Page images
PDF
EPUB

in consequence, that this person was God; or in other words, his conviction that his master was the unchangeable God, was founded upon his conviction that he had died and risen again.→ It may perhaps be contended that Thomas was not only instantly convinced that Jesus was God, but that, at the same moment, he obtained a clear insight into the doctrine of the two natures, and into those reasonings and distinctions by which it is proved, that the sufferings of the being who was God, were not the sufferings of God. To this we do not think it necessary to reply otherwise than by stating the fact, that the doctrine of the hypostatic union was not clearly understood, till it was definitively settled by the council of Ephesus, A. D. 431. We think this is sufficient to render it altogether improbable that Thomas was acquainted with this doctrine; and consequently, if he believed that Christ was God in the highest sense, the only sense which can avail the trinitarian, he must have believed that God, perly speaking, had died and risen again. It seems to us then necessary to conclude, from the nature of the case, either that the words of Thomas are an exclamation, or that the title God

pro

is applied to our Saviour in an inferior sense. It is of little consequence which solution is adopted; but we feel it of great importance to free an apostle from what we should consider so heavy a charge, as that of calling one who had been tempted, had suffered and died, the infinite Jehovah.

We will next turn to Hebrews, i. 8, 9. "But unto the Son, he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom; Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." Of this passage we have already given an explanation; (Christian Disciple, vol. ii. p. 48.) but if any one is not satisfied with the interpretation there given, and still thinks the words are addressed to a being who is God in the highest sense, we must ask him if he thinks the Supreme God has fellows; if there is a God superior to the Supreme God. It is very clear that there is a being superior to him who is addressed in this passage; and however others may feel, we do not ourselves like to hold a contradiction in terms; we find it necessary to believe, that he, who has been exalted by his God' above his fellows.' is not the Supreme Being.

These two are the only passages in the New Testament in which we conceive that it can be maintained, with any plausibility, that the title God is applied to Christ. Others indeed are adduced by trinitarians, but we think, and shall hereafter endeavour to show, that the application is incorrect. In the interpretation of these two, it would seem, that our opponents had før

gotten the fact which we stated in our last, that in scripture language, the title, God, is not confined to Jehovah. They have insisted that because Jesus Christ is called God, he must be possessed of supreme divinity. We believe that they may be called Gods," to whom the word of God came."

MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS.

EXTRACT FROM MITFORD.

It has often been said, that if Christianity were only a divinely authorized system of morals, if it had only sanctioned the laws of virtue, by the fear of future punishment, and the hope of future happiness, it was unnecessary. The heathens, we are told, were good moralists, and it is not to be supposed that miracles would have been wrought, to confirm what reason was sufficient to teach. The following passage from that admirable historian, Mitford, satisfactorily illustrates the power of unassisted reason. He is speaking of the celebrated plague at Athens.

"The moral effects of this extraordinary visitation, reported by that judicious eye-witness to whom we owe this whole detail, deserve our notice. Wherever the doctrine of retribution in a life to come, for good and evil deeds in this world, has taken any hold on the minds of men, a general calamity strongly tends to check the passions, to inspire serious thought, to direct attention toward that future existence, and to make both hope and fear converge to the great Author of nature, the all-powerful, allwise, and all-just God, who can recompense the sufferings of the good with endless blessings, and convert to lasting misery any short-lived joys that can arise from the perpetration of evil. But in Athens, where the Deity was looked to very generally and very anxiously for the dispensation of temporal good and evil only, it was otherwise. The fear of the divine power, says Thucydides, ceased; for it was observed, that to worship or not to worship the gods, to obey or not to obey those laws of morality which have always been held most sacred among men, availed nothing. All died alike; or, if there was a difference, the virtuous, the charitable, the generous, exposing themselves beyond others, were the first and the surest to suffer. An inordinate, and before unknown, licentiousness of manners followed. Let us enjoy ourselves, let us, if possible, drown thought in pleasure

to-day, for to-morrow we die, was the prevailing maxim. No crime, therefore, that could give the means of any enjoyment, was scrupled; for such were the ravages of the disease, that for perpetrator, accuser, and judges, all to survive, so that an offender could be convicted in regular course of law, was supposed against all chance. The final consummation pending over equally the criminal and the innocent, by the decree of fate or of the gods, any punishment that human laws could decree, was little regarded. How most to enjoy life, while life remained, became the only consideration; and this relaxation, almost to a dissolution of all moral principle, is lamented by Thucydides as a lasting effect of the pestilence of Athens."

FULLER.

THE GOOD SCHOOLMASTER.

THERE is scarce any profession in the Commonwealth more necessary, which is so slightly performed. The reasons whereof, I conceive to be these. First, young scholars make this calling their refuge; yea, perchance, before they have taken any degree in the university, commence school-masters in the country, as if nothing else were required to set up this profession, but onely a rod and a ferule. Secondly, others who are able, use it only as a passage to better preferment, to patch the rents in their present fortune till they can provide a new one, and betake themselves to some more gainful calling. Thirdly, they are disheartened from doing their best with the miserable reward, which in some places they receive, being masters to the children, and slaves to their parents. But see how well our schoolmaster behaves himself.

