man! Some who now rank among the first of human minds, were almost classed with those of bare mediocrity, until they escaped from the yoke of an early bondage, and felt the elevating and enlarging power of mental independence. Perhaps there are few thinking men who are not, to some extent, examples of this influence. Who that is much addicted to thorough investigation has not sometimes found himself at a stand in his thoughts while looking to other minds for aid; but after ceasing from that dependence, and applying himself to the subject as exclusively in his own strength as if it had never before engaged human attention, advanced with the utmost ease, and with wonder at his former embarrassment? While I remember instances such as these, of the influence of freedom on the operations of the mind, I recoil with indignation at the evil of intellectual slavery. That the mass of men, however, should escape at once from this base bondage, desirable as it may be, is out of all hope: may even the expectation be indulged, that those heaven-selected few will be entirely emancipated, whose destination in life is to labour for the deliverance of their fellows, and who are now engaged in preparing themselves for that work. Is it not possible, gentlemen, to be too confident even in this expectation! You admit, I doubt not, the importance of your having perfectly free minds in your disciplinary course: you see that nothing will so directly and greatly contribute to your success: you intend that your minds shall be free; perhaps you think them free already. And yet you well know, that it is often the strongest of the chains of mental bondage, to have a full persuasion of not being at all subject to it. No one, you will admit, should be confident of exemption from this bondage, any further than he shares the heavenly liberty which the Son of God bestows, by his renewing and sanctifying power. A mind which could retain an independence on all created minds and influences, would still be a slave, unless free of self-conceit and the vassalage of sin. Here is the prime slavery of human intellect; and he is but a specimen of the worst kind of madness, who boasts himself of mental liberty. while subject to ambition or any form of selfishness, or is a stranger to his ignorance and nothingness in the presence of the great God.

A truly free mind is of course an humble one, which, conscious of its moral imperfection, can make no boastful

ELEMENTS OF MENTAL DISCIPLINE.

[MARCH, pretensions of its liberty. It is modest in these pretensions, in proportion as the ground for them is strong and extensive. And this fact leads me to mention, as another essential principle in the philosophy of our subject, that humility, not less than liberty, lies at the basis of all solid improvement of the mind. Not only has a proud mind no true acquaintance with God and his truth; it can have but little knowledge, and no just appreciation of the powers and products of other human minds. What limit is there to that young person's self-idolatry, who can take but a glance at the various productions of human genius and learning, and retain a high conceit of his own powers and attainments! There is much of errour, and much of useless speculation, and much that is pernicious in these productions; but there is so much of truth, and wisdom, and power in them also, that to know them but imperfectly, were enough to make any single mind amazed at its own ignorance and short coming. What more unpromising in a young man then, than to be growing in self-confidence and self-admiration, while pursuing a preparatory course of study? Seest thou a man, a young man especially, wise in his own conceit, there is more hope of a fool than of him. A student of this class studies unquestionably to worse than no purpose. He thinks himself in possession of perfect independence and power of mind; but who, to one capable of judging in such a case, appears in more pitiable imbecility and bondage?

It might be useful to show in some detail, if time permitted, how the quality just recommended should be expected to develope itself in the inmates of this Institution. I can, however, barely advert to two points, in which, I think it cannot but exemplify itself to every one, in whom it exists in any considerable degree. You declare, gentlemen, by your attendance here, that you do not despise exact system and rule in study, though prescribed not by yourselves. This well agrees with the supposition, that you have the true spirit of self-discipline, and especially that element of it of which I am remarking. You are persuaded that the prayerful consultations of wise and good men who have passed, and passed successfully through a course of Theological study, are more likely to originate a judicious plan to be pursued by those who are just entering on such a course, than they in their inexperience could originate for themselves. Hence your subjection of yourselves to the

settled regimen of our school. What else now can those expect from you, who would not forejudge you as insincere or fickle, but that your studies, even to the end, will be attended to, in strict observance of all our regulations; that you will give your time and your strength to such books and subjects as our order and discretion may prescribe, postponing your own contrariant wishes herein, to the fixed plan of the Institution; and that you will observe the very hours and seasons here set for study, recreation, and prayer; and not different, though to yourselves, individually, they might be more convenient ones, of your own appointing? All this, in honour to your claims to be held as sincere and consistent men, we ought to take for granted; and we shall take for granted, will, in all ordinary cases, be verified by fact.

