This, we apprehend, is the confequence which neceffarily follows from our author's remark, as it ftands connected with the fubject of his letters. For fubmiffion to the decifions of human authority, is the great objection which this writer, and others of the fame perfuafion, alledge against the eftablished church. But how fair and equitable this reprefentation is, either in one cafe or the other, we fall leave the impartial reader to determine.

"

In fpeaking of the proper temper and conduct of Christians who revile their holy religion, he makes thefe obfervations : If it be enquired, whether men fhall be suffered with impunity to affront Christianity, and depreciate its efficacy," by reproaches and calumnies, offenfive to every Christian; a different cafe from fimply difbelieving or modeftly oppofing it: I answer, that, provided it be unwarrantable to fupport the belief of Chriftianity, and to confute its oppofers, by penal laws and the fword of the magiftrate, its profeffors fhould be exceeding tender how they animadvert, in this way, on the manner in which the oppofition to it is made: a thing, comparatively, of little confequence. For, though calumny and flander, when affecting our fellow-men, are punishable by law; for this plain reafon, becaufe an injury is done, and a damage fustained, and a reparation therefore due to the injured party; yet, this reafon cannot hold where God and the Redeemer are concerned; who can fuftain no injury from low malice and fcurrilous invective, nor can any reparation be made to them by temporal penalties; for thefe can work no conviction or repentance in the mind of the offender; and if he continue impenitent and incorrigible, he will receive his condign punishment in the day of final retribution. Affronting Christianity, therefore, does not come under the magiftrate's cognizance, in this particular view, as it implies an offence against God and Chrift.

If you fay, that infulting and reviling religion is very offenfive to good men, and ought, on that account, to be prohibited and punished: I obferve, fo are all tranfgreffions of the divine law, very offenfive to good men; but they are not, for that reafon, all punishable by the magiftrate. In the cafe of grofs lying, heinous ingratitude, and many other vices which might be mentioned, though no one thinks of applying to a court of juftice on the occafion, yet every good man will treat thefe vices, and thofe who are guilty of them, with just abhorrence and deteftation. And the fame, and no other, I apprehend, fhould be their conduct, when infidels, with an offenfive indecency, vent their impotent rancour against the religion of Jefus.

If you alledge, that this licentious manner of treating religion, will" depreciate its efficacy" on the minds of men, especially of the undifcerning and thoughtless, which are commonly the major part: I answer, that the contempt and abuse which infidels throw upon religion, will, in the end, entail difgrace and infamy on themselves. Their ribaldry and scurrility will be despicable and disgustful to the more fenfible part of our fpecies; and while there are Chriftians, especially Christian minifters, in the world, I truft, there will always be proper perfons, who will expofe to the most ignorant and unreflecting, the grofs folly and injuftice of fuch abufe, and render thofe who are guilty of it the objects of contempt to the lowest of the people whereas, if punished by the magiftrate, they would be the objects, probably, of their pity: a circumstance which would procure their infinuations and fuggeftions to the prejudice of religion a much more favourable reception, than they would otherwife be like to obtain.

Indeed, difcovering a difpofition to take refuge in temporal penalties, whenever any perfon in difcourfe or writings mifrepresent and revile (or, as you ftile it, affront) our holy religion, and depreciate its efficacy, is acting as if we apprehended the caufe had no other and better fupport. Whereas, for three hundred years after its first promulgation, Christianity maintained its full reputation and influence, (though attacked in every way which wit or malice could invent) not only without 'the affistance of, but in direct oppofition to the civil power. It fhone with the brighter luftre, for the attempts to eclipse it. And the infults and calumnies of its enemies were as ineffectual to its prejudice, as either their objections, or, what were more to be feared, their perfecutions. And as it was during that period, fo will it always be, if there be any ground to rely on that promife of our bleffed Saviour concerning his church, that "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

In the mean time, compaffion to all ignorant, petulant, malicious adverfaries of our holy religion; and a defire to ob viate the mischief they do, by refuting their arguments, expofing their petulance and malice, and, if poffible, working conviction in their minds; are the difpofitions which such contemptible attacks on the honour of the Chriftian religion, and its author, fhould excite in his genuine difciples. We should argue with fuch men, not perfecute them; fhould endeavour to refcue others from the danger of being infected by their principles, with cool reafoning; but we fhould be careful how we attempt to punish them, left we harden instead of reclaiming them left we leave room for others to imagine, that not their fcoffs and infults, but their arguments, have provoked us 6

:

by

by being unanswerable. And indeed, provided it be wrong to animadvert, by temporal penalties, on the calm reasoning of infidels againft Chriftianity; it would, furely, be imprudent to punish them for what renders their arguments, if there be any, lefs formidable and prejudicial; I mean, their revilings and their fcurrility. It is imprudent, I fay, by a profecution, to hold up to publick notice, to introduce into all converfation, and excite peoples curiofity after, thofe fcurrilous writings, which would otherwife quickly fink with their authors into perpetual oblivion. Many infidels, in modern times, have united their efforts against the Chriftian religion; and they have railed, at least fome of them, much more than they have reafoned; but they have been heard, and confuted; and most of them are only remembered by the excellent apologies for Christianity, which they have been the occafions of producing. I hardly think they and their works would have been fo foon forgotten; I am fure, our religion would not have received. fuch honour, nor infidelity fuch disgrace, and such a total defeat, if, inftead of being answered by the learned writers, who have employed their abilities to fo laudable a purpofe, they had been profecuted, fined, imprifoned, or fuffered any other ignominious or cruel punishment, by fentence of the magistrate. Thofe who call for the aid of the civil power, and for the infliction of pains and penalties, in fupport of the Chriftian religion, forget the character and conduct of its divine author; who, when his apoftles, out of zeal for his honour, would have invoked fire from heaven on the unbelieving Samaritans, because they had just affronted him, feverely rebuked them: "Ye know not what manner of fpirit ye are of; the Son of man came not to deftroy mens lives, but to fave them."

