Page images
PDF
EPUB

On Christian Morals. WHEN we reflect upon the compromise of principle that too often appears in Works professing to subserve the cause of Christianity, by withholding, through a desire

not to give offence, the whole counsel of God, by abstaining from delineating in their true.colours the many deviations of individuals, and of nations, from the Christian standard of morality in their intercourse with each other: it is gratifying to meet with works which, shaking off the shackles of the fear of man, expose these deviations in their various ramifications, whether among professors, or profane, whether by rations or by individuals, regardless of any other consequence than that of a dereliction of the duty enforced upon every man by the Gospel of Christ. And it is with peculiar pleasure that we hail the appearance of periodical Works, when they are conducted on this principle, of making every inferior motive succumb to the glory of God and the eternal good of man. Few publications have so extended a circulation as the Magazine and Review; the popular form they assume, by making them accessible to the middling and lower classes as well as to the opulent, introduces them to the social circle and to the fireside, and hence they are within the reach of persons who are precluded by their avocations in life from a perusal of the more unwieldy

tome, the more elaborate works of the learned and of the philosopher.

Such a work The Christian Recorder promises to be, so far as we are enabled to judge from the specimens it has presented us with of its principles,-on which an opinion may be formed by the following extracts from "Some general Remarks on the Subject of Christian Morality," in "A historical and critical notice of Dr. Chalmers's writings." Their peculiar accordance with the object of The Herald of Peace supersedes any apology for transplanting them into its columns.

"WERE We to attempt to sketch an cutline of a work on Christian Morality, we would commence at the two general principles of the moral law, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy mind and heart," and "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself," which we would place at the foundation of the whole superstructure of Bible morality. These we would view as the trunk of the tree from which all the diversified and minute branches derive

their origin and their nourishment. These two grand principles, we consider as the basis of the moral laws, not only of the inhabitants of our globe, but also of those which govern all intelligences throughout the vast universe, in whatever world, or region of infinite space, they may have their physical residence,—and as the bond which unites to the Supreme Intelligence, and to one another, all holy beings in heaven and on earth.

"We would show the influence

and the special bearings which every part of the economy of salvation, of the blessings it exhibits, and of the character and work of the Mediator, ought to have upon the sentiments, the passions and affections of the renoviated mind, in order to produce an unreserved obedience to the requirements of the divine law; and to show the peculiar and additional obligations under which fallen men are laid, to glorify the author of their salvation in those bodies and spirits which he hath redeemed.

"For the purpose of expanding and elevating, in the human mind, the principle of "Love to God," we would direct the understanding to contemplate the grand operations of Deity, in the distant spaces of the universe, which have a direct tendency to inspire the soul with that true reverence which is always accompanied with love and affection. At the same time, we would direct it to a survey of all the wise and benevolent arrangements of the Creator in our sublunary system, not only with regard to man, but also in reference to "the beasts of the field," "the fowls of the air," the insect tribes, and" the fishes of the sea," which all display the love of God, and his incessant care in promoting the happiness "of every thing that lives." We would enter into particular details on this topic, for the purpose of showing, that, in all our intercourses with our fellow

men, and with the inferior orders of sentient beings, we ought to be imitators of our heavenly Father in our benevolent care and attention to promote the comfort of every thing that has life and feeling and intelligence; and also, in order to demonstrate, that, "He in whom we live and move," is ever attentive to our wants, and will, most assuredly, secure the eternal happiness of those who comply with the requisitions of his will. For, although the higher motives of obedience ought to be the principal incitements to duty, yet, we ought never to overlook any circumstance, however minute, which has a tendency to bind our affections to the Supreme Intelligence, and to the inferior order of beings with which we are surrounded.

66

We would next endeavour to make these principles and laws bear upon the modes and maxims, in regard to education, which prevail both in public and domestic life. We would enter into the family and domestic circle, and take a survey of all those foolish and unchristian principles and modes of conduct that are pursued by parents, and children, and servants, which have an evident tendency to produce obstinacy, superstition, dissimulation, hatred, envy, pride, and disaffection in the minds of the young: We would enter the village school, the city boardingschools, and the lecture-rooms of the universities, and trace the false maxims, and the pagan sentiments which are interwoven through the whole course of modern education -the admiration which is attempted to be excited towards barbarous heroes, and the destroyers of mankind-the spirit of antichristian emulation, revenge, and disaffection, which are indirectly fostered by many of their scholastic exercises and the spirit of contention and warfare, which is cherished by the books they read, the discipline by which they are trained, and the amusements

in which they engage, and which afterwards displays itself in diabolical energy, amidst the contests of communities and nations.

