Imagens das páginas
PDF
ePub

our church, if he finds her doctrines or institutions essentially at variance with the word of God; so if he finds her to be, in faith and practice, scriptural, he is no less bound, not only not to withdraw from her communion, but also to use his best endeavours in her cause.'p. 211.

The rules by which we should be guided in using our endeavours in what relates to our dealings with those at variance with the established church, may be classed under the heads of, correctness of life, zeal, and conciliation. Correctness of life, a very powerful secondary motive,-(and no one who understands human nature will depreciate the utility of secondary motives,)—is promoted by party-feeling, by anxiety for the credit of the body to which we belong. The Apostles seem to have been fully aware of this natural principle, and to have a view to it in many of their exhortations. The principle is sound and rational. Men are not only more likely, but also more strongly bound, to conduct themselves well, where the credit of their religious profession is concerned. Mr. Whately is here led to give some judicious and necessary cautions to those who are disposed to institute any comparison between the moral conduct of churchmen and of dissenters. To correctness of life must be added zeal for the refutation of error, and the propagation of truth. Such zeal, if combined with discretion and temper, has no tendency to diminish the esteem or good-will of our opponents. It is a mistake to think that we can obtain the favour of those who differ from us, by professing latitudinarian principles;—and it is no less impolitic than unwarrantable to adopt that spurious liberality of sentiment which makes light of heresy and schism.' This part of his subject leads Mr. Whately to make some very temperate and sensible remarks upon the culpability of those members of the church, who give encouragement to schism,-especially by occasional dissent, Although, however, we are bound to avoid giving any encouragement to these evils, yet the most advisable -plan, generally speaking, will be to oppose sectaries not so much by directly preaching against them, as by diligence in affording religious instruction, in all the essential truths of the Gospel, especially those most dwelt upon by our opponents. Such a procedure is not only the least likely to produce irritation, but at the same time the most efficacious with a view to the object proposed. Some very forcible remarks follow, upon the necessity of providing additional places of worship for members of the church; which Mr. Whately concludes, with suggesting, whether we ought not somewhat to moderate our self-congratulation, on account of what has been lately accomplished in this way, and to feel as a body more of sorrow and shame that so much should still remain to bę done.

A spirit

A spirit of conciliation is the third feature which ought to appear in our conduct towards dissenters. Our zeal must be free from all personal bitterness, illiberal bigotry, and in short all those faults which constitute party-spirit. As Christ's kingdom is not of this world, legal coercion is an improper instrument for producing conformity to the church. But let not any suppose, because heresy and schism are not punished by human laws, that therefore they are not sinful; or that the removal of civil penalties from dissent, was designed for its encouragement. On the other hand, 'Whoever,' says Mr. Whately, in his zeal for the church is disposed to treat dissenters, either individually or collectively, with any degree of harshness; to seek to influence them by any secular motives, either of fear or hope,-to appeal, in short, to their self-interest,— whoever grudges the toleration extended to them, or endeavours to molest them in any way, and to abridge their civil rights, further than may be strictly requisite for self-preservation, on the ground of the erroneousness of the tenets maintained, is virtually, if not avowedly, drawing the conclusion that heresy and schism ought to be checked by coercion, because they are in themselves sinful.'-p. 234.

[ocr errors]

It is seldom that we disagree with Mr. Whately, but in this passage he goes rather farther than we are prepared to follow him. Certainly, we would not treat dissenters with any degree of harshness, or abridge their civil rights; but there are many instances in which we think it by no means inexpedient quietly to seek to influence them by secular motives,-to appeal, in short, to their self-interest. We would not do to any dissenter the least wrong; we would treat him with all courtesy, and would not withhold from him the assistance which his necessities may demand. But in the conferring of many benefits and advantages, which are purely optional, we think that we not only may, but that we ought to show a decided preference to members of our own communion. We hold this to be a proper exercise of party-feeling, not an instance of culpable party-spirit. We apprehend that selfinterest, and secular motives of various descriptions, a preference in commercial intercourse especially, are made great use of by many of the dissenters for the purpose of keeping up their numbers. Perhaps it would not be illiberal to express our opinion that a very large proportion of them are what they are, from the operation of such motives alone. But though we are disposed to think that Mr. Whately's liberality may in this instance have carried him somewhat too far, yet we must strongly recommend this lecture to the attention of our readers. More particularly would we recommend it to those persons, well intentioned, it may be, but ill-judged and inconsistent-who encourage dissent while they profess to be members of the church, and make the active propa gation of schism the evidence of their Christian charity.

The

[ocr errors]

The Eighth and concluding lecture is upon Divisions within the Church; and happy would it be for the church, if not only all its ministers, but all its members, would catch the spirit of forbearance and moderation which pervade every part of it. The idea that it is necessary to oppose a party by a party, has here certainly no force or foundation. The Church of England in her Articles and Liturgy furnishes a common bond of union, a common authority to which all her members may appeal.

'Our liturgy,' says Mr. Whately, is so framed as to be a continual .check upon the preacher; a corrector of his errors, if he venture to teach any thing inconsistent with it,-a reprover of his negligence, if he omit or slightly pass over any important doctrine, a guide to direct him to spiritual truth, a pattern of zealous and earnest, yet soberminded, and calm, and rational Christian exhortation; in short, a standing monitor both to the minister and his.congregation.'-p. 241.

