solicited, as the most learned and pious man in New England, to accept the presidency. His congregation continued their attachment to him, and he would not do violence to their feelings. But in consideration of his great merit, the trustees permitted him to officiate in his congregation once every sabbath. With this privilege he accepted the presidency, and continued to perform the duties of his office, with great reputation to himself, and honour to the college, until the year 1701, a period of sixteen years; when his age incapacitated him for the longer discharge of its literary functions. He wrote and published many books, most of which, that have fallen into our hands, abound with piety and good sense. The style, indeed, is destitute of polish and elegance, but the abundance of matter more than compensates for this defect.

The Baptist society in his day were numerous and increasing; they attacked both from the pulpit and the press, the baptism of infants. Dr. Mather published several sermons on this controversy; and all his arguments evince not only the soundness of his views in relation to the subject in controversy, but of the doctrines of grace generally. In this controversy, both he and his opponent appeal to the opinions of the first settlers in Massachusetts, and to Dr. Owen, all of whom, as to their opinions in relation to the covenant of works, to the covenant of grace, to the doctrines of the Christian system, and the nature of the church, each party mentions with high respect. From this fact we discover, if any testimony in addition to their writings were deemed necessary, that, however the baptists and the congregationalists of that time might disagree on the subject of infant baptism, they harmonized entirely on the doctrine of the atonement, and all the other fundamental doctrines of the system of redemption, as these are taught by Dr. Owen, and other writers of the Calvinistic order. They mutually deprecate the introduction of the Arminian errors into the New England churches, of which they express much fear from the aspect of the church and the state of public opinion.

On the subject of Adam's representing his posterity in the covenant of works, Dr. Mather thus expresses himself incidentally:" If mankind confederated actually in Adam, their public person, when they did so much as in their proper persons, then may children actually existing in their proper persons, actually confederate in their public person. But mankind, not yet existing in their proper persons, confederated in Adam their public person." He then quotes from Thomas Vedelius de Deo, the following passage: "The sin of Adam is not another's, but our own. Adam's sin was in a manner peculiar to itself voluntary on our part, because as we were in Adam, so in him we willed. The will of Adam was the will of the whole mass." Though the mode in which Thomas expresses himself is obscure, yet it is plain that both he and Dr. Mather held the doctrine of Adam's representation of his posterity, and of all mankind's sinning in him. He also quotes with approbation Mr. Norton, to the same effect. The work from which the above extract is taken was published in 1775.

Cotton Mather, the son of Increase Mather, was a much more voluminous writer than his father. His writings are not free from some traits of superstition, but they are orthodox on the doctrines of the atonement, and all other capital articles of the Christian faith. His Magnalia, or History of New England, though evidently written with great haste, and though the facts are neither selected with judgment nor well arranged, is a treasure of historical fact, upon which all the succeeding historians of New England make large draughts. His Biblia Americana, a commentary on the Bible, has never been published; it is now in manuscript in the collection of the Massachusetts Historical Society. He published a great number of smaller works, many of which are highly valuable, and read with great interest by the common people, and by the best of the clergy of the northern states. The influence which this divine had over the minds of the people of New England was extraordinary, and can no otherwise be accounted for than by supposing that he

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was a man of great worth. While the Mather family possessed this influence over the public mind, the vital spirit of Christianity, the faith of the Christian in the atoning sacrifice of Christ Jesus, animated the church in Massachusetts. The clergy who were associated with them were generally of the same stamp with themselves. All that is excellent in the character of the New England people, and there is much, may be traced to these old and godly puritans. All admit that these were times of great piety; and that though there were many imperfections, yet it would be difficult to find in the history of human society more virtue than then existed in the northern colonies.

The clergy were well indoctrinated, and willing to be instructed by the great orthodox divines of the Christian church, who had preceded them, especially by those of the reformation. They were willing to travel in the plain path of truth, without bewildering themselves in the mazes of false philosophy, and idle speculation. They, above all, were not averse to submit their opinions to the authority of God speaking in the scriptures, though there were many truths above the comprehension of human reason; such as the existence of three persons in the Godhead of one undivided essence, the incarnation of Messiah, and the atonement which he offered to eternal justice for the redemption of sinners. Such was the character of the clergy, who were at that time educated in Harvard college; which for more than a century was a great blessing to the New England churches.

