unable to comprehend. If a man denies the existence of mind, because be cannot understand its nature, and can only define it by the operations of which he is conscious; to act consistently, he should also deny the existence of matter, because he can only judge of it by its visible and tangible qualities. If a man denies the communication of motion by thought, which we ascribe to spirit; to act consistently, he should also deny the communication of motion by impulse, which we ascribe to matter. We cannot tell how particles of light are propagated from the radiant point; and do we therefore deny the existence of light? We cannot tell how the blood circulates in our veins, and do we therefore deny that it is the medium of nutriment and vigour We cannot unfold the nature of that union which subsists between body and mind; nor can we explain their mutual influence; and do we there fore conclude that they are unconnected or independent on each other? There is not a leaf that rustles in the breeze; there is not a flower that decks the fields; there is not an insect that wantons in the sunbeam, or flits along the ambient air; there is not a particle of sand by the sea wave, whose properties can all be described by the wisest of men; and do all men therefore become the dupes of modern scepticism as to the existence of the material world? Why then do men presume to arraign the incomprehensible God at the bar of their limited understandings, and to reject those doctrines which he has not made level to human capacity? Why do men reject the whole of Christianity because some of its doctrines are mysterious? In the one case, they resemble the man who discredits his senses, because be cannot understand the nature of the objects which surround him. In the other, they resemble the man who discontinues the practice of extinguishing fire by water, because he cannot understand why oil poured CHRIST, OBSERY. No. 103.

on the same flame would increase the conflagration. It would be impiety to say, that it was impossible for God to make every thing which he has thought fit to reveal, level to the human understanding; but certainly it is not irrational to expect that whatever proceeds from an Infinite Being should bear some traces of infinity. When an author produces a work bearing marks of great profundity of thought and research, we naturally expect that every work proceeding from the same author should bear some resemblance to the first in both of these respects. It is sufficient to verify the title of a revelation, if additional light be thrown upon subjects previously involved in uucertainty, and if truths be made known of which the human mind could previously form no conception. In the revelation of God to his creatures, every thing essential to salvation is clearly made known, and those truths which are now seen "darkly as through a glass," are reserved to be fully unveiled in that world of light where the boundaries of intellectual vision shall be enlarged to embrace them. Thus, the effects of too great a reliance on the powers of the human understanding, in leading some men to detract from the Gospel its peculiar doctrines, and others to downright infidelity, may serve to convince us of the importance of intellectual diffidence in the search after truth.

There is one error of an opposite description to those which have now been noticed, which is equally remote from that intellectual diffidence which we are now attempting to recommend. The error to which we refer is that of endeavouring to simplify the Gospel by explaining what cannot and what was never intended to be explained. This is an error into which a misguided zeal has frequently led well-` meaning Christians. They are not aware that the explanation of a mystery is its annihilation, and that their attempts can only injure the

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cause which they wish to promote. The same plan of simplification has led men to form artificial representations of the divine nature, and thus to introduce all the errors of idolatry. It is with the intellectual powers as it is with the external senses; objects placed in an obscure light are not discernible, owing to a defect in the medium; and very luminous objects cannot be beheld, owing to the natural imbecility of the optic nerve. Some objects of the understanding are unknown to us because of the want of due information; and there are others of which we are ignorant, because they exceed the measure of our comprehension. Of this latter kind are the doctrines which these men endeavour to explain. The buman mind cannot receive them in its present embryo state; and, to nake the attempt, is as foolish as it would be to endeavour to make the infant on the breast comprehend the pursuits of the philosopher. "We ought not," says Lord Bacon, "to attempt to draw down or submit the mysteries of God to our reason; but, on the contrary, to raise and advance our reason to the divine truth." The mysterious doctrines of Christianity constitute its peculiar glory, for it is their splendour which dazzles the eyes of feeble mortals. Instead, therefore, of vainly attempting to make them less mysterious, the Christian should exhibit them in all their native lustre to the admiration of the world. A becoming sense of the imperfection of the human understanding, would serve as a corrective to this, as well as the other errors to which we have already alluded.

It

Hitherto our attention has been called to truths of a doctrinal nature. may be proper, before concluding this part of the subject, to turn our thoughts for a little, to the effect of too great a dependence on human reason, in regard to those parts of the divine word which are professedly of a practical tendency. The numerous systems of ethics

which have been obtruded with much philosophical parade upon the world, must have attracted the attention of every reflecting mind. Many of these are highly exceptionable, and all of them are extremely defective. The reason is obvious. The theorists, when framing them, have had too much confidence in their own powers. They have paid little regard to the obligations which arise from the divine will; and, though in some cases, they have unintentionally been indebted to the sacred writers, yet the rules and motives of Christianity have not had that prominence in their respective systems, to which they are justly entitled. Often too, the law of God, which the light of nature discovers, has been obscured by vain metaphysical reasonings. The truth is, no proper system of morality can be framed without the aid of Christianity; and those which are merely of human formation must ever partake of the imperfection of the minds which conceived them.

