7 MAY 1853, Page 16

WHITELY ON THE RISE, PROGRESS, AND CORRUPTIONS OF CHRISTIANITY. * THE

first volume of the eighth edition of the Encyclopedia Bri- tannica is-now before us, with its various dissertations. Dugald Stewart's Metaphysical and Ethical Philosophy, left uncompleted by his death, opens the work ; and is followed by the continuation of Mackintosh in a view of the progress of Ethical Philosophy in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, with a new corrective preface by Whewell : to these succeed Playfair's and Leslie's Pro- gress of Mathematical and Physical Science—the latter a needful continuation of the former, for Playfair like Stewart died before completing his task. The four dissertations form a fitting intro-

• Dissertation exhibiting a General View of the Rise, Progress, and Corruptions at Christianity. By the Most Reverend Richard Whately, Archbishop of Dublin. Encyclopmdia Britannica, Volume I. Published by Adam and Charles Black.

duotion to a cycle of the sciences, by presenting a history of men- tal, moral, and physical philosophy and philosophers. To these the Archbishop of Dublin has added a new treatise, which rounds the circle so far as philosophy and science are concerned. Art and Literature are yet to come.

Though only called a Dissertation on the Rise, Progress, and Corruptions of Christianity, Dr. Whately's contribution is some- thing more ; it is a review of man in a state of nature, and of the different religions which preceded Christ, as well as a treatise on Christianity and its corruptions. The dissertation begins with a consideration of man in his natural state, where he exists without the sufficient instinct of animals or their organs appropriate to a peculiar kind of work—where the arts, if they can be deemed arts, which the savage possesses, are few, and his incapacity of raising himself is evidenced from all recorded experience. The question follows, whether man did or could discover such arts as he pos- sesses, and the high probability that they are the remains of a higher civilization. From all which Dr. Whately concludes, that the natural state of man alone proves that there must have been a revelation. Without arts supernaturally imparted, the species, from its helplessness, must speedily have become extinct. " The Pagan Religions " are next reviewed, especially as regards the be- lief in another world and a future state of rewards and punish- ments; the writer showing, by a variety of interesting facts and nice deductions, that the enlightened generally looked upon an- other life as a fable ; the few philosophers who advocated it had no self-assurance of it ; the vulgar, for whose control Elysium and Tartarus were upheld, believed vaguely if they believed at all, while their belief was without any influence on their conduct.

" The Mosaic Dispensation" follows; and this section is mainly devoted to an exposition of the causes of the ceremonial law—the gross mind of the Jews, which could only apprehend the tangible ; the necessity of separating the chosen people from the surround- ing Gentiles by some visible distinctions, and the desirableness of authoritative directions, to which the natural man always clings. The absence of all reference to a future state in the Hebrew writ- ings, which Dr. Whately fully admits, and the temporal benefits promised to obedience, are also handled, and their difficulties to human apprehension fairly allowed. The view of "Christianity" is more elaborate and extensive. It commences with an exhibition of its essential characteristic—the oneness, the equality of all Christians as such, whether Jew or Gentile, bond or free ; a test afterwards made use of to try some corruptions. This keystone of the whole, so widely diffeijng from the religious principles of Jews and Pagans, who had separate priesthoods and gradations of worshipers, is used by Dr. Whately as an argument in favour of the supernatural origin of Christianity—the natural mind, in those days, could not have reached such a truth ; and he applies the same argument to some other traits of -the New Testament. The corruptions of Christianity are ascribed to two main causes. One local and transient,—as the prejudices of Jewish converts in favour of Jewish observances, which pass away with their causes ; for after the destruction of Jerusalem and the dispersion of the Jews we heard no more of Mosaic requirements. The other is founded in the corruption of human nature itself, and is of course ever operating. This point of the question, the corruptions of Christi- anity, forms the greater portion of the dissertation. Like the rest of the work, the treatment is general or essential. Historical facts or practices of particular churches may be adduced, bat only as illustrations of a principle, not as parts of a narrative. The sub- ject of corruption is pursued through "Reformations in Religion," and in connexion with " Church Allegiance and Separations." Some passages, where remote or minute topics of doctrine are handled, are of necessity dry, and otter parts occasionally approach the manner of the sermon. The arguments will not always com- mand universal assent ; the freethinker objecting that some views— as the inherent characteristics of savage man, for instance—rest on no sufficient evidence ; while the Romanists will read many Scriptural arguments quite differently from Dr. Whately. But as a whole, this dissertation is a remarkable production. It exhibits a very high degree of inventive logic. The essence of a wide and varied learning is brought naturally and easily to illustrate or enforce positions with which they might seem at first to have little relation. A. knowledge of ecclesiastical history is ex- hibited sufficiently for the object in view, without rendering the dissertation subordinate to history. The Christianity of the au- thor is large and liberal without being lax. Protestant in the broadest view—rejecting the " Apostolical Succession" theory, the virtue of particular forms in church-government, and standing up for the duly of private judgment—the author is equally averse to rash or capricious changes, and resolutely opposed to all persecu- tion on religious account, unless the objects of the sent are danger- ous to the community. " It is, indeed, true, that any persons whose notions in morale or in poli- tics are such as to make it impossible that they can be peaceable and loyal citizens, may allowably be excluded, not only from civil rights, but from the right of residing at all in the country. And if there be absolutely no other way of fixing on such persons but by their professed religion, it is necessary' . (as long as such continues to be the case) to submit to the very great evil of making their religion a test to exclude them. " If, for example, any one is fully convinced—in opposition to all reason and to all experience—that no Jews can possibly be good subjects, he ought to urge (not that the most unprincipled of them should be bribed by the hope of civil privileges to profess Christianity, but) that none of the Jewish race should be allowed to reside in the country."

