ciples of civil liberty, together with all the arts and sciences, must be the chief dependence of the race for their final emancipation from the great mass of evil which has, for almost six thousand years, so constantly been its portion.

Are we assuming too much in this assertion? Suppose, then, the mass of the human family were to become perfectly upright in all their feelings and conduct. Would not such a change from their present condition remove at once half the ills that now prevail? Still this would not at once remove evils of every kind. Sickness, storms, fires, earthquakes, and various natural evils, might still continue. But would not many of these evils give way to the various improvements consequent upon the devotion to useful occupations, which would follow the restoration of perfect moral purity? We think it easy to show, that such a restoration would, amongst other effects, do more toward the final recovery of the human intellect from its various forms of slavery, than all other conceivable influences. Have not pride, vanity, and the sloth so common where the mind is not stimulated by lofty motives, been amongst the chief forgers of shackles for the human mind -the chief obstacles to its progress in true knowledge? Have not the various distractions of mind resulting from bad passions and sensual indulgences, subtracted more from the mental power of our race than we can ever estimate, while subject to similar influences? Would not the perfect peace of mind attendant upon a thorough subjection of the soul to the moral laws, and of the body to the natural laws of our being, favour the development of intellectual ability, yet unknown to the species? Would not the regular stimulus afforded by the noble motives, which actuate the perfectly virtuous creature, keep the energies of the whole man in freer play, and more healthy action, than is ever to be expected in a case like that of Byron or others, whose fitful exhibitions of mental power astonish us at the capacities of the human mind? We believe, that the want of adequate stimulus, acting regularly upon the human mind, and calling its noblest energies into life, has been one of the chief causes why only here and there an individual has attained more than a dwarf stature, though multitudes were designed to attain the dimensions of complete men. This evil, as well as those before mentioned, will be removed, if ever man is restored to the moral purity, at which the Christian system aims. The general prevalence of its principles, separate from the abuses which have so hindered their fullest and

best effects, will doubtless exhibit the intellect of man in a new light, and consequently exercise a most important influence upon the whole interest of human society.

A single thought, and we have done. There can be no doubt that the form of human society must undergo very considerable changes, before the entire prevalence of the millenial glory. These changes must be such as the general suppression of vice and impurity of motive will require. It becomes, then, a most interesting question for the Christian philosopher, what are the particular changes in society, that Christian principles, applied in all their length and breadth, do certainly require? As far as this question admits of definite answers, so far we may ascertain the points upon which Christian effort ought constantly to bear. It seems important, also, to remark that the means of producing these changes are such as Christians always have at their command, (the blessing of God being consequent upon their proper use,) so that the progress of society will be in proportion to the amount of honest effort made under the guidance of inspired truth. We suppose it, then, perfectly practicable for the Christian church to accomplish as much more in any given period for the cause of Christ, as she has energies that are not put forth. Could she be induced to put forth her entire strength from the present moment onward, the results of a single year might exceed those of many preceding ones. But this can only be accomplished, as individuals are willing to devote themselves entirely to the service of God. More examples of this devotion among Christian ministers are, of course, indispensable to the rapid advance of millennial glory.

ART. III.-PRACTICAL REMARKS ON SELF-DECEPTION IN MATTERS OF RELIGION.

It is painful to discover and drag out to light our own religious errors: and from a sympathy with the same unpleasant state of mind in our neighbours, we find it often scarcely less painful to probe their wounds. The difficulty is increased when it becomes disgraceful to attack falsehood, or when it is deemed illiberal to disabuse men of damning prejudices. Some who are most dogmatical in denouncing ancient misapprehensions, are most sensitive when any rude hand approaches such as are new. Still we regard it as a sacred duty, to direct a few VOL. III. No. III.—2 S

observations against one or two forms of delusion which are prevalent in the present age.

Let the reader ponder on the momentous consequences which attach to the following simple and undeniable proposition: Men are frequently led into destructive error respecting the doctrines of religion, and their own character. An error in politics, in physics, in metaphysics, in any human science, is small and trivial, when set by the side of mistakes concerning the soul and eternity.

