THOMSON'S HAMPTON LECTURE FOR 1853.* ALTHOUGH the Atonement had been
already chosen as a subject by a Bampton lecturer, his sermons were delivered nearly sixty years ago, to meet the objections of an age essentially different from the present in religious notions and Biblical criticism. To adapt the subject to a state of opinion which two generations of keen in- quiry, active speculation, and daring scholarship have brought about, is the end of Mr. Thomson's sermons, and their distinguish- ing feature. Extensive reading among the Fathers and the School- men as well as the theological writers of modern Germany—a weighty style, owing its eloquence, where it rises to eloquence, more to argumentative closeness than to imagination—besides, as might be expected from the author's contribution to Logic, a distinct conception and a learned conclusion—will be found in the Bampton Lecture for the present year. Its peculiar merit arises from discarding the old modes of dogmatic as- sertion or authoritative reasoning drawn from the Scriptures, as no longer available against the attacks of sceptical and critical scholars like Strauss. The inspiration of the Scriptures is not dis- cussed in this volume, but it may be assumed that the orthodox view is taken : the necessity of an atonement is sought to be es- tablished on even broader grounds than its own dispensation—the nature of man himself, and the whole experience of his existence, so far as it can be got at from history or observation. Logical de- monstration, or a theory complete and perfect in itself, and un- assailable by critical acumen, is not the object of the preacher ; but to establish certain fundamental principles in connexion with the Atonement, which are innate in man, not indeed irreconcileable with reason, but chiefly trusting for reception to feeling and faith. The first sermon unfolds the basis of the argument thus. The idea of God as a perfect being, of sin or a something which con- science tells us is opposite to God, and a desire for reconcilement to God, is innate in all men. Individuals may be found who have it not, but scarcely peoples, though among barbarous tribes it may be very imperfectly developed. After working out this principle at length, the author proceeds in his second sermon to consider the notion of the Atonement as developed among the peoples as well of the ancient as of the new world. Throughout, we find the existence of a deity, the establishment of sacrifices, not as mere bribes but to atone or reconcile, and the existence of priests to serve as mediators, above the worshipers but below the gods. Those religions might be very corrupt, the sacrifices themselves Often very horrid,—as the human victims of almost every nation hi its early stage ; still there is in some form or other the idea of an atonement to the gods, and that by means of a sacrifice other than the offenders them- selves. This idea is sometimes hilly developed,—as in the self- devotion -of a Boman general to the infernal gods' a sacrifice for his soldiers and his country ; or at Athens in the festival of the Thargelia, where the two victims as they were led out of the city to death were supposed to carry away with them the sins of ,the • The Atoning Work of Christ, viewed in relation to some Current Theories ; in eight Sermons, peached before the University of Oxford in the year 1858, at the Lecture fouoded by the late Reverend John Bampton MA. Canon of Salisbury. Ey William Thomson, M.A., Fellow and Tutor of Que'en's Co' liege. Published bv A Longman and Co. whole people. It is of no use, argues Mr. Thomson, to prove logi- cally that the sacrifice of one for many, and that one perhaps inno- cent of the many's offences, was unreasonable, and in fact unjust. The ancient pagan knew that as well as the modern sceptic ; but he persisted m the practice, because he felt the want of an atone- ment, and the practice was consonant to his nature. The third lecture deals with the idea as exhibited under the Mosaic dispensation and throughout the Old Testament. The last five lec- tures treat of the Atonement as developed in the GospeL This is presented and enforced in various modes—theologically, scholas- tically, and religiously. The main argument is, that this natural want is most perfectly and satisfactorily unfolded in the Gospel, whether it be regarded in the light of reason, of faith, or the needs of man. Although rejecting logic as a test of the whole or any part of the system of Atonement, the skill of the dialeotitian is shown in this very rejection. But for this ever available defence, it might be objected that Mr. Thomson assumes the Atonement too readily as the idea of many nations. Some seem to have used sacrifices as a species of bribe, or as a speculative resource in time of trouble—. in fact, a sort of prayer with presents. It is, in our opinion more doubtful than Mr. Thomson affirms, whether the Brahmuis, and still less the Budhists, have the clear notion of an atonement. Unless he includes the Chinese under the Budhists, (which would hardly be correct,) he leaves that large and ancient family of the human race out of the question ; and it may be doubted whether that peo- ple either know anything of an atonement or feel the want of it. Perhaps an objector might argue even against his fundamental principle, that if the idea of an atonement be rooted in the human mind, the reception of Christianity is not miraculous at all ; and though the superiority of its development might account for its progress, it would not per se establish its revelation. The subject and plan of the sermons would not seem to admit of much contemporary reference, except on criticism or scholarship. There are, however, allusions of a general character introduced to point a practical lesson. Such is this comparison of present church- men with what they were in ancient times.
