passages from an old volume of life-第31节
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ur own heads。 Still more； if one of our ancestors built on an unsafe or an unwholesome foundation； the best thing we can do is to leave it and persuade others to leave it if we can。 And if we refer to him as a precedent； it must be as a warning and not as a guide。
Such was the reason of the present writer's taking up the writings of Jonathan Edwards for examination in a recent essay。 The 〃Edwardsian〃 theology is still recognized as a power in and beyond the denomination to which he belonged。 One or more churches bear his name； and it is thrown into the scale of theological belief as if it added great strength to the party which claims him。 That he was a man of extraordinary endowments and deep spiritual nature was not questioned； nor that be was a most acute reasoner； who could unfold a proposition into its consequences as patiently； as convincingly； as a palaeontologist extorts its confession from a fossil fragment。 But it was maintained that so many dehumanizing ideas were mixed up with his conceptions of man； and so many diabolizing attributes embodied in his imagination of the Deity； that his system of beliefs was tainted throughout by them； and that the fact of his being so remarkable a logician recoiled on the premises which pointed his inexorable syllogisms to such revolting conclusions。 When he presents us a God； in whose sight children； with certain not too frequent exceptions； 〃are young vipers； and are infinitely more hateful than vipers；〃 when he gives the most frightful detailed description of infinite and endless tortures which it drives men and women mad to think of prepared for 〃the bulk of mankind；〃 when he cruelly pictures a future in which parents are to sing hallelujahs of praise as they see their children driven into the furnace； where they are to lie 〃roasting〃 forever；we have a right to say that the man who held such beliefs and indulged in such imaginations and expressions is a burden and not a support in reference to the creed with which his name is associated。 What heathenism has ever approached the horrors of this conception of human destiny？ It is not an abuse of language to apply to such a system of beliefs the name of Christian pessimism。
If these and similar doctrines are so generally discredited as some appear to think； we might expect to see the change showing itself in catechisms and confessions of faith； to hear the joyful news of relief from its horrors in all our churches； and no longer to read in the newspapers of ministers rejected or put on trial for heresy because they could not accept the most dreadful of these doctrines。 Whether this be so or not； it must be owned that the name of Jonathan Edwards does at this day carry a certain authority with it for many persons； so that anything he believed gains for them some degree of probability from that circumstance。 It would； therefore； be of much interest to know whether he was trustworthy in his theological speculations； and whether he ever changed his belief with reference to any of the great questions above alluded to。
Some of our readers may remember a story which got abroad many years ago that a certain M。 Babinet； a scientific Frenchman of note； had predicted a serious accident soon to occur to the planet on which we live by the collision with it of a great comet then approaching us； or some such occurrence。 There is no doubt that this prediction produced anxiety and alarm in many timid persons。 It became a very interesting question with them who this M。 Babinet might be。 Was he a sound observer； who had made other observations and predictions which had proved accurate？ Or was he one of those men who are always making blunders for other people to correct？ Is he known to have changed his opinion as to the approaching disastrous event？
So long as there were any persons made anxious by this prediction； so long as there was even one who believed that he； and his family； and his nation； and his race； and the home of mankind； with all its monuments； were very soon to be smitten in mid…heaven and instantly shivered into fragments； it was very desirable to find any evidence that this prophet of evil was a man who held many extravagant and even monstrous opinions。 Still more satisfactory would it be if it could be shown that he had reconsidered his predictions； and declared that he could not abide by his former alarming conclusions。 And we should think very ill of any astronomer who would not rejoice for the sake of his fellow…creatures； if not for his own； to find the threatening presage invalidated in either or both of the ways just mentioned； even though he had committed himself to M。 Babinet's dire belief。
But what is the trivial； temporal accident of the wiping out of a planet and its inhabitants to the infinite catastrophe which shall establish a mighty world of eternal despair？ And which is it most desirable for mankind to have disproved or weakened； the grounds of the threat of M。 Babinet； or those of the other infinitely more terrible comminations； so far as they rest on the authority of Jonathan Edwards？
The writer of this paper had been long engaged in the study of the writings of Edwards； with reference to the essay he had in contemplation； when； on speaking of the subject to a very distinguished orthodox divine； this gentleman mentioned the existence of a manuscript of Edwards which had been held back from the public on account of some opinions or tendencies it contained； or was suspected of containing 〃High Arianism〃 was the exact expression he used with reference to it。 On relating this fact to an illustrious man of science； whose name is best known to botanists； but is justly held in great honor by the orthodox body to which he belongs； it appeared that he； too； had heard of such a manuscript； and the questionable doctrine associated with it in his memory was Sabellianism。 It was of course proper in the writer of an essay on Jonathan Edwards to mention the alleged existence of such a manuscript； with reference to which the same caution seemed to have been exercised as that which led； the editor of his collected works to suppress the language Edwards had used about children。
This mention led to a friendly correspondence between the writer and one of the professors in the theological school at Andover； and finally to the publication of a brief essay； which； for some reason； had been withheld from publication for more than a century。 Its title is 〃Observations concerning the Scripture OEconomy of the Trinity and Covenant of Redemption。 By Jonathan Edwards。〃 It contains thirty…six pages and a half； each small page having about two hundred words。 The pages before the reader will be found to average about three hundred and twenty…five words。 An introduction and an appendix by the editor； Professor Egbert C。 Smyth； swell the contents to nearly a hundred pages； but these additions； and the circumstance that it is bound in boards； must not lead us to overlook the fact that the little volume is nothing more than a pamphlet in book's clothing。
A most extraordinary performance it certainly is； dealing with the arrangements entered into by the three persons of the Trinity； in as bald and matter…of…fact language and as commercial a spirit as if the author had been handling the adjustment of a limited partnership between three retail tradesmen。 But； lest a layman's judgment might be considered insufficient； the treatise was submitted by the writer to one of the most learned of our theological experts；the same who once informed a church dignitary； who had been attempting to define his theological position； that he was a Eutychian；a fact which he seems to have been no more aware of than M。 Jourdain was conscious that he had been speaking prose all his life。 The treatise appeared to this professor anti…trinitarian； not in the direction of Unitarianism； however； but of Tritheism。 Its anthropomorphism affected him like blasphemy； and the paper produced in him the sense of 〃great disgust；〃 which its whole character might well excite in the unlearned reader。
All this is； however； of little importance； for this is not the work of Edwards referred to by the present writer in his previous essay。 The tract recently printed as a volume may be the one referred to by Dr。 Bushnell； in 1851； but of this reference by him the writer never heard until after his own essay was already printed。 The manuscript of the 〃Observations〃 was received by Professor Smyth； as he tells us in his introduction； about fifteen years ago； from the late Reverend William T。 Dwight； D。 D。； to whom it was bequeathed by his brother； the Reverend Dr。 Sereno E。 Dwight。
But the reference of the present writer was to another production of the great logician； thus spoken of in a quotation from 〃the accomplished editor of the Hartford 'Courant；'〃 to be found in Professor Smyth's introduction ：
〃It has long been a matter of private information that Professor Edwards A。 Park； of Andover； had in his possession an published manuscript of Edwards of considerable extent； perhaps two thirds as long as his treatise on the will。 As few have ever seen the manuscript； its contents are only known by vague reports。。。。 It is said that it contains a dep
