Spirit of God would have them communicate, and guarding them effectually against imperfect or erroneous exhibitions of those truths which they had received from the Lord."-"As the Apostles were to be infallible teachers, and their instructions to be received as coming from God,—to ensure perfect accuracy in their communications, the superintending influence of the Spirit might be necessary, even when they were communicating doctrines which had been revealed to them at a former period, or which they had learned in some other way."-" By the Spirit of God, their inseparable assistant, the Apostles were preserved from adulterating the revelations which they received from God. The Spirit, for example, prevented them from using expressions suggested by the additions which their reasonings might make to the revelations they received from God. He excited in them a suspicion of all such ideas as originated from themselves, and thus led them to select other expressions, which, while they accorded with their own ideas, and habits of expression, harmonized perfectly with the truth, and with the purposes of the divine Spirit. In this way it may be seen that, while the Spirit of God prevented any false propositions or expressions from escaping them, opportunity was afforded, even in the communication of truths immediately inspired, for each Apostle to manifest that peculiarity of thought and expression, by which he was distinguished from others."

If, after all, it should be thought by any who examine this subject, to be an objection to the views I have expressed, that there is no appearance of anything superhuman, or preternatural, in the language of Scripture; I would ask, what appearance of this there could be, on the supposition that the divine Spirit superintended, or even prompted, the language employed. The language, in order to answer the end, must still be human. The modes of speech, the figures, and everything relating to the style, must be conformed to common usage. They must be so, even if God himself should make a communication directly, by uttering a voice from heaven. Such a direct communication he actually made in the testimony he gave to Christ at his baptism. And he made a direct communication in another form, when he wrote the ten commandments on tables of stone. And yet, in both of these, the language was in all respects according to common usage. Why then should it not be so, where he makes a communication through human agency? Why should we suppose he would depart from the common modes of speech? And admitting that the common modes of speech are used, why should we suppose that God would set aside the natural powers of the writers, and would make thoughts and words for them, without any use of their minds, or their organs of speech? Far be it from us to entertain so strange and senseless an imagination.

PASTOR.

VIEWS OF THE EARLY CHRISTIANS RESPECTING FUTURE PUN

ISHMENT.

In the reign of Antoninus Pius, about A. D. 139, the Christians were accused of holding pernicious opinions, and of practising the most hateful vices; and, on this account, a violent persecution was raised against them. In these distressed circumstances, Justin Martyr addressed his celebrated Apology to the Roman emperor, in which he proposed to give a fair and complete view of the faith and practice of his fellow Christians, in order to show that neither their opinions nor their conduct rendered them deserving of the evils which they suffered. No man could be better qualified for this task, than Justin. He was born and educated in Palestine, he had spent many years among the Christians of Asia Minor, and, at the time of writing his Apology, he was a resident at Rome. No man, therefore, could have a better opportunity of knowing what the Christians really believed; and the high degree of mental cultivation, the intellectual vigor and glowing eloquence which his writings everywhere exhibit, afford sufficient proof that no one was better able to express what he knew.

This Apology, then, may justly be considered as the most perfect exhibition of the views of the early Christians, with which antiquity can furnish us. I shall here give a few passages which relate to the doctrine of future punishment. I shall endeavor to make my translations as literal as possible, in order to avoid all suspicion of misrepresenting my author.

In the eighth section of the Apology, addressing the emperor, Justin says: "Wherefore, indeed, to tell in few words what we expect, what we have been taught by Christ, and what we teach, it is this. As Plato said that Minos and Rhadamanthus would punish the wicked who went to them; so we say that the same thing will be done, but that they will be punished by Christ, and in their bodies as well as their souls, and with an eternal punishment (aiwviav noλativ); but not for a period of a thousand years only, as he (Plato) supposed. If, indeed, any one will say to us, that this is incredible and impossible, it is at least a harmless error (ή δε πλανη εστιν αλλου προς ετερον), as long as we are not convicted of any actual crime."

