now commenced preaching the gospel, and was viewed as a pillar in the Christian churches of Judea. It is supposed he continued to labour here, till near the time of the destruction of Jerusalem, when he travelled into Asia Minor, and preached for some time to the church in Ephesus. After his residence and faithful instruction, in this place, he was, as he expresses it in Revelation, banished "for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus," to the Isle of Patmos.* This probably took place in the time of the severe persecutions during the reign of Domitian, one of the Roman emperors. Banishment was not a punishment enjoined by the Mosaick laws; but after the captivity, it was introduced among the Jews, and was in practice among the Romans, who called it "diminutio capitis,' because the person exiled lost his citizenship, and the city of Rome a head, or citizen. There was also an exile called "disportatio," the effect of which was, the confiscation of property; the criminal was put on board a vessel and transported to some island selected by the emperor, and there doomed to perpetual banishment, or at least during the life of the emperor who designated the place. This latter mode was the condition of St. John. After the death of this inveterate enemy of christianity, it is supposed he returned to Asia Minor, and there preached and lived to the age of almost a hundred years, having survived all his brother apostles. He is thought to have died a natural death in the city of Ephesus, during the reign of the emperor Trajan, and was the only one who was not honoured with martyrdom. The time of John's writing is uncertain, though probably after his return from exile, and near the close of the first century. It seems that he wrote at the express solicitations of the churches in Asia Minor, where he had faithfully preached, and by whom he was greatly beloved. One object seems to be the refutation of the errors propagated by Cerinthus and the Gnostics, who taught many absurd notions respecting God and Jesus Christ, to accomplish which, he is more particular and explicit in some respects than the other apostles. The following lines, copied from the Boston Recorder, are from the pen of MRS. SIGOURNEY. ON THE DEATH OF THE REV. ELIAS CORNELIUS, D. D. "All ye that are about him, bemoan him; and all ye that know his name, say, Horo is the strong staff broken! and the beautiful rod."-Jeremiah, xlviii. 17. It cannot be, it cannot be, that thou art on thy bier! But yesterday in all the prime of life's unspent career. I've seen the forest's noblest tree laid low when lightnings shine, And lo! that withering race, who fade as dew 'neath summer's ray, I see a consecrated throng of youthful watchmen rise, I hear a voice of wailing, from the islands of the sea, Just wrapp'd his mantle round thy breast, then join'd him with the dead. Farewell! we yield thee to the grave with many a bitter tear, Fond clustering hopes have sunk with thee that earth can ne'er restore; L. H. S. these subjects I am for Presbyterian ordination, and Independent church government. I would have ministers ordained by ministers; and would have every single church, or congregation, possess the whole power of managing their own ecclesiastical affairs: and when any thing is too difficult to manage among themselves, leave it to some disinterested neighbouring churches, to advise and assist them. But no Council, Presbytery, or Synod, have power to govern, or determine any thing for a particular church, any farther than that church submits or leaves the case to them. Farther-I am so far Presbyterian, as to think that besides the minister, or teaching elder, in every church, it is proper, it is rational, useful and scriptural, to have lay elders, as well as deacons-So far as I understand their mode, the dissenting churches in South Britain, such as were those of Dr. Watts, Dr. Doddridge, and many others, were, and are, in a practice that I nearly concur with; and I suppose they find no difficulty in practising in their method.* *The author of this sketch was plainly an Independent, or Congregationalist, in the essential principles of church government. Yet so long as he remained a member of the Presbytery of New York, into which he was introduced by his early friends and patrons, Dickinson and Burr, he never disturbed the peace, or violated the order of the church, of which he was a member: And when he thought he was called in duty to speak and act in a manner that was not Presbyterian, he sought, in a peaceful and orderly manner, a separation from that church; agreeably to a fundamental article agreed on in the year 1757, between the Synods of New York and Philadelphia, when they came together after a long separation. This article Mr. Green pleaded, and left the Presbytery to which he belonged without any censure; as did three others, who associated with him, and formed the presbytery of Morris County, of which some account will hereafter appear. Why will not those who are now mem As to articles of faith, I am also a true Protestant: and I need not say I am no Arian, Socinian, Antinomian, or Arminian. From my bers of the Presbyterian church, and whose doctrinal sentiments and congregational notions differ more widely from our standards, than did those of Mr. Green and his associates-why will they not take the same honest, frank, and consistent course, that was taken by these worthy men? Our controversy with them would cease at once, if they would place themselves But to remain connected with a church, where they ought to stand-by themselves. some of whose most important doctrines they really disapprove; and whose ecclesiastical order they dislike and endeavour to change is this right?—If it is, we cannot tell what is wrong. Probably some of our readers will think it a little strange that the sentiments of the Editor of the Christian Advocate, on the subject of church government, should differ so widely from those of his fathera father, he will add, whose memory he greatly loves and venerates; and whose piety he fears he shall never equal. But the Editor can only say, he hopes that in this he has endeavoured to obey the reiterated admonition of the Great Head of the church" One is your Master, even Christ: And call no man your father upon the earth, for one is your Father which is in heaven." The deep conscientiousness of his father according to the flesh, in leaving the Presbyterian church, the Editor most fully believes; and he thinks he is himself truly conscientious, in remaining in it, and feeling an ardent attachment to it. Nor did the subject of the Sketch ever attempt to act as father, or master, in the sense of the quoted text, toward his son. In no one instance did he ever say a word, with a view to change the Presbyterian sentiments and attachments of the Editor, but left him entirely to his own opinions and choice, without the least interference or apparent reluctance. The Editor will add, that although from his first entrance on the gospel ministry, he was decidedly a Presbyterian in sentiment, yet he was inclined to a very lax administration of the Presbyterian system, till what he saw, in a forty years ago, convinced him deeply and journey through New England, more than effectually, that a strict adherence to the Standards of the Presbyterian church, both in doctrine and