1856.] Influence of Dartmouth. 409 except in reference to the intention with which they are performed." And the intention in the one case being to prevent a soul-destroying heresy, and in the other case to prevent the Roman empire from being disturbed by new religions, to persecute "from these righteous and benevolent motives is truly virtuous and commendable," and "one of the methods by which good men become co-workers with God as benefactors of the world." Surely there is not an argument used by Dr. Lord in defending slavery, which might not be used with yet greater force in defence of pagan and papal persecutions. Such heresies as these cure themselves. But, in the mean time, there is no doubt that they do a great deal of harm. Tending to ultimate good, they yet produce necessarily much present evil. These writings of Dr. Lord will not strengthen slavery; but they will promote infidelity, furnish a handle to scoffers against Christianity, and tend to produce an opposite ultraism. When Dr. Lord argues that slavery is a "positive institution of revealed religion," no man will believe any more in slavery, but many will disbelieve in revelation. Those who defend iniquities like these out of the Bible, do more to promote infidelity than could be done by Voltaire, Paine, and Abner Kneeland, all together. They wound Christ in the house of his friends. We should consider the risk of a young man's becoming an infidel by going to Dartmouth College greater than from attending a course of lectures by Fanny Wright or Robert Owen. For Dr. Lord is doing his best to convince the young men under his charge that the Bible teaches a system which tramples on human rights; which sells men and women and children on the auction-block; which separates husbands and wives; which pollutes society, degrades labor, destroys the purity of woman; which tends to poverty and ignorance, to cruelty and violence and war; which attacks freedom of speech, of the press, of the pulpit, and of the ballot-box; and which is moving on to the sure destruction of national peace and prosperity. If the young men at Dartmouth believe their teacher, as they naturally will, the consequence will be that they will disbelieve the Bible. We therefore think it would be not much worse for a young man's Christianity to send him to an infidel club, than to let him go through Dartmouth College while it is under the charge of Dr. Lord. It has been a common thing to attack Harvard College on account of the Unitarian opinions held by a majority of its government. Parents have been earnestly warned against sending their children to such an institution, although no one has ever been able to give a single instance of an attempt by any Cambridge Unitarian Professor on the creed of an Orthodox student. If any such instance could have been given, there is no doubt that it would have been brought forward. Instead of facts, it has always been necessary to argue from the supposed tendency of listening to the instructions of such teachers. But we would ask intelligent Orthodox men to decide which is worse, for a boy to listen to a lecture on Greek or Astronomy from a Unitarian, or for the same boy to be under a President who is such a fanatic for slavery, that, not only in the lectureroom, but by repeated publications, he defends that institution as divinely appointed, and as an important part both of natural and revealed religion? We wish no harm to Dartmouth College, but rather good, in desiring that it may be speedily relieved from the injury of having at its head a man of such extreme and bitter fanaticism. J. F. C. 1856.] A Homily in Verse. 411 ART. V. A HOMILY IN VERSE. "Cast thy bread upon the waters, for thou shalt find it after many days." Eccles. xi. 1. I. CAST thy bread upon the waters, Food for Penury's sons and daughters; Sail thine aid across the billows For famished mouths and fevered pillows; Sink thy corn within the furrow Of labor faithful, patience thorough; Fix Life's purpose steady; never II. Not the aid which thou bestowest; Not just the prize thy doting heart portrays; — Nobler stores and growths and prizes Lie in what the soul devises. For this hath spheres that show no waning phase, Crave from Fortune no indenture; Who scants his pains and risks for Heavenly Praise, TRUST! Let not weak Expectation Take the place of that strong station. The peace that's free from this world's hurt and craze 2 N. L. F. ART. VI.-RELATIONS OF REASON AND FAITH. We have carried out, according to our ability, the intention intimated in the paper upon the Unitarian Controversy, in the first number of this journal for the current year. We have discussed the bearings of this controversy upon the Scripture doctrines of the nature and the state of man, of God and Christ,—and of atonement, and upon the grounds and methods of biblical criticism and interpretation. These large themes have been debated for ages by parties holding different convictions concerning them. The history of opinions on these subjects, a mere review or summary of the cumbrous literature of these discussions, would be nothing more than an extension of materials similar to those with which we have had to deal, in confining our view, for. the most part, to the last half-century of the controversy. The controversy on these doctrines has divided those who otherwise would have been friends in all the relations and sympathies of a Christian fellowship, while their conscientious differences upon matters which, in the view of both parties, involve the vital truths of the Gospel, have alienated them widely from each other. These protracted and unfinished discussions carry with them a moral distinct from any of their own specific issues. That moral embraces many serious and practical lessons. This great lesson, especially, stands prominent, that experience has proved it to be altogether unlikely that all professed Christians will ever thoroughly accord in matters of speculative faith, of doctrinal opinion, or religious observance. There are reasons which compel us to adopt this conclusion. The materials for the formation and exercise of our faith are found in a large book, as to the authority, meaning, and interpretation of which there certainly is room for a wide variety of opinion. Then the vagueness of language, the diversities of intelligence, insight, temperament, sensibility, of mental depth and power, of moral culture and of spiritual apprehension among human beings, would persuade us that it is hopeless to suppose that they can ever believe alike in a sense which includes the two vigorous conditions of true faith, the thinking alike and the 1856.] Reason and Revelation. 413 feeling alike. The utmost that we can look for in this direction is to divest controversy and all religious differences of everything that is acrimonious and odious and passionate, so that we may at least learn the graces of courtesy, of kind temper, and of charity; so that we may respect sincerity of belief everywhere, for there are tokens which will always prove whether one is sincere, earnest, truth-loving, and really religious in forming and holding his convictions. When wise and faithful and devout persons differ very decidedly in opinion, we must find what relief we can― and the relief is highly compensatory for our anxiety-in reflecting that they also agree in loving the Gospel and the Bible. The most eccentric orbits are all made true to mathematics, because they own a primary attraction. But, it may be said, to allow sincerity in belief or opinion is one thing, and to attach to it the epithet Christian, thus admitting that the extremest differences of a professed Christian faith come within the safe range of acceptance with God, is quite another thing. It is insisted on the popular side in this controversy, that there is a limit within which liberty of opinion, however sincere, must be restricted, if it would be safe. The human mind, with all its inquisitiveness, its boastfulness, and its love of freedom in its speculations, is but one of the elements to be taken into account in discussing matters of faith. There is the positive authority of Christian truth, which is paramount to any claim of liberty we may set up for the exercise of our reason. Sincerity and zeal, when transfused into speculative opinions, imply that there is some truth of transcendent authority and value in the subject-matter of belief. There must, then, be an attractive power, a compelling sway, in truth revealed by God to compensate and hold in check the tendencies of reason to fly off into independent orbits of their own. The question whether there is anything in revelation which impugns or demands a renunciation of reason, is intercepted by the claim, that, if there is, reason must yield. The champion of the rights of reason will then urge that the help and warrant of reason are indispensable in authenticating a revelation. If reason must thus unavoidably be allowed to judge of the credentials of revelation, a consistency between the two sources and |