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Doctor Brownlee vs. the Fathers, Ancient and Modern,

And first, of the Modern, As "Mr. S. has yet to study the theology of the best fathers of his own Church, and in a special manner, the subject he has undertaken to discuss," he will, we are sure, be greatly obliged to Doctor B. for thus kindly pointing out to him those "best fathers," of whose worth, and even existence, he is so obviously ignorant; nor can we doubt but that he will profit by the hint thus given him. We must be allowed to express our gratification also, not only at finding the Doctor's judgment of these "best fathers," so entirely in harmony with our own, but also, and more especially, at discovering how much respect and good will he entertains for those "leading divines of the Episcopal Church of the good old way." Nor is this all-having the Doctor's high approbation of the sentiments of those "best fathers," we feel that an important point is gained, and that our labours, under this head, are very much lessened. We only regret that, while his hand was in, the Doctor did not, out of his great knowledge and pure love of old Theology, give us the names of at least two or three of the best modern fathers of his own Church; as for his ancient fathers, we will not be so unreasonable as to enquire after them. Thus brought, through the Doctor's great learning and most unmerited kindness, to a knowledge of those "best fathers, and leading divines of the Episcopal Church of the good old way," whom he so highly approves, but whom, "Mr. S. has yet to study," we, out of curiosity, turned to the works of those standard writers, to see what were their opinions on the subject of an intermediate state. Judge then of our surprise, when we found them all, 'tis indeed strange, yet there are stranger things to come, we found them all, without exception, the very fathers whom Mr. S. has himself quoted at length, and by whose authority he supports his doctrine. This being the case, the whole matter turns on the truth and honesty of these Rev. Gentlemen in bringing forth the real opinions of these "best fathers," as they both seem to admit there is no obscurity in their writings, -Mr. S. confidently appealing to them in support of "his theory," and Dr. B. boldly asserting that "they are manifestly with us. The only way to settle the question, is, to recal these "best fathers," and subject their testimony to a re-examination. Having done this, we shall leave to others to decide on the degree of justice the Doctor has rendered, we will not say to the "best fathers," nor yet to Mr. S., but to himself, and of the extent of his respect, not merely for the rule-"Do unto others as ye would they should do unto you," but for the command, "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor."

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With the "best fathers" of the Episcopal Church, in this country, such as Bishops Seabury, white and Hobart, we need have no further trouble, they being all high churchmen, strong advocates of an intermediate place, and of course, in a wrong position," the Doctor is resolutely, heroically and vehemently against them. We will therefore go, at once, to the venerable Mother of the American Church, the Church of England, and see what her fathers say on this subject. And here, we shall avail ourselves of the Catena Patrum," as given by Mr. S. in the appendix to his sermon. He has there, in addition to the testimony of several other standard writers of the English Church, embodied the opinions of twelve distinguished individuals, ranking among the highest dignitaries and ablest writers of that church, and furnishing a connected chain of testimony on the subject of an intermediate state from 1612, down to the present time, a period of nearly two hundred and fifty years. Their names, in the order they stand in the Appendix, are as follows:-Bp. Pearson, Bp. Bull, Bp. Burnet, Doct. Wall, Dean Stanhope, Dr. Wheatly, Archbishop Secker, Bp. Newton, Jones of Nayland, Bp. Horne, Bp. Horsley, and Bp. Mant. These distinguished Fathers and writers do all, according to Mr. S. declare themselves in favor, not only of an intermediate state, but of an intermediate place. And it may not be amiss to remark, that these Fathers of the English Church seem to have been selected by Mr. S. not because they are the only writers of the same opinion on this subject, but because, living at different and distant periods, they furnish an unbroken chain of testimony through the long period of nearly two and a half centuries. But as all these do not, at least, in the Doctor's opinion, rank among the "best Fathers and leading divines of the Episcopal Church of the good old way," it becomes necessary, however invidious it may appear, to designate the Doctor's favorites, and to assign the reason for this, their enviable distinction. From the Doctor's most cordial anathema then, of high churchmen, their inexcusable ignorance, wrong position, bad logic, and all, he provisionally excepts-we cannot but fancy we see our readers smile, as we give the list, Bp. Bull, Dean Stanhope, Dr. Wheatly, Archbishop Secker, Bp. Newton and Bp. Mant; while the very satisfactory reason for his gracious dispensation in their favor, the Doctor gives in these brief, but pregnant words "They are manifestly with us." The rest, Bp. Pearson, Bp. Burnet, Doct. Wall, Jones of Nayland, Bp. Horne, and Bp. Horsley, being all, like the Fathers of the American Church, incorrigibly high churchmen, are absolutely condemned. The Doctor has given his voice against them. We are therefore relieved from all further concern with their opinions. There is left then, to re-examine but the testimony of

