登陆注册
15299900000044

第44章

Thirdly, beyond the Established Church, the Seceding body, encompassed with hardships as fierce as the storms, but breathing a spirit as free as the air of their country, are rallying around them the old-fashioned and more determined religious life of Scotland.At this stage of its history it serves itself heir to the Covenants of the previous century, blames the Church of Scotland for being too indulgent, is intolerant of toleration, and has little sympathy with other churches.This body is beneath the notice of the philosophers; and in return it shows its utter distrust of them by declining to allow its students to attend the classes of moral philosophy, and appointing a professor of its own to give instruction in that branch, on which, as on other high departments of learning, it continued to set a high value.The event of that period which agitated lowland Scotland more than even the inroad of the Pretender was the preaching of Whitefield, which moved the common people as the winds do the trees of the forest.

The moderate party affected to despise and actually hated the preacher and his doctrine.The evangelicals in the Established Church rejoiced in his labors and their fruits.

The seceders might have triumphed in his success; but they expected him to identify himself with their peculiar ecclesiastical constitution, and stand by them in the fight for the old cause of the Covenant.Upon Whitefield declining to do this, they became jealous of his influence, and were in doubts about the sound character of the revivals which he was the means of awakening.Out of this arose a very curious controversy, forgotten by all but a few antiquarians, but not unworthy of being noticed.

Mr.Robe, belonging to the evangelical party in the Church of Scotland, and a promoter of revivals and of the lively feeling manifested in them, declared that "our senses and imagination are greatly helpful to bring us to the knowledge of the divine nature and perfections; " and in defending this he asked: " Can you or any man else think upon Christ really as he is, God-man, without an imaginary idea of it?" To this Ralph Erskine, the seceder, replies in a treatise Of 372 closely printed pages, entitled " Faith no Fancy; or a Treatise of Mental Images, discovering the Vain Philosophy and Vile Divinity of a late Pamphlet entitled `Mr.Robe's Fourth Letter to Mr.Fisher,' and showing that an Imaginary Idea of Christ as Man (when supposed to belong to Saving Faith, whether in its Act or Object) imports nothing but Ignorance, Atheism, Idolatry, great Falsehood, or gross Delusion " (1745).He says of Mr.Robe: " This way of speaking appears indeed new and strange divinity to me, and makes the object of faith truly a sensible object; not the object of faith, but of sense." This leads him to criticise various philosophies.He refers to Tertuilian (as quoted by Jerome), who in regard to Platonic ideas said, "Haereticorum patriarchae philosophi." He shows him that the learned De Vries, Mastricht, and other eminent doctors {89}

and divines abroad, had noticed how the ideal doctrine of Cartesius and his followers had led to imagery and idolatry.

He also criticises Locke with considerable skill."There seems nothing more common in the experience of mankind than that a man who hath the greatest stock of habitual knowledge and understanding relating to many truths, yet while his body sleeps, or his mind is in a muse about other things, lie perceives none of theme truths." So "I see no greater absurdity in saying one may leave a stock of seminal or habitual knowledge, though lie leave no actual knowledge, than to say one may have a stock of senses, though be hath no actual sensation, or consciousness of the acts or exercise of any of his senses, as a child not born or a man in a deep sleep; or a natural store of affections subjectively in him, and yet affected with nothing till occasions and objects appear.One may have a good pair of eyes, and yet see nothing till light be given and objects be presented.Nor is it an improper way of speaking to say a man hath not his eyes or sight, though he be not actually seeing.And as little is it improper to say a man hath understanding and knowledge, though he be not actually knowing or perceiving the truths he has the impress of in his understanding." This is a wonderfully clear statement of the distinctions between the seminal capacity and the actual ideas, between a laid-up stock and occasions, by which philosophers have sought to overthrow the theory of Locke.

