use. In Addison we read-" Historians tell

RELIGIOUS CONTROVERSY.

CHRISTIANS are not generally agreed us that no fruit originally grows amongst us, whether to consider controversy as benc- besides hips and haws, acorns and pig-nuts, ficial or otherwise. While some maintain and such-like delicacies: that our climate that it is generally the cause of enmity of itself, and without the assistance of art, and dislike between the holders of different can make no farther advances to a plumb sentiments, and makes the breach of disagree- than a sloe, and can bring an apple to ment in opinion wider, at the same time that no greater perfection than a crab: that that difference, being on matters not essential our melons, our peaches, our apricots, are or fundamental parts of religion, makes it strangers among us, imported in different more unnecessary; others, again, maintain ages, and naturalized in our English gardens: that it has been of great service in furthering that they would degenerate into the trash of the understanding of things belonging to our our country, if they were wholly neglected by faith that it has cleared to many of the the planter, and left to the mercy of our sun sons of men the hidden things of God; the and soil." And scripture tells us, that no fruit thoughts of people, apt to be mistaken, being grows originally in the heart of man, but directed by those having made a greater pro-evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murgress in spiritual knowledge, and of course being better able to direct their brethren.

The first proposition cannot be denied in too many instances, which the present time very forcibly illustrates, but that it is a reason for rejecting controversy altogether is not so apparent; and with the second, we may agree about as much.

Taking parts of each of these opinions, I think we may steer a straighter and better course than by agreeing with either, as they originally stand. That bad effects do proceed from controversy cannot be denied, but they arise from the general depravity of our nature. In searching for the cause of these effects we must look further back. Controversy in itself is not that cause; it is the hardness and deceitfulness of man's heart in general, and more especially his pride and self-sufficiency; in short, it is the abuse of the thing, not the

VOL: X.-NO. CCLXVIII.

ders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, and such like" (Mark vii. 21); that our heart of itself, and without the purifying assistance of the Holy Spirit, can make no further advances to holiness than self-righteousness; and carries faith on the Son of God to no greater perfection than as a make-weight with our own deeds in the scales of justice at the bar of God. And again-"That love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, are strangers to us, until they come as the consequences of true religion:" that they would degenerate and fall away to the fruits of a corrupt heart, if they were wholly neglected by the Great Spirit that causes them, and left to the mercy of the soil of the heart of man; and, when these corrupt fruits arise so naturally from our corrupt nature, can it be otherwise than expected that they should just as much pro

[London: Joseph Rogerson, 24, Norfolk-street, Strand.]

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Allowing all this, certain it is, that reli- | heard of either of the combatants being congious controversy ought not to be introduced vinced by the arguments of the other; and, if into all companies, and upon all occasions, they are equally matched, I can hardly see needlessly, intrudingly, or irreverently; but how we can expect it. We read “If there then, if it be wrong to speak in large and come any to you and bring not this doctrine, mixed companies of the evidences, facts, and receive him not into your houses, neither bid doctrines of religion, is there, or ought there, him God speed" (2 John, 10). From to be any ill consequences from controversy this I should infer, that, with one whom I carried on between Christian friends-why consider wrong on the fundamental doctrines should the fire-place be made less holy of religion, I have nothing to do, much less thereby? to enter into controversy: as, for instance, the socinian, the atheist, or indeed the papist. Stooping to contend with such would be giving too much consequence to them; that is to say, to their opinions, not only in their own thoughts, but in reality+.

We read "These things teach and exhort. If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railing, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men of perverse minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness; from such withdraw thyself" (Ï Tim. vi. 3, 4, 5). In this light every one would reprobate controversy; when not carried on between children of God, let it be done away with. If any man consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and which express the doctrines which are agreeable and subservient to the great cause of practical godliness, which it is the declared object of the gospel to promote in the world, he is one which knows nothing to any good purpose -with such have no fellowship.

We have thus far considered religious controversy, and have come to the conclusion, that an indispensable accompaniment to itif it is expected to succeed-is meekness and humbleness of spirit, as saith St. Paul-"We must instruct gainsayers with meekness, and the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle to all men, apt to teach, patient, instructing those that oppose themselves" (2 Tim. 24, 25).

great apostle Paul, while it animates them to pursue righteousness and faith, love and peace with all their fellow Christians, all that invoke Christ and trust in him. They who serve the Prince of Peace, who preach the gospel of peace, and are ambassadors of peace, must be sure to keep the peace; thus we, whoever we are, must contend earnestly,

Relations in this life are numerous, superiors, equals, and inferiors: he that is of a meek and quiet spirit is cut out for any of them; and those who have the honour to bear the most holy character which any office can devolve on mortal, need avoid any thing that would bring the least appearance of pride or presumption on them; and may every one All will agree with these words of an ex-join with them in revering the voice of the cellent writer-" Happy would it be for the church of God, if the important doctrines of practical godliness were more inculcated, and less of the zeal of its teachers spent in discussing vain questions and intricate strifes about words, which have been productive of so much envy and contention, obloquy and suspicion. Let the men of God, therefore, inculcate righteousness and faith, piety and charity, patience and meekness; and let them endeavour to render their lessons successful, by a care themselves to pursue those graces; to exercise themselves more strenuously in that noble and generous conflict to which they are called, so as to lay hold on the crown of eternal life, and to retain it against the most powerful antagonist. These are the wholesome words of our Lord Jesus Christ, even these doctrines according to godliness."