This extract furnishes two important remarks: 1. It shows that the adjective aivios really means endless in its largest sense; for the phrase alwviav nodaσiv, eternal punishment, is here purposely opposed to the regiodov, the limited punishment, which Plato supposed the wicked would suffer in a future state.

2. This extract shows that eternal punishment is peculiarly the doctrine of Christianity, and that limited punishment is a doctrine

of heathen philosophy; for this is expressly stated by Justin, who was a Platonist before his conversion to Christianity and it is further evident from the apologetic sentence with which the extract closes, that Justin was sensible that the notion of endless misery would seem harsh and strange to the philosophic emperor, however willing he might be to admit the idea of limited punishment.

Section XII. "Of all men, we are your best helpers and allies, in preserving peace, who teach that it is impossible for any wicked, or avaricious, or treacherous, or virtuous man to be concealed from God; and that each one will go to eternal punishment or salvation, according to the merit of his deeds. For if all men knew these things, no one would choose wickedness for a short time, knowing that he must go to eternal condemnation by fire; but he would by all means govern and adorn himself with virtue, that he might obtain the rewards from God, and escape the punishments."

Section XVIII. "Look to the end of each one of the former emperors, that they have died the death common to all men: and if that state be void of sense, it is gain to all the wicked. But since the senses remain to all who have lived, and eternal punishment is reserved, do not neglect to be persuaded of these things, and to believe that they are true."

Section XIX. "But Gehenna is the place where they are to be punished, who live wickedly, and do not believe that those things will come to pass, which God has declared by Christ."

The Christians of Justin's time, then, believed that Hell is a place, and unbelief a crime.

Section xxI. "We have been taught, that they only will obtain eternal life, who live piously and virtuously, near to God; and we believe that they who live wickedly, and do not repent, will be punished in eternal fire."

Section XXVIII. "Among us, indeed, the chief of the evil spirits is called serpent, and satan, and devil; as you can learn by examining our Scriptures. Christ has declared that he shall be sent, together with his host, and the men who follow him, into the fire, to be punished forever," («ñɛgav lov aiwva through a boundless age.)

Section XLV. "If, indeed, you will attend to these words as enemies, you can do nothing more than kill us, as we have said; which will do us no hurt, but will bring on you, and on all who indulge in hatred unjustly, and do not repent, eternal punishment by fire."

Section LII. Speaking of the second coming of Christ, as predicted by the prophets, Justin says: "He will raise the bodies of all men who have lived; and the bodies of the good he will clothe with incorruption; but the bodies of the wicked, he will send, (endued) with eternal feeling, into the eternal fire, with the evil spirits."

All these allusions to future punishment (and several others might be added) are contained in one short composition of about 35 common octavo pages; and everywhere it is mentioned as a doctrine of universal belief, and not a hint is given that it had ever been disputed or doubted by any who bore the Christian name. It should be recollected, also, that this is a composition expressly designed to give a full view of the faith of Christians, at a time when they were suffering from persecution; and given by one who was himself personally acquainted with all the most considerable Christian societies and teachers of the age, and who had every opportunity of knowing their real sentiments. If there had ever been, to that time, any Christians who disbelieved the doctrine of endless punishment, would not Justin have known it? And, knowing it, would he not have alluded to it? especially, when he was sensible that the severity of the sentiment might excite prejudices in the mind of the emperor, before whom he was pleading the Christian cause; prejudices which he attempts to soften by alleging that the tenet was a harmless one, while those who held it remained free from crime? Could not a man of Justin's penetration have seen, that the emperor's favor might have been much more effectually secured, by asserting that this was not an article of universal belief, if such an assertion could have been made with truth? Justin and his contemporaries had never heard of the doctrine of Universal Salvation; for Justin and his contemporaries had been instructed in Christianity by the Apostles, and their immediate suc

cessors.

REVIEWS.

