:

African slaves had pretty generally been purchased by the wealthy families and the posterity of that race is now more numerous in this town, than in any other town of the ancient Colony.'p. 151.

We copy the character given of Mr. Eells, as a favorable specimen of the New England clergy in the first half of the last century.

'There are a few aged people now living who remember him. They describe his person to have been of a stature rather above mediocrity, of broad chest and muscular proportions, remarkably erect, somewhat corpulent in his later years, of dark complexion, with large black eyes and brows, and of general manners rather dignified and commanding than sprightly and pleasing. He had an influence and authority amongst his people that none of his successors have exercised, and which may have been in some measure a peculiarity of earlier times than these. The controversy with which his predecessors had been agitated had ceased. The Quakers, by not being persecuted here, had become quiescent. Whitfield's New light, and his spirit of denunciation had been kept out of his society, by the determined stand which he took against him; and the times were prosperous and happy. His people were delighted to see him at their doors, as he rode up on horseback to inquire after their health, and to hand his pipe to be lighted. We mean no satire by recording this trifle; for he was a venerable man, and so beloved, that every parishioner would take pleasure in performing such an office for him. He was also a leader amongst the neighbouring clergy, well acquainted with the constitution and usages of the Churches, weighty in counsel, and often called to distant parts of the State, and to other States on Ecclesiastical Councils. As a preacher, there is reason to believe that he did not so much excel as in his dignity of character and soundness of understanding. We have seen a volume in manuscript of nearly an hundred sermons, which he used to carry with him when he travelled abroad. They embrace a considerable variety of subjects, and enabled him to preach at any time and on any occasion. They begin with his own ordination sermon, which he himself preached, according to ancient custom, and include the sermons which he composed during the few first years of his ministry. Were we to judge of his talents from these alone, we should not do him justice. There are a few discourses in print which are very respectable productions, and in particular those delivered 22

VOL. XII.

N. S. VOL. VII. NO. II.

at the ordinations of his two sons. sermon in 1743, (Deut. xxxii. 47.)

He preached the Election

'His sentiments were the moderate Calvinism of that day; we have seen one sermon on the doctrine of election, which had many explanations closely bordering on Arminianism. In the latter part of his life he continued to speak of Arminian free will as an error, but with no asperity. Mr. Lemuel Bryant of Quincy, who had gone somewhat before the age in liberal speculations, preached for him on a certain day, and delivered a sermon which he afterwards printed, (on the text, "All our righteousnesses are filthy rags,") and explained the text in the manner which would now be generally acceptable, showing that the formalities of a corrupt generation of the Jews were therein described, and not the moral virtues of true worshippers, which led Mr. Eells to say, "Alas! Sir, you have undone to-day, all that I have been doing for forty years," and Bryant with his accustomed wit and courtesy replied, "Sir, you do me too much honor in saying, that I could undo in one sermon, the labors of your long and useful life." An aged and highly intelligent gentleman, who related this anecdote to us twenty years since, also remarked that Mr. Eells preached a series of sermons afterward, with a view to correct Mr. Bryant's 's errors, but it was not easy, remarked the same gentleman, to discern much difference between his doctrine and that of Mr. Bryant. On the whole, we believe there has rarely been known a ministry of forty-six years, which so many circumstances conspired to render successful and happy. There are a few now living that remember the solemn day of fasting and prayer, kept by his people, on account of his death.' - pp. 198, 200.

A particular and interesting account is given of Dr. Barnes, Mr. Deane's immediate predecessor, from which we give a single extract.

'His ministry continued in a good degree of quiet from the troubles of religious dissensions almost to the last. A short time before his death, the spirit of fault-finding began to move, and a stricter mode of Calvinism began to call for a separation, but had produced no great effect during his life. We believe he was remarkable for his meekness in "instructing those that opposed," and by parables, rather than by direct argument, he was accustomed to converse with such. A neighbour who was a Calvinist of the straitest sect, having frequently spent long sittings in arguing with Dr. Barnes, was finally answered by the following parable:

"You, Sir, are a gentleman, to whom the public feels and acknowledges much obligation for your mechanical skill and inventions. Now we will suppose that your powers should be so far increased that you could make intelligent beings, and that you should produce thousands each day, formed with all the endowments of the human race. Then suppose that your neighbours should inquire, what destination you proposed for these beings; and you should reply, that you had prepared a place of torment to which you proposed to condemn the greater part, not for any personal offence against you, but because you had made them for that end; and that the remaining few you had destined, in the same arbitrary manner, to another place of perfect happiness, which you had also prepared. Now, Sir, suppose that your neighbours were furnished with the common sense of mankind, concerning justice and goodness in the administration of one being, who has a controlling power over other beings, would they not knock your shop down, and say that such a wicked trade should not go on ?" pp. 204, 205.

Scituate has been the birthplace or home of several laymen of distinction, among whom we may mention particularly the venerable Hatherly, its founder and one of its principal benefactors, General Cudworth, Vassall, the Wantons, and the Cushings. The elder Wanton was a strict Quaker; but not so his fiery and adventurous sons, of whom Mr. Deane has collected the following curious memorials.

