Religious Miscellang. "SAY YE TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION, BEHOLD, THY SALVATION COMETH. "" CARLISLE, MARCH 14, 1823. No. 9. From the London Eclectic Review, for De cember, 1822. SELECT REVIEW-ABRIDGED. The Life of the Rev. THOMAS SCOTT, Rector of Aston Sandford, Bucks: 1 including a Narrative drawn up by himself, and copious extracts of his Letters. By John Scott, A. M. We are not surprised that this volume should already have reached a second edition. Although adapted to interest religious readers only, it will by pious persons of all denominations be deemed an invaluable addition to their library. It belongs to a class of works of which we have but too few, and of which, not from the lack of authors, but from the rareness of proper subjects, it is not likely that we shall ever have too many. The lives of Christians of Mr. Scott's stamp, are the best sort of practical commentary on Christianity. Of such persons the Apostle Paul speaks as being "living epistles," intelligible to all men; and their memoirs bear the same relation to the truths of the Bible, as the records of experimental science do to the physical principles they are employed to illustrate. Shew me, says the infidel, a man raised from the dead, & I will believe. It is an unreasonable demand. He would not believe though a man were to rise from the dead. But shew me Christianity the religion of the Bible, realized in the life of a Christian,-is a fair challenge. And how can it be met so well as by referring the sceptic to such men in his own day, as Henry Martyn and Walter Venting, Granville Sharp and John Thornton, Andrew Vol. I. Fuller, and Thomas Scott? Such a work as the present is valuable, not only on account of the evidence it supplies of the power of religion, but as struction to the inexperienced Chrisit forms a treasury of practical intian. Next to the promises of the Bible, such memorials as these supply the most efficient consolation under those trials and perplexities which are found to be common to all the family of God. All that is really valuable in ecclesiastical history, too, has come down to us in this shape. The found, not in the history of Councils real history of the Church is to be and of heresies, but in the lives of martyrs and confessors, reformers and evangelists, in whose glorious fellowship the subject of these Memoirs has gone to take his station, where his works will follow him. Mr. Scott was animated with much of the spirit, and had to perform in some degree the work of a reformer. His great work, the Commentary, was undertaken with a view to furnish, in an effectual and unsuspicious vehicle, an antidote against those loose views of the Gospel' which were too prevalent in certain circles at that time. To counteract the baleful effects of that leaning to Antinomian doctrine which characterized the public teachings of many of his cotemporaries, was, indeed, the main object at his preaching, which was never popuwhich he constantly aimed; & if, by lar, he did not succeed to any great extent, his smaller works have done more, perhaps, towards counteracting erroneous views of the Scripture docIn the evangelical class of the Church trines, than those of any living author. of England, he was, in this respect, 130 Life of Rev. Thomas Scott. of the Synod of Dort, thus expresses himself: 'If there be any thing of the work of God in my soul, I owe much of it to his preaching when I first set it is this distinguished Missionary, remarks Mr. John Scott, 'who is perhaps, better entitled than any other individual, to the praise of having given the first impulse to the extraordinary exertions of the present age for the propagation of Christianity in the world." The leading incidents of Mr. Scott's early life would seem little worthy of notice in a bare recital; but, as illus-. trative of the native strength and energy of his character, they are a valuable portion of the memoir, and supply much useful instruction. The account given by himself of his conduct on returning to his father's house, after being refused ordination by the bishop in London, though told with the greatest simplicity, affords a very unequivocal proof of his native fortitude and independence of mind. After walking twenty miles on the last day of his journey home, he reached Braytoft in the forenoon, and having dined, put off his clerical clothes, resumed his shepherd's dress, and sheared eleven large sheep in the afternoon. The circumstances under which the young ecclesiastic achieved this triumph over himself, were such as considerably enhance the merit of the sacrifice he made to filial duty. It is an what Andrew Fuller was in his denomination, the bold, uncompromising assailant of an orthodox Pharisaism which had grafted itself on the doctrines of Grace;-a spurious Cal-out in the way of the Lord.' Now vinism, narrow, proscriptive, and inert, metaphysical, yet vulgar, disputations, but most supine in action; which calling in question whether it was a sinner's duty to believe the Gospel, naturally considered itself as exempt from the task of carrying far and wide the mockery of a message, the useless offer. By the manly opposition they made against these views of the Gospel dispensation, both these excellent men brought down upon themselves, at the beginning of their career, abundant obloquy, and their success for a time was small. They lived, however, to see a complete revolution take place in the sentiments and feelings of the religious bodies. to which they respectively belonged; a revolution to which there can be no doubt that they mainly contributed by their example and their works, The result and proof of this change were seen among the Baptists, in the formation of the first Protestant Missionary Association in this country, and afterwards in the Church of England, in the institution of a similar society. To these sister-institutions, it is not a little remarkable, and strengthens the parallel we have drawn, that