ELUCIDATIONS,

&c.

It may be fairly asked of any resident of this place, who at this time directs attention to Dr. Hampden's works, why he has not done so in the considerable interval which has elapsed since their publication. The present writer's plain answer to this demand would be, that he had hoped to have been spared the necessity of an invidious task which pertained more to others than to himself; to those who were less connected by College ties with the Author in question. He felt that he had no call of office or station that way, and that he could not put himself forward without an apology for so doing. Even now he cannot persuade himself to put his name in the title-page, though he makes no secret of it to those who choose to enquire.

are.

At the present juncture, many persons are asking each other, and trying to determine for themselves, what the theological views of Dr. Hampden precisely It is much to be regretted they did not turn their thoughts to this matter sooner, especially considering the call made on them last Spring to do so.

The omission, however, must be attributed, in addition to other causes, to the particular form and character of his Lectures, and the condensed and abstract style which their extent of subject may have rendered necessary.

The consideration of these peculiarities has given rise to the following pages, in which it is not attempted to contravene any of Dr. Hampden's positions, but to exhibit them, as far as he has stated them, and that with as much fairness as may be attainable by one who has his own opinion about them. This attempt may perchance assist the judgments of those who are in doubt as to his doctrines, and may explain the earnestness of those who condemn them.

1. Concerning Doctrinal Truths.

HERE first it is necessary to explain Dr. H.'s views concerning Theological Statements.

He considers that the only belief necessary for a Christian, as such, is belief that the Scripture is the word of God; that no statement whatever, even though correctly deduced from the text of Scripture, is part of the revelation; that no right conclusions about theological truth can be drawn from Scripture; that Scripture itself is a mere record of historical facts; that it contains no dogmatic statements, such as those about the Trinity, Incarnation, Atonement, Justification, &c.; that theological statements, though natural and unavoidable, are in all cases but human opinions; that even the juxtaposition of the actual sentences of Scripture, is a human deduction; that an individual is not abstractedly the worse for being a Unitarian; that it does not follow that another is worse because I should be worse for being so; that, though a deduction be correct, logical, and true, yet a denial of it must not be pronounced to be more than an error of judgment; that infinite theories may be formed about the text of Scripture, but that they ought not to be made of public importance to Christian communities, badges of fellowship, reasons for separation, and the like; that the Articles of the Nicene and Athanasian Creeds are merely human opinions, scholastic, allowing of change,

unwarrantable when imposed, and, in fact, the produce of a mistaken philosophy; and that the Apostles' Creed is defensible only when considered as a record of historical facts.

"1. Whilst we agree in the canon of Scripture, in the very words for the most part from which we learn what are the objects of faith, we suffer disunion to spread among us, through the various interpretations suggested by our own reasonings on the admitted facts of Scripture. We introduce theories of the Divine Being and attributes, theories of human nature and of the universe, principles drawn from the various branches of human philosophy, into the body itself of revealed wisdom."-Observ. p. 7.

"In religion, properly so called, few Christians, if anyI speak of course of pious minds-really differ. All acknowledge with nearly unanimous assent, I believe, the great original facts of the Bible... When I look at the reception by the Unitarians both of the Old and New Testament, I cannot, for my part, strongly as I dislike their theology, deny to those who acknowledge this basis of divine facts the name of Christians."-Observ. p. 19.

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No conclusions of human reasoning, however correctly deduced, however logically sound, are properly religious truths, or such as strictly and necessarily belong to human salvation through Christ.”—Observ. p. 8.

"Pious opinions, it must be observed, are not parts of revelation."-Observ. p. 14.

2. The whole revelation contained in them [our Scriptures], so far as it is revelation, consists of matter of fact."Observ. p. 13.

"I do not mean that no right conclusions whatever result from the truths of Scripture: but I confine the assertion to intellectual, or speculative, or theological truth, as distinct from moral."-Observ. p. 12.