if the representation of him in the Gospels be not conformed to his real character and office, no foundation is left, on which any one can with reason pretend to regard him as an object of veneration, or to consider his teachings, whatever effect they may have had upon the world, as of any importance to himself." pp. 28, 29.

The remainder of the Address is occupied in meeting the objection, that the evidence of historical Christianity "consists only of probabilities." To this the answer is obvious, that there is for a finite being "no absolute certainty, beyond the limit of momentary consciousness, a certainty that vanishes the instant it exists, and is lost in the region of metaphysical doubt." Moreover, "in all things of practical import, in the exercise of all our affections, in the whole formation of our characters, we are acting, and must act, on probabilities alone." The evidences, on which the faith of almost the entire Christian world has reposed for eighteen centuries, amount to as high a probability, as we usually seek to base our conduct upon in the most important affairs of life, amount indeed to what in popular language we denominate moral certainty; and therefore lay us, as reasonable and self-consistent men, under inalienable obligations to make the teachings and example of Jesus the guide of our lives.

Of the notes appended to this address, the first consists of "Some further Remarks on the Characteristics of the Modern German School of Infidelity." The second is "On the Objection to Faith in Christianity, as resting on Historical Facts and Critical Learning." The objection is that, as religion is an universal want, its proofs should lie at every man's door, whereas the weighing of historical and critical evidence demands an amount of time, learning, and mental acumen, which few are able to bestow. This objection, however, if valid, applies not only to historical Christianity, but to religion in general. The independent attainment of any kind of religious knowledge demands the highest effort of a well trained mind and a well purged heart. During the first forty centuries of the world's history, we can hardly count that number of individuals out of Judea, who had attained clear and satisfying religious ideas. If we may judge from the thousands of thousands, who have arrived at an intimate acquaintance with God and duty, since religion. clothed itself in a historical form in the gospel, this form has VOL. XXVII. 3D s. VOL. IX. NO. II.

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tended greatly to diminish the difficulty, to render the temple of truth easy of access. Moreover, if the weighing of the evidences of religion be an arduous work and within the province of but few, so is the weighing of evidence in all the higher departments of knowledge. But we are so constituted that, in all these departments of knowledge, we rely on the testimony of others, make other minds do the work of investigation for us, and judge of the accuracy with which they have wrought it by a certain infallible instinct. And in this way is a firm faith in religion and its historical evidences acquired by the unreasoning multitude, on the testimony of those capable of investigating.

We close our article by extracting from this second note a few remarks of the gravest moment on the all-important subject of the publication of opinions.

"This view of human belief, as resting in so great a degree upon what may be called testimony, serves to show strongly the responsibility that lies on all those, who undertake to influence the opinions of their fellow men, on any subject, by their belief concerning which their moral principles or their happiness may be affected. Whoever may do so, should have natural capacity for the office; he should have the requisite knowledge, of which extensive learning commonly makes a part; and he should be influenced by no motives inconsistent with a love of truth and goodness, by no craving for notoriety, no restless desire to be the talk of the day, no party spirit, and no selfish purpose of maintaining doctrines, the profession of which he cannot renounce without the loss of some worldly advantage. Before he inculcates any peculiar opinions, he should have thoroughly studied them, have clearly defined them to his own mind, have traced out their relations, and have become persuaded that future investigation will not lead him to change them. And further, he should believe himself to see clearly, that their promulgation will tend to good; since, if there be a God who rules all things in infinite wisdom and goodness, no general law or fact in the universe can ultimately tend to evil, and consequently no general truth, or affirmation of such law or fact, can be ultimately mischievous. In proportion therefore, as the beneficial effect of any doctrine is doubtful, so far is its truth doubtful on the supposition that there is a God. And if there be not a God, on which supposition truth might be mischievous, the moral offence of publishing a mischievous truth would still remain.

"Judging from the practice of the day, the responsibility of which I speak is not greatly regarded; and we may conclude from the language which is freely used, that it is not generally

understood. Men throw out their opinions rashly, reserving to themselves the liberty of correcting them, if they are wrong; if you would know for what doctrines they hold themselves responsible, you must look to their last publication. It deserves praise, we are told, for one to confess himself to have been in error. It does, without doubt; as it also deserves praise for one to repent of a crime and to make reparation; but a wise and good man, as he will avoid committing crimes, so according to his ability, he will avoid promulgating errors on important, or unimportant, subjects. Another loose notion is, that there should be no discouragement, by the expression of moral disapprobation, to the promulgation of any doctrine, whatever may be its character, or whatever may be the moral or intellectual qualifications of the teacher; for that this would be putting a check upon freedom of discussion. The doctrine may be confuted, it is said, if it is erroneous. But it should be recollected that many errors are in alliance with men's passions, vices, and follies, and that, when plausibly affirmed, they may be readily admitted by those who will not listen to, or perhaps could not comprehend, a series of explanations and arguments. It should likewise be recollected, that a writer careless of facts, bold in his assertions, and confused and illogical in his conceptions, may commit more errors in a page than an able man can confute in twenty; that these errors may be gross; that one conversant with the subject may regard the task of exposing them as unworthy of him; and that it is hard to condemn such as are capable of informing others to the poor employment of rooting out errors, the growth of which is encouraged by those who assign them the task. But it is only necessary to attend to the general principle, that dependent as we all are upon the information and the opinions of others, no one has a right to assume the office of our instructer, who has not labored to qualify himself morally and intellectually for its proper porformance."- pp. 60-62.