these two admirable men stood respectively related in precisely the same capacity. The better spirit of their theology had paved the way for their formation; they had the principal share in their actual organization; and while Mr. Fuller was the first secretary to the one, Mr. Scott discharged the same office in the other. From an anecdote in the present volume, it would seem, indeed, that the latter was remotely instrumental in producing the very first movements of Missionary zeal. Dr. Cary, in conveying through a friend his thanks to Mr. Scott for his history uncommonly fine and touching incident. His object in seeking to obtain orders, was altogether secular. His motives were what the world, indeed, would call strictly honorable; for he only aspired to a decent maintenance as the reward of diligently discharging the duties of a parish priest. But, according to the light in which the transactions connected with his ordination afterwards ap.. peared to him, this was the most atrocious wickedness' of his life. far as he understood the controversy As Life of Rev. Thomas Scott. he confesses that he was at this time nearly a Socinian and Pelagian, and wholly an Arminian; and he lived in the utter neglect of prayer. It forms no small mitigation of Mr. Scott's conduct, that, from the first moment of his entering upon the pastoral office, he appears to have devoted himself to study and to the active discharge of what he considered to be his professional duties. All the ardor of his mind was now called forth. He shunned, as far as he could, visiting acquaintance, refrained from all amusements, and retrenching from his usual hours of sleep, in order to give himself more time for study. Three hours a day were devoted to Hebrew, of which, at the time of his ordination, he knew not a letter; and he was diligently improving at the same time his acquaintance with Greek and Latin. He wrote two sermons every week, of about half an hour's length in the delivery, and devoted every Saturday evening to catechizing the children of his parish. His conscientious diligence was, to say the least, most exemplary; and he appears to have had much at heart the effecting of a reformation among his parishoners. Of one whose conduct seems to have come so nearly up to the poetical model of a parish priest, a worldly minded man would naturally ask, What lacked he yet? And at this time Mr. Scott would have been disposed to challenge an answer to the same question in reference to himself. He visited the sick when sent for, was beneficient to the poor according to his means, and, in every civil respect, deserved the honorable appellation of a good man. Yet, at this period, he was an unbeliever in the essential doctrines of Christianity, and lived without prayer. It was not till he had been ordained nearly two years that he adopted a form of private devotion. We would not attempt to fix the date of Mr. Scott's, or of any man's 131 conversion; but it is certain, that he was under deep religious convictions at a very early period. A simple observation which fell from the lips of his master when remonstrating with him, during the season of his short apprenticeship, on the wickedness of some part of his conduct in the sight of God, produced, he tells us, a new sensation in his soul, which no subsequent efforts could destroy. It "proved," he adds, "I am fully satisfied, as far as any thing proceeding from man was instrumental to it, the primary means of my subsequent conversion."-It led him to see and to feel that he was a sinner; and though it was by no means immediately followed with genuine repentance, yet, his mind appears to have been, from this time, more or less under the predominant influence of religion. His stern integrity and conscientiousness shine conspicuously through all the less amiable traits of his character in early life; and such was the general consistency of his moral conduct, that it would not perhaps have been hazarding too much, to affirm of him at this period, that either he was a religious man, or would become one. Remorse, occasioned by a circumstance which brought home to his feelings his culpable remissness in the discharge of his parochial duties,-a remorse which issued in severe contrition, was apparently the first means, or the first indication, of the essential change which gradually took place in his religious views and feelings. The perusal of a passage in Burnet's History of the Reformation, drove him, by the self-reproach it awakened, to resume the habitual practice of secret prayer. Soon after his marriage, (an event which appears to have had the happiest influence on his character,) he commenced the prac tice of family worship: "though," he informs us, "I had never lived in any family where it was practised, nor even been present at such a service, 132 Life of Rev. Thomas Scott, except once, which was in the house of a dissenting minister." In the year 1775, that change in Mr. Scott's religious views began, which he has detailed in that most interesting of his productions, the 'Force of Truth. The letters given in the present volume, throw additional light on the workings of his mind at this period. That fearless, inflexible integrity which seemed native to his character, was put to the test by his discovering, that he had subscribed to Articles which he did not believe; on which his resolution was soon taken, not again to subscribe; in other words, deliberately to give up all views of preferment, when actually "within sight" of it, and, with an increasing family, to reconcile himself for conscience' sake to penury and distress. His utter repugnance to the Athanasian Creed, the stumbling-block which so long deterred Chillingworth from subscription, on the ground both of its doctrine and its damnatory clause, was his chief objection. Mr. Scott says, "I have found that those who enter the ministry for the sake of the riches, and honors, and indulgences thereby to be obtained, are guilty of the