Never avowing any doctrinal belief, his students {65} looked upon him as a Socinian, and so his influence went in that direction.The crop that sprang up may be taken as represented by such men as Carlyle, elegant and accommodating but dreadfully rankled by a Calvinistic creed which they had to swear, and by the opposition of the people, who could not be made to feel that the New Light was suited to them, or to believe that it had any title to be called a religion.But all this was in the future, and was not the precise result expected b), Hutcheson.Meanwhile he rejoices in Leechman, and describes him as one " who sees all I do." It seems that the Scotch divine received a call from a non-subscribing congregation in Belfast, and Hutcheson is rather inclined that he should go; he is so anxious to have him out of "that obscure place where he was so much lost," and where he was "preaching to a pack of horse-copers and smugglers of the rudest sort," who, we venture to say, would not profit much by that calm, abstract, elegant style which so pleased the professor of moral philosophy.Hutcheson uses every means to secure Leechman's appointment to the chair of theology in Glasgow, and brings influence of a very unscrupulous character (as Ireckon it) to carry his point.He writes Mr.Mure of Caldwell (Nov.23, 1743) that he wants a letter from the Duke of Montrose, the Chancellor of the University, in behalf of Leechman to Morthland, professor of Oriental languages, to be shown to others, and he malignantly mentions that Professor Anderson, the chief opponent of Leechman, " made himself ridiculous to all men of sense by dangling after Whitefield and M'Cullogh " (" Caldwell Papers "); and he wants this to be specially known to Tweeddale, who was Secretary of State for Scotland, and to Andrew Mitchell, his private secretary' It seems that the advocates of liberality could not tolerate that a man should be favorable to a revival of religion.It was by such means that " a new face was to be put upon the theology of Scotland." He writes to his Belfast friend (Feb.20, 1743-44): I could tell you a good deal of news upon the unexpected election of a professor of divinity, and the furious indignation of our zealots." He had written previously (March 5, 1738-39): "I hope Jack Smith has sent down to your town a 'Serious Address to the Kirk of Scotland,' lately published in London; it has run like lightning here, and is producing some effect; the author is unknown; 'tis wrote {66} with anger and contempt of the Kirk and Confession, but it has a set of objections against the Confession which I imagine few will have the brow to answer." The moderate party in the Church of Scotland is being crystallized by coldness out of the floating elements;and already there is a felt polar antipathy between them and those whom they choose to call " zealots." Hutcheson writes (April 16, 1746), " I would as soon speak to the Roman conclave as our presbytery."The professor of theology introduced by him to the college, had signed the Confession of Faith, and professed his willingness to sign it at any time.He accomplished the end of Hutcheson.The subjects represented by him as suitable to be dwelt on by the preacher from the pulpit, were the perfections of God; the excellence of virtue, and the perfection of the divine law; the truth of the Christian religion, and the important purposes for which Jesus came into the world; the great doctrines he taught the interesting scenes of providence he has displayed to men the dignity and immortality of the soul, and the inconceivable happiness of the heavenly state.In the social circle he was grave and silent, but is represented by Carlyle as having a lively wife, who entertained the students that came to his house in the evening, and was anxious to hear about the new plays and novels which were coming into Scot land.He set out a body of young preachers, who unfortunately lost the common people, and the pious of all ranks, without gaining the worldly and unbelieving.He published a sermon in which he thought to recommend prayer as fitted to have an influence on the mind of the person praying, and submitted a copy to Hume, who told him plainly that the person praying must believe that his prayers have an influence on God and bring an answer.
It should be allowed that Hutcheson was most anxious to impart a taste for learning and refinement to the ministers of the Church of Scotland.He was deeply impressed with the evils which were springing from the law of patronage being now put in operation with a high hand.In 1735, he published " Considerations on Patronage, addressed to the Gentlemen of Scotland." In this pamphlet he predicts that, " instead of studying sobriety of manners, piety, diligence, or literature, one or other of which qualities are now necessary to recommend {67} the candidates to the favor of heritors, elders or presbytery, the candidate's sole study will be to stand right in politics, to make his zeal for the <ministry of state> conspicuous; or by all servile compliance with the humor of some great lord who has many churches in his gift, whether that humor be virtuous or vicious, to secure a presentation." He fears the mischiefs of patronage were but beginning to appear, and that gentlemen's sons will no longer devote themselves to the ministerial office, which will be sought by lads of mean parentage and circumstances.It is quite certain that, owing to the law of patronage, combined with the smallness of the livings, estimated by Hutcheson as at that time about L80 a year, and the influence of London court life, the upper classes (from which so many ministers had sprung in the previous century) ceased from this time to encourage their sons to enter the sacred office.
