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From this source we should learn the fervent, simple piety of primiitive times; and as those times were, for the most part, exempt from the heresies which afterwards abounded, we should perceive the want of critical knowledge, and the comparative speculative laxity then prevalent, on the deeper mysteries of religion. From such a collection, it would appear, what subtilty of discussion and violent animosities obtained afterwards, in consequence of the heresies and divisions which distracted the Church, down to the period of the complete establishment of the Papal Hierarchy. We should ascertain the jargon of philosophy, the dominion of Aristotle in the Christian school, the childish conceits, the base superstition, the fierce fanaticism, and the almost universal corruption of faith and manners, which marked the ages that followed down to the Reformation.

From

that period to the present, we should notice the spirit of contest between the powers of darkness and the champions of the truth, the banded efforts of the enemies of God on the one hand, in diffusing atheism, infidelity, heresy, and licentiousness; and of the friends of God on the other, in opposing these errors, and in maintaining the interests of truth and righteousness. We should learn the various errors of different ages-the great points of attack or defence in theological controversy, and what subjects most interested the minds of men. We should discover in regard to the present era, the singular mixture of some of the best with some of the worst traits of any age, the evangelical purity, benevolence, and religious excitement of primitive times--with the corruptions, selfishness, heresy, and licentiousness, of the dark ages. We should perceive the gross ignorance and the bright light which stand opposed to each other, and

which are marked out in deep and broad lines. All this and much more would appear from the sermons of different ages, could they be compared together.

Were we, moreover, to extend our researches, on this subject, into different countries, we might determine the particular characteristic traits as to the religion of those countries. We should discern and discriminate the deadly fanaticism of Spain-the weak superstitions of Italy-the gay infidelity of France-the critical coldness of Germany— the licentious formality of a portion of the Anglican church-the pure morality of Presbyterian Scotland, and the sober habits and disciplined piety of Congregational New England.

The recorded labours of the pulpit would show these distinctions in the religious or irreligious character of different countrics: and each country wou'd be seen to possess some shades or features varying from those of every other.

The ministers of religion in their public ministrations either catch the manners of the times, or give a tone to those manners. Their discourses are founded on the notions, principles, duties, virtues, errors, or vices, that prevail-on the great changes that take place in the moral, and sometimes in the political world-on the state of the Church at large, or that division of it to which they are more immediately related; and in proportion to their faithfulness they expose the evil, and they commend and insist on the good. In proportion to their ability, connected with their faithfulness, they present a true and forcible picture of the religious condition of the community; and where they are stated pastors, of that of their own particular charges. In relation to the latter, it may be truly said, that their preaching is almost necessarily appropriate-hinged on the religious pe

culiarity of their people, so that one can scarcely exchange labours with his next neighbour on the sabbath without omitting in his discourses, some representations, that he has reason to believe none but his own stated hearers would duly appreciate, or feel to be relevant. So unconscious is this adaptation of their public efforts to the state and wants of their congregations, that probably the history of their preaching, in most cases, would be the history of religion in their particular parishes. In looking over their manuscript sermons, they would perceive how these glowed with warmth, or were chilled by coldness, or at least failed in animation, though not perhaps in usefulness altogether, according as their hearers felt interested or otherwise, on the subject of their souls' salvation. This spirit of adaptation evidently marks the Sermons, at the head of this article. It possesses all the interest of a reality; and if it indicates the same state of things in regard to England at large, that it does in respect to the particular place where it was preached, it must suggest many melancholy reflections to the Christian mind. The writer was evidently surrounded by scorners, and molested and perhaps fretted by their impieties. From the short preface to the Sermon, we should judge there was something peculiar in the effect produced, as well as in the occa"The outline of the following Sermon," he says, was drawn nearly a month ago, and consequently before it was possible for the author, to anticipate the circumstances, that have lately occupied so much of the public attention in Birmingham. To these events the discourse bears no other relation whatever, than that of a coincidence, seasonable, it must be confessed, but altogether uncontrived. The author has said neither more nor less than he would have done at

sion.

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any other time; and has published the sermon to convince his fellowtownsmen that he is neither afraid nor ashamed of giving the utmost publicity to his opinions, convinced as he is, that they are in accordance with the principles of that sacred volume, which by every one but an infidel must be acknowledged to be the only arbiter in all questions of a moral and religious nature."

The author, the Rev. J. A. James, has deserved well of the religious public in a very valuable little work not long since published, entitled, "The Christian Father's Present, to his Children," a book which we regard as among the best of the class to which it belongs, and which we could wish were in the possession of every family whether it had any juvenile members or not. In that work he appears to be (and the discourses exhibit the same character) a good, zealous, sound, and evangelical man. Certainly we should not be apt to mistake him for another reverend gentleman in the same town (probably there are others such) who, as one that resides there and is acquainted with him tells us-" dances at quadrille parties, appears on the grand Stand at horse races, frequents the theatre, and sometimes gets not a little, but a great deal the worse for liquor." If one of the latter description were to preach a sermon on scoffing at religion, he might perhaps say that which is correct; but he would be more apt to exemplify that which is wrong. The scoffer would probably appear in the preacher, even while he should be eloquently admonishing his peccant hearers relative to this sin.

