and surely as the common sun lights up the heavens and renews the face of the earth. If infidelity shuts its owl-like eyes, as Coleridge suggests, crying out, Where is it? the fault is not in the light. The sun shines on nevertheless, and myriads rejoice in his life-giving beams. If it be further objected that the facts of experience to which we have referred as the crowning proof of Christianity are limited only to certain persons, or to a certain class, and cannot be received by all, or cited in a safe induction, or amount to anything like certain knowledge, we reply that they are open to all, and may be enjoyed by all. Christianity is for man, as such; that is, for every human being. Its gospel is "glad tidings of great joy," which we are commanded to proclaim to "every creature." None anywhere or in any circumstances are excluded, if they will only receive the testimony and put themselves in a condition to appreciate its nature and feel its power. Moreover, as a matter of fact it has been received and practically proved divine in the experience of all classes of men, everywhere and at all times.

It stands in this respect on the same footing with the discoveries of science, particularly those of a practical nature.

We have met persons, not utterly stupid, who questioned some of the truths of astronomy. They could not see how the distances of the heavenly bodies could be measured, and laughed to scorn the pretension that their bulk and weight, and above all their constituent elements could be given by any one. Here is a man, for example, who will not even look through a telescope and judge for himself. Here is another who bets ten or twenty pounds sterling that the earth cannot be shown to be round, and will not believe it when it is demonstrated before his eyes! Hundreds and thousands of course are utterly incompetent to form a judgment of such matters on mathematical grounds. Does not Dr. Newman, confessedly one of the finest thinkers of the age, in his "Grammar of Assent," suggest some serious question touching one of the fundamental points of the Newtonian system?? We have no doubt it appears uncertain to multitudes who have had no opportunity or disposition to investigate the subject for themselves.

Many question the truth of geology as at present taught. They absolutely refuse the "testimony of the rocks." Mr. Hopkins, a wellknown and able scientific thinker, has endeavored to demonstrate that

1 This actually occurred in England a few weeks ago. The man who made the bet was a well-known sensible English land-owner.

2 His doubt has reference to the law of projectiles. We have not Mr. Newman's book at hand; but any one will readily find the passage, which is curious.

the method of reasoning respecting the relative antiquity of the stratified rocks proceeds upon a mistake. Mr. Lyell and others would say that all this is owing to a lack of thorough information, and the right mental attitude towards some of the most wonderful discoveries of the age. Very likely; but this only illustrates what we are trying to convey touching the attitude of certain tolerably well-informed persons towards the marvellous revelations of Christianity.

Take a further illustration from the interesting doctrine of "The Correlation of Forces," which is throwing such light on the whole subject of scientific investigation, and is likely to prove of immense practical use. Now there are a good many people who pass for intelligent, and are intelligent within certain limits, who have not the slightest faith in it, and why? Because it seems to contradict some of their cherished preconceptions; besides, they will not take the pains to inform themselves upon the subject, which any one might do with a simple mechanical and magnetic apparatus.

Well, such persons are not less unreasonable than the savage king, who laughed at the traveller who told him that the rivers in his country, at a certain season of the year, were so solidified by cold that men and horses could cross them on foot. In a portion of Africa Livingstone informs us that the natives have never seen flowers, and who might well therefore affirm that the growth of such wonderful things was "contrary to all their experience."

On the same grounds, and in precisely the same spirit, multitudes in Christendom, some of them ignorant enough, in all conscience, and others so "wise" that they know everything but "the one thing" of all others the most momentous, refuse to put themselves in the right mental and moral attitude to know Christ and Christianity.

It seems to us that a few scientists of this class, eminent and wellinformed as they may be in their own departments, have shown a great want of mental breadth and candor in questioning the supernatural facts and forces of Christianity, or referring them to the domain of legend and myth. True, some Christian writers have shown a like narrowness in the direction of scientific discovery. But the cure for all this lies in thorough and candid investigation, in the reception of honest and competent testimony, and above all in personal experiment on either side where experiment is possible, as it certainly is in religion. "For if any man will do the will of my Father, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God." Many scientific men have thus approached the cross of Christ, and found "peace in believing." And we are satisfied that if the others, who have taken a doubting or a hostile attitude, would only divest

themselves of prejudice, and come to the great question of religion or of "the life in God," as revealed in the Lord Christ, and communicated by him to believing souls, with anything like the simplicity, the patience, the sustained enthusiasm with which they search the secrets of nature, they would soon be "filled with all the fulness of God." Some of their notions and preconceptions on the subject of Christianity, gathered from common belief and tradition, might be dissipated; but coming closer to the heart of the matter, in its "original sources," they would be able to say, "Now we know for ourselves that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."