In regard to the special question discussed, Mr.Robe had quoted the received rule, "<Oportet intelligentem phantasmata speculari>." Erskine quotes against him Hieroboord, " Mens non indiget semper phantasmata ad suas perceptiones." "The object of that idea is only corporeal things as corporeal; but the object of rational knowledge is not only corporeal things, but spiritual and corporeal things, not as corporeal, but as intelligible." " It is reason, and not sense, that is the only help to attain the natural knowledge of God and his perfections." Above reason he places faith." True faith differs as much from, and is as far above, mere intellectual ideas as intellectual ideas are above corporeal and imaginary ideas; yea, much farther than human reason is above sense; even as far as what is above human and supernatural, is above merely natural." It is evident that there are curious questions started, though not precisely settled, as to the place which the phantasm has in thought, and the imagination in religion.We feel that we are in the society of men of reflection and of reading.The evangelical and the seceding ministers of these days are quite as erudite as the academic men who despised them, and are holding firmly by old truths which the new philosophy is overlooking.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 天问之九歌

    天问之九歌

    古月穿越千年,让人类历史顺利前行,暗歌的轮回,命运的羁绊,一切过后,回到了她做杀手之前,
  • 男神老公别来无恙

    男神老公别来无恙

    他,玩世不恭的总裁大人她,青涩懵懂的小绵羊"你爱我吗?"她问"不爱”他冷漠的答道殊不知,她已悄然走进他的心,在不知不觉中占据了他整颗心脏只是,他发现的太晚..................五年后,她带球归来,他和她,又会发生什么呢?谁知道呢.......
  • 驳何氏论文书

    驳何氏论文书

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 武战真皇

    武战真皇

    以武战道,以战修武,武炼巅峰,战若癫狂,方为真皇蛮荒森林,少年君鹏从这里走出,找寻自己那未知的身世,追寻那飘渺的真皇之境,看他如何以平凡资质逆天伐神,如何在众生芸芸之中脱颖而出,执掌众生…………新人新书,大家多多支持
  • 王俊凯:摩天轮下的你

    王俊凯:摩天轮下的你

    传说,摩天轮有多高,幸福就有多高很幸运的是,她在最美好的年纪,遇到了最美好的他。【虐+甜,你宣吗?】
  • 五鉴

    五鉴

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 大主宰之穿越芊成莲

    大主宰之穿越芊成莲

    只是睡个觉,却莫名其妙的穿越到了大千世界?打破世界原规则,我才是最强的!欢迎大家支持这部小说。
  • 暗语者

    暗语者

    在我们生活的这个城市里,有灯火闪烁的霓虹,有金光灿灿的大厦,也有众所周知令人发指的罪恶这些人就充斥着这个光鲜亮丽的城市里,他们是老人,是小孩,是女人,是被定义为弱者的一批人,可是他们却成为了黑色的代名词,有着不为人知的另一面。当一个个诡异的案件呈现在人们面前,难免令人唏嘘不已(本故事纯属虚构,如有雷同,实属巧合)
  • 花都修真狂少

    花都修真狂少

    从小患有脑瘫的王毅便一直跟着以捡破烂为生的爷爷相依为命。在学校他被全班人欺负,在外面他被路人欺负,在家里,他又被隔壁家的狗欺负,在这个世界上,除了他爷爷再也找不到第二个不欺负他的人了。直到十八岁那年,因为一次意外,他踏上了修真的道路。那些曾经欺负过他的人,他将一一欺负回去。
  • 繁星的恬面酱

    繁星的恬面酱

    这个故事讲的是一个从小失去父母的女孩孟恬樱因一次车祸伤亡,而穿越到了同一时间但地点不同的楚恬雅的体内,楚恬雅的父母在她5岁的时候离婚了,她的爸爸因此自杀,而她的妈妈嫁给了陈氏集团的老板,并将她接到了那里去住,陈氏集团的老板有两个儿子,一个是和原来的妻子收养的,另一个是他们亲生的,收养的男孩叫陈卓繁,亲生的叫陈卓星。于是便开始了他们爱恨情仇的故事。