"We would next glance at the moral conduct of nations, and attempt to delineate the glaring acts of violence, rapine, revenge, cruelty, and injustice, which they have committed upon unoffending tribes, and upon each other, in opposition to every law, human and divine, and to all the denunciations of the word of God. We would make the Divine law bear with its full force, against war in all its injustice, horrors, and abominations; and would demonstrate, that the moral principles which ought to guide nations and communities and rulers, in their conduct towards each other, are precisely the same as those which ought to direct the conduct of the meanest individuals; and that human butchery and rapine, when perpetrated on an extensive scale, so far from being less atrocious than the murders and depredations committed by the assassin and the robber, are only so much more abominable in the eyes of heaven, in proportion to the mass of human misery they have created."

We here suspend our Extracts to observe, that there is no notion more pernicious to the peace of nations, more subversive of Christian morals, and which more

obstructs the evangelizing of mankind and the spread of the Kingdom of the Redeemer, than that of the exemption of governments from moral responsibility, from subjection to the reign of the Prince of Peace, an exemption which this writer so justly and energetically reprobates. But while we can go the full length with him in considering all war as antichristian, and that those who support it under any of its forms, so far swerve from the Christian standard of morals, we are not prepared to place all such on the same level of moral turpitude as "the assassin and the robber;" though we fear that in many instances, with reference to the primary instigators of " human butchery and rapine," his scale of moral guilt is too applicable.

"Finally, as the most powerful motive to a vigorous prosecution of

the path of universal holiness, we would exhibit the agency of the Eternal Spirit on the minds of men,-of that Spirit who "searcheth all things, even the deep things of God," and who "worketh in us both to will and to perform his good pleasure." At the same time we would show that, as in all the operations of nature and providence, so in the moral world, the influences of this Divine Agent are intimately connected with active endeavours on the part of man, and that it is vain to expect the aid of his All-powerful Energy, unless we attend to the cautions, exhortations, instructions and ordinances which he has ordained for 'guiding our steps in the way of peace." "If thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding, if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures, then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God."

[ocr errors]

"We humbly conceive that it is by `such instructions as those we have now suggested, combined with a lucid exhibition and application of the leading Doctrines of Revelation, and not merely by a formal proving of doctrines, and skimming over the surface of our moral disease which has tainted all the faculties of the soul, -that the world is to be regenerated, and "all iniquity (as ashanied) be made to stop its mouth" and hide its head. And, we would most earnestly recommend to the ministers of religion a subject and a mode of preaching, which, in many quarters, has been too much neglected,-if they wish to he instrumental in giving such an impulse to the christian world, as will tend to usher in that glorious era when the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth, when righteousness and praise shall spring forth before all the nations, when the work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness

quietness and assurance for ever.We would discuss such subjects fully and fearlessly, "without partiality and without hypocrisy," without winking at the moral delinquencies of any man or set of men. For, Christianity knows no compromises, or distinctions of birth, rank, or station, in its applications, and the eternal principles of rectitude it displays will not bend a single iota to the prejudices, humours or follies of any of the sons of Adam."

Telemachus; or the Abolition of the Gladiatorial Spectacles.

IN a letter on War to Francis I. king of France, Erasmus mentioned the" butchery of the Gladiatorial Spectacles," and the way in which the custom was abolished.

"Nothing (says Erasmus) can be more cruel and savage than single combats, and the butchery of gladiatorial spectacles; and yet our forefathers were so delighted with the sight, that an example, the basest of all left us by the Heathens, took such firm hold of the Christians, especially in the city of Rome, that they have not been able at this day to divest themselves entirely of this relick of Paganism. The abolition of that species of combat, which they distinguish by the name of tripartite, we owe to one Telemachus. good man left the East, and came to Rome, where, entering the theatre, and seeing armed men rushing violently, with an intent to kill each other, he leaped into the midst of them, exclaiming-What are you doing, brothers? why do you run headlong, like two wild beasts, to each other's destruction?'

This

"In short, while the good-natured man was humanely endeavouring to save the lives of the combatants, he lost his own; for the people stoned him to death! So highly did the unthinking rabble value this cruel diver

sion, which afforded an object to stare at.

"What was the consequence? The Emperor Honorius, as soon as he heard of the transaction, issued orders to abolish the exhibition of gladiatorial combats. Now reflect a moment with me, how base an amusement this was, how many thousand lives were lost by it; and you will immediately see how much the world is indebted to the death of one individual. For a deed

like this, Telemachus was deservedly canonized. But how much more richly would that man deserve this honour, who should put an end to the conflicts of the great potentates, who lord it over this suffering world?"

