MR. WILLARD'S "BODY OF DIVINITY."

339 when the course was cut short by his death. Of these lectures an accomplished critic, Professor Tyler, has said:

Nineteen years before his death, he began to give at his own church, on Tuesday afternoons, once a month, an elaborate lecture on theology. His was a mind formed for theological method. He did not desire to impose upon himself or upon any one a slavish submission to a theological system; he only wished to get for himself and others. the clearness and vigor and practical utility that come from putting one's most careful ideas into orderly combination. He was a theological drill-sergeant. He was also a truly great divine. In the lectures upon systematic theology, which he thus began in 1688, and continued unflinchingly till he died, his object was to move step by step around "the whole circle of religion." The fame of his lucid talks on those great themes soon flew abroad, and drew to him a large permanent audience of the learned and the unlearned; and after his death, theological students and others kept clamoring for the publication of those talks. In 1726 all such persons were gratified.

66

"A Complete Body of Divinity" is a vast book in all senses; by no one to be trifled with. Let us salute it with uncovered heads. The attempted perusal of all these nine hundred and fourteen doublecolumned pages was, for many a theological scholar of the last century, a liberal education, and a training in every heroic and heavenly virtue. . . .

The thought and expression of this literary mammoth are lucid, firm, close. The author moves over the great spaces of his subject with a calm and commanding tread, as of one well assured both of himself and of the ground he walked on. His object seemed to be, not merely to enlighten the mind, but to elevate the character and the life; and whenever, in the discussion of a topic, he has finished the merely logical process, he advances at once to the practical bearings. of it, and urges upon his hearers the deductions of a moral logic, always doing this earnestly, persuasively, and in a kingly way. The whole effect is nutritious to brain and to moral sense; and the book might still serve to make men good Christians as well as good theologians, if only there were still left upon the earth the men capable of reading it.1

The work was published with an introduction by the Rev. Joseph Sewall and the Rev. Thomas Prince, who, evidently, were in full sympathy with their learned predecessor's method of studying theology, not dogmatically or slavishly, but intelligently and independently, subordinating the sign to the sense, the letter to the spirit, and distinguishing between the traditions of men and the revealed truth of God. They said:

1 [Tyler's History of American Literature, vol. ii. pp. 167-169.]

If by Systematical Divinity be meant a mere slavish Subjection or Confinement to any Schemes thereof what ever, conceiv'd or publish'd by the mere Wit of men, tho founded in their own apprehensions on divine Revelation, without a Liberty reserv'd of varying from them upon further Discoveries; our Author was of too generous and great a Soul, and had too deep an Insight into the present Imperfection and Fallibility of Humane Nature, than to be capable of such a Slavery. He was indeed a Recommender of Divinity-Systems even to all sorts of Persons, and especially Young Students, in order to Methodize their Enquiries and Conceptions, to keep their minds from wandering and Inconsistency, and help them to see the Connection and Harmony of divine Truths; but without obliging them to an implicit servile Subjection to any mere humane Compositions. And whatever System he fell into, it arose from a careful Scrutiny into the genuine meaning of the Holy Scriptures, with a deep Penetration into the Nature and Relations of the things they reveal; and not from any mere previous Veneration of the Systems themselves or their renown'd Compilers or Abettors, tho' worthy of ever so much esteem: making use of their Fame and Worth as Inducements only to peruse their Systems, as the special Fruits of their laborious Searches and Discoveries, and their most mature and accurate Expressions of them; and making use of their Systems only as the best Assistances to form a perfect notion of their most elaborate Ideas, that he might more clearly see and judge of their Agreement with the Holy Writings, the first Foundation, the sovereign Rule and the der

nier Resort of all.

CHAPTER VII.

1707-1717.

CHURCH WORK AND GROWTH.

HORTLY after Mr. Willard's death, a day of fasting and

participating with it, in accordance with the custom of those days. Death was regarded not as a servant sent by the Redeemer to bring his children home to their rest and reward, so much as an avenging angel commissioned to punish a community, or a church, or a family, by the removal of prominent or beloved members from their sight. Mr. Willard's sermon on the death of Major Savage, in 1681, to which we have already referred, was entitled The Righteous Man's Death a Presaging of Evil Approaching; and a reference in it to several recent bereavements was in these words: "Since the time wherein God by [or through] his servants began to treat us with these warnings, his hand hath bin awfully out upon us in taking away eminent, useful, publique and pious men." When the Hon. John Walley died in 1712, Mr. Pemberton said in his funeral sermon: "It becomes the whole land to resent his removal, and this church in particular: for God hereby has made a breach upon us, and taken away one of our main and most ancient pillars. And if we do not resent and improve the hand of God, we shall have reason to fear lest God smite us with breach upon breach, and remove more of those ancient and honourable senators, which are now no small part of our strength and glory." 1

Thursday, Oct. 2, 1707. Fast at the South church. Mr. Wadsworth prays, Mr. Pemberton preaches: Mr. Bridge prays and gives

1 Mr. Willard's Thursday Lecture, July 17, 1701, on the death of William Stoughton, was entitled Prognostics of Impending Calamities.