A. P. P.

ART. VII.- A History of the First Church and Parish in Dedham, in three Discourses, delivered on occasion of the completion, Nov. 18, 1838, of the second Century since the gathering of said Church. By ALVAN LAMSON, D. D., Pastor of the First Church in Dedham. 1839. pp. 104.

We have read these discourses with great satisfaction. The author has exhibited with fidelity and skill and (what in such details is scarcely less essential) a true interest in his workthe History of a Church, of which for now nearly twenty-one years he has been the Pastor. Even the stranger, regarding only the beauty of that fair village of Dedham, might not be indifferent to its annals. But they whose birth, or early associations are there, or whose taste for ancient records disposes, will not fail of a lively pleasure in tracing the history of a community from the day that thirty families first assembled to worship God, "under one of the large trees, which then shaded the plain," through a chequered course of two hundred years to its present prosperity. There will be found indeed some more than common attractions in a spot, where not only "the rude fore-fathers of the hamlet sleep," but the ancestors of some of our eminent men toiled; the village where Dwight and Dexter and Fisher Ames had their abode, and where, too, in individuals, less known to public fame but dear to personal friendship, have been witnessed some of the choicest virtues of private life, a strict but cheerful piety, and an overflowing hospitality.

"The place was fortunate," says Dr. Lamson, "in its first inhabitants. They had a difficult task to execute, but they proved themselves fully equal to its accomplishment. Their toils and cares were important; but many of them humble ones, and they could hardly have been cheered by a foresight of one half their beautiful results." "It is fit, that we should hold such men in remembrance; that we should report their praises; that we should not suffer oblivion to creep over their names. It is fit, that we should pause to brush away the dust, which in the lapse of time is silently gathering over the record of their merits."

To this filial work the writer of these Discourses has contributed his part. It appears, that, if the place was fortunate in its first inhabitants, they were not less fortunate in their first

Pastor. The Rev. John Allin, who came with the founders, and had been a preacher before he quitted England, was early established as their minister, and by a prudent and faithful service of thirty-three years, "by his singular candor and amenity of spirit, not less than by his ingenuity and learning," by his wisdom and gentleness in controversy, in which he reluctantly engaged but always with success, and by the respect his character inspired, he must have essentially contributed to the prosperity of the infant settlement.*

Of his successor, Mr. Adams, † we can only notice that a Fast-Sermon, which he published, affords an example, among multitudes that might be quoted from the Mathers and others, of the common passion with all generations, to lament the degeneracy of the times. In this Discourse he draws a most melancholy picture of the sins and miseries of the day; among which are not those only, that might be expected in such a catalogue, coldness, and deadness, and worldliness of spirit, but "dissentions in churches, jealousies, and slanders, with other evils, which we should least have suspected in the frugal, selfdenying days of our fathers. We have borne,' says he, 'too high a sail. There hath been an affectation of gallantry unbecoming our condition; too great delicacy of living; and family government is in a great measure lost in New England.' This now was in 1678, not sixty years after the land

In adverting to Mr. Allin's domestic history, our author notices an incident, pertaining to one of his marriages, not to be omitted in the annals of those primitive times. "For his second wife he married the widow of Governor Thomas Dudley, a little more than three months after the Governor's death, Mr. Allin's first wife, Margaret, having been dead a little more than six months. The lady, who was the mother of Governor Joseph Dudley, must have possessed some attractions of mind, or person, or both," for Mr. Allin was her third husband; and notwithstanding the apparent suddenness of the union (for which, as we learn from oral testimony, she had full authority from a former example of the Governor) they were pleasant in their lives, and in death they were not divided. "His beloved wife, Katherine," as Mr. Allin calls her in his records, "died three days after him, and both were buried in the same grave."- Discourse I. p. 27.

Previously to the coming of Mr. Adams, the people had invited Mr. Nicolet, a stranger from Maryland, to preach, and soon after to settle. "He consented, but said he must first go with his wife to Salem 'for a child and some things,' which they had left there." No objection was made to so reasonable a request. He went; but the result was, he never returned, preferring Salem to Dedham ; and after a stormy ministry of three or four years he left Salem also.