But, too great dependence on human reason not only discovers itself in leading men to fabricate theories of morality for the conduct of life; it likewise evinces its pernicious tendency by leading men to shape their conduct according to those rules. of Christianity which appear to themselves most expedient. These sons of reason, cull from among the precepts of the Gospel, and, at one time, contemn those dispositions of heart which it requires to be cultivated; while, at another, they either palliate or exalt as virtuous feelings those dispositions which it reprobates in the strongest language. Humility, they term meanness; forgiveness of injuries, pusillanimity; self-denial, monasticism; zeal for the honour of God and the salvation of men, enthusiasm. The man inflated with pride, they represent as a man of a great mind; he whose eye sparkles with revenge on receiving a small affront, as a man of honour; and the victim of sensuality, as a lover

of freedom-mark then the importance of intellectual diffidence; of having the dictates of the human mind subjected to the direction of the divine law.

II. We must guard against placing too much dependence on our own minds, when forming a judgment concerning the divine operations.

When the votaries of reason observe the events which are constantly taking place in the administration of human affairs, they perceive many appearances of irregularity; and, in many cases, have been led to the dreadful conclusion, that the world is governed by an incontroulable necessity; and that every event originates in the blind collision of casual associations. It must be owned, that in many instances, the operations of Omnipotence are dark and mysterious; and, like the erratic motion of a comet in the heavens, seem to be guided by no determinate agency. God's "way is in the sea, and his path in the deep waters, and his footsteps are not known." Evil, both physical and moral, is allowed to exist in the world; virtue is often "marked out by sorrow for her own," while vice is allowed to triumph; and those schemes which are designed to be of extensive public utility are rendered abortive, while the dark laid plans of mischief are crowned with the success desired. These are doubtless apparent discrepancies, and it is not surprising that the deductions of human reason lead to the impious idea, that "the ways of God are not equal." But, we must be diffident of our own understandings.

When we attempt to form adequate conceptious of the divine nature, we are bewildered in the vast mazes of infinity, and return from our fruitless wanderings without finding a point at which to stop the boundings of our thoughts. The noblest conceptions of which the human mind is capable are annibilated, and the boldest flights of imagination are arrested in their

vain career. We inhabit a globe which is but a speck in the universe; and how can we comprehend a Being who actuates and supports the whole frame of nature? Our faculties are as limited as the sphere of our existence; and how can we comprehend a Being who with one glance beholds the past, the present, and the future? If the nature of God be thus incomprehensible to finite creatures, is it not natural to expect that his operations should be equally inexplicable? If our intellectual powers are so incompetent to explain the mode of the divine existence, how dare we presume to pass a verdict on the operations of Omnipotence?

But, supposing that the nature and operations of Deity are in some measure level to the human understanding, yet our views of them are only partial. Our situation on this globe is like that of an insect on the surface of a vast and complicated machine.

Even admitting

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that the insect had intelligence, yet it could only judge of what was within its view; and, as it could not perceive the adjustment of the different parts of the mechanism to their respective ends, it could form no decision concerning the skill of the mechanician. We see only a part of the Almighty's ways, and to decide on the whole from the part which we behold would be rash and presumptuous. Conduct similar to this, has often been attended with injurious consequences. us take one instance from the material universe. For a long period the phenomena of the heavens were wrapt in obscurity. Men judged of them merely from the appearances which they present to the external senses; and, consequently, were led to imagine, that the sun and planetary bodies revolved round this earth as a centre, and that they were only designed to diffuse light and heat over this insignificant globe, which we inhabit. The consequences of these ideas were as bad as the ideas themselves were erroneous. The

untutored peasant looked on the celestial appearances with an unmeaning gaze, whilst those whose minds were enlightened by any scattered rays of astronomical science, regarded them as the productions of an unskilful artificer, Hence, Alphonso X., king of Leon and Castile, a man whose learning was equalled only by bis impiety, had the audacity to say, that if God had consulted him at the formation of the world, he would have furnished him with a better plan. Additional light, however, has dispelled every cloud; and the system of the heavens, like every other part of the material universe, is found to bear marks of profound skill and consummate wisdom.-Such was the effect of a rash and inconsiderate judgment concerning the works of God. May not similar effects result from too hasty a decision concerning the moral administration of the universe? The plan of Providence is vast and complicated, and we can see only a part of this plan. We seldom see causes and effects con joined; and, though experience sometimes endows men with a kind of natural vaticination by which they can know the effects which will result from the operation of certain causes; yet, in most cases, the intentions of Deity are wholly unknown to man. To be able to explore final causes, it is absolutely necessary that we have a perfect acquaintance with every purpose to which the objects around us may be applied, together with a clear conception of the ideas of fitness and order which form the prototypes in the mind of that Great Being who directs their motions. Events which occur in the Providence of God frequently give rise to the most unex pected effects. When the Romans appeared on the coasts of this island, the inhabitants anticipated nothing but the cheerless reign of tyranny and oppression; whereas, had they seen all the consequences in one view, they might have hailed it as the era of their emancipation from

