Observe, secondly, its influence in promoting and preserving the purity of a church. The necessity of attention to this circumstance is apparent. The injury which a few improper characters may do in a church, not only in disturbing its peace, but in conforming others to their spirit and example, is almost incredible to those who have had no experience in such matters. Evil communications corrupt good manners. In consequence of the depravity of our natures, bad examples are much more readily and frequently copied than good ones. It is then of great importance, that if false brethren have been unawares brought in, they should be detected; and few things are better adapted to detect them than attention to this cominand of our Lord. Few things tend so powerfully to search and try a man, to discover what character and spirit he is of, as the faithful administration of reproof when he falls into sin. Were I called to decide upon the character and state of any individual, I think I would rather mark his spirit and conduct when suffering rebuke, tendered in the spirit of Christian love and fidelity, than at any other time.

It is possible, however, that false brethren may exist in a church, who are careful not to render themselves, the subjects of rebuke. If, however, this law of Christ be attended to, the manner in which they administer it will afford an opportunity for ascertaining their characters; since an antichristian spirit may be effectually displayed by the way in which an individual rebukes another, as well as by the way in which he suffers it. When rebuke is tendered in the spirit of exultation-when a person appears to rejoice, rather than to mourn, that he has somewhat to censure-when it evidently affords him satisfaction that an opportunity is afforded for humbling a brother, or reducing to his own level one who was judged to be much more eminent in his profession than himself;-we may be sure he is not acting in the spirit of the gospel, and there is great reason to suspect the sincerity of his profession. And those hypocrites in a church who, perhaps through the want of temptation, have been able to preserve an unblemished character, are generally the most forward to censure others, that they may impress their brethren with a high opinion of their superior sanctity and thus, fortunately for us, they place themselves in a situation eminently adapted to display their characters, and to prove that they are wolves in sheep's clothing.

that

Let the reader remember that this subject is as searching as it is important; and if we were to try the sincerity of our Christian profession by this rule, we should all have reason to mourn over our sins, if we discovered no ground for suspicion and trembling. Attention to the laws of Christ in case of offence, af

VOL. VI.

G

fords a very powerful test of character. Happy is he whose conscience does not condemn him when he applies it!

Were any thing more necessary to convince the reader of the importance of the command which has been considered, and to induce him to attend to it, I would exhibit the conduct and example of Christ. When we had trespassed against him, he did not publish abroad our sins, but he died on the cross to make atonement for them. He removes all our transgressions from us, far as the east is from the west. He casts them into the depths of the sea, and thus he seems to wish to bury them in everlasting oblivion. In so far as it is possible for us to imitate him, let us go and do likewise.

In your next number, I will crave the attention of the reader to a few general observations suggested by this subject.

i

TO THE EDITOR of the CHRISTIAN HERALD.

SIR, Glasgow, 25th Dec. 1818. I READ the letter of your correspondent PHILOLOGOS, in your publication for the present month, with a great deal of pleasure. The importance of home itinerancies is becoming more and more evident every day. While we earnestly pray for their success, let us gladly listen to every hint which tends to render them more extensively useful. Certainly Christians ought to rejoice in the preaching of the gospel by good men, of whatever denomination. Since Dissenters have more liberty than others to engage in this department of labour, they are particularly called upon to improve so distinguished an advantage; and it becomes them to acknowledge with gratitude the very general encouragement they receive, in the attempts they make for the purpose. Any journies of this nature, lately undertaken, whether by the free will of individuals, or by the appointment. of brethren, have been most kindly approved of by serious persons of every connection. Who, indeed, that loves the Saviour, and the work of salvation, can read such publications as the Report of the Paisley Itinerant Society, and the Journal of the worthy Mr Brown in the Highlands of Perthshire, without the most lively satisfaction, combined with the most fervent desire, that many may run to and fro, and that knowledge may be increased ?"

"

With regard to the hints which Philologos addresses to the Congregational churches, respecting the Theological Academy; I have the pleasure to inform him, and your readers at large, that they have been attended to, as far as circumstances would

permit, ever since the Academy was instituted. The annual vacation has always been extended" to six weeks, or two months." During that period, the senior students have been sent to the south, to the north, and to the west;"-in short, to every quarter where they were likely to be most useful. By a reference to the Annual Reports, it will be found, that some of the Pastors have thus had it in their power to make extensive tours, through the Highlands and Islands, and other destitute parts of the country. Many of your correspondents will be able to recollect visits, paid to themselves, or to brethren in their neighbourhood, on these occasions. If the students have not been always stationed in one church, that the Pastors might itinerate; this has been owing to circumstances which rendered a different plan advisable. In some instances, the students itinerated, either by themselves, or in the company of some of the Pastors, nearest the places to which they were sent; because it was thought that attention might be more generally attracted by a stranger, or because the entire supply of a church, though only for a time, might to some young men be too weighty an undertaking. In one way or other, however, your correspondent's suggestions form a part of the plan of the Theological Academy; and nothing but the small number of students, owing chiefly to the narrowness of the funds, prevents it from being pursued with greater effect.

