passages from an old volume of life-第26章

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wards？

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　departure　from　his　published　views　on　the　Trinity　and　a　modification　of　the　view　of　original　sin。　　One　account　of　it　says　that　the　manuscript　leans　toward　Sabellianism；　and　that　it　even　approaches　Pelagianism。〃

It　was　to　this　〃suppressed〃　manuscript　the　present　writer　referred；　and　not　to　the　slender　brochure　recently　given　to　the　public。　　He　is　bound；　therefore；　to　say　plainly　that　to　satisfy　inquirers　who　may　be　still　in　doubt　with　reference　to　Edwards's　theological　views；　it　would　be　necessary　to　submit　this　manuscript；　and　all　manuscripts　of　his　which　have　been　kept　private；　to　their　inspection；　in　print；　if　possible；　so　that　all　could　form　their　own　opinion　about　it　or　them。

The　whole　matter　may　be　briefly　stated　thus：　Edwards　believed　in　an　eternity　of　unimaginable　horrors　for　〃the　bulk　of　mankind。〃　　His　authority　counts　with　many　in　favor　of　that　belief；　which　affects　great　numbers　as　the　idea　of　ghosts　affected　Madame　de　Stall：　〃Je　n'y　crois　pas；　mais　je　les　crains。〃　　This　belief　is　one　which　it　is　infinitely　desirable　to　the　human　race　should　be　shown　to　be　possibly；　probably；　or　certainly　erroneous。　　It　is；　therefore；　desirable　in　the　interest　of　humanity　that　any　force　the　argument　in　its　favor　may　derive　from　Edwards's　authority　should　be　weakened　by　showing　that　he　was　capable　of　writing　most　unwisely；　and　if　it　should　be　proved　that　he　changed　his　opinions；　or　ran　into　any　〃heretical〃　vagaries；　by　using　these　facts　against　the　validity　of　his　judgment。　　That　he　was　capable　of　writing　most　unwisely　has　been　sufficiently　shown　by　the　recent　publication　of　his　〃Observations。〃　Whether　he；　anywhere　contradicted　what　were　generally　accepted　as　his　theological　opinions；　or　how　far　he　may　have　lapsed　into　heresies；　the　public　will　never　rest　satisfied　until　it　sees　and　interprets　for　itself　everything　that　is　open　to　question　which　may　be　contained　in　his　yet　unpublished　manuscripts。　　All　this　is　not　in　the　least　a　personal　affair　with　the　writer；　who；　in　the　course　of　his　studies　of　Edwards's　works；　accidentally　heard；　from　the　unimpeachable　sources　sufficiently　indicated；　the　reports；　which　it　seems　must　have　been　familiar　to　many；　that　there　was　unpublished　matter　bearing　on　the　opinions　of　the　author　through　whose　voluminous　works　he　had　been　toiling。　　And　if　he　rejoiced　even　to　hope　that　so　wise　a　man　as　Edwards　has　been　considered；　so　good　a　man　as　he　is　recognized　to　have　been；　had；　possibly　in　his　changes　of　opinion；　ceased　to　think　of　children　as　vipers；　and　of　parents　as　shouting　hallelujahs　while　their　lost　darlings　were　being　driven　into　the　flames；　where　is　the　theologian　who　would　not　rejoice　to　hope　so　with　him　or　who　would　be　willing　to　tell　his　wife　or　his　daughter　that　he　did　not？

The　real；　vital　division　of　the　religious　part　of　our　Protestant　communities　is　into　Christian　optimists　and　Christian　pessimists。　The　Christian　optimist　in　his　fullest　development　is　characterized　by　a　cheerful　countenance；　a　voice　in　the　major　key；　an　undisguised　enjoyment　of　earthly　comforts；　and　a　short　confession　of　faith。　　His　theory　of　the　universe　is　progress；　his　idea　of　God　is　that　he　is　a　Father　with　all　the　true　paternal　attributes；　of　man　that　he　is　destined　to　come　into　harmony　with　the　key…note　of　divine　order；　of　this　earth　that　it　is　a　training　school　for　a　better　sphere　of　existence。　　The　Christian　pessimist　in　his　most　typical　manifestation　is　apt　to　wear　a　solemn　aspect；　to　speak；　especially　from　the　pulpit；　in　the　minor　key；　to　undervalue　the　lesser　enjoyments　of　life；　to　insist　on　a　more　extended　list　of　articles　of　belief。　　His　theory　of　the　universe　recognizes　this　corner　of　it　as　a　moral　ruin；　his　idea　of　the　Creator　is　that　of　a　ruler　whose　pardoning　power　is　subject　to　the　veto　of　what　is　called　〃justice；〃　his　notion　of　man　is　that　he　is　born　a　natural　hater　of　God　and　goodness；　and　that　his　natural　destiny　is　eternal　misery。　　The　line　dividing　these　two　great　classes　zigzags　its　way　through　the　religious　community；　sometimes　following　denominational　layers　and　cleavages；　sometimes　going；　like　a　geological　fracture；　through　many　different　strata。　　The　natural　antagonists　of　the　religious　pessimists　are　the　men　of　science；　especially　the　evolutionists；　and　the　poets。　　It　was　but　a　conditioned　prophecy；　yet　we　cannot　doubt　what　was　in　Milton's　mind　when　he　sang；　in　one　of　the　divinest　of　his　strains；　that

