Litchfield enquirer., 1847-08-05
THEOLOGICAL.

A correspondent Of the New York Post.
writing from one of the Eastern States
says:
considerable excitement has heen occa
stoned among the Orthodox Congregational
Churches Of New England ny the appear
ance of book on Christian Nature, writ
ten by DR.. Bushnell, of Hartford. 1t has
been vehememently attacked in several of
the religious periodical DR.. Bushnellex
pressed himself with some freedom concer>
ming certain defecls, as he thought them. Of
the denomination to which he belongs Il
was at first adopted by the Publishing Com
mittee of the Sabbath Schools as tract
for general circulation, and printed by
them. subsequent examination led them
to exclude il from their tracts, and to with.
draw il from circulation.
"Dr. Bushnell holds that children NAV
be made religious by educaliOn-lhal If pa.
rents were as they ought to he, religious and
of blameless lives, their children generally
would grow up religious and pions, without
giving any perceplble indication of the
OF the time when a transformation of chars
acter commenced. He holds also tina, the
elements of this character may be i'm parted
To the children Of pIous parents al as early
a period as their birth.
The tract, it seems, has met with some
opposition and good deal of appreciation
from the Unitariaus. Meantime, however,
Dr. Bushnell does not want defenders
among his own denomination. The New
England Puritan, published in Boston. con-
tains an article in his favor, claiming his
doctrines to be strictly orthodox. perfectly
reconcilable with the dogmaS of the fail Of
man, The depravily of human nature, the
necessity of redemption by Jesus Christ anu
Of regeneration BY The spirit, in all of which
il is claimed that DIR. Bushnell is a firm
believer. That the Uni,arians approve of
the tract. says his friend. is no object on to
Il; the ONLY question is whether il is true"
"What will be the result / cannot say.
new denominalion-or if not new de-
domination, school Of orthodoxy profess
ing the opinions Of DR.. Bushnell. He is
man of great ability and an Impressive and
popular preacher. You may remember how
a sermon If his delivered at one of the May
anniversaries 10 your city was spoken Of
Such man is likely TO have followers"
"Another theological question has cas-
Sed good deal Of excitement in the same
church. The book on the Sufferiugs of
Christ. by MIR. Griffin. the eminent member
of the bar for your city. has met with great
favor in New England, Ia ,he Presbyteri-
an churches OF your state / believe its views
are No. received, but here they have gained
grouud rapidly The second edition Of the
book has been sold, aud il is said that q
third must soon he called for. Ii has been
answered by DIR. Tyler, nj the Theological
Institute at East Windsor, Connecticut, in
book in which he attacks its positions as
dangerous, aud as tending To in6delity The
main proposition to Mr.. Grifin's book, yon
may remember, is that tbs divine nature in
Christ suffered exually with the human.
The idea DR.. Tyler rejects as inconsistent
with the doclrine tina. the nature Of Deity is
not subject to change, or To any diminntiOn
Of it's essential bleSsedness. Against DR..
Tyler the ChristiaH Review. the Biblical
Depository, tie Oberlin Review The New
Engiander, and other religious publications
have taken up arms, aud are xesIcusly de-
fsndin. the doolTiAs Of Nr. GEiGin'S bO0S.'