These remarks are made, not so much with a view to vindicate the Committee of Management of the Theological Academy, as to impress your readers with a conviction, that the scale on which it is conducted might, with great advantage, admit of being considerably enlarged. Some may suppose, that eight or nine students are as many as can be required for the Congregational churches in Scotland. But every seminary of this nature ought to be open for the service of our Lord Jesus Christ in any part of the world. Besides, we know not how far he may intend to enlarge the churches already planted at home, or to increase their number. When persons, desirous of the " good work," are brought forward in the course of Providence, it is a hopeful symptom, which we ought not to neglect. I am persuaded, that if all the truly eligible persons who are applying for adinission into our humble Institution, could be received, much more good would be done, both by their occasional labours while they were prosecuting their studies, and by the ahundant work which would be found for them afterwards, at home or abroad, in the plenteous harvest of our blessed Lord.

ONESIMUS.

THE DIVINE INSPIRATION OF THE OLD TESTAMENT..

No. IV.

HAVING in my last entered upon the consideration of the cre dibility of the Old Testament from the testimony of ancient heathen writers, I now proceed to produce further proof from heathen writers to the same effect.

The creation of the world is that grand event which we might naturally suppose would be generally noticed by the earliest writers of different countries. And though we find the Mosaic account the most ancient, consistent and satisfactory of them all, we might suppose that the leading facts recorded by Moses would generally be attested by them all, though these by many of them might be greatly disfigured by fabulous positions. And accordingly, we do find a wonderful coincidence between his account and their's.

The account of the creation given by Sanchoniatho, the Phenician historian, as preserved by Philo Byblius, greatly resembles that of Moses. He says, that "chaos and a spirit, or air, were the origin of all things; or a spirit of dark air, and a turbid chaos involved in darkness." The Egyptian account resembles the Phenician. According to it, According to it, "when the universe first coalesced, heaven and earth were of one form,-their nature being blended together." The whole was formed into order and beauty, and then were formed the living creatures. (Diod. Sic.) The account of the Greeks and Romans was collected by Ovid, whose account, as every classical scholar knows, greatly resembles that of Moses, so much so that he could hardly have followed him more exactly, though he had copied from him. The Brahminical accounts of this event greatly resemble the Mosaic In the Institutes of Menu particularly, the resemblance is striking between the account given therein and that of Moses. These other accounts are defective in order, consistency and simplicity; but they are valuable for the coincidences they contain with the Mosaic account. That account, however, as having been communicated by the infallible direction of the Spirit of inspiration, is the only satisfactory one. The others have been borrowed from it, or handed down in the uncertain channel of tradition from the earliest times; and therefore, though they agree with it in the leading particulars, may be supposed in many things to differ from it.

Respecting the parents of the human race, and their fall into sin, the heathen accounts agree with and corroborate more or less those of Scripture. According to Philo Byblius' translation of the fragments of Sanchoniatho, the first pair were named Protogonus, or first produced, and Acon, life. And, according

to some ancient heathens, the first man was of both sexes, whom they therefore called Androgonus, or man-woman. These ac counts, however obscure they are, refer to what is clearly revealed and rationally expressed in Scripture. The Persian Brachmans have a tradition of a giant who was placed in a pleasant garden, which he was to possess upon certain conditions for ever. These conditions, however, he broke, the Devil having seduced him by means of a woman, and thus procured his expulsion from the pleasant garden in which he had been placed. (Bayle Dict. tom. I. p. 1106.) Thus they evidently allude to what happened to Adam in paradise. In Pegu and in Ceylon, the Brahmins are informed of the name of Adam, and have a tradition of his expulsion from paradise. These accounts form so many confirmations of the Scripture accounts. They display the superiority and perfection of Scripture, however, more strongly than ever, and evince most forcibly its necessity and value.

2

The general deluge is another grand event of which we might naturally suppose the memory would be generally handed down by tradition among various nations, as it could not but leave an indelible impression on the minds of every people in the early ages. We accordingly find that the memory of this event is preserved among almost every people in every quarter of the globe. An extensive view of these coincidencies might be produced, but we must study brevity.

According to Berosus, the Chaldean historian, Xisuthrus was warned of an approaching flood, to escape which he was directed to build a ship, which he was to furnish with provisions, into which he was to bring fowls and four-footed beasts, and his relations and nearest friends that this being accomplishcd, he entered as directed with his wife, children and friends: -that when the flood ceased, he let out certain birds, which finding no food, nor resting place, returned again to the ship: -that he sent them out a second time, when they also returned in like manner; but that when he sent them out the third time, they returned no more, by which Xisuthrus understood that the earth had again appeared. Thereupon making an opening between the planks of the ship, and seeing that it rested upon a certain mountain, he came out, he and his wife, his children and his pilot. This account agrees pretty well with the Mosaic account. There are other fabulous circumstances added, which I omit for the sake of brevity. (Grot. De Ver. lib. I. sect. 16.) Berosus says that the remains of the ark still are found on the top of a mountain of the Corydeans in Armenia; and Nicolaus Damascenus says, that on a mountain in Armenia, called Baris, a part of the ark, by which a person was carried thither during the deluge, still remains.