to add, that the terms _perfect_ and _imperfect_, as thus applied
to the English participles, have no reference to _time_, or to those
_tenses_ of the verb which are usually (but not very accurately) named by
these epithets. The terms _present_ and _past_, which some still prefer to
_imperfect_ and _perfect_, do denote _time_, and are in a kind of oblique
contradistinction; but how well they apply to the participles, may be seen
by the following texts: "God _was_ in Christ, _reconciling_ the world unto
himself."--"We pray you in Christ's stead, _be_ ye _reconciled_ to
God."--ST. PAUL: _2 Cor._, v, 19, 20. Here _reconciling_ refers to the
death of Christ, and _reconciled_, to the desired conversion of the
Corinthians; and if we call the former a _present_ participle, and the
latter a _past_, (as do Bullions, Burn, Clark, Felton, S. S. Greene,
Lennie, Pinneo, and perhaps others,) we nominally reverse the order of time
in respect to the events, and egregiously misapply both terms.

OBS. 4.--Though the participle in _ing_ has, by many, been called the
_Present_ participle, it is as applicable to past or future, as to present
time; otherwise, such expressions as, "I _had been writing_,"--"I _shall be
writing_," would be solecisms. It has also been called, almost as
frequently, the _Active_ participle. But it is not always active, even when
derived from an active verb; for such expressions as, "The goods are
_selling_,"--"The ships are now _building_," are in use, and not without
good authority: as, "And hope to allay, by rational discourse, the pains of
his joints _tearing_ asunder."--_Locke's Essay_, p. 285. "Insensible of the
designs now _forming_ by Philip."--_Goldsmith's Greece_, ii, 48. "The
improved edition now _publishing_."--BP. HALIFAX: _Pref. to Butler_. "The
present tense expresses an action now _doing_."--_Emmons's Gram._, p. 40.
The distinguishing characteristic of this participle is, that it denotes an
unfinished and progressive state of the being, action, or passion; it is
therefore properly denominated the IMPERFECT participle. If the term were
applied with reference to _time_, it would be no more objectionable than
the word _present_, and would be equally supported by the usage of the
_Greek_ linguists. I am no more inclined to "_innovation_," than are the
pedants who, for the choice here made, have ignorantly brought the false
charge against me. This name, authorized by Beattie and Pickbourn, is
approved by L