The Sermon before us is an English copy, nor do we know that there is a reprinted edition of it in this country, or that there will be one. Our readers, however, will, we think, not be disobliged by a brief analysis and few extracts by

means of which they may learn the substance of it, as well as be impressed by the truths it presents on a very important and practicable subject. It may gratify also their curiosity to know how a topic of this pointed character is handled by a preacher in a populous town in our mother country. Nor is it the least of our object to improve the occasion afforded, by some seasonable remarks in reference to the awful crime as committed among us.

The author's text is 2 Pet. iii. 3d. Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts. Af ter a neat introduction, his object is announced in the following passage. "As this sin, [viz. scoffing, or scorning,]"is lamentably common in the present age, I have thought necessary to call your attention to the subject, and to put you on your guard against its pernicious influence and impious at tacks." This purpose he executes in a number of remarks or heads of discourse, not previously stated but following one another, after a regular, though perhaps not strictly logical method in all respects. These general topics are four in number. The first gives a representation of the vice itself and traces it through its various forms and modes of operation. The next considers the causes of scoffing. The third exhibits the characters of this vice. And the last describes the punishment of the scorner. Under the first head, after setting forth the professed atheistical scoffer and the deistical scoffer, he comes to another character which he distinguishes from the latter, and which he describes in the following manner.

But there are many, who, though they have all the malignity of deism, have not its desperate hardihood. They are infidels without avowing it; they despise revelation without professing

to reject it; they laugh at it but do not, because they cannot, argue against it. In the grand conflict between

christianity and infidelity, they carry on a sort of guerrilla warfare. They have neither skill nor accoutrements, which can gain them admission to the line of well disciplined troops, but they can skirmish, and it is admitted that in a certain way do much execution. I mean the men who under a profession of general respect for revelation, are exposing, and ridiculing, what their ever busying themselves in finding out, shallow and unsanctified minds imagine to be difficulties, absurdities, and objections. How will they divert for hours at a time the circle in which they move with witty, ironical, or ludicrous remarks, perhaps upon some of the scripture characters. The account of Joture narratives, or some of the scripnah and the fish; and the sins of David, with other things of a similar nature are converted by them into matter of endless ridicule. Two topics there are of fearful mystery, of awful gloom, and of dreadful reality, necessarily connectbeen employed, perhaps more than any others by such scoffers, to season their ful jokes: and these are the state of mirth, and to give a relish to their sinpunishment prepared for the wicked, and the existence of the devil. Hell, whether it mean according to the views of some, a purgatorial fire, a disciplinary chastisement, or according to the and satan, whether he be a real existScripture a state of eternal torments; tion of the evil principle, are subjects ence, or only a figurative personificaof merriment and diversion. pily the monkish legends of Popery, prurient as they are, with all that can shock the reason, and offend the sober piety of the enlightened Christian, have furnished so many absurd, ludicrous, ling themes, that the most terrific and and monstrous stories on these appaldreadful of all possible topics, have become the most sportive of all.-pp 8, 9.

ed with revealed truth which have

Unhap

After describing atheistic, and called semi-deistic scoffing, he addeistic, and this last, which may beverts to another form of this vice, and that is, as he expresses himself, "to pitch upon the extrava

gances and imperfections of good men, and to expose them to public ridicule and contempt." Concerning this he remarks as follows.

It may be, their imperfections are only eccentricities, mere dust upon the petals of the flower, but not a canker at its roots, which candour would overlook or conceal, in consideration of the genuine excellence with which they are associated; and which charity would never ridicule, lest the piety with which they are united should partake of the derision. It is a very easy achievement to make corrupt minds laugh at the most admirable qualities, when they happen to be connected with even trivial eccentricity; for he who laughs at the garment, will soon be led by an easy transition to despise the wearer, however respectable. But how hateful is the malignancy, which delights to throw all the valuable and praiseworthy parts of the character, into the shade of one ludicrous trait

-pp. 13, 14.

He speaks of one other miserable device to which many have had recourse, and that is to select the absurdities of fanaticism, and the hollow pretences of piety, as they have been exhibited in some false professors, and thus to raise a prejudice against all spiritual religion. Concerning this practice he makes the following sensible remarks.

