"Seize upon truth where'er 'tis found, The flower's divine where'er it grows; Neglect the prickles, and assume the rose." 'Prove all things, all fast that which is good,' says Paul. The quotations from the scriptures are distinguished by single inverted commas. When reference is made to a paragraph in the same chapter of the Essay, the number of the paragraph only is given; when to one in another chapter, both the number of the chapter and of the paragraph are mentioned. For the greater convenience of reference, all the chapters are numbered consecutively. The author wholly disavows any connection whatever with any religious or political party, as far as the following Essay is concerned. He considers all the various sects, whether relating to religion or politics, into which mankind are divided, as human inventions. Both as to belief and practice, one mode only in these important matters for the whole world, can be in accordance with the divine will. In the last chapter allusion is made to a party;-should it be founded, the author will gladly ally himself to it,-if allowed so distinguished an honour. "Of all employments of the mind," says Sir W. Young," surely that is the worthiest, and as it were divine, which tends to establish order in society; to humanize the great Leviathan, to adopt the various parts of the vast machine of social government, and nicely fit each spring where it can best act, each wheel where it can best move to the purposes of the general combination; to duly weigh and obviate the friction that might impede, or swerve to the detriment of the diverse parts, until the whole proceed in just and invariable concert." Should any thing advanced in the following pages differ from the preconceived notions of some of our readers, that they may avoid coming to a too hasty conclusion, we may address to them the following observations. Opinions, says Locke, come to be settled and fixed in men's minds, which, whether true or false, there they remain in reputation as substantial material truths; and so are seldom questioned or examined by those who entertain them. And if they happen to be false, as in most men the greatest part must necessarily be, they put a man quite out of the way in the whole course of his studies; and though in his reading and inquiries, he flatters himself that his design is to inform his understanding, in the real knowledge of truth; yet in effect, it tends and reaches to nothing but the confirming of his already received opinions; the things he meets with in other men's writings and discoveries being received or neglected, as they hold proportion with those anticipations which before had taken possession of his mind. The great difference that is to be found in the notions of mankind, is from the different use they put their faculties to: whilst some, and those the most, taking things upon trust, misemploy their power of assent, by lazily enslaving their minds to the dictates and dominion of others; in doctrines which it is their duty carefully to examine, and not blindly, with an implicit faith, to swallow:-others, employing their thoughts only about some few things, grow acquainted sufficiently with them, attain great degrees of knowledge in them, and are ignorant of all others, never having let their thoughts loose in the search of other inquiries. Who is there almost that dare shake the foundations of all his past thoughts and actions, and endure to bring upon himself the shame of having been a long time wholly in mistake and error? Who is there hardy enough to contend with the reproach, which is every where prepared for those who dare venture to dissent from the received opinions of their country or party? And where is the man to be found that can patiently prepare himself to bear the name of whimsical, sceptical, or atheist; which he is sure to meet with, who does in the least scruple any of the common opinions? And he will be much more afraid to question those principles, when he shall think them, as most men do, the standard set up by God in his mind to be the rule and touchstone of all other opinions. And what can hinder him from thinking them sacred, when he finds them the earliest of his own thoughts and the most reverenced by others? (Essay on the Human Understanding.) What a late writer affirms of the negroes, will, we fear, in a less or greater degree, apply to their white brethren. Thoughtless habit, says he, is so much the rule of their belief and the supreme law of their behaviour, that they tread always in the footsteps of their predecessors; and constantly go the very same way that others have taken, be it ever so tortuous, inconvenient, and wide from the mark.