ute to his memory. They are productions of which no young man, in perfect health and with the highest advantages of education, would have need to be ashamed; and, considered in connection with all the circumstances under which they were written, they are extraordinary both in an intellectual and moral point of view. Our limits do not permit us to justify this criticism by large extracts, or an analysis of the contents of the volume. The following passage is from "a Lecture read before the South Parish Society for Mutual Improvement, in 1842." "Among the innumerable aids provided to assist man in his spiritual progress, the Bible is the most important. Indeed, many natural aids, which we deem independent of it, were in fact revealed by it. Yet all who study it do not arrive at the same conclusions. There are a thousand and one sects, each differing in its creed from every other, - differing in what each deems essential points; and more than this, each member of each sect differs in minor points from every other member of his society; and all claim to be supported by this Holy Book of Truth! "Can this be so, and be right? "Yes, it is so, and it is right. Why is it right? "1. Because human nature cannot perfectly comprehend the Deity. If it could, it would be able to attain to the possession of infinite knowledge, even in this world. We should be gods, and not men. "2. Because (except in his direct revelations to the heart of each) God must necessarily reveal himself to us in human language, which can never be otherwise than imperfect. Or he must reveal himself by human agents, or by agents in the shape of humanity. If by the latter, they look, act, and speak like men, be they never so perfect. If by the former, as has most frequently been the case, then they are but men like those around them, and are subject to their passions and infirmities. Besides, how could these special agents, these prophets, — themselves have heard God otherwise than imperfectly? They were men, and therefore comprehended but faintly. Consequently, their revelations could not have been otherwise than faint, faint even than their own conceptions; for they could speak only in human language. Indeed, the conceptions of the prophets and apostles themselves must have been extremely vague; for in our every-day experience, how uncertain are our comparatively tangible thoughts, until shaped into language! If words cannot be found in which to embody them, how soon they elude our grasp and fade away! more "Revelations of the Deity are, therefore, according to the 1849.] Imperfection of Revelation. 501 present constitution of man and of the world, necessarily imperfect. Let us endeavour to discover why it is best they should be so, and thus to discern real perfection in apparent imperfection. "1. It is best, because spiritual truth, if obtainable without exertion, would not be properly esteemed by man. He values least that which is most easily acquired; he values most that upon the obtaining of which he has expended the greatest amount of labor, whether of body or mind. Action is the condition upon which the health of the soul depends. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread,' said God unto Adam. By mental toil shalt thou earn thy soul's food,' is stamped quite as plainly on the mental and moral constitutions of his descendants. Herein is the analogy between the material and spiritual creations perfect. . . . 6 "2. It is best that revelation should be imperfect, and hence that innumerable sects should be called into being, because, as in the animal existence of mankind, sickness and suffering in others call forth pity and benevolence in ourselves, so the soul's sickness, the ignorance and the spiritual wants (or what we deem the spiritual wants) of others, lead us to attempt to enlighten their path with our own feeble lamps, and to nourish them with our own scanty stores of knowledge, - lead us, in fine, to attempt their conversion. And if the attempt be made in the right spirit, our lamps glow the brighter, and our stores increase in proportion as we impart them to others. Differences in religious opinions are of incalculable benefit to mankind. They excite thought; and though the discussions which arise often fan the embers of discord, they serve also to keep alive the pure flame of true religion. Thus, differences in the physical condition of mankind, and differences in their spiritual condition, both alike serve to help them on their road to heaven. "These latter differences result, inevitably, from the apparent imperfection of revelation, and the differences in the constitution of the minds and hearts of individuals. And, "3. This brings us to our last and most important reason for the apparent imperfection of revelation. It does not appear alike to all, because the minds of men are not all alike. It is suited to the acknowledged imperfection of human nature. It is not entire, because the mind of man is not infinite, and therefore could not comprehend revelation if it were so. It was intentionally made