This town has rendered itself prominent in the days that are gone, for its active resistance of arbitrary power; and it still retains its character for a devotedness to freedom. No part of Ireland stands higher in the rank of literary eminence, or has done more for the civil and literary illumination of the country, than this northern metropolis. Its merchants are, generally speaking, men of literary acquirements, and consequently patrons of the arts and sciences. In fact, so devotedly are they attached to mental improvement, and so liberal and princely are they in its encouragement, that this place has been not unjustly designated as the Athens of the island. But notwithstanding this, such is the liberality of their politics, and their independence of character, that they are constantly under the suspicion of the administration. As illustrative of this, I will give you a short history of the Belfast Academical Institution-for they have never been able to procure for it the appellation of a college.

It is matter of history, that both English and Papal episcopacy have long had collegiate institutions in Ireland, liberally, if not lavishly endowed-while Presbyterians had to repair to another kingdom, to seek an education which could not be afforded them in their own. The inhabitants of Belfast, ever alive to the literary wants of their country, had long thought of the necessity of supplying this great want; and in fact, the sentiment which prevailed throughout the whole province of Ulster, seconded and stimulated their feelings. It was supposed by many, and hoped by all, that the English government, which had been liberal even to prodigality, upon the same subject to its own church, and which extended this liberality to a sect which it denominates "the whore of Babylon," and for the downfall of which it prays-would foster an institution for the Presbyterians also. This supposition was strengthened by the fact, that an Irishman, and the son of a Presbyterian elder, was at

that time, prime minister of state, and prime confidant of royalty. Under these auspices, and with this expectation, the inhabitants of Belfast, with a liberality of pocket only commensurate with the liberality of their political sentiments, erected a magnificent brick building, as part of a large and extended plan, for the purposes of a collegiate establishment.

After they had thus erected a building, and in part made provision for professors, they modestly asked the assistance of the government, in a work which they found too great for their own strength. On this application, the administration, with reluctance granted them the paltry pittance of £1500 annually. But as if they repented doing at all what they did with reluctance, they soon found an excuse to recalit; and this excuse was a toast, complimentary to the United States of America; which was given by one of the under teachers of the institution, at a dinner, on St. Patrick's day. This rebellious toast soon found its way to the cabinet of the prime minister; and immediately the board of managers of the Belfast Academical Institution, were officially informed, that his majesty's government could not countenance, much less support, such a nursery of republicanism and rebellion, and that it must recal the grant unless-unless what? Why, unless they would resign into their hands the direction of it!-That is, that the Presbyterians, after erecting splendid buildings, and partly endowing them, should give them into the hands of Episcopalians. This they rejected with contempt, and the annuity was withdrawn. But this was not all. Lord Castlereagh, in his anxiety to crush the institution, endeavoured to prevent the Presbyterian Synod of Ulster giving it their patronage; and to accomplish this nefarious design, engaged as a tool and coadjutor, his old political friend, the Rev. Dr. Black, of the city of Londonderry-a man of gigantic pow. ers of mind, and who had long been

a leader among his brethren. Their first efforts were to be directed, at the first meeting of Synod, against the propriety of choosing a professor of theology for the institution. The period soon arrived when the Synod was to meet, and the great question was brought forward; when the Head of the church raised up another David, who not only succeeded in triumphantly carrying the point at issue, but in fact, dethroned Dr. Black, and took possession of his place and influence. So decided and unanimous was the Synod in this affair, that but a single individual voted with the Doctor and the prime minister; and he was one of those lesser lights that are contented to be satellites to bodies of greater magnitude. From this time Dr. Black was supposed to labour under a privation of intellect, until he put an end to his mortal existence, by throwing himself over the Derry bridge into Lough Foyle. Poor man, he was frequently, before this sad catastrophe, heard saying to himself, as he walked his room-"Dr. Black must be wrong. Had the whole Synod voted against him, I should have thought him right, and the Synod wrong; but when the only fool in the whole body saw as he saw, and voted as he voted, he must be wrong." It was but a short time after this, when walking, as if in meditation, along the noble and picturesque bridge which crosses the Foyle, at Derry, the Doctor suddenly stopt, pulled off his surtout coat, handed it to a boy who at that moment was passing, and plunged into the swelling flood. The affrighted boy ran to the brink, and beheld the body rise-and sink, to rise no more.

Dr. Black and Lord Castlereagh were old and intimate friends, and in the opinion of many, were coadjutors in degrading poor Ireland. They both commenced their political career on the side of liberty, went over together to the side of tyranny, lived together on terms of great intimacy, and worse than all, in death were not separated; for it is a singular and

a melancholy coincidence, that they both died deranged, and by their own hands.