most aggravated crime: and that a zeal for the propagation of the Gospel and salvation of souls a willingness to undertake any labors, and an alacrity in undergoing them; a ready submission to inconvenience, and a constancy amidst difficulties, -being capable even of bearing contempt and censure, or poverty, when laid in the way of our duty; a warm benevolence, and that kind of humility which can condescend to the meanest offices for the sake of doing good; are the indispensable dispositions for a faithful minister of the Gospel. We are to live at the altar, but a living, a bare decent maintenance, without any avaricious or ambitious views of advancing ourselves or our families, or hankering after indulgences, should content us." "What think you of what our Lord says But seek ye FIRST the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all other things shall be added unto you? Dare you believe this promise or not? I DARE: and will act accordingly, by God's assistance. As to what you argue of my family, &c. I will take every honest precaution to provide for them; and I dare confidently submit the event to God, without once distrusting his veracity and goodness. Nor will I ever violate my conscience to provide for my family, at least I hope I never shall.... Without preferment, I may live, and live comfortably and happily; but without a clear conscience, I cannot." In this same chapter, we meet with a passage which, though disconnected we must be allowed to transcribe: it is given as a trait of character which distinguished Mr. Scott in maturer life, and supplies a valuable hint young ministers. to "No book which furnished knowledge that might be turned to account, was uninteresting to him. It was his sentiment, that every student should be as excursive in his researches as his particular calling would permit him to be; but that every one should have, so to speak, a hive to which to bring home his collected stores; should make all his acquisitions bear upon some useful object. So far from undervaluing solid learning of any kind, he esteemed it more and more highly to the end of life; and earnestly pressed young men to acquire it, that they might consecrate it to the service of God. He longed to see other branches of literature rendered subservient to religion; and though that while too much, perhaps, was published directly upon theological subjects, there was a lamentable deficiancy of literary works conducted upon sound Christian principles." The chapters which carry on the. memoir during Mr. Scott's residence at Weston Underwood and Olney, . Choctaw Nation. form one of the most interesting portions of the volume. Were we writing his life, it would be unpardonable to pass them over; but we must hasten on to the period of his removal to London. (Concluded in our next.) CHOCTAW NATION. Extract of a letter from Mr. L. S. Williams, to the Editor of the Religious Intelligencer, dated Mission School, Choctaw Nation, December 28, 1822. You have heard of the little season of refreshing we have experienced in this neighborhood. I would I could now relate greater things. But I know with whom is the residue of the Spirit. Tho' there is evidently a decline of anxious inquiry, yet there are some whose hearts are warmed with Love Divine-who appear to be growing Christians. One black man, who till of late, appeared to be far from the kingdom of heaven, was bro't to a bed of sickness. His mind suffered keen distress till he gave himself up as lost. At this inst. the Saviour revealed himself, and it is hoped he found that peace which the world knoweth not of. I had two or three interviews with him which were very satisfactory. He has now entered into his rest. I would record it as a notable instance of Divine Grace. I must notice, (though with, sorrow) two or three instances of apostacy. These excepted, all for whom we dared to hope appear well. The moral aspect has greatly changed, though there is yet room for improvement. There are very many who are yet under the influence of the wicked one. I speak now of the blacks. Among the whites there is no general reformation. In truth their example is very destructive to the Indians. Much prejudice is excited in their minds against the 133 gospel, so that at times the prospects of usefulness to the present generation are somewhat clouded. But it is to be hoped that the Lord is preparing the way for their conversion. Though the enemy is strong, there is one stronger than he. A church was organized at this place on the third Sabbath of November. Rev. brethren Kingsbury, and Wright officiated on this occasion; present also brothers Jewell and Dyer from Elliot. It was an interesting season truly. Four persons (one white man and 3 blacks) having been previously examined, entered into covenant with us, and we all set down, ten in number, at the table of our Lord.-Two of the new members were baptised at master, and many spectators. The the time in presence of their earthly other two, a slave and her master, had received the ordinance in their childhood. There are six or seven negroes hopefully pious, that are kept back as yet by their masters who are unwilling they should come forward to the church. Prejudices are weakening however at the present if I do not mistake. We have great occasion to be thankful for the labors of gospel ministers within a few months past. Besides the occasional labors of Br. Wright, and br. Kingsbury, br. Byington has spent some days with us; and thrice have travelling ministers called and preached. The Christmas season is past, and I have noticed with real satisfaction, the contrast between this and the former I spent in this place. Then all was riot and confusion.-Now, all, with only one or two exceptions in the case of the apostates, was order and quiet.f *Two white men who became pious in the early part of the revival, expect to unite with the church at Mayhew in a short time. † A considerable number of our neighbors collected at our house |