The most useful labourers in the church of Christ have been men of learning. Not to mention many of the Fathers, how much do we owe to the learning of Luther, Melancthon, Calvin, Ridley, Cranmer, Jewell, Usher, Hall, Leighton, and multitudes of others.

The revival of literature, and the reformation of the church, were connected events.1 The Reformers felt strongly the importance of learning; Luther says, I am persuaded that true divinity could not well be supported without the knowledge of letters of this we have sad proof, for while learning was decayed and in ruins, theology fell too, and lay most wretchedly obscured. I am sure that the revelation and manifestation of the word of God would never have been so extensive and glorious as it is, if preparatorily, like so many John the Baptists smoothing the way, the knowledge of languages and good learning had not risen up amongst us. They are most exceedingly mistaken, who imagine that the knowledge of nature and true philosophy is of no use to a divine.' He says, in the Preface to an Exposition of the 90th Psalm, There were at that time men, and more afterwards

the progress of Hellenism, and for the downfall of Christian knowledge. He charges the Christians with the inconsistency of instructing people in classical learning, at the same time, that they opposed the heathen mythology. The account of La Bleterie concerning this matter is just, and his observation deserves to be quoted. "To explain the classic authors, to commend them as models of language, of eloquence and taste, to unveil their beauties, &c. this is not proposing them as oracles of religion and morality.' Julian is pleased to confound two things so different, and to erect, under the favour of this confusion, the peurile sophistry, which prevails through his whole edict.'-See Milner, Vol. II. p. 123.

Viller's' Essai sur l'esprit et l'influence de la Reformation de Luther' throws much light on this topic.

would arise, who despised theological studies, and indeed all studies; there ought therefore to be some to proclaim the praises of God, and to disseminate the knowledge of His word.

Laymen, and all Christians, are personally concerned in this subject. Men are too apt to think that the study of religion concerns ministers and not private Christians. Divinity, however, is not like medicine, or law, or navigation, which belong only to a particular class or profession; every human being has an immortal soul, the care of which devolves mainly on himself. Every human being is dependant on God and Jesus Christ, and is infinitely concerned to know His character and will.

All Christians are called pantai, disciples, or scholars. Their very name implies that they are learners.

The extensive usefulness of such laymen as Bacon, Boyle, Hale, Pascal, Boerhaave, Haller, Johnson, Beattie, Goode, and others, was closely connected with their general and religious knowledge and learning. Laymen are free from the suspicion of professional interest, and can therefore speak on religion with some advantages which a minister does not possess. The apostle in the direction, leave the first principles of the doctrine of Christ, and go on unto perfection, requires Christians in general not to be content with a slight superficial knowledge; and supposes, that after a certain time all ought to be able to instruct others for the time ye ought to be teachers. This direction is not immediately addressed to ministers, but to Christians in general.

It is affecting sometimes to hear laymen deliberately avow their ignorance of religion, either as what does

not concern them, or as an evidence of their superiority to vulgar prejudice. What a low, dark, and miserable mind must theirs be! To be willingly and ostentatiously ignorant of that, which on the very face of it is the sublimest and most ennobling of all studies, relating to the great Lord of all, to both worlds and all ages; and affecting the character, the conduct, and the present, the mental, the temporal, and the eternal happiness of the whole human race! surely this very avowal can only be accounted for on the scriptural principle of having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in them.

It is the testimony of Boyle, one well qualified to say so, For an ordinary naturalist to despise those that study the mysteries of religion, as much inferior to physical truths, is no less unreasonable than it were for a watch-maker, because he understands his own trade, to dispise privy counsellors, who are acquainted with the secrets of monarchs and mysteries of state; or than it were for a ship carpenter, because he understands more of the fabric of the vessel, to despise the admiral that is acquainted with the secret designs of the prince, and employed about his most important affairs.'

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In what respect is theology not adapted to the body of Christians? It is a science concerning the noblest subjects on which the mind of man can be occupied, it improves the student in piety, consoles him in affliction, and prepares him for the everlasting enjoyment of the Divine Object of his studies.

If it be thought a great thing to keep a man from

1 Excellency of Theology, p. 170.

the grave, sometimes for a few days, and still more to restore him to health, so that he may enjoy life for some years even, though with troublesome diet and remedies, theology has yet higher and better ends. It shows the way of attaining spiritual health, endless life, and perfect happiness.

Laymen will be preserved from many temptations, by adequate Christian knowledge. If you know the scriptures and the history of the church, you will not be so apt to be misled by every fresh error, nor, as St. James expresses it, to be carried about with every wind of doctrine.

But it is again objected, that learned men are sometimes infidels, and often merely nominal Christians; and the Apostle himself says, not many wise men after the flesh are called. This indeed is an important and humbling lesson to those who trust in human wisdom, which can never of itself attain divine grace, and often hinders and hurts the soul. It has pleased God to make manifest the inefficiency of human acquirements of themselves, that He might the more display the necessity and excellence of His own grace; but in every age there have been those who have been bright examples that piety and great attainments in learning are perfectly consistent. It was an old reproach against an Apostle, much learning doth make thee mad; Paul, though learned, was not mad. Men of both learning

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1 Lord Bacon, answering the objections of divines, against learning, says, 'It is an assured truth, and a conclusion of experience, that a little or superficial knowledge of philosophy may incline the mind of man to atheism, but a farther proceeding therein brings the mind back again to religion; for in the entrance of philosophy, when the second causes which are next unto the senses offer themselves to the mind of man, if it dwell and stay there, it may induce some oblivion of the highest cause; but when

and piety are requisite to convict the errors of ignorant pious men on the one hand, and to answer the errors of learned wicked men on the other. There are those who turn knowledge, and argument, and human wisdom against religion, but there are assuredly infinitely superior knowledge, superior argument, and superior wisdom, on the side of religion, and this has been and will be manifested to the unspeakable advantage of truth. Religion receives its due homage when the highest intellect and deepest learning, when Bacon and Newton yield subjection to it.

If there are learned men to oppose the gospel, there ought to be still more learned men to meet such opponents, and to show that the very depths of learning contain nothing but invincible arguments for the truth of the gospel, and all its great and cheering doctrines. And after all, though learning has been

a man passes on farther, and sees the dependence of causes, and the works of Providence; then, according to the allegory of the poets, he will easily believe that the highest link of nature's chain must be tied to the foot of Jupiter's chair. To conclude, therefore, let no man, on a weak conceit of sobriety, or an ill-applied moderation, think or maintain that a man can search too far, or be too well studied in the book of God's word, or in the book of God's works; divinity or philosophy; but rather let men endeavour an endless progress or proficiency in both; only let men beware that they apply both to charity and not to swelling; to use and not to ostentation; and again, that they do not unwisely mingle or confound these learnings together.'

1 It is not learning, but want of learning which leads to error in religion. It was the want of learning which occasioned the abuses of religion in the middle ages; it was the learning of our early reformers by which those abuses were corrected; let no one therefore apprehend that theological learning will now undo what it did at the reformation. It is in fact the only method of ensuring to us the advantage of the reformation, by guarding against enthusiasm on the one hand, and infidelity on the other.-Bishop Marsh's Lectures.-P. 12, 15, 16.