In early life he sought distinction by his debaucheries; and from the accounts of his biogra. pher, it would seem, that he succeeded in becoming the most daring profligate in London. Tired of the excess of dissipation, he attempted the career of politics, and found his way into parliament under the auspices of the whigs. When politics failed, he put on the mask of a metaphysician. Tired of that costume, he next attempted to play the farmer. Dissatisfied with farming, he wrote political pamphlets. Still discontented with his condition in the world, he strove to undermine the basis of religion. He began public life as a whig; but as the tories were in the ascendant, he rapidly ripened into a tory; he ended his political career by deserting the tories and avow. ing the doctrines of staunch and uncompromising whigs. He tried libertinism, married life, politics, power, exile, restoration, the house of commons, the house of lords, the city, the country, foreign travel, study, authorship, metaphysics, infidelity, farming, treason, submission, dereliction, -but ennui held him with a firm grasp all the while, and it was only in the grave that he ceased from troubling. To an observer who peruses his writings with this view of his character, many of his expressions of wise indifference and calm resignation, have even a ludicrous aspect. The truth breaks forth from all his attempts at disguise. The philosopher's robes could not hide the stately wrecks of his political passions. They say, that round Vesuvius, the lava VOL. I. JULY, 1831. of former eruptions has so entirely resolved itself into soil, that vineyards thrive on the black ruins of the volcano; and that the ancient devastation could hardly be recognized, except for an occasional dark mass, which, not yet decomposed, frowns here and there over the surrounding fertility. Something like this was true of St. John; he believed his ambition extinct, and attempted to gather round its ruins all the beauties and splendor of contented wisdom; but his nature was still ungovernably fierce; and to the last, his passions lowered angrily on the quiet scenes of his li. terary retirement. There is no clue to his charac. ter, except in supposing him to have been under the influence of ennui, which was perpetually terrifying him into the grossest contradictions. He could not be said to have had any principles, or to have belonged to any party; and to whatever party he rallied, he was sure to become utterly faithless. He was not less false to the pretender than to the king, to Ormond than to Walpole. He was false to the tories and false to the whigs; he was false to his country, for he attempted to involve her in civil war; and false to his God, for he combated religion. He was not swayed by a passion for glory, for he did not pursue it steadily,-nor by a passion for power, for he quarreled with the only man by whose aid he could have maintained it. He was rather driven to and fro by a wild restlessness, which led him into gross contradictions "for his sins." Nor was his falsehood without its punishment. What 12 could be more pitifully degrading, Thus we have endeavored to than for one who had been a suc- explain the nature of that apathy cessful British minister of state, which is worse than positive pain, and had displayed in the face of and which impels to greater madEurope his capacity for business, ness than the fiercest passionsand his powers of eloquence, to which kings and sages have not have finally stooped to accept a been able to resist, nor wealth seat in the pretender's cabinet, nor pleasuresto subdue. We have where pimps and prostitutes were described ennui as a power for the prime agents and counselors? evil rather than for good; and we There exists a very pleasant infer, that it was an absurd philetter from Pope, giving an ac. losophy which classed it among count of Bolingbroke's rural oc- the causes of human superiority, cupations, during his country life and the means of human imin England, after the reversal of provement. It is the curse prohis attainder. He insisted on nounced upon voluptuous indobeing a farmer; and to prove lence and on excessive passion ; himself so, hired a painter to fill on those who decline active exerthe walls of his parlor with rude tion, and thus throw away the pictures of the implements of privileges of existence; and on husbandry. The poet describes those who live a feverish life, in him between two haycocks, the constant frenzy of stimulated watching the clouds with all the desires. There is but one cure apparent anxiety of a husband for it and that is found in modeman; but to us it seems, that his ration; the exercise of the humind was at that time no more in man faculties in their natural and the skies than when he quoted healthful state; the quiet performAnaxagoras, and declared heaven ance of duty, in meek submisto be the wise man's home. His sion to the controlling Providence, heart clung to earth, and to earth which has set bounds to our ly strife; and his uneasiness must achievements in setting limits to at last have become deplorably our power. Briefly: our ability wretched, since he could consent is limited by heaven-our desires to pick up stale arguments against are unlimited, except by ourChristianity, and leave a piece of selves-ennui can be avoided patchwork, made up of the shreds only by conforming the pasof other men's scepticism, as his sions of the human breast to especial legacy to posterity, in the conditions of human existproof of the masterly indepen- ence. dence of his mind. NOTICES OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. PRESBYTERIANISM. (Concluded.) As one of the distinguishing features of Presbyterianism, the writer instanced the ruling elders. They meet the minister on the Lord's day morning. They are six, ten, twelve, or more, in number. They are from the several quarters of his congregation. They are, or ought to be, men of piety; and of consequent respec. tability and influence. They converse, or should converse, of the religious concerns of the congregation. They inform the minister of all that is well. They warn him of all that is amiss. They represent the occurrences and the circumstances of the en. tire people. They unite him, at once, with the remotest corners of his congregation. They visit the sick, when he cannot see them; they represent his presence in his necessary absence. Some, or all, may be his inferiors in learning; they give him, there. fore, the respect that is due to his learning. Some, or all, may be his equals in piety; he, there. fore, respects them for this high. est of all attainments. A Pres. byterian minister, surrounded by a pious ruling eldership, acquires a power multiplied by the number of his coadjutors. He stands, not the solitary representative of his church's dignity; great, yet alone; weak, because unsupported: but he stands surrounded by men, who are his eyes and his hands, either to see or to do what the circumstances of the church may demand. 