In what I have faid, let it not be fuppofed, that I have pleaded the cause of infidelity. No; I have pleaded that of Chriftianity, in my own opinion at leaft; the mild and forbearing spirit of which religion, I defire more and more to imbibe, to regard all its doctrines and precepts as the rule of my faith and manners, its promifes as the foundation of my hopes, and the fcheme of redemption through Jefus Christ as my highest confolation and joy. It is, indeed, from my reverence for it, and attachment to it, and zeal for its true dignity and honour, that I will ever vindicate it from the leaft fufpicion of being a perfecuting religion: a fufpicion, which, if it were juft, would be a greater brand of ignominy, and do it more real difcredit, than all the invidious mifrepresentations and calumnies of its adverfaries. And this it becomes those seriously to confider, who would wipe away the dishonour done it, by methods

methods that would double the difgrace, not only on themselves, but on the noble cause which they profefs to efpouse.'

In the former part of this quotation the author feems to have carried his lenity too far. For upon the fame principles he might urge, that no profane fwearing, blafphemy, or breach of the fabbath, however flagrant, ought to come under the cognizance of the magiftrate. But this would be giving fuch a toleration to licentioufnefs, as will be contended for by no perfon, who wishes to see a public regard to decency, virtue, and religion preferved amongst us.

XII. Inflitutes of Moral Philofophy. For the Ufe of Students in the College of Edinburgh. By Adam Ferguson, LL. D. 12me. Pr. 35. Cadell.

THIS

HIS publication is little more than a syllabus of the profeffor's lectures to his pupils, fed patet ex pede Hercules. The doctor's analyfis of moral philofophy, is, in many ref pects new, and, in general, accurate and ingenious. Under moft of his principal divifions, there are abundance of leading thoughts and general propofitions, that muft engage him in very curious details and differtations, the illuftrations and evidences of which muft certainly render his prelections equally useful and entertaining.

The original hints thrown out in the course of this work on a great variety of subjects, will frequently open fields of agreeable and inftructive fpeculations to proficients in this capital science, and be exceedingly valuable to fuch as are employed in teaching it. To all the lovers, and especially to all the teachers of moral philosophy, we may venture to recommend Dr. Ferguson's mafterly compendium, as a book they will perufe with profit and with pleasure.

We cannot convey a juster idea of it to our readers, than by tranfcribing the contents, which are as follow,

INTRODUCTION.

• Of knowledge in general.—Of science. Of the laws of nature. Of theory.-Of moral philofophy.-Of pneumatics. PARTI. The natural hiftory of man. Hiftory of the fpecies.

• General arrangement. Of the form and aspect of man. Man's refidence, and manner of fubfiftence.Varieties of the human race.-Period of human life-Difpofition of man to fociety. Of population.-Varieties of choice and purfuit.Arts and commerce.-Difparity and rank.-Of political eftablishments.-Language and literature. 8

Hiftory of the individual.

General arrangement.Of confcioufnefs.-Animal fenfe and perception.-Obfervation. - Memory. Imagination.Abftraction. Reafoning.- Forefight.-Propenfity. - Sentiment.-Defire and averfion.-Volition.

PART II. Theory of mind.

• General Obfervations.

• Enumeration of phyfical laws.

Laws of the understanding.-Laws of the will.
The foregoing laws applied, &c.

< Of Intereft.

Emulation.-Pride.-Vanity.-Probity.Moral approbation in general.-The object of moral approba tion -The principle of moral approbation.

⚫ of the nature and future profpects of the human foul. Of the immateriality of the foul.-Of the immortality of

the foul.

PART III. Of the knowledge of God.

Of the being of God.

• Of the univerfality of this belief. Of the foundations of this belief.

Of the attributes of God.

• Of these attributes in general.-Of the unity of God.→ Of power. Of wifdom.-Of goodness. Of juftice.

• Of the belief of the immortality of the foul, &c. PART IV. Of moral laws, and their most general applications. Definitions.

• Of good and evil in general.

Of the objects of defire or averfion.

General divifion. Of life and death.-Of pleasure and pain. Of excellence and defect.-Of happiness and mifery.General inferences.

Of the degrees of happiness, and the means of improve

ment.

• Of the actual attainments of men.-Opinions productive of mifery.-Opinions productive of happiness.

• Of the fundamental law of morality, &c.

The law, and its immediate confequences.-Application to the mind. Application to external actions.-Diverfity of opinions concerning the morality of external actions.-Caufes of this diverfity.-Difference of the cafe.-Difference of choice. -Difference of interpretation.-Fundamental laws of external action.-Different fanctions under which external actions are required, &c.-Parties to whom laws apply.

PART V. Of Jurifprudence.

The foundations of compulsory law.

• The