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the trammels of barbarism. very means which an English monarch employed to raise the Romish hierarchy on the ruins of the Protestant cause, tended to bring about the very opposite effects. Who, that beheld Joseph sold as a slave, could have once imagined, that ere long he would be lord of all Egypt Who that beheld the star of Bethlehem emerging from amid clouds and darkness, could have once supposed, that, by means of it, "life and immortality were" to be "brought to light?" The conduct of God towards the Jewish nation, is dark and mysterious; but, as we see not the whole of the divine plan, we must suspend our decision till all be un ravelled. At present, we behold kingdoms rising on the ruins of kingdoms; empires that have stood for ages, convulsed, or blotted from the map of existence; and, on all hands, garments rolled in blood." Were we to judge from the aspect of the present times, we might conclude that disorder and irregularity pervade the creation of God; bue as we see not the issue of these fluctuations, we must admire in silence. The most adverse appearances may be pregnant with the most prosperous events. At any rate, they will tend to the ultimate good of the whole system of things. The thunder which rends the skies, restores the equilibrium of the atmosphere, and expels noxious exhalations. The earthquake, which engulfs millions of immortal beings, prevents eruptions, which would spread devastation over the whole face of nature. Physical evil may issue in moral good, and the furious storms which assail the Christian on the ocean of life, are designed to waft him to the haven of eternat rest.

Behold, then, the importance of intellectual diffidence! Though reason, in many cases, communicates a correct and steady light, yet, in as many cases, like the ignis fatuus of the night, it leads aside into quag mires of error. When, therefore

we undertake any great and arduous work, such as the investigation of moral and religious truth, or the contemplation of the divine operations, we should seek direction from

a superior guide; from that Spirit which has been promised to act as "a light to our feet, and a lamp to our paths." G. B. B

To the Editor of the Christian Observer. THE new edition of Milner's works, just published, contains a very interesting addition to the history of the church of Christ, at the close of the fifteenth century, in the account of John de Wesalia, and John Wesselus of Groningen.

The Dean of Carlisle will probably print these and other additions in a separate form, for the purchasers of the former editions. In the mean time, you will gratify such purchasers, and your readers in general, by laying before them these interesting pieces of biography.

J. P.

SOME ACCOUNT OF JOHN DE WESALIA.

"John de Wesalia was a doctor of divinity of the fifteenth century. "1. He taught doctrines which much displeased the catholics.

"2. The archbishop of Mentz prosecuted him. John was imprisoned, and an assembly of popish doctors were convened to sit in judgment upon him in 1479.

"3. He made a public recantation of his doctrines; but neverthefess was condemned to a perpetual penance in a monastery of the Augustine friars, where he died soon after.

"The Protestants have certainly ranked him in the catalogue of the witnesses to the truth; but there may be a question, whether his principles and his practice, taken together, entitle him to a place in this history. Very little is known concerning him, except from his examination before the German in

quisitors, who most undoubtedly treated him with great harshness and severity.

"By one author he appears to have been considered as an eminent Christian; but this is the judgment all occasions extremely attached to of a person who shews himself on Calvinistic tenets, and who has no mercy on Arminians. And if, for the sake of brevity, I may be allowed the use of the words Calvinist and Arminian, as being terms well understood at this day, John de Wesalia was certainly a most rigid Calvinist.

"A long catalogue of charges were brought against him, from which it may be proper to select a few for the reader's perusal.

"1. From everlasting, God hath written a book wherein he hath ́inscribed all his elect; and whosoever is not already written there, will never be written there at all. Moreover,

"2. He that is written therein, will never be blotted out.

3. The elect are saved by the grace of God alone; and what man soever God willeth to save, by enduing him with grace, if all the priests in the world were desirous to damn and excommunicate that man, he would still be saved. Whomsoever likewise God willeth to damn, he would still be damned, though the presbyters, the pope and others were willing to save him.

"4. If there had never been any pope in the world, they who are saved, would have been saved. The pope, and bishops and priests contribute nothing to salvation: con