that they remain at home, in the bosom of their families, and, amid the soothing attentions of friends and relatives, prepare for the dissolution of the earthly tabernacle. Most persons, however, defer the time of their departure to the milder clime too long, or go when the disease has rushed towards its end with such celerity as nearly to have finished its course. They go to die among strangers, or while on their homeward way. The frequency of this result has brought the practice into disrepute. But there are abundant facts to prove, that where pulmonary disease is in its incipient stage, and where there is no irresistible propensity to it in the constitution, a residence at the South operates in the most kind and healing manner. Still, even of these, very many lose all that they have gained, by returning to the North too soon, as they are strongly tempted to do. Most of them, to derive permanent benefit from that genial air, should stay there, if possible, over the second winter. Of all the health retreats of which we have heard, we give the decided preference to Florida; and this not only because the invalid will there be among his own countrymen, and within easy and frequent means of intercourse with home, but because he may there, by a day or two of travel in different directions, obtain several minor changes of air, of which he may ascertain by trial which is most congenial to his own peculiar state. For further information on this subject, we would refer to Mr. Sewall's "Sketches of St. Augustine, with a view of its History and Advantages as a Resort for Invalids." This is a small and neat volume, just issued by G. P. Putnam, of New York. Perhaps it may tend to increase general confidence in the statements of this book, to mention that seven hundred copies of it, sent to St. Augustine, were demanded and destroyed by an excited popish mob for uttering too much truth about them to be agreeable. The writer's life was threatened in the streets, and he owed his safety to an escort of ladies. We believe that he has "shaken off the dust of his feet as a testimony" against his persecutors, and "fled to another city."

« AnteriorContinuar »