Again; assuming that the root of sound self-discipline in this respect is within you, we cannot but anticipate that you will cherish and exhibit a peculiar spirit of modesty, in relation to the great subject matter of your studies in this place. Theology, it is true, so far as it proceeds beyond the certain announcements of revelation, consists in results of human reasoning and philosophizing. So far, of course, it should, like any other science, be examined and judged of freely, in the independent and just exercise of reason. It is the greatest possible violation of humility-it is an arrogation of the Divine authority, to demand an implicit belief in any system of Theology one hair-breadth farther than this. It is an assumption of the prerogative of the Most High. Think freely, therefore, gentlemen; think independently, think thoroughly for yourselves, on the subjects of Theological, as well as of every other science. In respect even to the first principles of revealed religion, there is no irreverence in the utmost liberty of thought, provided it be not licentiousness, under liberty's cloak. Nevertheless, it is a profane and haughty spirit that moves not softly, and tremblingly, and with great self-diffidence, over all the ground of Christian Theology. It were a manifest denial that the Scriptures are an inspired revelation, to suppose that the substantial truths which they contain remain yet to be ascertained; and those may see plainly, with whom they class themselves, who hesitate to adopt what has been the common faith of the Christian church in every age. Besides, there is something, in a manner sacred, in the uninspired thoughts and VOL. II. 18

speculations of sound Christian divines. Among these authors are not a few of the best and greatest of mankind; martyrs, confessors, and reformers; men of giant understandings, and hearts as large as the universe; and they have given us in their immortal works, the best fruits of their labours. I need not ask whether those can be very modest or very intelligent youths, who can hastily discard, or irreverently controvert, the doctrines and opinions of such men.

I have only to add in closing these familiar remarks on the principles of mental discipline, that the mind, like the body, needs its refections and its remedies, and that want of attention to these may defeat every end of discipline, and be fatal to intellectual progress. Here, however, opens a very wide field, which I must not enter. Let me only say, that I deem this subject worthy of a much more thorough and philosophical examination than it has yet received-an examination, which, I trust, some one competent to the task will give to it. The importance of bodily temperance and exercise has been much insisted on; but the mind has a being of its own, independent of the body; and much as it may suffer by its union to the body, from corporeal infirmities, it has independent ailments and infirmities of its own; and if the body can injure the mind by being ill-conditioned, the mind, by the same cause, can injure the body, even to the speedy destruction of its life. Whence, I infer, that plans for promoting bodily health merely, omit much the more important part of what is needful, for the vigorous health of the mind. There is food, medicine, and exercise for the body, and these by their good influence on the body, may indirectly benefit the mind: but there is food, medicine, and exercise also for the mind; and the withholding of these may keep both mind and body diseased, and languishing, beyond hope of cure by human means.

ART. VII. AUTHENTICITY OF 1. JOHN V. 7, 8.

By Rev. WM. W. HUNT, Amherst, Mass.

IN KNAPP's edition of the New Testament, I find a part of the seventh and eighth verses of the fifth chapter of John's first epistle included in double brackets. The passage begins after the clause, ὅτι τρεῖς εἰσιν οἱ μαρτυροῦντες (there are three that bear record), and includes the following: ¿v rỹ oúpaví, ὁ πατὴρ, ὁ λόγος, καὶ τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα· καὶ οὗτοι οἱ τρεῖς ἕν εἰσι· Καὶ τρεῖς εἰσιν oi papropoŵures tv rÿ y (in heaven the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one. And there are three that bear record on earth). In explanation of these brackets, the author says, in the preface, "His ea notantur quæ sine dubio spuria esse censebam ;" (with these, i. e. brackets, those passages are marked which I suppose, without doubt, are spurious.) Such is the opinion of Dr. KNAPP, one of the most orthodox and learned biblical scholars in Europe. But what is the opinion of other critics on this subject?

Mr. ScoTT says, "It is well known that many volumes have been written concerning this passage, in order to prove or disprove its authenticity. But whether the Trinitarians interpolated it, or the Arians and other Unitarians omitted it, is, to this day, a matter of controversy, and not likely to be determined."

Mr. HENRY says, "There are some rational surmises that seem to support the present text and reading."

ROSENMUELLER says, " Verba hæc non esse genuina plerorumque criticorum hodie est sententia ;" (that these words are not genuine is now the opinion of most critics.)

The BISHOP of ST. DAVIDS, after a minute and learned discussion, says, "Upon the whole view of the important and interesting subject of these pages-the evidences internal and external, direct and indirect, of the controverted verse are so many, so various, and so powerful, as to leave in my own mind no room to doubt that we have, in the testimony of the three heavenly witnesses, the authentic words of St. John."

Mr. NOLAN, (an English divine,) in an inquiry into the integrity of the Greek Vulgate, after stating the internal and external evidences for the verse, adds, "I trust nothing fur