REFLECTIONS,

1. What intelligent Christian does not now look back with amazement and horror on the gladiatorial exhibitions, in which men murdered one another to make sport for the multitude! What an influence must such a custom have had on the minds and morals of

the Romans! What barbarians must the inhabitants of Rome have heen, who could "delight" in such murderous amusements! But,

2. Will not Christians of future ages, in like manner, review with horror the history of our times! People of the present day may have eyes to see, in some particulars, the barbarity of former ages; but are they not generally as blind as the Romans were to the inhumanity of their own customs? What better than gladiators are the armies of Christian nations, who meet each other in a field of battle for mutual murder? And for what more rational purpose do they generally meet, than that of sanguinary sport or amusement? It would perhaps be difficult to name a single war that has occurred in Christendom, which was not as perfectly needless, wanton, inhuman, and unprofitable, as a gladiatorial exhibition; but it would be easy to name a hundred which were as perfectly inhuman and useless, and vastly more destructive,

VOL III

Dr. Franklin's Views of War. "WE make daily great improvements in natural-there is one I wish to see in moral philosophy;-the discovery of a plan that would induce and oblige nations to settle their disputes without first cutting one anoWhen will human

ther's throats. reason be sufficiently improved to see the advantage of this? When will men be convinced that even success

ful wars at length become misfortunes to those who unjustly commenced them, and who triumphed blindly in their success, not seeing all its consequences? Your great comfort and mine in this war, is, that we honestly and faithfully did every thing in our power to prevent it."-Letter to Dr. Price, Feb. 1780.

Imperial Policy.

THE Emperor of China, it is said, gives his Physicians large salaries; but the moment he is taken sick, their salaries are suspended, till he recovers becomes the interest of the Physicians his health. By this wise policy it to exert all their skill to preserve the health of the Monarch, and speedily to restore it, if it be interrupted.

Is not this policy capable of being transplanted, and applied to still more important purposes? Peace is 'nealth, and War is a disease, in the body politic. Let Rulers be regarded as Physicians; give them good salaries during peace; but the moment the war fever commences, let their salaries be suspended, till peace is restored. On this plan the peace of nations would perhaps suffer as little interruption, as the health of a Chinese Emperor.

Reflections upon the Conduct of Human Life; with reference to Learning and Knowledge.

REFLECTION III. Wherein the general conduct of human life is taxed with too imporX

tunate a pursuit of Knowledge in contributes not to that great end. So that with these two necessary general. limitations, the sense of it is plainly this, That to man in this present juncture, all knowledge which does not contribute to the interest of his after-state, is vanity and vexation of spirit.

(Continued from page 116.) 13. This therefore is the measure to be always observed, in our prosecution of knowledge. We are to study only, that we may be good, and consequently to prosecute such knowledge only as has an aptness to make us so, that which the apostle calls, The truth which is after godliness.' Whatever knowledge we prosecute beside this, or further than it is conducive to this end, though it be, absolutely considered, never so excellent and perfective of our understanding, yet with respect to the present posture and station of man, it is a culpable curiosity, an unaccountable vanity, and only a more solemn and laborious way of being idle and impertinent.

[ocr errors]

14. And this will be found, if well examined, to be nothing different from the censure of the wise preacher, I gave my heart to know wisdom,' says he, and I perceived, that this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.' Not that he now first applied himself to the study of wisdom. No, he had been inspired with that before, and by the help of it had discovered the vanity of all other things. But that wisdom which saw through all other things, did not as yet perceive the vanity of itself. He therefore now gave his heart to know wisdom, that is, to reflect upon it, and to consider whether this might be excepted from his general censure, and struck out of the scroll of vanities. And upon deep reflection, he found that it could not, and that even this also was as much a vanity as any of the rest. Not that his proposition is to be understood absolutely, but only with respect to the present posture of man. Neither can it be understood of all knowledge even in this life; some knowledge being necessary to qualify him for happiness in the next. It must therefore be understood of all that knowledge, which

15. For to what purpose should we study so much, since after all we can know so little? Since our life is as much too short for enjoying that little knowledge we have, as for compassing what we would have; and withal, since there lies no manner of obligation or necessity upon us to do thus? But (which is what I would most of all inculcate) to what purpose imaginable should we be so vehement in the pursuit of learning, of any learning but what is of use to the conduct of life, considering these two things first, That it is but to stay a little while, and we shall have all that knowledge gratis, which we so unsuccessfully drudge for here, to the neglect of more important exercises ; and, secondly, That there is such an absolute necessity of being good, and that this short uncertain life is the only time for it, which if neglected, this great work must be undone for ever. Upon the former consideration, this studious bookish humour, is like laying out a great sum of money, purchase an estate which after one weak, dropping life will of course fall into hand. Upon the latter, it is as if a man that was riding post upon business of life and death, should, as he passes through a wood, stand still to listen to the singing of a nightingale, and so forget the only business of his journey.

to

16. It is most certain, the cases here supposed are as great instances of folly as can well be conceived. And yet (however it comes to pass that we are not sensible of it) it is equally certain that we do the very same, that we are too much concerned in the application; and that to most of us it may be truly said, 'Thou art the man!'

« PreviousContinue »