of vehemently recriminating upon each other, ought we not rather each to weep for ourselves, and to endeavour to promote the advancement of that blessed period, when sectarianism and party spirit shall be known no more? Mr. Owen, in a tract published about this time, strongly complains of the injurious effects which had ensued from this mutual exasperation among persons professing to be servants of the same Divine Master. "Our little differences," he says, "may be met at every stall, and in too many pulpits, swelled, by unbefitting expressions, to such a formidable bulk that poor creatures are startled at their horrid looks and appearance; while our own persuasions are set out in silken words and gorgeous apparel, as if we sent them into the world a-wooing. Hence, whatever it is, it must be temple-building, God's government, Christ's sceptre, throne, kingdom,-the only waythat, for want of which, errors, heresies, sins, spring among us; plagues, judgments, punishments, come upon us. Such big words as these have made us believe, that we are mortal adversaries; that one kingdom, communion, heaven, cannot hold us." The fame of Mr. Owen had by this time begun to extend itself; and he was, in consequence, summoned to preach before the Long Parliament on one of their monthly fasts, in the year 1646. This sermon was afterwards published, with a Latin dedication to the Parliament, and tended to increase his celebrity. On the death of the deprived minister of Fordham, Mr. Owen, his imposed locum tenens, lost the preferment by the presentation of a new incumbent. He did not, how ever, remain unemployed, being immediately presented by the Earl of Warwick to the parish of Coggeshall, a market town in Essex, at the earnest solicitation of the inhabitants. Here Mr. Owen began to act as a regular Congregationalist, by modelling his church upon the principles of Indepen dency. We cannot comprehend the consistency of a minister's accepting the cure of a whole parish, as part of a national system of ecclesiastical administration, and then forming out of it an isolated, independent congregation; but such anomalies were common enough in those unsettled days, when every man seems to have done what appeared right in his own eyes, without acknowledging any earthly controul. With this select community, Owen remained united by pastoral ties, till he vacated his post to follow Cromwell, as his chaplain, to Ireland. During this period of his life, his pen did not remain unemployed. In addition to his "Duties of Pastors and People" and his "Two Catechisms published for the instruction of his flock while at Fordham, and his Parliamentary Sermon before mentioned, he published, in 1647, while at Coggeshall, his "Eschol, or Rules of Direction for the Walking of Saints in Fellowship," and the next year, at the same place, his " Salus Electorum Sanguis Jesu; or, the death of Death in the death of Christ." This last work is devoted to an examination of the nature and extent of the atonement. We cannot but think that the old scholastic fashion, not yet wholly exploded, of theological philosophizing upon subjects of this nature, has been productive of much injury to the church of Christ. After writing folio upon folio of plausible discussion, the point must still be ultimately settled by a simple appeal to the plain text of Scripture. What God ought to do, what his justice imperatively requires, what his mercy may prompt him to do; in short, all abstract à priori arguments, founded upon our imperfect view of his incomprehensible essence, must necessarily be points of mere speculation. It is observable, however, how completely the most deliberate systematists on either side, with few exceptions, are constrained to coincide in practice, and to bend their theory to the plain declarations of Scripture, and the actual exigencies of mankind. Dr. Owen, for example, while he zealously maintains the doctrine of personal election, and the limited extent of the application of the atonement of Christ, yet contends that the Gospel ought to be preached to all men; "because," says he, "there is enough in the remedy it brings to light to heal all their diseases, to deliver them from all their evils: if there were a thousand worlds, the Gospel might on this ground be preached to them all, if so be they will only believe in him, which is the only way to draw refreshment from this fountain of salvation." The Synod of Dort itself likewise maintains, that "Christ's satisfaction is of infinite value and price, abundantly sufficient to expiate the sins of all the world. But the declaration of the Gospel is, that whosoever believeth in Christ crucified shall not perish, but have eternal life. Which declaration ought promiscuously and indiscriminately to be announced to all men to whom God, of his good pleasure, sends the Gospel, and is to be received by faith and repentance. That many who are invited by the Gospel