6. We would employ the subject of Presbyterianism to recall some slight reminiscence of the days of our fathers. Some of these were days of darkness, and privation, and blood. But they are gone by; and, we trust, forever. Yet the memory of those that passed through the ordeal should never be forgotten. There is a holy influence in the very names of Hamilton, and Wishart, and Knox, and Rutherford, and Argyle, and Livingston, and Blair, and Cunningham; these patriarchs, or martyrs, of our Scottish Presbyterianism. They surround us as a "cloud of witnesses," treading and beckoning the way to glory. Nor less should we call to mind the primitive doctrines of the Presbyterian churches. This subject affords the most delightful reminiscence: The Presbyterian churches of the reformation were Trinitarian, without exception. If, in latter days, and under our own eyes, they have, in any degree, apostatized, the fault is in our fathers, by whom Arianism was introduced; and in ourselves, by whom it was countenanced. Presbyterianism is good: but where is its value when made the vehicle of Arianism? The Bible is good: but where is its value if tortured to be the patron of Popery? We value not the nut-, shell, when the kernel is gone; we value not the lamp as a guide, when the oil is exhausted and the flame extinguished; so we value not Presbyterianism merely as a scriptural model for the external arrangement of the church; but we value it, when its contents are the glorious "gospel of the blessed God," as taught by Apostles, and revived by reformers. 7. Let us inquire why so many still cling to the name of Presbyterian, when they have forsaken the substance; and why others endeavor to represent Presbyte. rianism as a union of churches without agreement in doctrine; and a government, without power either to refuse any one who may choose to enter into its employ. ments, or eject any one on ac. count of the errors he may endeavor to propagate. In England it is not uncommon to find ministers and congregations calling themselves Presby. terians, who yet retain not a single relic of its principles, either in doctrine, discipline, or government. Even in some cases where the name of Unitarian had been publicly adopted, there has been a resumption of the title of Presbyterian. The cause of this adherence or return to the name of Presbyterian may be found in the endowments by which certain congregations are supported. These endowments having been left for the use of Presbyterian congregations, it has been found necessary to retain that name, in order that Socinians, under its cover, may enjoy the endowments intended for orthodox ministers in orthodox congregations. The history of the Manchester Socinian controversy of 1825, affords some striking examples, to which, and to similar cases in our own country, we shall here. after occasionally direct the at. tention of our readers. In Ireland we find a deter mined adherence to the ancient name of Presbyterian, where not only all the ancient doctrines of our church have been discarded, but where some of the essential principles of Presbyterian government have been entirely overturned. The ordination of ruling elders we take to be one of these principles. Without ordination we cannot consider them rulers in the church. Yet, without capacity or even design to undertake, or discharge the duties of ruling elders; and without any ordination of a scriptural form; we find those who are called elders, and congregations called Presbyterian, while this essential part of the foundation is abso. lutely wanting to the building. But dilapidated and ruinous as the fabric may be, there are a thousand recollections that serve to bind the people to the name. The church of their fathers was Presbyterian. But that church was originally orthodox; while the church of many of their descendants has sunk into Arian or Socinian. But it still retains the inscription of "Presbyterian;" and, though every essential and valuable material of the original structure has been gradually and covertly changed, yet, by virtue of the name, and the recollections connected with that name, the people are held in attachment to the shadow, to the neglect of the substance. But a more special reason of adherence to the name, will be found in the perverted views of Presbyterianism which have been advocated in our own days. We might reduce these views to the following statement: "Presby. terianism is a union of churches, either Trinitarian, Arian, or Socinian. When entering that church, no man has a right to ascertain your religious creed, fur ther than that you profess your belief in the scriptures. And when you are once settled in that church, change as you will, and teach as you will, the Presbytery and the congregation are bound to bear with you, and support you." Such a system is admirably calculated to command the respect and attachment of ministers. It makes them, at one step, "lords over the people's faith." It lays the people pros. trate at a minister's feet. They may writhe under the yoke, but he holds the reins. They may be perishing of spiritual hunger, but he is master of the table. They may labor to be free, but he is "lord over God's heritage;" and from that lordship and ascendancy, no man dare venture to remove him. That a system thus constructed should have many supporters amongst the ministry, is not strange. But its supporters are equally zealous among the people themselves. Nor is the reason difficult to discover. Such of the people as are favorers of Arian or Socinian doctrines, find it an admirable cover under which to introduce and protect their peculiar systems. An Arian or Socinian minister once smug. gled into a congregation, the or. thodox people are vassals for life. They look in vain to presbyteries or synods. These bodies are without power to remedy their grievances. "Religious liberty has made them all her slaves. They may clank their chains, but there is none to set them free. 8. Let us review the necessary and fatal consequences of such a system as we have now described. We have not drawn an imaginary picture. We have copied from real life; and we have only to extend the canvas for some additional figures, and our work is complete. That such a latitudinarian system is unscriptural, we have al. ready proved. Being unscrip. tural, it must produce evil effects. The first of these evil effects ap. pears in the driving away of our orthodox people to seek refuge in other churches. To retain a few Arians, or to drive away a multitude of orthodox members, were long the two alternatives presented to the Synod of Ulster. For many years, she unhappily gave the preference to an Arian connexion; and the consequence has been, that, within fifty years, probably not less than fifty thousand orthodox members have withdrawn from her communion, and taken refuge in other church. For some, years past, however, her system having been changed, the tide of religious emigration no longer sets from her shores. Her congregations have increased, and are continuing to increase in Ulster; and she has begun to plant the standard of orthodox Presbyterianism both in the south and west of the kingdom. es. A second evil of a latitudinarian system of church govern. ment is found in the suppression of the distinguishing doctrines of the gospel. This suppression |