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those few of the "best fathers" whom the Doctor has conditionally taken into favor. We say conditionally, for it is but fair to state, that the Doctor has not pronounced definitively upon all, even of these his favorites. He excepts them from the general anathema resting upon all high churchmen, no farther than they are consistent with themselves: and let it be remembered, they are consistent with themselves only so far as they agree with Doctor Brownlee.

It must also be distinctly understood, that the consistency of these "best fathers" with themselves, and of course, their continuance in the Doctor's favor, depend entirely upon their denying the existence of an intermediate place. On this single point, are suspended alike the Doctor's smiles, and their distinction. On so small a thing hangs all their greatness!

That these "best fathers are all manifestly with him," the Doctor, with great apparent fairness, and it would seem, with much gratitude too, is willing to rest on the testimony furnished by his "opponents. What can be more fair or honorable?

We cannot but think, however, it would have been no more than prudent on the part of the Doctor, to have, at least, looked into some of these best fathers, before he received them even conditionally into favor; and we regret, on his account, that he did not take this precaution; as from this great willingness to trust all to his opponents, in connection with the fact, that all his references-little things in which the Doctor places great value, authors, vols. page, edition, typographical errors and all,, are taken from Mr. S.'s appendix, some may be ill natured. enough to suspect that the Doctor has never seen these fathers, he has pronounced the best. This, however, is of no sort of consequence. Whether the Doctor has seen them or not, no one doubts his ability to judge, and pronounce dogmatically, not only of their contents, but also of their merits. He therefore says most magnanimously:-*

"We accept of the quotations of these Theologians, as given by Hobart and Sherwood, &c. and thank them for helping our cause.'

As the Doctor reposes so much confidence in his "opponents," it will be necessary, in order that his real regard for fairness, justice and truth, may be rightly appreciated, to repeat, at some length, these quotations, especially those furnished by Mr. S. lest he be thought to have been instrumental in leading the Doctor into an error; for, although the references are all the same, the quotations are amazingly different. And here, as we have to deal only with simple facts, the naked assertion-with indeed but a single word of these writers; and as we shall be obliged to put the Doctor's veracity to a yet further, and some

*See Chris. Intel., Dec. 21, 1839, No. III.

what more direct and severe test, we must beg particular, áttention to this part of his review. It is, we hope and believe, a rare specimen of polemick honesty and skill; and to do it any thing like justice, it must be given entire:-here it is, italics and capitals, all the Doctor's-*

"The leading divines of the Episcopal Church of the good old way, are manifestly with us. For instance, Dean Stanhope says, 'The soul lives in a separate STATE from the body, and such a STATE as is susceptible of happiness or misery.'

Dr. Wheatly says, 'The interval between death and the end of the world, is a STATE-not place-a STATE of expectation and imperfect bliss.' Then he adds that the completion and perfection of their happines takes place at the last day.-(On the Com. Prayer—p. 304-Boston edition of 1825.)

Archbishop Seeker thus writes:-'Hades means the invisible world, one part or other of which, the souls of the deceased, whether good or bad, inhabit. And he adds, that saints are there waiting for a still more perfect happiness at the last day. (Seeker on the Catechism, sec. IX.