Controversy being so difficult a thing to manage rightly in private, it must prove much more so when brought into public; for though (if the one on the side of truth be a skilful disputer) the arguments brought forward by him may tell on those not engaged in the controversy, yet I never yet

In the preceding quotation, I should imagine that the apostle must not be understood as excluding the common offices of humanity to such persons, for that is contrary to all the precepts of benevolence to be found in the gospel. But to have received such regard, and affording him such support, as indeed into one's house, would have been showing him such in some measure would have made one answerable for

the mischief he might do; such favour being not merely offices of humanity but of patronage and friendship, and at least a testimony of approbation as

well as kindness. The Greek of this passage is καὶ χαίρειν αυτῶ μη λέγετε, literally, " and bid him not to rejoice." In this sense is the verb xaipo used in

many other parts of the New Testament, and this is the only passage where it is, or indeed could be, rendered God speed. This will bear out my opinion that it does not forbid the common offices of humanity to such persons. I am aware that xaps is equivalent to a salutation, and the same as ave, salve, gaude in Latin.

We can by no means agree with our correspondent here.-ED.

A great abasement and diffidence of ourselves, may very well consist with a firm assurance of the truth, and a profound veneration for it. In lesser things, where wise and good men are not all of a mind, meekness teaches us that we are not to be too confident that we are in the right, nor to censure those who differ from us; but quietly to walk according to the light that God has given us, and charitably to believe that others do so too, waiting until God shall reveal either this to them or that to us. In such cases, I can almost allow it to be quite sufficient to vindicate ourselves, which every man has a right to do, without a magisterial sentencing of others. Meekness will also teach us to manage a singular opinion, wherein we differ from others, with all possible deference to them, and suspicion of ourselves: not resenting it as an affront to be contradicted, but taking it as a kindness to be better informed. Nor ought we to be angry that our hope is inquired into; even such a trial, if we approve ourselves, may tend to the praise, honour, and glory of God; to which meekness will very much contribute, as it puts a lustre upon, and a convincing power into, the testimony we bear. Let St. Paul be a pattern to controversialists, where they may see the meekness of a man and an earnest contender for the faith that was in him. Though his natural temper seems to have been warm and eager, which made him eminently active and zealous, yet that temper was so rectified and sanctified, that he was no less eminently meek. He studied to please all with whom he had to do, and to render himself engaging to them, for their good edification. Many examples of the effects of meekness might be adduced; but time would fail to tell of all the prophets and apostles, martyrs and confessors, and eminent saints, who, by meekness, subdued not kingdoms, but their own spirits; stopped the mouths of not lions only, but of more fierce and formidable enemies; quenched the violence not of fire only, but of intemperate and more ungovernable passions.

but not angrily or passionately; no, not "for the faith once delivered to the saints" (Jude 3). When we have ever so great an assurance that it is the cause of truth we are pleading, yet we must so conduct our defence of it, as to make it appear that it is not the confusion of the erroneous, but the confutation of the error that we intend. Meekness would teach us not to prejudge a cause, nor to condemn an adversary unheard, but calmly to state the matter in difference. It would teach us not to aggravate, or settle upon our adversary all the absurd consequences that we think may be inferred from his opinion: it would teach us to judge charitably of those that differ from us, and to forbear all personal reflections when arguing with them. God's cause certainly needs not the help of our passions, which not only destroy the peace, but even the truth of that we plead for. Meekness would prevent that bigotry which has long been a thorn in the side of the church, and contribute a great deal toward the advancement of that happy state, in which, notwithstanding little differences of opinion, the Lord would be all in all. When Christ was purging the temple, he drove out the sheep and oxen, knowing that they could easily be caught again, but he said to them that sold doves, "Take these things away." Thus he worked with a zeal that eat him up, yet he did it with meekness. Angry, noisy, bitter arguings little become the asserters of that faith, which is great, and will prevail without so much ado. Thus, in controversy, a spirit of meekness will teach us to consider the temper, education, custom, of our opponent in argument; the power of prejudice he labours under, the influence of others upon him, and to make allowances accordingly; and not to call (as passionate contenders are apt to do) every false step an apostacy, every error or mistake, every misconstrued, misplaced word a heresy-methods more likely to irritate and harden, than to convince and reduce-methods, I may say, that are the cause of the ill effects of controversy. It has been said, with a great deal of truth, that "the scourge of the tongue has I have said, that meekness fits us for every driven many out of the temple, but never any situation in life. Moses was forty years a into it." But, on the other hand, that is not courtier in Egypt, forty years a servant in meekness, but cowardice, that tamely be- Midian, and forty years a king in Jeshurun ; trays and delivers up any of Christ's truths and meekness qualified him for each of his or institutions by silence, as if we were afraid posts, for he was the meekest man, and still or ashamed to confess our Master. When he held fast his integrity. It is controversy we give a reason of our religion, we must not joined with meekness that we approve; it is boast of ourselves or of our attainments, nor controversy, with no other help than our sincall down contempt or wrath upon our perse-ful lusts and passions, that we reprobate cutors; but remember, that the present truth is the same with the word of Christ's tience, according to the example of him who, with invincible meekness, witnessed a good onfession.

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