True science and true religion, we doubt not, in the end will prove to be one. The harmony of nature is but an expression of the deeper harmony of spirit. Life boundless and free, love perfect and immortal, is the secret of the whole. Thus looking upon nature we shall see, and thus "looking unto Jesus" we shall feel that this is the true God and eternal life.

In another paper we hope to discuss the subject of "Certainty in Religion," with special reference to "the full assurance of faith," as well as "the full assurance of hope."

HARTFORD, CONN.

ROBERT TURNBULL.

PALFREY ON RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE IN THE

COLONY OF MASSACHUSETTS BAY.

(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 166.)

WE

E come next to the Antinomian controversy, of which Dr. Palfrey says, "compared with the disturbance occasioned by Mrs. Hutchinson's proceedings, that occasioned by Roger Williams was superficial and transient;" "it well nigh ended the history of New England very near its beginning." To this topic he gives forty of his ample pages.

Mrs. Hutchinson came over on account of her attachment to the ministry of Mr. Cotton. It is allowed by all that she was gifted, vivacious, energetic, kind-hearted, and very strong in the doctrines of grace; one of those who are more Calvinistic than Calvin himself. Mr. Bancroft styles her "the eloquent Mrs. Hutchinson." Many of her admirers called her the "Nonesuch." For two years she held meetings with the pious women of Boston, to whom she repeated the sermons of the ministers. She added free comments of her own, and seems at length to have become a sort of Pulpit and Theological Review of Boston and vicinity.

Governor Winthrop records that "she brought with her two errors: 1. That the person of the Holy Ghost resides in a justified person; 2. That sanctification cannot help evidence to us our justification." Out of these errors numerous others grew.

The ministers of the colony became alarmed. It was found that all but five members of the church in Boston agreed with Mrs. Hutchinson. Mr. Wilson, one of the ministers, was against her. The Governor, Sir Harry Vane, was her champion. Mr. Cotton, the other minister, partly agreed with her and partly disagreed, so that with him his brethren were partly satisfied and partly dissatisfied. The leading men and women of the colony feared that there would be a great discussion and much trouble, and therefore, with one accord, they proceeded to discuss and to make the trouble so greatly feared. "The town and the country were distracted by these subtilties," says Governor Hutchinson. "The matrons of Boston," says Graham, "were transformed into a synod of slanderous praters, and the whole colony was inflamed and distracted."

A ship sailing for England when this storm was raging, Mr. Cotton begged the passengers to tell the friends there that "all the strife was about magnifying the grace of God; one party seeking to advance the grace of God within us, and the other the grace of God toward us.' Mr. Wilson also said that "all the elders and brethren were seeking to advance the grace of God in justification;" and he spoke also of "the need of sanctification," "so that," Governor Winthrop records, "none could tell where the difference was." Yet these remarks of the ministers, intended for peace, had the opposite effect.

The trouble had become as great as it could well be without the help of the General Court. They accordingly took up the case, and that body was soon as intensely excited in discussing Mrs. Hutchinson's theological views, and in pronouncing upon the merits of the sermons of the ministers, as were the women of the colony. It was resolved, by the advice of the ministers, that the "General Court ought to proceed against dangerous errors and heresies without waiting for the church to act." Rev. Mr.Wheelwright, brother-in-law of Mrs. Hutchinson, was soon under the discipline of the court. Mr. Greensmith was fined £40 for expressing his opinion as to the theological views of the ministers, and was compelled to acknowledge his error in the churches.

It was

A gleam of common sense here broke in upon the court. proposed and agreed to call a General Assembly of the churches of New England, to set forth a form of doctrine and discipline. This Assembly formally condemned "eighty-two dangerous errors, nine unwholesome expressions, and divers perversions of Scripture." After much discussion, Wheelwright dissented from the assembly in only five particulars. These were reduced to three, concerning which all the ministers but Wheelright agreed. It had been hoped that entire