Bishop Newton says, 'The separate souls are happy or miserable; but not so miserable nor happy, as they shall be at the resurrection.-(On Intermediate state, vol. III. pp. 559, 661. London edit.)

Bishop Mant, as quoted by Mr. Sherwood-(Mr. S. we suppose, did not quote the other writers !) is decidedly of orthodox belief- The intermediate STATE, he does not say place, is one of rest and repose. He adds, that will be succeeded by another state of perfect happiness at the last day. (Happiness of the Blessed, p. 10.)

In a word, the ancient and sound fathers of this venerable section of the Reformed Church, do, to a man, believe as do the compeers of other Churches. But the party of the high churchmen within her, and those approximating to Romanism, do, to a man, advocate this quasi purgatory of an intermediate place of souls, not perfect in holiness."

Such is the Doctor's brief and pithy account of the opinions of "the leading divines, and of the ancient and sound fathers" of the English Church, in relation to the departed. In this statement the Doctor has certainly made a bold and matchless, yet most melancholy effort to vanquish the truth; and we confess that we look at it, and contemplate it with unfeigned amazement and sorrow. We give this statement first, that our readers, having it before them, may be enabled to examine it, and compare it with the real quotations made by Mr. S. in the Appendix to his sermon, and which, with the references to their respective authors, are here transcribed.†

We must here particularly beg our readers to take along with them, and keep in mind, the ominous sentence with which the Doctor commences the foregoing marvellous paragraph

The leading divines," meaning Bp. Bull, Dean Stanhope, Doct. Wheatly, Archbishop Secker, Bp. Newton, and Bp. Mant -"These leading divines of the Episcopal Church of the good

*See Chris. Intel. Dec. 21st, 1839. No. III.

+See appendix to Mr. S.'s sermon, on Inter. State, pp. 40, 41, 42, 43, 44.

old way, are manifestly with us:" that is, these writers all agree with Doctor Brownlee, in denying an intermediate place.

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Now this direct, positive, and often repeated assertion, we say, is not true. We will prove that the Doctor knew that it was not true, when he made it. We will prove that not one of the above mentioned fathers is with him on this subject. And we will prove that he has deliberately falsified them all.

Reversing the order in which the Doctor has mentioned these fathers, we will begin with Bp. Mant, who, as quoted by Mr. S. says,

"That the intermediate state of the souls of the righteous is one of rest and repose: not however of insensibility, but of consciousness, and of positive and great enjoyment: still that it will be succeeded by another state of yet superior happiness, when the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed; and when the crown of righteousness, heretofore laid up for all those who love the Lord's appearing, shall be given to them by the Lord the righteous judge, in the presence of assembled men and angels, on that day."*

Now it is freely admitted that, in this quotation, the word place is not found; but that it must be inferred, and that Bp. Mant maintains an intermediate place, are evident from this very passage. We should like to have the learned Doctor explain how there can be rest and repose without place. That, by this state of rest and repose, of positive and great enjoyment, the Bishop does not mean heaven, is manifest, for this state, he says, is to be succeeded by another of superior happiness, when the trumpet shall sound, when the dead shall be raised, and we shall be changed, that is, at the last day. If therefore this state of rest and repose be heaven, we should like to know, by what name that other state of superior happiness, which is to succeed, must be called. That Bp. Mant holds an intermediate place, and uses the word state to denote that place, is evident from the slight est inspection of his work. And this Mr. S. would doubtless have shown, could he have anticipated any thing like this "contemptible quibble," as it has been justly characterized, "about state and place.'

To satisfy the Doctor, however, as well as to show him, how much safer it is to look into authors himself, than to trust to the fairest quotations, let Bp. Mant speak for himself. Commenting on the words of our Saviour to the penitent thief, he says,†

"Paradise was the name of that PLACE of happiness, to which the Jews supposed the souls of the pious to be conveyed on their separation from their bodies. To be admitted into that PLACE, to be received withal into the society of the Redeemer, cannot but signify an admission to a state of enjoyment."

*Happiness of the Blessed, p. 10.
+Happiness of the Blessed, p. 8.

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