government, must be the rock of its peace, and the shield of its purity. In other words, he was made a rigorous Presbyterian, by observing the fearful practical evils, attendant on the ecclesiastical system of Congregationalists and Independents. youth, I had heard much said upon the principles that are called Ĉalvinistick and Arminian; and when I thought at all, I approved moderate Calvinism, before I had any religion: And when I got my religion in the New Light time,* I became a more zealous Calvinist. I had a great aversion to the opposers of New Light religion; and those opposers in New England, where I then lived, were generally supposed to be Arminian, or tinged with Arminian principles. When I settled in the ministry, I was led into Mr. Stoddard's notions of the sacraments, by Messrs. Dickinson, Burr, and some others, that I had a high opinion of. They were, in other respects, strong Calvinists, and zealous promoters of the reformation, or New Light religion; and opposite to those that I had been troubled with as opposers in New England. Hence I was influenced to think they were right in their notions of sacraments. My prepossession in their favour, together with some plausible arguments they used, induced me to embrace Stoddard's sentiments, which before I had thought were not right; and for some time, I practised on his scheme, in the admission of church members. But my church were not generally in that opinion, and I was not * The doctrinal opinions of the first settlers of New England were those of the old Puritans, who, it is well known, were strict Calvinists. But before the time of Whitefield, opinions which were at least more Arminian than Calvinistick, but often a heterogeneous mixture of both, were considerably prevalent; and formality in religion was still more general. Hence the genuine Calvinism of Whitefield and Tennent, and their ardent zeal for vital, practical godliness, was called New Light. But in the march of mind, this light has been left so far behind, that it is now considered as Old, and the current New Light, of the present day, is something, that Whitefield and Tennent, were they now alive, would denounce with all their energy. zealous to urge Stoddard's principles. After I had been settled a few years, I was inclined to some notions that were Arminian, or that bordered upon Arminianism; especially as to the power of the creature, the freedom of the will, the origin of action, &c. I seemed also to have some notion that there might be a degree of acceptableness to God, in the religious duties of the unregenerate; which well agreed with the Stoddardian notion of unregenerate persons covenanting, and coming to the sacraments. But I continued not long in these notions; for when I came to weigh and consider things well, I found I held several inconsistent sentiments. My sentiments in general were Calvinistick-I was founded and established in these principles; and yet I found I had, in a measure, given in to several things that were Arminian, and quite inconsistent with my Calvinistick principles. I had been inclined to such notions of human freedom, the sufficiency of the creature, origin of power, duties of the unregenerate, their covenanting and using sacraments, as were not consistent with other sentiments which I firmly believed, which I had the fullest evidence of, and could clearly demonstrate. When I came to look thoroughly into things, I found that all the Arminian notions, or doctrines, were so connected that they must and would, stand or fall together -The same connexion I also found to be in Calvinistick sentiments. Dr. Watts's Terms of Christian Communion; Edwards's Inquiry concerning Qualifications for Sacraments, and his book on the Will, were assistances to me in studying these points; and were a considerable means to help to bring me off from all the notions that bordered on Arminianism. As it was with myself, so I sus pect it is with many others-The reason that they are partly Calvinists, and partly Arminians, is, that they dare not look the Calvinistick principles through, follow them to their source, and receive them with all their consequences. They see some of them so clearly that they cannot but believe them; but follow them a little farther, they are shocked, they appear terrible -Here they drop them, and entertain some inconsistent notions for the remainder of their creed. They believe the perfections of God, and that he foreknew all things; but when from God's foreknowledge, wisdom, power and goodness any argue that the accomplishment of all things is, and will be, according to God's plan Here the Sketch of Mr. Green's life, as written by himself, is abruptly terminated, by the loss of the last leaf of his manuscript. A member of the sentence which follows the above, or of which it is a part, remains, but it is not finished. Some account of the last thirteen years of his life, we hope to give in the next number of our work. MENTAL SCIENCE. tleties and force, to undermine the truth and pervert the spirit of the gospel. This may sound to some like a tone of needless alarm, others may smile at the discomfiture of our feelings; while not a few may think we attach undue importance to the topicks, which we have promised to examine in this article. Be all this as it may, we honestly believe that orthodoxy, truth and practical godliness, are more endangered by certain philosophical speculations on the doctrine and relations of human ability, than from all other speculations of the age. There seems to us more danger of undermining the citadel of truth, by errors of this class, than by any, or all others. When an errorist attacks, directly, the doctrines of grace, such as atonement and justification by the imputed righteousness of Christ, we meet him with a "thus saith the Lord," and feel secure in the argument. But when he comes with his false philosophy, and succeeds in perverting the views of human character, sin and ability, he has fixed a standard of interpretation which he applies to the scriptures, and entirely changes the plainest declarations of God's word. By settling a principle of interpretation which disregards Uses and Distinctions of Human philology, analogy, and the usus lo Power. The department of mental science, with which we head this article, is at all times important. But at this time there is an importance attached to its discussion, of absorbing interest. The philosophical speculations of the age are leading theologians astray, perverting the holy scriptures, unsettling the principles of orthodoxy, and exerting a mischievous influence in practical duties. What can, therefore, be more interesting to the Christian publick than the discussion of those points, where philosophy has concentrated its sub quendi, bringing language and doctrine to the test of a philosophical theory, the process of the interpreter is short, and the labour easy. It serves also to give men a vain and reckless confidence in the deductions of their own reasoning, the danger of which has been experienced in ages long since passed. But no disastrous results of former ages can alarm the speculatists of the above description. They stand upon their own imagined independence, and are intent upon some great improvements in theological doctrine. We do not suppose that all the errors in doctrine, which infest the |