do neither repent nor believe, but perish in infidelity, arises from no defect or insufficiency in the oblation of Christ on the cross, but is entirely their own fault." The Church of England, viewing the subject, as we think, quite scripturally, maintains, that Christ offered "a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world;" but we would not withhold the right hand of charity or of fellowship from those who, though on different grounds, come, like Owen and the Synod of Dort, to the same practical conclusions respecting the universal publication and invitation of the Gospel. We, however, do most sincerely dissent, and we most bitterly mourn, when theologists suffer their speculations respecting the supposed" intention and will of God" to interfere with the plain positive duties of Christianity; when they will not invite sinners to repent and believe the Gospel; when they reprobate missionary exertions, and seem afraid lest the mercies of God should be over all his works. The Scriptures are abundantly plain to act upon, but will not bend to our imperfect theoretical systems. Disputants of every party should take heed that they draw not unscriptural inferences even from scriptural premises; and that they strain not the general truths and analogies of the Bible, by undue comments and inductions. This was one of Dr. Owen's great faults as a theologian, or rather it was the general fault of the theologians of his age. Mr. Orme, though he agrees with Owen generally on the subject of Calvinism, justly admits, that, in the work which has drawn from us these remarks, "there is too much minute reasoning on the debtor and creditor hypothesis ; forgetting that, if sin is a debt, it is a moral debt, which cannot be discharged by a payment in kind, but which may be compensated in another way, deemed suitable and satisfactory by the offended party. The atonement of Christ is a glorious expedient devised by infinite wisdom and mercy, to remedy the disorders that have taken place in God's moral government, and to justify his ways to men; to open the channel of mercy, and to maintain the honours of justice; to magnify the Lawgiver, and to glorify the Saviour." pp. 80, 81. During his residence at Coggeshall, Mr. Owen became intimately acquainted with Lord Fairfax, who had chosen that place for his head-quarters, while besieging Colchester. Owen, in consequence, preached and published two sermons; one to the army, on the day of thanksgiving for the surrender of that town,-and the other to the parliamentary committee who had been imprisoned, and were liberated by that event. In these sermons, though a minister of the Prince of Peace, he did not hesitate to stir up his hearers to a vehement martial spirit, in defence of the cause in which they had engaged; mixing up with his harangue, and applying to the events of the day, the strong language and images of Scripture, in a manner, in our judgment, rash, enthusiastic, unjustifiable, and sometimes almost amounting to parody. Dr. Kenney, we remember, in his "Principles and Practices of pretended Reformers," quoted with reprehension, or, more probably, re-quoted from L'Estrange, who had quoted it long before him, the celebrated passage from one of these sermons: "Where is the God of Marstone Moor, and the God of Naseby! is an acceptable expostulation in a gloomy day. Oh! what a catalogue of mercies hath this nation to plead in a time of trouble! God came from Naseby, and the Holy One from the west! His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. He went forth in the north, and in the east he did not withhold his hand. The poor town wherein I live is more enriched with a store of mercies in a few months, than with a full trade of many years," &c. Mr. Orme defends Owen from a charge brought against him, in consequence of this passage, that he was one of those fanatics of his day who considered success an evidence of Divine approbation; and he certainly proves, from Owen's own reply to this charge, that he believed nothing of the kind. Owen states expressly, in his "Reflections on a Slanderous Libel," that "the rule of the goodness of any public cause is the eternal law of reason [we should rather say of God] with the just legal rights and interests of men;" adding, what appears to us perfectly just, that "when a cause on these grounds is so indeed, or is really judged such by them that are engaged in it, not to take notice of the providence of God in prospering men in the pursuit of it, is to exclude all thoughts of him and his providence from having any concern in the government of the world." Still, there is always much caution and sobriety to be observed in those applications of Scripture which identify our own cause with the cause of God, and our enemies with his; and we heartily wish that all makers of state prayers, and preachers of state sermons, Episcopalians as well as Puritans, Protestants as well