in a measure loft, and their hopes of usefulness in the ministry greatly difappointed. This is an evil fo frequent, and of fuch extenfive influence, that it calls for the attention of every man, who has any concern in training up young men for the ministry. And it is conceived, that no man could do fo much towards curing this extenfive evil, as a learned and pious Profeffor of Divinity. Connected for several years with youth, when their minds are moit pliable, their temper moft ingenuous, and their curiofity moft eafily excited, he might, through divine favour, lead them to confider the weight of the gospel miniftry, and the neceffary qualifications. He might do much to prevent them from rafhly affuming an office, for which they have no adequate fitnefs. He might direct and aid their inquiries after theological knowledge, and help to fill the gofpel vineyard with workmen, who need not to be afhamed." The late amiable Profeffor was not infenfible of the evil above defcribed, nor wholly inattentive to the means of removing it. But it admits a query, whether he ufed, for that purpose, all the influence, which might have been derived from his office, his talents, and the high place he poffeffed in the affection of minifters and ftudents. In fome other ways, the energy of his character was exhibited to much greater advantage. His usefulness to the caufe of

divine truth, it is thought, might, in fome inftances, have been promoted by a higher degree of refolution, and by measures more decifive. It is doubted, whether he uniformly fhowed in what high ef timation he held the distinguishing doctrines of the gofpel. The fenfibilities of his nature made him very reluctant to adopt a measure, or fuggeft an opinion, which did not meet the approbation of others. And, if he ever gave occafion to fay, that he did not express the truths, which he embraced, with fufficient perfpicuity and fulnefs; if he ever left room to queftion, what his fentiments, on any important fubjects were; if, in fome inftances, he was too careful to accommodate himself to opinions, which he difapproved, and to prejudices, which he believed pernicious; it was no greater failing, than has, alas, been found in the best of mortals.

"The greatest good that any one can hope to do in this world, is upon young perfons, who have not yet taken their ply, and are not fpoi ed with prej udices, and wrong notions. If matters that are amifs can be mended or fet right, it must be by giving those, that have not yet fet out, and are not yet engaged, truer views and jufter ide as of things." BURNET.

During his profefforship he was frequently invited to preach in the neighbouring focieties, and fometimes in diftant places. Wherever he preached, he was remarkably popular. There was not wanting in his performances fomething to command the refpect of the immoral, to please the tafte of the polifhed, and to refresh the fouls of the pious. He willingly laboured in the ministry, even above his ftrength. It was his highest wish to ferve God in the kingdom of his Son. He gladly embraced every opportunity to preach the unfearchable riches of Christ, and to spread the favour of pure religion. He was indeed a burning and fhining light.

But that fhining light is extin guifhed. When his amiable character had become generally known; when his profpect of use

fulness was growing brighter; when the sphere of his influence was extending, and the energies of his mind and heart were moft constantly and most intenfely exerted; his profpect was fuddenly overfpread with clouds, and his ufeful life closed. When minifters are the best qualified to do good in the world; then are they often most ripe for the kingdom of heaven. To replenish the heavenly mansions, the excellent ones of the earth are taken away.

Irenæus had no difficulties to con- unreasonableness of the argutend with. On the contrary, the ments which fuch perfons em-. dangers which threatened to un- ploy would be very evident, if dermine the church from within, we were only to confider, that the were scarcely lefs formidable, than multiplication and diverfity of erthofe which had affaulted her rour, instead of detracting from from without. Herelies of vari- the importance of truth, ought ous descriptions, and of the most rather to enhance its value, and peitilent kind, had early begun to to excite them to diligence in its disfigure the fair proportions of purfuit, and to care and candour the chriftian church; and in the in its investigation. But a blindtime of Irenæus, fottered perhaps ed and deceived heart turns men by the tranquillity that prevailed, afide; otherwife they would difthey had reached a height which cover, in the very fact which excited the fears of the faithful arms them against the belief or for her fafety. Irenæus perceiv- the influence of christianity, a fated that little would be gained to isfactory confirmation of its divine the church by immunity from ex- original. "It must needs be," ternal violence, if the fhould be faid our bleffed Lord, "that of betrayed by her own fons. He fences come;"* evidently meantherefore applied himself, with ing thereby thofe impediments zeal and affiduity, to defeat the which are thrown in the way of machinations of her internal ene- men's falvation, either by the docmies, employing the utmost cir- trinal errours, or the unholy lives, cumfpection and vigilance in de- of his profeffed followers. And tecting their defigns and confut- with this faying of our Lord, the ing their errours, till their folly declaration of St. Paul perfectly and wickedness were made fully harmonizes, "For there must be manifeft. To the unwearied ex- alfo herefies (or, as it is in the ertions of this holy man, in expof- margin, fects) among you, that ing the complicated abfurdity and they which are approved may be blafphemy of the different fyftems made manifest among you."t by which hereticks and fchifmat- The prediction of St. Peter is fill icks attempted to disturb the unity more explicit and particular. of the church, it may doubtless in "But there were falfe prophets alpart be afcribed, under God, that fo among the people, even as there none of thofe fyftems, though fhall be falfe teachers among you, fome of them were afterward re- who privily fhall bring in damnavived with various modifications, ble herefies, even denying the obtained at that time a perma- Lord that bought them, and nent footing, but either entirely difappeared, or gave place to other forms of erroneous doctrine.

