New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-07-10

-, N Nor iumCst SOIL mat eucn W." hsu w looS'
no .,;.h deseryej bye.-that she would mob lcro
hin, Il abe could, and was CAD that chs coah no.
r,;. ealing. however, vac n ).rentary, au1 was
.nn lost under the influence Of her family training
han. IN. time che engaged IN controversy with
her father, vainly attempting to prove, against his
.t;lful diaectics, .ha. she had 70 her own con-
s,;ousp.ss The evidence OF her inability to love God.
But che succeeded better in maintaining that, if the
current theory was correct, there was no en-
courasement to pray for regeneration. Ii the heart
was not renewed, prayer for such blessing could
not be acceptable; bat if regeneration had already
been experienced, such prayer was superfnous.
After dreary twelyementb, che made visit to
Boston, where great reviva! was IN progress;
she received the most tender sympathy from her
friends and, without obtaining solution Of her
theological difficulties, at length decided that she
would make no further resistance to the popular
creed, Her father encouraged her to hope that
she had met with saving change OF heart, and
shortly after she became member of his church.
She now opened the school for young ladies in
the City Of Hartford, which has since become
famous in the educational history of Connecticut.
For several years she bad no evidence Of the love
10 God, which was the main test of regeneration,
but the resolution to do her duty, assuming the
projections of the divine character without the
indulgence of criticism. The experience of her
young pupils, who found the same difficulties with
which she had been so long tormented, renewed the
memory of her own conflicts. She could scarcely
nerve herself to instruct them that the Ooly Obsta
Gle to their salvation the obstinate unwilling
mesa Of their hearts" A new struggle arose be-
tween the theories to which she had bowed her
intellect and the impulses of her moral nature and
common sense. The most fearful doubts again
clouded her mind. There were moments when she
would imperatively question the whole theory OF
original sin. Such thoughts, however, were BAN
isbed by the force of strong will and, although she
could not avoid the conclusion that " there was a
dreadful mistake somewhere" she made up her
mind to abide by the faith of her father, and wait
in patience for clearer light. With regard to the
doctrine Of eternal punishment, she cherished no
doubt whatever. The ire nediable loss of the
soul seemed to her to be taught by reason as well
as by Scripture. But, connected with the fact of
human inability, the influence of the doctrine on
her mind was in high degree disastrous With
the dawn of hope for her own salvation, her
sympathies were intensely aroused by the danger OF
others. She felt an nexpressble pity and horrsr
in looking on the world around her, The sight of
young and happy persons exposed to endless perdi-
ton, awakened in her the most bitter grief. For
thirty yearr, the thought of this awful doctrine has
been sufficient to drive sleep from her eyes, quench
30 rfh nd mol
every longing for human good
Her inner life during this period was one of
strange contradictions She took pleasure in the
exercise Of private devotion, in which the Lords
Prayer was her model; but the public prayers,
hymns, and sermons, in accordance with the pre-
vailng theory of religion, only excited feelings of
disgust and adherence. Especially was this the
case with the doctrine Of atOnement until at length
she formed curious mental habit Of letting the
terms of theology pass through her mind as words
of rote, without attempting to afix to them an
ineligible meaning, and then there seemed to flow
| in a vague impression Of something better-she
knew not what
Such was the mental condition of the author
when she entered upsn the Investigations of which
| the results are recorded in the present volume.
After the careful laying of foundation in philo-
sophical principles which is certainly remarkable
specimen of intellectual masonry, she proceeds to
examine the dogma of human depravity, as taught
| by Calvinistic theolOgians. The conclusion at
which she arrives is that the dogma has no founda-
| ton in the Bible or in experience, but that the
evidence on the subject is decidedly in favor of the
opposite theory. In her historical survey Of the
whole ground of controversy, she sides with
Pelagius and Arminius, maintaining that the oppo-
sition of the one to Augustine and of the other to
| Calvin was prevented from becoming the general
faith of the church by persecution rather than by
| argument.
The application of her views to the interests OF
education is avorite purpose of the author in the
composition Of her work. In this respect it pos
sesses greater degree of popular interest than is
usually attached to dsqusitions polemic theOlo-
py. The source in which it had its origin, as we
have already suggested, will attract the curiosity OF
the public. Many will desire to see the extraordi
naly spectacle of daughter of Lyman Beechel
cirded with ar1nor and with weapons in her hand;
against the doctrines of Calvinism. Our modern
Joan Of Arc has made valiant onslaught in behalf
of what she regards as the cause of reason and hui
mainly but it is yet uncertain whether she Will be
welcomed as prophecies or cast out as hereto
| A PLEA FOR THE INDIANS; WITH FACTS AND FEATURES
| OF THE LATE WAR IN OREGON. BY JOHN BEEsoN I@mo-
PIP. l43 John Beeson
The author of this forcibe tract is pbilanthropic
Epglishman, who from long residence in Oregon, has
become deeply interested in the fate of the udans IN