as Papists, had always observed this admonition. The popularity of Dr. Owen among his party was by this time so great, that he was directed to preach before Parliament, on the 31st of January, 1649, being the day after the decapitation of the king. We have been unwilling to speak severely of a man, so justly on many accounts to be respected as Dr. Owen; but we cannot but express our conviction, notwithstanding all the pleas which may be urged in palliation of his political conduct, that it was by no means to his credit that he was selected by the Regicides to preach on such an occasion, and still less so that he received public thanks, and an imprimatur for his performance; a circumstance which Mr. Orme does not seem to have recollected,-for the general impression conveyed by his statements is, that the sermon was calculated to disappoint, and not to gratify, the democratical party. Though not barbarously violent, like the tirades of the fanatical Hugh Peters, it was certainly favourable to the atrocious doctrine of king-killing. The very title of the discourse," Righteous Zeal encouraged by Divine Protection," is sufficient to shew its tendency. Still, as might be expected from the man, it contains many seasonable admonitions and reproofs to his hearers, whom he takes care particularly to warn against "oppression, self-seeking,andcontrivances forpersecution." About this time, Owen became intimately acquainted with Oliver Cromwell, and accompanied him, as his chaplain, in his military expedition to Ireland. The character of Cromwell's army is thus described: "He sailed with the army, which consisted of fourteen thousand men, from Milford Haven, about the middle of August. Previously to its embarkation, a day of fasting and prayer was observed; in which, after three ministers had prayed, of whom Owen, probably, was one, Cromwell himself, and Colonels Gough and Harrison, expounded some parts of Scripture very suitably to the occasion. The influence of these exercises, and such conduct on the part of its commanders, must have produced a very powerful effect on a body so constituted as was the army of the Commonwealth. It was under a severe discipline; not an oath was to be heard throughout the whole camp; but the soldiers spent their leisure hours in reading their Bibles, in singing Psalms, and religious conferences. Nor are we dependent entirely on the testimony of friends for this view of the Parliamentary troops. 'I observed,' says Chillingworth, a great deal of piety in the commanders and soldiers of the Parliament's army; I confess their discourse and behaviour do speak them Christians; but I can find little of God or godliness in our men. They will not seek God while they are in their bravery, nor trust him when they are in distress: I have much ado to bring them on their knees, to call upon God, or to resign themselves up to him when they go upon any desperate service, or are cast into any perplexed condition.' The testimony of Lord Clarendon, comparing the two armies, is much to the same purport. The royal army,' he says,' was a dissolute, undisciplined, wicked, beaten army; whose horse their friends feared, and their enemies laughed at; being terrible only in plunder, and resolute in running away.' The other forces he elsewhere describes as an army to which victory is entailed, and which, humanly speaking, could hardly fail of conquest, whithersoever it should be led an army, whose sobriety and manners, whose courage and success, made it famous and terrible over the world; which lived like good husbandmen in the country, and good citizens in the city.' Such was the army commanded by Cromwell, which gained all his battles, and to which, for a time, Owen was attached as one of the chaplains." pp. 116, 117. While in Dublin, Owen commenced his controversy with Baxter on the subject of Redemption; a controversy which was followed up by a series of collisions, which ended only with the death of both of the parties. Our limits oblige us to pass by the whole of these transactions: but our readers will lose himself admitted on one occasion, little by our silence; for, as Owen; their contention was often more about "expressions than opinions." Mr. Orme justly remarks of one of these knotty nothings, "A prolix contention whether the death of Christ was solutio ejusdem, or only tantundem; that is, whether it was a payment of the very thing which, by law, we ought to have paid, or of something held by God to be equivalent, does not promise much profit or gratification to the mind; especially as a man's views of the atonement, as the alone ground of acceptance, are not likely to be much affected whichever of the sides he embraces. Yet this seems to be the turning point of the present debate between Owen and Baxter." p. 121. Our readers will be more interested in learning that, in a fast sermon preached in February 1650, Owen endeavoured to awaken the attention of Parliament and the country to the religious destitution of unhappy Ireland. He urges Parliament not to rest satisfied with the subjugation of that island, but to appoint a Committee to ascertain its necessities, religious and civil, and to endeavour to redress its grievances. "I would,' says he, there were, for the present, one Gospel preacher for every walled town in the English possession in Ireland. The land mourneth, and the people perish for want of knowledge: many run to and fro, but it is upon other designs: knowledge is not increased.