'William (son of Edward) began his distinguished course by stepping out of the rules of his religious sect, and performing some distinguished military exploits; and in the narrative of these exploits the name of his brother John must be associated with that of William. In 1694, when William was at the age of 24, and John at 22, a pirate ship having committed several robberies in the Bay, in which the family property had suffered losses, these two young men headed a party of volunteers, and captured the pirates, and carried them into Newport, where they were executed. Again in 1697, just before the peace of Ryswic, during the troubles with Count Frontenac, Governor of Canada, a French armed ship had taken several prizes in the Bay and again William and John Wanton fitted out each a vessel from Boston, well manned with high-spirited volunteers, and admirably accomplished their design. It is said that William ran under the stern of the French ship and wedged her rudder, while John and his party boarded. Whether this method of embarrassing the Frenchman were practica

ble or not, we do not know; we only state that this is a part of the fireside narrative, that has been handed down. It is also said, that the venerable Edward endeavoured to dissuade his sons from this enterprise as unlawful, according to the rules of their church; but on finding their determination fixed, he thus addressed them. "It would be a grief to my spirit to hear that ye had fallen in a military enterprise; but if ye will go, remember that it would be a greater grief to hear that ye were cowards."

The fame of this exploit reached England, and when the two Wantons went to England in 1702, they were invited to Court, and Queen Anne granted an addition to their family coat of arms, and presented each with two pieces of plate, with proper devices, namely, a silver punch bowl and salver. These pieces of plate are said to have been stolen from their houses at Newport, during the raging of the mobs in the political contest of Hopkins and Ward, with the exception of one piece, which is now said to be extant in Newport.

'We now proceed with William. He left Scituate 1704, and settled in Newport. He had previously married Ruth, the daughter of Deacon John Bryant, senior. To this match, there had been several objections; the Quakers disapproved of his marrying out of the Society, and the Congregationalists of his marrying into theirs, and moreover the woman was very young; however, the sanguine temper of Wanton was not to be foiled, and he is said to have addressed the young woman in the presence of her family in the following words: "Ruth, let us break away from this unreasonable bondage. I will give up my religion, and thou shalt give up thine, and we will go to the church of England, and go to the Devil together." They fulfilled this resolution, so far as going to church and marrying, and adhering to the church of England during life.' - pp. 373, 374.

We hope that Mr. Deane's example will be followed by other clergymen living in the interesting and beautiful villages scattered throughout the country. Their education, tastes, and pursuits must be supposed to fit them peculiarly for collecting such historical notices. Above all, however, let them be minute, exact, and full. Our principal objection to the work before us is that so little is said of the natural history of the place, and of its natural capabilities and peculiarities. If it had been necessary, we could have spared for this purpose twenty or thirty pages from the Family Sketches.'

6

[For the Christian Examiner.]

ART. III. Conclusion of the Second Letter on the Meaning of Aiov in ancient Greek.

We now come to the passage in Plato's Timæus, containing four instances of air, and three of aivios also one of Siatorios, which may be allowed to pass among the rest; due regard being had to the prefix dia. All these occur in one paragraph, occupying little more than two pages. It was mistakenly printed seventy pages in my last; and the error was overlooked, till it was too late to correct it.

There is no fairer way of presenting these words, in their connexion, than by producing, at once, the passage at large in which they appear. This I now do; numbering the instances of either word as they occur, for the sake of more ready reference in commenting upon them, should such refence be necessary.

Plato, having described the formation of soul, and corporeal nature associated with, and pervaded by it, proceeds to say, Timæus p. 37 C., As the generating father contemplated this generated resemblance of the eternal [didior] Gods, moved and living, he was well pleased; and, being glad, he bent his mind on making it still more perfect according to the paradigm. As that, therefore, is an eternal auimal [šov åïdiov], he took in hand to finish this universe as much like it as possible. But, then, the nature of the animal is EXISTENTIAL [1]; and this, indeed, to the generated, altogether, it was not possible to affix. But, he contrived in mind, to make a certain movable image of EXISTENCE [2]; and, ordaining the heaven, at the same time, he made an EXISTENTIAL [3] image proceeding according to number, of EXISTENCE [4] abiding in one; this which we have now named time; [ἡ μὲν οὖν ζώου φύσις ἐτύγχανεν οὖσα αἰώνιος. Καὶ τοῦτο μὲν δὴ τῷ γεννητῷ παντελῶς προσάπτειν, οὐκ ἦν δυνατόν· εἰκόνα δ ̓ ἐπινοεῖ κινητήν τινα αἰῶνος ποιῆσαι, καὶ διακοσμῶν ἅμα οὐρανὸν, ποιεῖ, μένοντος αἰῶνος ἐν ἐνὶ, κατ ̓ ἀριθμὸν ἰοῦσαν αἰώνι ον εἰκόνα, τοῦτον ὃν δὴ χρόνον ὠνομάκαμεν ] days, also, and nights, and months and years, which were not, before the heaven was generated; and so, at once, with the same constitution, he fabricated their generation. And all these are part of time. And both it was, and it WILL BE, the forms of generated time, we ignorantly refer to the eternal [dïdiov] essence, not correctly.