as made by himself, exhibits the basis, and may be regarded as a fair epitome of this whole pamphlet. Nor shall we add any thing to the note with which we chose to accompany that statement; showing the reasons on which we differ on the subject of church order and government, from the opinions adopted by our venerated parent and his associates. The Morris county presbytery did not produce all the good effects which its founders (honestly we doubt not) expected, and almost predicted. Its influence was never extensive, and it gradually dwindled, till it has become nearly, if not altogether extinct. We believe that an individual or two, perhaps more, of those who have belonged to it are still in life; but if it ever meets or acts as a presbytery, the fact is unknown to us. Mr. Green was an ardent friend of liberty, both personal and social. He was more than half a century in advance of the public sentiment, on the subject of African slavery. He spoke against it, preached against it, wrote against it, and acted against it, while yet there were comparatively few who did not regard it as compatible with the rights of human nature and the spirit of the gospel. It was made a term of Christian fellowship and communion in the church of which he was pastor, that no Christian brother or sister should hold a human being in slavery; and it is among the earliest recollections of the present writer, that he had a perfect abhorrence of African slavery, derived from parental influence. When the controversy commenced between Great Britain and her American colonies, on the right of the parent state to tax the colonies without their consent, Mr. Green was among the earliest and most decided of those who thought and maintained, that the claim to such a right ought to be As a resisted, even to the last extremity. He was in favour of the declaration of independence, and published a pamphlet to show its reasonableness and necessity, some time before that opinion had obtained the general suffrage. He was elected, although it was contrary to his wishes and remonstrance, as a member of the provincial congress of New Jersey, which set aside the royal government of that province, and formed the present constitution of that State; and he was chairman of the committee which draughted the constitution. soon, however, as it was ratified by the Congress, he left that body and returned, after about month's absence, to the duties of his pastoral charge; deeming it inconsistent with his clerical functions to engage in political concerns, except on some special emergency. He did not, however, think it incompatible with his ministerial duties, to employ his pen in writing occasionally for the public press, on important subjects. He even believed it to be incumbent on him to apprize the publick of what he was confident would be the result of the paper currency, with which the country was then inundated. His experience in early life had taught him a lesson on this subject which he well remembered. His paternal inheritance had been materially diminished, by the depreciation of the money denominated "Old Tenor," in the then province of Massachusetts Bay: and when he saw some of his friends, and many individuals in every part of the country, selling their farms and houses, on the offer of what appeared to be an enormous price, he felt it to be his duty to give a publick warning of the loss which he was sellers would sustain-and a loss sure the indeed it proved, which many suf fered, of nearly the whole of their estates and worldly prospects. The Continental Bills, as they were called, for which they had sold their possessions, became at last entirely worthless in their hands, or were redeemed at a rate little better than a total loss. Mr. Green, at this time, published in a newspaper, a series of essays over the signature of EUMENES, in which he foretold, with a precision as great as if it had been prophetick, the course and ultimate destiny of the "Continental Bills of Credit." These essays were republished in almost all the newspapers at that time in our country: and the plan which was laid down in these publications for the redemption of the "Continental currency," was in substance, and indeed almost exactly, that which the Congress eventually adopted. But in the mean time Mr. Green was denounced, in no measured terms, as acting the part of an enemy to his country, and if his long and well known character as a Whig of the most decided class, had not proved a protection to him, he would have been in danger of being tarred and feathered, the allotted punishment of tories in those days, and in that part of the country. For a publication, about this fime, against African slavery, he lid suffer a personal insult-so far as language could insult him-in his own house, by a company of slave holders, who paid him a domiciliary visit. He made them Do irritating reply, but endeavoured to reason with them mildly, and requested them when about to leave his house, to pledge him in a mug of cider-but they were too angry to consent. When the state of New Jersey was overrun by the British troops, in the autumn of 1776, and the beginning of 1777, his prominence as a friend and favourer of the American revolution rendered him peculiarly obnoxious to the tories and the British troops-a corps of whom was, for a considerable time, within twelve miles of his residence. It was rumoured that a detachment of cavalry was ordered to make a prisoner of him, and to seize a few other individuals, who were stigmatized as leaders among the rebels. At the entreaty of his friends, he left his house for a single night, and lodged in a remote and obscure part of his parish; but he refused to do it in any other instance, although believed by many to be in great jeopardy. He had, indeed, on one occasion, good reason to think, for a short space, that he had acted with more resolution than prudence— About midnight, his house was actually surrounded by a company of light-horsemen; and sentinels, with drawn swords, were placed at the doors and windows. His wife entreated him to endeavour to secrete himself in some part of the house; but he told her, with great calmness-we write what we witnessed-that any such attempt would be useless, and that all he should do would be to dress himself as speedily as possible, that he might not be carried off naked. He did so; and then treated the men in whose power, and at whose mercy he perceived he was placed, with as much civility as possible. He opened the doors of his house to the invaders, and asked them to declare their purpose. It was then discovered that they were not British dragoons, but a lawless band of American cavalry, who, unknown to their officers, had come, on a night excursion, to search for tory property, which they had heard was concealed in the house of Mr. Green. He told them to search the house effectually, but begged them to take care of their candles, and not set fire to his dwelling, which he presumed they did not intend. He accompanied them to every place which they chose to examine; and they were soon satisfied that they had come to the wrong house