-/ They are sensible of their wants, and cry out for supply. The tears and cries of the inhabitants of Dublin after the manifestation of Christ, are ever in my view. If they were in the dark, and loved to have it so, it might, in some respects, close the door upon the bowels of our compassion; but they cry out of their darkness, and are ready to follow any one whatever who has a candle. If their being without the Gospel move not our hearts, it is hoped their importunate cries will disquiet our rest, and extort help as a beggar doth alms,' 22 P. 122. Would that there were nothing in this description, except the religious appetite of the people, to remind us of modern times! Would that the necessities so bitterly complained of did not still exist! It is little, it is comparatively nothing, to say that we have a regular established church in Ireland, and that all who will may receive Protestant instruction. The state of the country requires far more than this: the church must not passively wait for the people; it must operate actively among them, and upon them; it must devise and execute plans of patient self-denying utility; its ministers, to become truly efficient, must view themselves not as official functionaries, ready to discharge certain stipulated duties, but as missionaries eager "to spend and be spent" in the service of their Saviour, and for the welfare of their nominal charge, however little their services may be valued, and even should they be requited with every species of contempt and opposition. They must submit to be misunderstood, and perhaps reviled; they must be willing to bear with the ignorance and the prejudices of their misguided flocks; and to become "all things to all men, if by any means they may save some." This is indeed a very different condition of life to that of the quiet discharge of pastoral labours in a parish where such services are appreciated, and the minister of them is beloved; but it is what the necessities of Ireland require, and without it the whole machinery of a public ecclesiastical establishment will be but a body destitute of a soul. The organization may be regular, but vitality and action will be wanting. It has been too much the habit of the Irish clergy, for centuries past, to view their Roman-Catholic parishioners, as placed wholly beyond the reach of their pastoral exertions. If the people paid their tithes, and the incumbent bore lightly upon them, and did not thwart their pre judices, each party was considered as discharging its duty to the other. But, in the present state of public information and right feeling, such a baneful compact can be no longer tolerated. The practical language of our Irish clergy to their parishioners must be, "I seek not yours, but you; I will reside among you, and for you; I will administer to your temporal necessities; I will instruct you and your children so far as I can meet your views, and gain your confidence; I will be your friend and patron, if you will not allow me to be your pastor; I will advise with you and assist you in all your difficulties; I will endeavour to shew you what is my faith by my works; and I will introduce among you, so far as you will permit me, that inspired volume which is, or ought to be, the common standard of our belief, and which is able to make you wise unto salvation, through faith that is in Christ Jesus." Such a spirit, followed up by a corresponding course of practice, would do far more to conciliate, and eventually to convert, the bigotted, but not insensible, Irish, than whole libraries of controversy, or ten thousand sermons and disputations upon the litigated articles of our respective creeds. It is to little purpose that we commence an attack, whether upon Jews, or Papists, or Pagans, by fulminating against their errors, if we do not endeavour, by the blessing of God, to open their minds to a cordial reception of truth. Refute a Jew, for instance, in an argument on Daniel's weeks, and he may be silenced, but he will not be convinced; or, even if convinced, he is not a step nearer the kingdom of heaven for his reluctant acknowledgment. But once lead him to repentance, and remorse for his sins; convince him of his need of a Saviour; exhibit to him the infinite mercies of God in Christ; warm his heart by a display of the blessedness of true religion, its consolations on earth, and its promises |