"Now, in comparing the state of our own minds with that of any of the great Christian writers, we shall perhaps become conscious of a certain sepa- ration, which we have allowed to grow up, between our religious opinions and the rest of our pursuits and acquirements. They were striving for the most part to get Christianity recognized as the law of the earth—to make phi- losophy and history and civil policy know the cross and the love of Jesus. In them the knowledge of God will seem, as it were, to have leavened the whole lump ; we perhaps have not dared to hide the leaven in the meal. Thus, if we are students, we may find that our real interests have centred in history or science or politics ; whilst the bare propositions of Christian truth have been acquired out of some uninviting compendium, or studied; though with a weaker purpose, in the Word of God, on days which conscience will not let us devote to the dearer pursuits of our choice. If we are called to preach to others, our teaching suffers from our withholding the beat of those things, new and old, that we have been storing up ; it appears lifeless, formal, tra- ditional. We are tempted, too, to rest in the 'earthly things' of Christ's kingdom ; to speak too exclusively of the visible Church, of its ministrY, of the change of nature in baptism ; because these seem to presuppose less thought and meditation than the heavenly things, such as the nature of God, the redemption through his blessed Son, the future hopes of man. To see, if it were possible, in all things that exist, Mini that existed before all—to know, as we study the harmony of the universe and the beauty of natural Products, how much better the Lord of them is, for the first author of beauty bath created them '—to further all those institutions or pursuits that have any Christian import—to judge, but without harshness or presumption the cur- rent philosophy and literature of the time by a Christian standard—to be dissatisfied with all mere activity of mind, unless it can assist in rounding off the character into a consistent whole, or equipping the mind with useful instruments—would be to turn knowledge into true wisdom, and to offer wisdom upon the altar of the Lord."
In like manner, the plan of resting the argument upon broad and general grounds, rather than on nice doctrinal or dogmatic points, gives a practical character to Mr. Thomson's Christianity. This is a specimen of his exhortations to the preachers and em- bryo preachers he was addressing from the pulpit of St. Mary's.
It is evident from what has been adduced, that speculative inquiry. alone will not lead us to Christ—will not form in us all one and the same image. Let me not be supposed to assume the right to blame others for a fault into which, too probably, my own attempts to explain this subject have often be- trayed me : a theory almost compels a counter-theory ; and many a pious believer, that would gladly have looked upon the cross of the Lord with an unquestioning adoration, has been forced to rise from his knees and enter the strife, and choose his side. Happy are we that the influence of these disputes is more distantly and indirectly felt in this country. But felt it is; and if the day comes for defending the truth against closer attacks, it is by disen- cumbering ourselves of human additions to Holy Writ, and by preaching the cross of Christ as a practical truth, that we must contend. Why should we stand gazing up into the mysteries of heaven which have not been brought down to earth, with idle feet and hands that hang down ? We feel and know that one fervent prayer, one deed of compassion' one drunken orgy avoided, one act of lust foregone, will teach us more of the truth of Christ than months spent in the curious idleness of speculation. If at the age when noble resolves are most easy to form, most permanent in their_inippesion, we could but determine to live for our ascended Lord, and to carry lus name both by our example and exertions somewhat further into that waste of igno- rance which the smallest parish or hamlet may present, we should lay hold by degrees upon the knowledge of his work far more surely than by the mere understanding. And though we cannot foreorder our 'ovrulife—though God may have determined for good to feed us with the breaded tears, and give us tears to drink in great measure—though he may _cover ow high hopes with an obscure life, or cause the strong limbs to wither, or the bright light of intelligence to grow dim—still there is in the consciousness of re- concilement with him, attested to us by a growing purity of life, something which cannot be taken away, something which shall be a fountain of peace here, and by which the Lord will remember and recogeize us in his
dom. * * * I "And not far before us lies a point at which we
heavenly hopes, or remain without hope. Think what IVEtietetitHytiPdtif Will a theory of the visible church, of an apostolic ministry', 4442fecise effects of sacraments1 provide a man sufficiently against that great transi- tion Death is not in most cases—not always even with the good—a glad arid speedy progress to a higher state of life, cheered by the consciousness of goon fight fought, with the lights of another world breaking into this, and glimpses or the angels round about the throne. No; it is often a state in which the mind is weak and prostrate, and full of fear and awe; and the embracing hands of affection must be unclasped, not without suffering; and ail pursuits that made the mind's activity must be abandoned ; and in the disturbed perspective of memory old sins and new shall struggle for the fore- most rank ; and the tide of life must slowly recede from limbs and senses, and the curtain of a strange gloom fall down. He restoreth my soul; he jeadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.' Into your hands, as his minister, has Christ intrusted the vials of his consolation. Go and pour them out for each. Tell them what shall make life at present real and true ; assure them of something that shall stand them in good stead when the pageant is over and the lights go out. Bid them know that their Redeemer Hyatt; tell them that one who is the Resurrection and the Life compasses them about already with the cords of his sympathy, and will never forsake them. And you will wonder at the tenacious grasp with which those will embrace the cross who have no other hope,- you will see, that so long as
i we teach all things that He has commanded, He s with us alway, even unto the end of the world."
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