He studieth his scholars' natures as carefully as they their books, and ranks their dispositions into several forms. And though it may seem difficult for him in a great school to descend to all particulars, yet experienced schoolmasters may quickly make a grammar of boys' natures, and reduce them all (saving some few exceptions) to these general rules.

1. Those that are ingenious and industrious. The conjunction of two such planets in a youth presages much good unto him. To such a lad a frown may be a whipping, and a whipping a death; yea, where their master whips them once, shame whips them all the week after. Such natures he useth with all gentle

nesse.

2. Those that are ingenious and idle. These think with the hare in the fable, that running with snails (so they count the rest

of their schoolfellows) they shall come soon enough to the post'; though sleeping a good while before their starting. Oh, a good rod would finely take them napping.

3. Those that be dull and diligent. Wines, the stronger they be, the more lees they have when they are new. Many boyes are muddy-headed till they be clarified with age, and such afterwards prove the best. Bristoll diamonds are both bright and squared and pointed by nature, and yet are soft and worthless; whereas Orient ones in India are rough and rugged naturally. Hard, rugged and dull natures of youth acquit themselves afterwards the JEWELLS of the country; and therefore their dulnesse is at first to be born with, if they be diligent. That schoolmaster deserves to be beaten himself, who beats nature in a boy for a fault.

4. Those that are invincibly dull and negligent also. Correction may reform the latter, not amend the former. All the whetting in the world can never set a razor's edge on that which hath no steel in it. Such boyes he consigneth over to other professions. Shipwrights and boatmakers will choose those crooked pieces of timber, which other carpenters refuse.

He is

He is able, diligent, and methodical in his teaching, not leading them rather in a circle than forwards. He minces his precepts for children to swallow, hanging clogs on the nimblenesse of his own soul, that his scholars may go along with him. moderate in inflicting deserved correction. Many a schoolmaster better answereth the name of παιδοτρίβης than παιδαγωγος, rather tearing his scholars' flesh with whipping, then giving them good education. No wonder if his scholars hate the Muses, being presented unto them in the shapes of fiends and furies. Junius complains de insolenti carnificina of his schoolmaster, by whom "conscindebatur flagris septies aut octies in dies singulos." Yea, heare the lamentable verses of poore Tussèr in his own life. From Paul's I went, to Eton sent,

To learn straitways the Latine phrase,
When fifty three stripes given to me
At once I had-

For fault but small, or none at all,
It came to passe, thus beat I was ;
See, Udal, see the mercy of thee
To me poore lad.

Such an Orbilius marres more scholars then he makes: their tyranny hath caused many tongues to stammer, which spake plain by nature, and whose stuttering at first was nothing else but fears quavering on their speech at their master's presence. And whose mauling them about their heads hath dull'd those, who in quicknesse exceeded their master.

WILLIAM WALdron,

Was the first minister of the New Brick Church in Boston, which was built in the year 1721. He was ordained there May 23, 1722, and died Sept. 11, 1727, at the age of 32 years. From the sermons delivered at his death and published by Dr. Cotton Mather, and four other ministers, it appears that he was regarded as a man of more than ordinary talents and goodness, and had given the promise of great eminence and usefulness.

We have lately had the perusal of some manuscript letters in his own hand-writing, a few extracts from which may be acceptable to some of our more curious readers. They are all written to his brother in Portsmouth, between September, 1723, and March, 1724.

"Oct. 9th, 1723.-*** Dr. Cutter has displayed himself in the King's Chapel once and again; and though he has made a declaration that if there be not an harmony and good correspondence maintained between the ministry of the town and himself, it should be none of his fault; this he hath prefaced with a Sermon (shall I call it) full of raillery and bitter invectives. He insists, it seems, upon the invalidity of our ordination, and spares not to belch it, that we have no ministers but two or three that have been created by a human creature. You'll see the spirit of the man if you consult the second chapter of Ezekiel, for that was the chapter that he read when he preached, tho' for the getting of it he was forced to break in upon the known order of the Church of England."

In another letter he expresses himself thus: "As for me, the more I consider and weigh matters, the more it appears to me that we are ripening for ruin. We have forsaken the Lord that made us, and he now seems to be withdrawing from us. Yet, blessed be his name, there are some yet who stand in the gap, and do strongly and answerably maintain the way of these church

es.

Here are some sober remarks published upon a book called 'A modest proof of the order and government settled by Christ and his apostles in his church.' If you have seen neither, I will send them to you. The answerer is Master Wigglesworth; though it is a secret and must be concealed."

In the next letter we find something further: "Herewith I send you the pamphlets I mentioned in my last. Notwithstanding what I said of the author of the Sober Remarks you must not think them all made by the same hand. Where there is any bitterness shewn in them, where there are any ungentlemanly jeers, that excellent man utterly disclaims them; but the most ingenious and argumentative part of the book is his. But I really

New Series-vol. II.

56

« PreviousContinue »