Poor Ireland, what a splendid misery she is destined to bear! At the time when the whole Presbyterian population of Ireland asked the English government to assist them in endowing a literary institution, they had every thing apparently in their favour. An Irishman was prime minister.-An Irishman was generalissimo of her armies, reaping laurels enough to have covered the nakedness of his beggared birth-place.An Irishman was viceroy of India, reigning with a splendour which nothing but distance prevented from eclipsing the brilliancy even of his Britannick Majesty; and to complete this Irish galaxy, the House of Commons, without contest or dispute, bestowed the palm of eloquence upon an Irish orator; and yet Ireland could not keep this little pittanceSo true it is, that a "house divided against itself cannot stand."

Notwithstanding, however, all this opposition, Belfast has supported its institution to this day; and, in point of literary standing, it is second to none of its age and experience. Its plan is unique and comprehensive, including within it a common school, a high school, and university; yet so incorporated together, that they are inseparable parts of a whole. A boy may go in there, hardly able to read, and come out a linguist, or a naturalist, or a chymist, or a mathematician, or a logician, or a moralist. At the date of these recollections, its faculty numbered eight professors, independently of head masters and tutors, and some of these men of eminent and profound talents. Its chemical and natural philosophy chair, was filled by Dr. Knight; and the elegant and accomplished Dr. John Young, presided with honour to himself, and to the institution, in the department of Ethics. The wellknown and profound philologist, Nelson, was professor of Greek and Hebrew; while Mr. Thompson, destined, if his health and life are pre

served, to become one of the first mathematicians of the age, presided in the department of mathematics, and its kindred sciences. Since the period referred to, this Institution

has suffered the inestimable loss of the great philologist, Dr. Nelson, a man who bade fair to give his country a splendid name, in that walk of science. While paying this little tribute to the memory of a great scholar, my mind turns almost instinctively to his name-sake and countryman, the present professor of languages in Rutgers College, New Brunswick-a man, cast in a similar mould, pursuing the same path, and travelling it too, with the same gigantick strides. In fact, when I first looked upon Dr. Nelson, of Brunswick, I soon found, by his mental vigour and acumen, that he was a representative, not only in name, and country, and pursuits, but in talents and erudition also, to the lamented professor of languages in the Belfast Academical Institution.-I trust that no sinister motive may be attributed to an obscure and anonymous Remembrancer, for noticing, with so much freedom, a living character, belonging to a neighbouring and flourishing college. It has been prompted solely by the singular coincidence of name, and country, and pursuits, and talents, with a great man, whose laurels are now waving over his cold grave: together with the warm and unfeigned pleasure which I have, to know that such a representative of such a man, is now labouring for the character of American literature, and the prosperity and honour of the American church.

A HINT TO LAY-CORRESPONDENTS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE.

Sir-Through a former number of your Miscellany was addressed "a Hint to Booksellers." Of the writer of that article I know nothing; but

the hint he gives needs not the sanction of a name, or of a title, and in further elucidation of the principles it contains, I design to give "a Hint to Lay-correspondents."

Perhaps I cannot put over my remarks the superscription "disinterested;" yet I believe I am not in a mood to complain, or to stir up improper feelings in others; and if the evil I wish removed be of no great magnitude, it admits of easy remedy.

As, in all cases, every man is obligated to do the greatest amount of good possible in his circumstances and with his talents, so is he specially bound to improve his professional opportunities of usefulness; and every thing is to be regretted which tends to limit his influence in this respect. I need not argue with my reader on the advantages of epistolary correspondence, when properly conducted. Those especially, who are in a peculiar state of mind, may be not a little benefited by the well-timed remarks of an absent ministerial acquaintance. In this way, a minister may "be instant out of season," and that minister is hardly heedful of the apostolick injunction, who is not desirous to improve, to the spiritual benefit of his friends, any special dispensations of Providence or of grace, that may be allotted to them. Others, it is true, may be equally useful in this way; but I choose to confine my remarks to ministers, for a reason assigned in 1 Pet. v. 1, as also because, for the most part, they are better qualified for this duty, and are likely to be more successful, in a matter apparently growing out of their professional character. Let the reader distinctly understand that we claim no compensation for these collateral ser vices: nay, we account the man unfit for the sacred office, who is unwilling to bestir himself in duty, except in view of some earthly remuneration. A man, called of God to this office, will prefer it, in the most impoverishing circumstances, to any other post, however lucrative. He yields him

self a living sacrifice to God, and is willing to encounter any difficulty and expense in his master's service. But those sacrifices which he ought to be willing to make, others ought not to be willing, and have no right, to exact. If a minister write frequently in such cases, he must subject himself to no inconsiderable expense, unless the answers to his communications be post-paid. The hint is now forthcoming-"Let Lay-correspondents, in these circumstances, bear the entire expense."

As a confirmation of the foregoing reasoning, we observe

1. It is an axiom in morals, that the party benefited ought to bear the burden. Every man is doubtless a gainer by the discharge of duty. It is a privilege, as well as a duty, to do good to all men as we have opportunity. Those who water others shall be watered in return: and that minister is not likely to be a serviceable correspondent to others, who is not richly repaid in his own bosom. But as the good of others is here the primary object, they certainly ought to bear the expense.