A PLEA AGAINST RELIGIOUS CONTROVERSY, delivered on Sunday, Feb. 8, 1829. By N. L. Frothingham, Minister of the first church in Boston. pp. 16.

THE FINAL Tendency of the ReligiOUS DISPUTES OF THE PRESENT DAY, impartially considered. By Old Experience. There came a viper out of the heat, Acts, xxviii. 3. Boston,

1829.

SERMON ON SECTARIANISM. By Rev. Orville Dewey, of New Bedford, Mass. "For while one suith I am Paul, and another, I am of Apollos, are ye not carnal ?" 1 Corinthians, iii. 3. Published in the Liberal Preacher, March, 1829.*

Many are the evils of controversy; and could truth be maintained without being earnestly contended for, we would gladly lay

* We place the titles of these several publications at the head of our article, not that we have entered into an extended review of them, but because we have occasionally al

aside our swords and our shields, and set ourselves quietly down by the side of those, who, at their ease, and out of the danger of combat, are content to let others carry on the warfare, or to leave truth to take care of itself as well as it can.

We assure such comfortable gentlemen, that we love our ease no less than they; but hope we do not arrogate too much to ourselves in saying, we love truth a little more; we love peace much, but liberty far better; and if we would shun strife, much more would we eschew error. In the words of the Christian Examiner, "In the purer and nobler views of God and his religion we believe it our happiness to possess, we have received a treasure which we are afraid to hoard," "we feel it our bounden duty, by the best means we can compass, to introduce these views to other minds, and to recommend them to other hearts ;" and being, for once, of the same belief with that work, we feel that "it would be idle to attempt the propagation of truth, without endeavoring at the same time to eradicate error." Both cannot long flourish together.

We have, therefore, lifted up our banner on high, and on it is written "Contend earnestly for the faith ;" and there it shall float till it is beaten down, or the strong holds of error are carried, and there is no longer cause of war. But it will never be beaten down. Though we may be weak, the Lord of battle is mighty; and though we must soon be laid in the ground, He will raise up to himself other soldiers, faithful to His and his Son's cause, and clad in the whole armor of God. Christ has predicted that the battles shall be many, and hard fought; and without, through a mere love of contention, doing what in us lies to see that his prophecy fail not, we may at least take it to ourselves, as some justification of our resolve, when such an outcry and warfare against controversy have all of a sudden broken out.

luded to them, and also from a desire that the public may be duly impressed by the simultaneous movement which has been made against controversy; and that, undoubtedly, without any previous concert, or from any other motive than a love of peace. If any one questions this motive, he has only to read these publications, and feel the spirit of peace and love that breathes gently through them, to learn how well fitted they are to put an end to all strife.

It was observed in our last, that "Unitarians are becoming of late much opposed to controversy." This feeling continues to exhibit itself more and more. The Christian Examiner, after thundering for several years in war, when it shall have completed the volume for 1828, (if it ever does) we are informed, is to cease; or to be transformed into something of a more pacific character. And the Christian Register promises, in future, to "exclude bitter and personal controversy from its columns," and begins already to compliment Professor Stuart, and " the gentlemen at Andover," and to " hail them as fellow laborers." With all our respect for the talents of Mr. Frothingham, we can find nothing in his Plea against Religious Controversy making it particularly worthy of publication.

As for Old Experience, whom we noticed in our last number, if in the many and strange transformations our religious associations are undergoing, it should ever come round that our places of public worship should be open for the enacting of Dramas, as were those of Europe in early times, he will, then, be more in place, and appear to considerably greater advantage within the precincts of the church, than he does at present.

Every one has heard of gall and wormwood. If any are curious to ascertain how strong a bitter may be obtained from these articles, we beg leave to recommend an extract, prepared by the Rev. Orville Dewey, of New Bedford, Mass., and to be had of the Rev. T. R. Sullivan, at the office of the Liberal Preacher, Keene, N. H.