imperfect. Prophets and holy men of old were designedly allowed to mingle with the eternal truths which they revealed somewhat of their own human passion and infirmity. Some minds cannot receive as truth that which seems perfectly plain to others. Perhaps none can receive truth unadulterated. As in the natural world an infinite variety of climate, of food, and of VOL. XLVI. 4TH S. VOL. XI. NO. III. 43 occupation is provided for the infinite variety in the physical constitutions of men, so, in the Book in which God reveals himself to men, he has provided for the infinite variety in their spiritual constitutions. Thus, while the path of human duty is made plain to all, a wide range is given for theorizing and speculation. In the latter, every one may, and every one does, suit himself; and hence arise sects innumerable." pp. 52-56. Many of the poetical pieces in this volume are beautiful, breathing lofty conceptions and pure thoughts in language and imagery worthy of their themes. We have room only for a part of one of these pieces, entitled, "Death on the Pale Horse (a Painting by Dunlap)." "Not thus, not thus, should Death be shown, With fearful form and countenance, With writhing serpent following on, With hope-annihilating glance, With all that's withering to the heart, And all that's hideous to the eye, "Not thus should Death, our kindest friend, Death, in whose bosom is an end For all the sin and woe of earth: O, 't is a heathen custom, this, From which all Christians should be weaned; Should not be painted as a fiend. "Around God's throne in heaven above, Like men, and not to all are given "When God ordained man's destiny, To Death the blessed task was given Of ushering souls from earth to heaven : He darted on his pinions bright, How thrilled his heart with holy joy! How beamed his countenance with light! "And ever since that blessed hour Has Death watched o'er each child of clay, "Thus tenderly Death watches over Each struggling spirit shrined in clay, He joins them evermore above." pp. 290, 291. 503 In the spring of 1847, Mr. Kennard became alarmingly ill. From this attack, however, he recovered, and remained in his usual health, though feeble and languid, till July, when nature showed itself exhausted, and yielded, probably, to an entire functional derangement. For six days his sufferings were acute and constant, yet borne, not with patience merely, but with entire self-possession and unclouded serenity of spirit. On the morning of July 28th, having retained his consciousness to the last moment, and after several hours of entire freedom from pain, he departed this life in perfect peace.' In concluding this brief notice of a book that has profited us much, we desire to thank Mr. Peabody for his beautiful tribute to the memory of his friend and parishioner, and to repeat the hope that a second edition will be published, for the use and benefit of all. S. K. L. NOTE To Article on "The Piscataqua Association of. Ministers," in the Number of the Christian Examiner for May, 1848. (Fourth Series, Vol. IX. pp. 403-415.) MESSRS. EDITORS, You have suggested to me the propriety of noticing, in your next number, a recent critique in the "Christian Observatory on my sketch of the Piscataqua Association, in the Examiner for May, 1848. This I must decline doing; for I cannot consent to place myself on equal terms with an anonymous writer, who is to be identified only by the moral complexion of his article. I know the author; but he is not a man with whom I can measure weapons. Besides, of what use could a reply in the Examiner be? Very few persons read both periodicals. With those few, I simply ask that my article and that in the Observatory be read and judged together. But this latter was not written for those who had read the former. The statements in my article, so far as they are questionable, I am prepared to defend by such evidence as in each particular case would be deemed satisfactory. There are but two modifications which need to be made as to matters of fact. One relates to the old steeples still standing over deserted churches. There is now but one such steeple within the limits of the Association. When I wrote, there were three; but two of them were burned about the time my article was printed. A fourth, which I had in my mind when I wrote, had been previously taken down, and the church beneath it modernized; but for town uses only, there having been in it almost no preaching for twelve or fifteen years. Yet a fifth has been almost forsaken for several years, the congregation, once large, meeting in a small vestry, lacking means, energy, or both, to repair their old church or to build a new one. The other modification which I would make regards the inhabitants of Elliot, who, I am inclined to believe, were, at the commencement of Mr. Chandler's ministry, better, more thrifty, and more prosperous than I represented them. The statements with regard to them in my article embodied, however, no more than the traditions prevalent among aged people on the Portsmouth side of the Piscataqua. A. P. P |