We are told it is not rational piety they deride, but only the disgusting excesses of enthusiasm and insincerity. This mask, however, is too ill constructed to conceal the visage, and this veil too thin to disguise the form of the scorner. Hypocrisy in any thing needs no effort employed against it, to render it hateful; there being no vice which is more generally or justly abhorred and as for fanaticism, like the ignis fatuus, it may be left to it self, for it will soon expire without any effort to extinguish it. Besides, fanaticism is a term so undefined, that it is a difficult matter to regulate its application; and on the other hand, the phrase "rational piety" is with those who use it, like the bed of Procrustes, to which every thing must be

fitted by violence, either by being stretched or lopped. pp. 14, 15.

With a rather loose reference to the terms of his first head, he next speaks of the place and time at which the practice of scoffing is indulged in. Here he enumerates the theatre, the social circle, and many of the publications, and much of the periodical literature of the present day. We extract one passage under the second article here mentioned as possessing rather a fine pathetic cast.

One

Religion, like her divine author when he was led into Pilate's hall, to be a laughing stock to the Roman soldiers, is introduced only to furnish merriment for the company. calls her an impostor, practising her arts on the credulity of mankind; another holds up the vices of her false disciples as chargeable upon her; a third tells a ludicrous anecdote of one of her sincere and honourable votaries. Then derided by all, defended by none, with no one to speak on her behalf, she stands, like the man of sorrows, a and not permitted to speak for herself, silent object of derision, the swearer's jest, the drunkard's song, yet majestic still in grief, and dignified amidst surrounding scorn. How much of tavern alehouse mirth is impious source.

derived from this What a supply of merriment would be cut off from the sons of Belial if religion, and all the denly, by some mysterious power opsubjects connected with it, were suderating upon their mind, either forgotten or dreaded. p. 17.

head of discourse the causes of In enumerating under the second scoffing, he resolves them into pride-a prevailing and indecent levity of mind-a silly affectation of novelty, combined with a wish to be thought superior to the terrors of superstition-the power of fashion, and the contagion of evil company-inability to attack religion in any other way-indulgences of lusts according to the idea intimated in the text, and finally, fear united with dislike. On the

consideration respecting the indulgence of lusts, the following passage is worthy of notice.

The truths and the precepts of revelation are enemies to pride of intellect, and depravity of heart; and it is matter of little surprise, that they who cannot be reconciled to humility and purity, should scorn the system which

enforces such virtues. As children in a school, who have most to fear from a master's displeasure, are the most ready to treat him with ridicule behind his back, and as the whip will be generally treated with most merriment by those who are most in danger of its lashes; so they who have most reason to dread from religion, will be more forward than others to scorn it, and they who are in the greatest danger of the quenchless fire, will like other madmen, be the first to sport with its flames. Religion frowns upon every sin; rebukes, accuses, and condemns every sinner. A man cannot swear or take the name of God in vain, or break the sabbath, or indulge in the least act of uncleanness, but this representative of God in our world, censures the sin, and threatens the sinner. Like the angel of the Lord resisting the hireling prophet in his path, it opposes itself to the transgressor in his way, and with a drawn sword and a voice of thunder, exclaims, proceed at thy peril! Interrupted, perplexed and resisted in his iniquitous career, rendered uneasy and less capable of enjoying his lusts; the sinner becomes angry, and like a rude youth impeded in his lawless sport, he derides his monitor and abuses him with ill names.-pp. 26, 27.

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religion to allay if possible the rising alarms of his own conscience, and to disengage himself from the terrors of his own affrighted imagination. May I not appeal to some who read this for the truth of what I say, when I affirm that the sneering countenance is oftentimes the impious mask of a cowardly heart, and of a trembling conscience.— P. 28.

In exhibiting, under the third head of discourse, the character of this vice, he speaks of it as irrational-as rude and uncivil--as a cruel and inhuman sin-as a most hardening vice-as impious in the sight of God beyond all description-as a contagious and injurious vice.

On the hardening character of this vice he observes,

It marks a dreadful progress in the career of sin, manifests a peculiar boldness of iniquity, and plainly proves that the transgressor is still going forward to greater obduracy of heart. That man who can allow himself the liberty of scoffing at religion as a whole, or any part of it, who can allow himself to sneer at the righteous, or divert others with any thing pertaining to their character or conduct, has a conscience already partially benumbed, and which will soon be seared as with a hot iron. Nothing so rapidly hardens the heart as this; nothing closes so fast the avenues of moral perception, nor so completely petrifies the spiritual sensibilities. The mocker will be soon past feeling. Neither the terrors of justice, nor the loveliness of mercy make any impression on his heart: to admonish him is almost a The sacred writers hopeless task.

speak of a scorner as almost irreclaim

able. The Greek version renders the word scorner, by a word which signifies incorrigible.—pp. 33, 34.

On the punishment of the scorner, under the last head of discourse, he has a few pithy sentences respecting the remorse sometimes felt by the scorner in this life, or on the bed of death. But he dwells chiefly on the scorner's punishment in eternity. After quo

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