-(Meiner.) Custom," says Lord Bacon, "is the principal magistrate of man's life." 66 The discovery of truth, and the perception of it after it is discovered, are distinct operations of the mind. Different minds, according to their original constitutions, are suited to particular objects of inquiry. Many, from the abuse of their faculties, so far from being able to discover recondite truths of any kind, are scarcely able to perceive them, with whatever perspicuity of language they may be laid before them. The great truths insisted on in the following pages, may be properly appreciated by all who make a right use of the talents God has bestowed on them. Every man thus hath the witness in himself.' A compendious way to attain moral truth, is perhaps, to imagine a new world; and beings constituted as men are,-placed upon it, without ever having heard of the existence of our earth, or any of its errors and vices;-and then to consider how they ought to think and conduct themselves. "Though," (to adopt the words of the excellent Dr. Campbell,) "I have not affirmed anything as my opinion, which did not at the time, and does not still appear to me probable, and though many things" "appear certain, I desire nothing to be admitted by the reader upon my affirmation. My wish is that every thing may be candidly and deliberately examined, that my reasons, which I commonly give where the subject requires it, may be impartially weighed."-" If to make proselytes by the sword, is tyranny in rulers;-to resign our understanding to any man, and receive implicitly what we ought to be rationally convinced of; would be, on our part, the lowest servility." Some are too impatient to hear or to read the whole of what is addressed to them, before they are anxious to decide upon its merits. To all of this class the words of Solomon may be addressed, He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is a folly and shame unto him.' In the concluding chapter, we have replied to the most important objections that are likely to be made. If man never acts but for some end, nothing can be more evident than that the Divine Being does not. What, then, can his end be in the creation and preservation of the Universe?-obviously, to promote the happiness of his creatures, and thus magnify his own glorious and fearful name! To understand how we may be able, under the divine blessing, to educe this happiness, and therefore his glory; comprehends all real knowledge, or THE TRUTH. If any thing in the following pages be opposed to it,-it must utterly fall, as all error should. But to those that are desirous of rejecting what cannot be confuted, we may apply the language of the Most High, who thus declares to them by the mouth of a prophet, My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts!" The belief of the perfectibility of human nature, and the attainment of a golden age, in which vice and misery have no place; will," says Dr. Hamilton," only be entertained by an enthusiast ;-but an inquiry into the means of improving our nature and enlarging our happiness, is consistent with sober reason; and is the most important subject, merely human, that can engage the mind of man. No moral writer was ever censured for laying down as perfect a system of duty as he could, although it was not expected that this would be practised, even by the best, to its full extent." "The question," says Dr. W. L. Brown, "is not what is the present practice of mankind; but what they are qualified ultimately to attain ? Not how far any theory is conformable to the present state of things, but how far it is founded in nature, adapted to the human faculties, and conducive to human felicity ?" Nothing can be more clear, that no line can be drawn between every individual humbly endeavouring, as perfectly as possible, to do the divine will; and every individual utterly rebelling against Heaven! Whatever may be found impracticable in the following pages, is, it is believed, solely so, from the wickedness of mankind. Any points placed in a new light, that cannot be impugned, will at least, to a certain extent, prevent all those who become cognizant of them, from sinning ignorantly. This is, however, now done by countless multitudes, and to an awful extent! When, reader, you consider, that such is the care Heaven has for you, that even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.'-When you consider that such is the extreme circumspection of conduct required on your part, that for every idle word you shall speak, you shall give account thereof in the day of judgment, and consequently, that the language of the psalmist applies to you ;O Lord thou hast searched me and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compasseth my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.'-You cannot but be sensible, that was our inquiry simply as to the attainment of a virtuous and prosperous life for yourself; as the Most High is so solicitous about you, our inquisition would be of unspeakable importance; but when it is considered, that it refers not to you, or to any one man alone;- not to one family;-not to one nation;-not to one generation of all nations;—but to all generations of all nations;—when, consequently, both the temporal and eternal happiness of such mighty! mighty mighty multitudes! are involved in a right knowledge and practice of the subject on which we are about to enter; you cannot but be sensible, that not only are all the powers of language incompetent to convey an adequate idea; but all the powers of the mind are utterly unable to form even the lowest conception, of its transcendent importance ! |