With respect to the means of preventing or mitigating the spirit of party within the church, one of the first rules is to avoid extremes; extremes in doctrine, extremes in practice, extremes even in manner. Let not this moderation be confounded with indiffe

rence or timidity; and let not the want of it be considered as a proof of praiseworthy decision of character, or of devoted zeal. In the second place, instead of abstaining from all mention of such important doctrines as have been most perverted and abused, we should, on that very account, be more diligent in enforcing them. 'The great doctrines of justification by faith and of spiritual influence afford a remarkable instance to illustrate what has been said. A disposition to make the most candid allowance for differences of taste and temper will contribute much to the preservation of amity and peace. Of still greater consequence is it, in the spirit of that charity that thinketh no evil, to avoid the imputation I of all bad motives. As scarcely any human action springs entirely from a single motive, almost every one's conduct will admit of two interpretations. It is not only charitable, but expedient, with a view to promote peace, to put on the conduct of others the most favourable interpretation that it will bear. Even when their conduct deserves censure, it may be possible to give them the credit of good intention; and the being thus gently reminded of what their motive ought to be, may have a more salutary effect upon them, than a severe rebuke. A wish to promote harmony and peace will induce us also to be cautious in the employment of such terms and phrases as have been made, or are likely to become, the badges of a party; not perhaps abstaining from them altogether, but using them in such a manner as most likely to take from them their party-meaning, and consequently to break down party-distinction.

Mr.

Mr. Whately concludes with cautioning his readers against supposing that the line of conduct which he recommends will: uniformly obtain full credit. He who adopts it must expect to incur, if not hostility, at least unfriendly suspicion from the violent and narrow-minded of all parties.'-p. 271. He must expect also to forego, for the present at least, much of the celebrity which he might otherwise have obtained.

'For unquestionably equal talents will obtain very unequal shares of applause in the advocate of a party, and in the peace maker.'-p. 272.

Let him hope, however, that by prudent zeal, he may in time wear out both obloquy and suspicion; that by unconquerable gentleness, he will at length disarm hostility; that by his firmness and activity, he will gradually do away the imputation of weakness and insincerity; and that whenever the storm of angry passion shall subside, the steady though quiet current of sound reason will prevail.' 'And let him remember, that, in proportion as he is advancing in the good opinion of the members of the opposed parties, he is also promoting their benefit; -in proportion as they become reconciled to him, they will also approach toward a reconciliation with each other.'-p. 273.

We have thus endeavoured to give-at greater length than we had originally intended—a general view of Mr. Whately's volume. It contains in every part a variety of excellent observations collateral to his main subject, and bearing upon the actual state of religious feeling and opinion in this country. For these, of course, we have no room.

The

The style is that of a powerful intellect thoroughly engrossed by its subject, and not always condescending to attend to the little niceties of language. The fulness of the author's mind, and his anxiety to give a complete view of every part of his subject, has sometimes induced him to load his periods with more matter than they can conveniently carry. If the sentences had been more broken down, and the parentheses less frequent, the style would, we think, have gained both in clearness and in harmony. Even this we say with hesitation. Often the pauses are well diversified, and the rhythm all that we could wish. language has generally much of vigour, and abounds in passages which a reader would wish to remember, both for the excellence of the sentiments and the force with which they are expressed. Mr. Whately does not make much use of figures. Those which he employs are generally remarkably apt, and well chosen, Two or three instances we may be allowed to give:-Speaking of the ardour which men derive from party-union, he compares them to kindled brands, which, if left to themselves separately, would be soon extinct, but when thrown together, burst into a blaze.'

The following metaphor is very beautiful :

'We must beware of taxing with wilful blindness, those whose views

are

are limited only by the lowness of their position; as they rise in abilities and attainments, the horizon will gradually widen around them, and a larger and larger prospect will be spread before their eyes of the boundless extent of divine wisdom and perfections.'

Again,

'When heresies, which if disregarded might have sunk into speedy oblivion, have been thus magnified into serious evils, the opposers of them appeal to the magnitude of those evils, to prove that their opposition was called for: like unskilful physicians, who, when by violent remedies they have aggravated a trifling disease into a dangerous one, urge the violence of the symptoms which they have themselves produced, in justification of their practice.'

We are decidedly of opinion that a Bampton Lecturer ought, in compliance with the will of the founder, to print his sermons as they were delivered from the pulpit. It must be confessed, however, that a series of discourses preached at fixed intervals,-in one case, with the interval of the Easter vacation,-is attended with some inconveniences. It becomes expedient to repeat and recapitulate, sometimes to anticipate, and to adopt a variety of connecting links, which, though of good use in sermons which are preached, are so many drawbacks upon the compactness and concinnity of a book. This tends, on the whole, to give it more the air of conversation, than of a just and well-measured composition. Many readers, too, we suspect-Oïoi vũv ßgoroì eioì—are a little disposed to be alarmed at the name of Bampton Lectures. On all these accounts we cannot help wishing that Mr. Whately would take the trouble of throwing his excellent matter into the form of a treatise or essay. His volume, as it now stands, contains nothing but what is valuable in itself; but still, from the causes above assigned, there are some parts which might be thrown together, some which might be pared off. Unity and arrangement would of course be objects of primary attention, and no writer is more capable of giving these qualities to a work than Mr. Whately. If he could be persuaded to do this, he would produce a publication excellent in itself and most acceptable to the public. In the mean time, we earnestly recommend the present volume to the perusal of our readers. There are few, perhaps, who will not thank us for our recommendation. They will, we are confident, agree with us in thinking, that it exhibits, in no ordinary degree, accuracy of thought and observation, with a character of manly simplicity and frankness-that it breathes in every part the genuine spirit of Christian liberality, united with a warm and uncompromising attachment to the cause of truth.

There is only one observation more, which we would leave with Mr. Whately. It would be a great satisfaction if, in presenting the substance of this volume to the world in another shape, he would

« AnteriorContinuar »