In addition to these merits of substance, the dissertation is re- markable for great power of attraction and at times almost of amusement. The style is somewhat diffuse, but what it may want in condensed strength it makes up in ease and naturalness.

This is a striking though obvious example of gradual corruption. " In religious matters, a remarkable instance of a gradual corruption and a sudden reform is the point already noticed,—the keeping of the Scriptures in a language unknown to the people. This was a most enormous innova- tion; since the sacred writers manifestly addressed themselves to Christians of all ranks. But it was overlooked because it was no sudden innovation. The Latin language went out of use gradually. No one can fix the precise day or year on which a fresh translation was first needed. But when men did perceive the need, and translated the Bible into modern languages, this was a great and palpable novelty. And, as such, it was vehemently op- posed ; though, in reality, it was in spirit a restoration of the original state of things—the placing of the Scriptures before the people in a language which they understood."

This passage is from the review of the corruptions which philo- sophy has introduced into Christianity.

'All these various systems of philosophical theology were discussed in lan- guage containing technical terms more numerous than those of almost any science; some of them taken from the sacred writers, (we 'hay say, in every sense of the phrase, ' taken from them,' since hardly any theologian con- fined himself to their use of the terms,) and others not found in Scripture, but framed for each occasion. These were introduced professedly for the purpose of putting down heresies as they arose. That they did not effect this object we know by experience; which, indeed, Would lead us to conclude, that heresies were by this means rather multiplied. We are inclined to think, that if all Christians had always studied the Scriptures carefully and honestly, and relied on these more than on their own philosophical sys- tems of divinity, the Incarnation, for instance, and the Trinity, would never have been doubted, nor ever named. And this at least is certain, that as scientific theories and technical phraseology gained ground, party animosity raged the more violently. The advocates of the several systems did not, like the ancient heathen philosophers, carry on a calm and friendly dispute, but (to the disgrace of the Christian name) reviled, and (when opportunity offered) persecuted each other, with the utmost bitterness. For each of them having not only placed the essence of Christianity in faith, but the essence of faith in the adoption of his own hypothesis, and strict adherence to his own use of the technical terms of his theology, was led hence to condemn all departures from his system, as involving both blasphemy against God and danger to the souls of men. And they employed, accordingly, that violence in the cause of what they believed to be divine truth which Jesus himself and his Apostles expressly forbade in the cause of what they knew to be divine truth. The servant of the Lord,' says Paul, 'must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, in meekness instructing them that oppose them- selves, if God, peradventure, will give them repentance, to the acknowledg- ing of the truth.' (2 Tim. ii. 24, 25.) But those who lose sight of the real character and design of the Christian revelation, generally lose also the mild, patient, and forbearing spirit of the Gospel."