The herefies which have arifen in the christian church, and the various fects to which these have given birth, have, in every age, furnished the careless with an excufe for their indifference, and infidels with a fruitful topick of declamation or ridicule. The

* Matt. xviii. 7.

t1 Cor. xi. 19. See alfo 1 Tim. iv. 1. and 2 Tim iii. 1-9. A comparison of this laft paffage, particularly verfe the fixth with the ninth chapter of the First Book of the Treatife of Irenæus against herefies, will furnish the reader with a ftriking inftance of the literal fulfilment of St. Paul's predictions on this fubject.

This expreffionis peculiarly defcrip tive of fome of the herefies which prewailed in the time of Irenæus, as well as

bring upon themfelves fwift deftruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways, by reafon of whom the way of truth thall be evil spoken of." But while fuch paffages fufficiently cftablish the perverfeness of those, who would derive, from the divifions fubfifting in the chriftian church, an argument against the truth of christianity; they no lefs clearly point out the criminality, which attaches to the authors of fuch divifions. May this confideration have its due weight, and may all, who call themselves by the name of Chrift feel, more powerfully than ever, the obligation under which they are laid to "hold the faith," as our excellent liturgy expreffes it, "in unity of fpirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life."

The length of this digreffion will, it is hoped, be pardoned, on account of the importance of the difcuffion which it involves, and which feemed to arife naturally out of the narration. It is time that we should now advert to the means, which Irenæus employed to oppofe the prevailing herefies. He is faid to have convened a provincial fynod at Lyons, for the purpose of authoritatively condemning them; but the truth of this statement, though highly probable in itself, refts on too light evidence to be admitted. Abundant teftimony, however, remains of the zeal with which he laboured, both by word and writing, to preferve the purity of chriftian doctrine from the influx of herefy and fchifm. Thefe evils had made their way into his neighbourhood and infected even

his own flock. The opportunity, which he thus enjoyed of converfing with the leaders of differ ent fects, of perufing their works,' and of carefully examining fuch individuals as having been feduced by them from the faith were afterward brought back to the bofom of the church, enabled him to acquire a minute acquaintance with the precife nature and effects of the prevailing corruptions, and qualified him for the talk, which he was induced to undertake of writing a treatise against herefies. This elaborate work, the only work of Irenæus, which is now extant, fufficiently proves him to have been a diligent inquirer, and an acute reafoner, as well as a faithful fervant of Chrift, and a zealous defender of evangelical truth. It was written between the years 180 and 192.

The herefies, which Irenæus chiefly opposes in this volume are thofe of Valentinus, Bafilides, Marcion, the Gnofticks, &c. In reading it, one is almoft tempted to regret, that he should have beftowed fo much time and labour on the expofure and confutation of opinions, thofe particularly refpecting the nature of God and the perfon of Chrift, fo abfurd and monftrous, that they feem to require only to be ftated, in order to their being rejected, as utterly irreconcilable to reafon and fcripture. We are very incompetent judges, however, of the effect, which even fuch extravagant notions, as were then induftriously propagated, were calculated to produce, on minds prepared for their reception by the debafing fuperftition of pagan worfhip, and the wild reveries of pagan mythology. Nor do we perhaps, in eftimating the value of Irenæus's labours, fufficiently appre