Εικόνες σελίδας
PDF
Ηλεκτρ. έκδοση

are, many men of this class endowed with great powers of mind, men of exalted christian attainments, and of high worth in the church? Men, too, who have far excelled, in almost every proper and useful qualification of a christian minister, multitudes of others that have spent years in the study of Greek and Hebrew."

And although Professor Stuart has done much for the advancement of theological learning in this country, it is still a fact that the great mass of the orthodox clergy, can by no means be called learned men. How many of them can, and how many do, habitually read the Scriptures in the original tongues? How many of them exhibit any tolerable knowledge of the best authors, in the various branches of theological science and literature? How many of them show any tokens of original thought, of broad and comprehensive views of things, or any considerable acquaintance with the progress of theological, moral, or physical science? The following remark of George Combe, Esq. in his "Notes on the United States," will give a very 'correct idea of the kind of learning most common in this country. Speaking of having heard Dr. Spring of our city preach "a highly orthodox sermon," he observes, "I have listened to orthodox sermons in Scotland for upwards of thirty-five years, and have long since ceased to hear a new idea from the pulpit. I find Cal

vinism precisely the same in America, as on the other side of the Atlantic; so purely doctrinal, and so little practical; so completely systematic, and bearing so little reference to any particular time, place, or circumstances, that every preacher of it seems to repeat all other preachers." Vol. I. pp. 223, 224. Edinb. ed.

We know not but we may be pardoned for introducing here the testimony of the wellknown Dr. Ely, formerly of Philadelphia, in relation to the ability of his Presbyterian brethren in that city, a few years ago. He says, "Should we ask what peculiar pretensions have most of the present members of the Presbytery of Philadelphia to clear views, sound theological opinions, depth of research, and distinction as Divines? most persons who know them, would answer with a broad laugh. None of them except Dr. Green, the highly distinguished Rev. Wm. McCalla, the Rev. Wm. M. Eagles, the Rev. Robert Steel, and the Rev. Robert B. Belville, are known fifty miles from Philadelphia, or will ever be named in the coming generation of the church. Were they subjected to a close scrutiny, and required to explain their own system of faith, they would be found not very discriminating, nor very consistent in their notions; but just orthodox enough, in the undefined use of ancient set phrases, to pass muster!!"

Of the great zeal of his orthodox brethren to

gain all such knowledge as would make them successful in the salvation of souls, our author himself shall bear testimony. In his preface to "Universalism as it is," he says, "It is by no means uncommon for a Universalist preacher to accuse and convict one, whom he regards and treats as an opponent, of being but little acquainted with the peculiarities of the doctrine against which his labors have been directed. The author has seldom heard a sermon against Universalism, that was not based on assumptions, or directed against principles, which no well-informed Universalist at the present day admits !!”. The reason he assigns for such fatal blundering is, that "orthodox preachers" have generally contented themselves with a reading of Edwards vs. Chauncy, or at most with two or three old volumes in favor of the doctrine of universal salvation! Whether our author would have us regard this as a fair specimen of the vast learning and profoundness of his brethren of which he boasts so much, we shall not determine, but if they will not take the trouble to make themselves acquainted with a faith in their very midst, and against which they so often volunteer to preach and write, it is but reasonable to infer that their profundity on other subjects is rather shallow. Besides, it is a problem which has not yet been solved, how such ignoramuses as our author represents the Universalist clergy to

be, should be so successful in their ministry, when surrounded and opposed by such hosts of "the learned, the profound, the intelligent, and the mighty;" indeed by the very Anakim of the orthodox world!

But why do we dwell on this point? The truth is, we are what we are. We have no learning to boast of, and although our orthodox neighbors surpass us in an acquaintance with the Hebrew and Greek, it would still do them no harm to learn more, and prate less about what they have learned already. We have, it is hoped, a moderate share of common sense and reason, and are so fortunate as to be engaged in the maintainance and propagation of the best cause in the world-the cause of truth. Our op posers make a show of their Greek and Hebrew, but they are so unhappy as to be employed in the support of a rotten system of theology, which no amount of learning on earth can sustain, and no ingenuity of man is able successfully to defend. Our strength and learning are increasing far more rapidly than that of our opposers, and the distance between us is daily growing less. If our author and ourselves live to see twenty-five years more, he will not boast as he now does, of the superior learning engaged in the service of orthodoxy. Universalists will then stand on equal ground with their opposers, and the battle, such as it is, will be the

contest between truth and error. And it may be worth our author's consideration, that if, with all our present disparity of means, and our numerous disadvantages, orthodoxy is still unable to maintain its ground against us, its prospects of victory are dark indeed for the day when we shall meet on equal terms. It will be a young lion pitted against a superannuated and purblind elephant. The truth is always young, error alone can grow old. The truth is mighty and will prevail. But even now it might be well for him to remember, that although "not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called," yet "God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised,hath God chosen, yea,and things that are not, to bring to nought things that are, that no flesh should glory in his presence."

A few remarks upon our author's concluding paragraph, and our work is done. Having, as he says, "written, labored and pleaded" that Universalists might be saved, our author closes with this pathetic appeal :-" Oh that you would but make a trial of our faith, our hope and our joy! One at least of your number, who for years not only professed but preached your faith, and who has since made trial of that which he

« ΠροηγούμενηΣυνέχεια »