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Hell　itself　will　pass　away；　　　　　　And　leave　her　dolorous　mansions　to　the　peering　day。〃

And　Nature；　always　fair　if　we　will　allow　her　time　enough；　after　giving　mankind　the　inspired　tinker　who　painted　the　Christian's　life　as　that　of　a　hunted　animal；　〃never　long　at　ease；〃　desponding；　despairing；　on　the　verge　of　self…murder；painted　it　with　an　originality；　a　vividness；　a　power　and　a　sweetness；　too；　that　rank　him　with　the　great　authors　of　all　time；kind　Nature；　after　this　gift；　sent　as　his　counterpoise　the　inspired　ploughman；　whose　songs　have　done　more　to　humanize　the　hard　theology　of　Scotland　than　all　the　rationalistic　sermons　that　were　ever　preached。　　Our　own　Whittier　has　done　and　is　doing　the　same　thing；　in　a　far　holier　spirit　than　Burns；　for　the　inherited　beliefs　of　New　England　and　the　country　to　which　New　England　belongs。　　Let　me　sweeten　these　closing　paragraphs　of　an　essay　not　meaning　to　hold　a　word　of　bitterness　with　a　passage　or　two　from　the　lay…preacher　who　is　listened　to　by　a　larger　congregation　than　any　man　who　speaks　from　the　pulpit。　　Who　will　not　hear　his　words　with　comfort　and　rejoicing　when　he　speaks　of　〃that　larger　hope　which；　secretly　cherished　from　the　times　of　Origen　and　Duns　Scotus　to　those　of　Foster　and　Maurice；　has　found　its　fitting　utterance　in　the　noblest　poem　of　the　age？〃

It　is　Tennyson's　〃In　Memoriam〃　to　which　he　refers；　and　from　which　he　quotes　four　verses；　of　which　this　is　the　last：

　　　　〃Behold！　　we　know　not　anything　　　　　　I　can　but　trust　that　good　shall　fall　　　　　　At　last；far　off；at　last；　to　all；　　　　　　And　every　winter　change　to　spring。〃

If　some　are　disposed　to　think　that　the　progress　of　civilization　and　the　rapidly　growing　change　of　opinion　renders　unnecessary　any　further　effort　to　humanize　〃the　Gospel　of　dread　tidings；〃　if　any　believe　the　doctrines　of　the　Longer　and　Shorter　Catechism　of　the　Westminster　divines　are　so　far　obsolete　as　to　require　no　further　handling；　if　there　are　any　who　thank　these　subjects　have　lost　their　interest　for　living　souls　ever　since　they　themselves　have　learned　to　stay　at　home　on　Sundays；　with　their　cakes　and　ale　instead　of　going　to　meeting；　not　such　is　Mr。　　Whittier's　opinion；　as　we　may　infer　from　his　recent　beautiful　poem；　〃The　Minister's　Daughter。〃　　It　is　not　science　alone　that　the　old　Christian　pessimism　has　got　to　struggle　with；　but　the　instincts　of　childhood；　the　affections　of　maternity；　the　intuitions　of　poets；　the　contagious　humanity　of　the　philanthropist；　in　short；　human　nature　and　the　advance　of　civilization。　　The　pulpit　has　long　helped　the　world；　and　is　still　one　of　the　chief　defences　against　the　dangers　that　threaten　society；　and　it　is　worthy　now；　as　it　always　has　been　in　its　best　representation；　of　all　love　an