When the Hon. Thomas Cushing died in 1746, Mr. Prince preached his funeral sermon from Psal. xii. 1, "Help, Lord;

for the godly man ceaseth, etc. ;" he said: "Hence we may also see the awful frowns of God upon this town and land in the ceasing and failing of such; what abundant reason we have to be deeply affected therewith, and earnestly cry to the Lord for help."

the Blessing. Capt. Atwood, Bernard, Gooding, Atkins go home with me at Noon. I give each of them one of Mr. W. Williams's Sermons. Mr. Cotton Mather Prays, Dr. Mather Preaches, prays, gives the Blessing. Was a great Assembly.1

had a Meeting of the Church and Congregation: But very thin, Several came not because Mr. Pemberton said [in giving the notice for the meeting,] Gentlemen of the church and Congregation; affirmed they were not Gentlemen and therefore they were not warned to come. Mr. Pemberton prayed, upon debate appointed this day sennight for the meeting. (Sewall.)

This last passage illustrates the sharply defined social distinctions which were then recognized and accepted. The church evidently had under consideration the question of settling a colleague pastor, or at least of giving Mr. Pemberton assistance in his pulpit work, for he was not a strong man physically. On the 10th of the following February, Judge Sewall kept "a private day of prayer with fasting," as was his habit from time to time, and in the record of the "general heads" of his meditations and prayers we find these words: "Bless the South Church in preserving and spiriting our Pastor; in directing unto suitable Supply, and making the Church unanimous.” Six years passed, however, before a colleague pastor was settled. On the arrival in Boston harbor of several overdue ships from London, Sewall says, Friday, October 24, 1707: "Thanks were given on this account at Mr. Willard's Meeting, which was kept at his widows House this Afternoon; began between 1 and 2. Mr. Wadsworth, Colman pray'd, Mr. Pemberton preach'd and pray'd excellently." We suppose this to have been a private meeting held by the ministers of the town, perhaps monthly, and that it would have been Mr. Willard's turn to have it at his house had he lived.

Nov. 23. 1707 Mr. Pemberton preaches more fully and vehemently against being cover'd in Sermon time. p. m. Simeon Stoddard, the Son of A[nthony] Stoddard, is baptised.2 David Stoddard and others taken into Church. (Sewall.)

him. He said would not make a Funeral Sermon, yet would speak some things which he knew to be true. He spoke of Mr. Willard's Strictness, Orthodoxy in the matter of Justification."]

1 [Mr. Joseph Sewall says: "Private were gathered together and lamented Fast. South Church. A. M. Mr. Wadsworth prayed, Mr. Pemberton preached from Eccles. 7. 14-In the Day of adversity consider. Mr. Bridge concluded. P. M. Mr. C. Mather pray'd. Dr. Mather preachd from 1 Samuel 25. I. And Samuel died and all the Israelites

2 [Simeon, son of Anthony and Martha (Belcher) Stoddard: Harv. Coll., 1726.]

THE REV. JOHN LEVERETT.

343 We have been unable to satisfy ourselves in relation to "being cover'd in Sermon time," against which Mr. Pemberton preached on this occasion, and to which Mr. Gookin is supposed to have referred, in a sermon at the South meeting-house several months later. It looks very much as though the men were in the habit of putting on their hats after the devotional exercises were concluded, and during the delivery of the sermon.

Governor Fitz John Winthrop, of Connecticut, was buried from the Council Chamber, December 4.

Mr. C. Mather preached a funeral Sermon for G[overnor] Winthrop. Gen: 5. II. - And He (Enoch) died. One reason He gave for his taking this text was Enoch being Son to Shem, grandson to Adam: then He instanct in the Shephards, [see ante, pp. 236-238] after said that the Family of the Winthrops had something peculiar: Three John Winthrops (when this is buried) will lay in the same Tomb. Two by a peculiar providence came to die here. Said twas nothing inconsistant to Speak of a Man's good actions and yet disapprove his evil ones. The funeral was perform'd with great solemnity. (Joseph Sewall.)

The long dispute between the Mathers and the party represented by Thomas Brattle came to a head when the Rev. John Leverett was chosen president of Harvard College, to fill the vacancy created by the resignation and death of Mr. Willard. This choice was a triumph for the liberal party, to which Governor Dudley had attached himself. Dr. Mather, Mr. Cotton Mather, Mr. Bridge, and Mr. Allen absented themselves from the exercises of inauguration, and so did some prominent laymen, Wait Still Winthrop, Elisha Hutchinson, John Foster, and Peter Sergeant. Among those who went to Cambridge on the occasion were Mr. Pemberton, Mr. Wadsworth, one of the ministers of the First Church, and Mr. Colman; and, among the laymen, Penn Townsend, Edward Bromfield, Simeon Stoddard, Eliakim

1 John Leverett, born in 1662, was a grandson of Governor Leverett. After completing his studies he preached for a time, then practised as a lawyer, and became speaker of the House of Representatives and a judge of the superior court. In appointing him president of the college, the Fellows expressed the hope that he would "lay aside and decline all interfering offices and employments, and devote himself to said work, and be a very able and faithful instru

ment to promote the holy religion here practiced and established, by instructing and fitting for our pulpits and churches, and other public and useful service, such as shall in this School of the Prophets be committed to his care and charge." Thirty-nine ministers signed an address to Governor Dudley, expressing their "great joy" at the appointment. The altogether inadequate salary of £150 per annum was voted, payable from the public treasury.