to search for the goods of tories; and they left him without further molestation. His devotion to the cause of his country was indeed very ardent. The American troops were often, at that time, without regular supplies, both of food and clothing, and they used, occasionally, to commit serious depredations, especially on the poultry of the farmers. At a certain time he, in this way, suffered pretty sensibly himself; and his wife particularly lamented the loss of a fat turkey, that had been reserved for a Christmas dinner. But he rather justified what the soldiers had done, and quoted a text for he always went to the Bible for his ethicks-from the book of Proverbs-" Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry." He could not always content himself to remain out of sight of the conflicts which took place between the British troops and the militia of his neighbourhood. On one occasion, the writer remembers that when he was marching under arms, with his comrades, to resist an incursion of the enemy-and he thinks it was the bloody one in which Mrs. Caldwell was shot by a British soldier-he saw his father on horseback, at a short distance, on an elevated spot, from which he might witness the pending contest. But enough of this As characterising not only the subject of our narrative, but also the times in which some of the latter years of his life were passed, a recital of the incidents we have related was thought to be allow able. Besides the pamphlet and the essays already mentioned, Mr. Green published a number of occasional sermons, and two or three pamphlets of a religious character. The subjects of the sermons, that are recollected were-The nature of Natural and Moral Inability; The Sins of Youth visited with Punishment in subsequent Life; and The Nature of an acceptable Fast; preached on a fast day appointed by Congress. In this last discourse, he attacked African slavery, and sent a copy or two of it, when printed, to members of Congress. Of the pamphlet publications, we recollect only two.-The one was "A Small Help, offered to heads of families," on the religious in struction of their households. It consisted chiefly of questions on the historical parts of Scripture, with some remarks and directions, as to the manner in which his "Small help," might be most ad vantageously used. The other pamphlet was entitled "A Vi sion of Hell." It consisted chiefly of a dialogue between the devils in the pit of eternal perdition, on the temptations which they had 1 found most successful in ruining immortal souls. This pamphle was, for several years, exceedingly popular, and passed through veral editions. It was publishe without the author's name. H left also, several manuscripts, on of which appears to have bee prepared for the press. His n merous preparations for the pulpi with two or three exceptions, an in Weston's short hand. He kep a diary for nearly half a century It is written in short handcept a margin containing a mont ly account of the weather. The last illness of Mr. Gre was not of long duration. In Ma 1790, the influenza was epidemic and he was affected by it. T symptoms, however, did not see threatening, and he did not co sider himself as in a dangerot illness, till a very short time b fore his dissolution. He then a peared to be suffering under sti por, and although not incapable i answering rationally to any que tion that was asked him, he wi not disposed to converse. He wi at length apprized by his physicia and his wife, that he was probabl in the article of death, and wa asked by her, what were his view as to his future well being. He answered-"I have a hope"-and after a short interval added-" and some fear." These, it is believed, were the last words that he uttered. Such was the death-bed scene of this eminent saint. Had he expired, as he fully expected to do, about fifteen years before his actual decease, in the illness of which an account has been given, he would have left the world in the joyful assurance of Christian faith and hope. But it pleased the Sovereign Disposer of death, as well as of life, that this his faithful servant, having once exhibited a triumph over the king of terrors, should at length bow to his stroke in a state of stupor; and with "some fear," mingled with his "hope"-thus giving him, in his departing moments, the allotment of many, perhaps of a majority, of the people of God. Yet, "precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints," whatever variety there may be in the circumstances of their death, or in the measure of their dying consolations. An attempt was made by the writer, to mark the chief lineaments of his father's character, in the following epitaph, which is inscribed on his monumental stone Under this stone are deposited The remains of the REV. JACOB GREEN, A. M. Of which, 44 were spent Of industry active and unwearied; As a preacher, he was Instructive, plain, searching, practical; For the glory of God, And the salvation of his flock; MENTAL SCIENCE. man's natural ability the measure res and Distinctions of Human of his obligation-and moral good Power. We resume the consideration of two principles, stated in the close of our last article, on power, viz., and evil belonging exclusively to volition. These two principles naturally go together, and constitute parts of the same philosophical system. 200 Mental Science. MAY volition, and then it is inferred tha The greater portion of those who Let us examine these principles "corruption of the whole na ture," from which actual trans gressions proceed. Thus we hav one method of sweeping away ori ginal sin and innate depravity: bu Natural ability there is another. according to the second principle belongs exclusively to man's will therefore it would be absurd t suppose this self-determining pow er represented by another. Adar could not be constituted the repr sentative of his race, unless eac individual so chose, which is w terly impossible according to th assumed principle. But there still another method: natural ab lity, according to the third pri ciple, is the measure of mor obligation, and that is not tran ferable, therefore, one man car not be held responsible for and The doctrine ther's act or sin. representation in Adam is hen inferred to be inconsistent with th nature of morality and justic The result from this philosoph is, that men are born free from a sin and corruption. Now should suppose, according to th doctrine, that when God kil them, as he sometimes does, i this state, they are annihilated wit the beasts that perish. We ha found no place in God's revelatio for rational beings who are neithe holy nor sinful. But we have take only one side of the absurdity, an this last supposition requires to b connected with both. The othe side is this, righteousness is a much voluntary as personal, and more imputable than guilt. Me are, therefore, born neither hol nor sinful; not worthy of happi ness or misery; and yet some o them die. Împutation has place in the theory, because volun tary actions are personal, and no thing else can be moral; and be cause moral character can be no more transmitted or imputed than |