This seminary was founded in 1638, and received its first endowment from Mr. John Harvard, a minister of the gospel, who resided in Charlestown. It was chartered by the crown of England in 1650. At first, it was chiefly under the direction of the puritan clergy; and those ministers who were educated in it, generally taught the Calvinistic doctrines only. Among the distinguished men who were educated in it, was the Rev. Dr. Benjamin Coleman, of whom we have a biography by Mr. Turell; a book which though not well written, throws considerable light upon the state of

religion, and religious opinions, in New-England, during the early part of the last century.

A professorship of divinity was founded in Harvard college, by a donation from Mr. Thomas Hollis, in honour of whom it has been styled the Hollis professorship. Mr. Hollis, aided by Dr. Coleman, was extremely minute in forming regulations, by which no one except an orthodox divine, one entirely of the Calvinistic creed, should be admitted to fill the divinity chair. Those intelligent Christians, no doubt, even at that early date, saw symptoms of decline in the churches of New-England, which induced them to place many guards around the important chair, which they were erecting in the college. For as early as 1732, we find the errors of Arminius were finding their way into Yale college, a sister institution. In a letter to Mr. Adams, of NewLondon, in Connecticut, dated December 2d, of that year, Dr. Coleman thus expresses himself:-" Give me leave to add one word more concerning the bruit of the prevalence of Arminianism in the college," (of New-Haven). "I am told you were yourself in much apprehensions, and fears on that head, that you enquired earnestly of your son concerning it; and that the deceased, aged Mr. Woodbridge, of Hartford, a little before his death, was under great concern on that account. It would be acceptable to some friends here, if you would freely write upon that head; more especially if you can vindicate the college from the aspersion. They hope and believe the reverend trustees and rector, have made a faithful enquiry into that matter." Here we discover, that at least a report had spread abroad, that Arminian principles had found their way into the fountains of learning in NewEngland, and that Dr. Coleman, whose reputation was very high, and who maintained the principles then generally prevalent among the New-England clergy, and other pious men of distinction, considered the report one of a very formidable character, and would have thought it a most alarming evil, had it been true, as no doubt, it was.

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The particular tenet of the Arminian school in this arcient seminary is not mentioned; but as the doctrine of ge

neral atonement not long after began to prevail among the New-England clergy, it is probable this was the first Arminian principle which was taught in New-England. This is still rendered more probable, as about forty years before this time, a very large body of the reformed clergy of France, after the revocation of the edict of Nantz, had taken refuge in London, and they were nearly all advocates of some of the Salmurensian errors, especially that which respects indefinite atonement. Between the London divines, many of whom embraced the Salmurensian errors, and the NewEngland ministers, there was a very intimate connexion. Dr. Coleman, when in London, was very intimate with the most distinguished of the dissenting preachers of that city. A correspondence had been kept up between them before the time of Dr. Coleman, and the works of the London divines were circulated and read in Massachussetts, Connec. ticut, and the other northern states. The manner in which Dr. Coleman writes to his friend in relation to the Arminianism of the college, shews that whatever the principle was which was said to be embraced in the college, he had not adopted it.

While those errors were stealing into New-England, the church in the middle states did not continue altogether pure. Of the state of theological opinions in the south at that time, little is known. A majority of the leading men of the colony of Virginia were Episcopalians, who procured an establishment of their creed; and the government compelled all other denominations to contribute towards the support of their clergy. The episcopal clergy of Virginia, scarcely published any thing either on theology, or any other subject. The state of learning was very low in that colony. The greater part of their clergy were from the English universities, and these were far from being very learned; nor were they remarkable for their faithfulness in performing ministerial duties, or for the holiness of their lives. They, like their brethren in England, generally embraced the Arminian system; which, no doubt was the cause of the deficiency in vital godliness, with which they are chargeable. There were comparatively, few presby