2. We are led to the same conclusion by analogy.

Those indeed are to be pitied, who regard the ministerial office as a mere profession, and whose prompting principle to the discharge of its duties is not the love of Christ. They may preach Christ to others, but themselves, if not renewed, will at last be castaways. Yet a minister of the gospel is a professional character, and entitled to the same professional immunities as others. His professional employment so coalesces with the ordinary duties and kindnesses of life, that we lose sight of him as a professional man. So far, this is quite to our mind, and promotive, we think, of his usefulness: but at the same time, we would not have you ignorant, brethren, that in other proVOL. V.-Ch. Adv.

fessions, gratuitous counsel is the utmost ever looked for.

Finally. Do you not desire an increase of ministerial usefulness?

You will not deny that many have been useful by correspondence, nor that many besides might be useful in the same way. Do you blame ministers for negligence in this particular? Look at Rom. 2d chap. 1st verse, and 2d clause. The revenues of the clergy, for the most part, in this country, are very limited: and, even aside from the manifest injustice of being subject to an additional expense for every additional duty, most of the ministers of the gospel dare not engage in extensive correspondence. How easily might this hindrance be removed, and the field of ministerial usefulness be enlarged! The expense, though considerable when convergent on him, would not be felt if distributed among his correspondents, agreeably to the hint already given. The indirect efforts of a minister might then spread over as wide a surface, and be productive of as healthful an influence, as his direct annunciations of gospel truth.

The delinquency alluded to, is owing, I believe, in a great measure, to inadvertence. The minds of our Lay-brethren merely need to be stirred up, by way of remembrance, on this particular: and should the hint now given, remove to any extent the barrier, and rouse useful epistolary talent out of its present forced dormancy, the writer of this article will have the requital he mainly seeks.

May ministers every where, and their people, be each others living and approving epistle, in the day when the secrets of all hearts shall be manifested by Jesus Christ.

The foregoing remarks, in a great measure, preclude the necessity of subscribing myself

X

A CLERGYMAN.

FITCH'S DISCOURSES ON THE NATURE OF SIN.

(Concluded from p. 136.)

But we come to the third argument, which in all reason ought to have been the first; and which, if substantiated, was the only one that was necessary.

"I appeal again," says the writer, (p. 8th)" to the views of God, as expressed in his law, his judgment, and his direct testimony."

As this is the kind of evidence to which we feel disposed implicitly to submit, we have, with some solicitude, examined what Professor Fitch has written, to see whether the scriptures do indeed pronounce a decisive sentence in his favour. But we can truly say we have found nothing of that import. The Professor may be said to have run away with the argument, rather than to have set it before our eyes in a clear light. Let it be distinctly kept in view, that there is no question whether actual sin consists essentially in wrong exercise of mind; in this all are agreed. Therefore, if ever so many texts are adduced, in which such exercises are required, or in which contrary exercises are denounced as sinful, nothing is proved which any one is disposed to deny. The single point in debate is, whether that nature of the soul from which a continual succession of evil thoughts proceeds, is sinful? Here, he denies, and we affirm. Now, the sum and substance of what he produces in proof from scripture, is, that the law of God commands nothing else but voluntary actions, and forbids nothing else, therefore sin consists in nothing else. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and thy neighbour as thyself." In answer, we observe, that the law of God in requiring our love, does virtually require that state, or temper,

or disposition of the soul, from which love proceeds, as a stream from its fountain-Where there is a uniform failure of those exercises of love which the law requires, not only is there a fault in the deficiency of holy acts, but in that state, or nature of the soul, which is the cause of this defect. And as we understand the scriptures, this corruption of heart, which is antecedent to its acts, and is the source of their evil, is often spoken of in the word of God. The professor does, indeed, insist, that when the scriptures speak of an evil heart, they mean nothing more than the sinful volitions of the heart, independently of their cause. But we have nothing for this interpretation of such expressions, but his own assertion. We think otherwise; and will endeavour to prove, that there are texts of scripture which do not admit of this interpretation. It is somewhat remarkable, that in neither of these discourses, is there any mention of those passages of scripture, which have commonly been adduced to prove the doctrine of inherent depravity. That remarkable passage in the 51st Psalm, is one to which we refer: Behold I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Now, unless in the first moment of exist ence when conceived in the womb, there be an exercise of volition, in which the embryo, as a moral agent, violates a known rule of duty, these words can never be reconciled with Professor F.'s theory-He will be under the necessity of resorting to the old, forced construction of the Pelagians.

Again, in Job, it is said, Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one. And Ephes. xi. 3. And were BY NATURE the children of wrath even as others. What the author has learnedly written, in one of his notes, in explanation of the