This is a subject eminently practical, and eminently appropriate, in an age when a charity which embraces every Protean phase of heresy, has taken the throne of that charity which rejoiceth in the TRUTH. The multitude seem to be unaware of the horrid fruits of ignorance and falsehood. They forget the orgies of the ancient paganism, which in temples and porticos almost adored by the sickly devotees of the fine arts, offered sacrifices and solemnized rites at which an American prostitute would blush. They are tenderly pained at our outcries against heathenism and infidelity; and half disposed to ask, Have there been such errors?-Let the millions of heathen who have disgraced our nature rise as witnesses. The "very head and front of their offending" is this: the great and ever-living Creator of the universe has been rejected. The sublime idea of the unity and spirituality of God has been exchanged for the absurdity of deified heroes, impure and cruel demons, the host of heaven, all imaginable personifications of virtues and even of vices. Mountains and rivers, monsters of the forest, and fabled nymphs of the fountain, and hoofed satyrs, and obscene stocks, have been honoured and adored by nations who gloried in science and refinement, and in whose estimation all the rest of the human family were barbarians and as to Egypt-we could almost join in the bitter smile of Juvenal,

Illic cœruleos, hic piscem fluminis, illic
Oppida tota canem venerantur, nemo Dianam.
Porrum et cæpe nefas violare, ac frangere morsu.
O sanctas gentes, quibus, hæc nascuntur in hortis !

It is frivolous to say, that the image is only the medium of worship: with idolaters, whether pagan or papal, it becomes the ultimate object of regard, in many cases. The philosophers of antiquity urged the same distinction with the priests of modern idolatry; and the identical statue which was vene

rated by Romans as the Jupiter of the capitol, is recognized by
antiquarians in that, which is kissed and worshipped as the im-
age of St. Peter. But the thousands who, in both cases, have
the greatest fervour of devotion, see no further than the palpa-
ble and visible figure. Did Egypt adore her serpents and
vermin? Modern Europe-we add not yet America—as if
unwilling to lose one step in the procession of this farce, pays
reverence to pretended fragments of a cross, and factitious
blood of martyrs, to "dead men's bones and all uncleanness."
These well-known facts are here pointed at, only to illus-
trate the liability of man to error in that which concerns his
immortal soul. The reflection of an humble mind in reading
the ancient classics, or the history of the Romish church, will
be, Who can understand his errors? Cleanse Thou ME
from secret faults! For error in opinion has survived the
reign of Gentile idolatry, and transcended the pale of the
apostate church.
We shall not conduct our readers into this
Erebus of conflicting and innumerable falsehoods, lest, like
Ulysses, he take flight at the phantoms, and say, in flying from
the region of horrors,

Εμε δε χλωρον δεος ηρει. κ.τ.λ.Od. xΙ.
No more my heart the dismal din sustains,
And my cold blood hangs shivering in my veins;
Lest Gorgon, rising from the infernal lakes,
With horrors armed, and curls of hissing snakes,
Should fix me stiffened at the monstrous sight!

Yet we must be allowed to remark on the atheistical monster which begins to stalk in our country. Christians should learn to abhor-deeply, and with unutterable intensity of detestation, to execrate this warfare against Jehovah. Not content with degrading the idea of God by image-worship, men have said— and the youth of America are taught to say in their heartsNO GOD! Our object is attained at present, when we say men have thus erred-do thus err: that they have thus rejected all foundation for future hope; that they refuse to be enlightened, and hasten the appalling conviction of the truth which they deny.

"They have done all they can, by often repeating their faint despairing wishes, and the mutterings of their hearts, No God! No God! to make themselves believe there is none; when yet the restless tossings to and fro of their uneasy minds, their tasking and torturing that little residue of wit and common

sense, which their riot hath left them, (the excess of which latter as well shows, as causes the defect of the former,) to try every new method and scheme of atheism they hear of, implies their distrust of all."

Others among us, go only so far as to deny the truths peculiar to revelation. They believe that there is a God, but they despoil the idea of all those glories and powers, and that cognizance of human affairs which belong to the true God. The mere admission of some superior cause, some eternal and spiritual being, is not enough to entitle the thousand religionists of our land, who profess pure Theism-believers in God. What is God?-is the question which the child who learns his catechism can answer, with infinitely more truth, philosophy, and grandeur, than Seneca, or Bolingbroke, or Paine, or Hicks, or Owen. The firmness and steadfastness with which the Deist adheres to his rejection of the Bible, too often betrays its foundation in an evil heart. There is a marked fear of this book, among those who profess to have risen above superstitious terrors. It is not reason but impiety which gives them this mingled dread and hatred of the word of God. Omnibus, quorum mens abhorret a ratione, semper aliquis talis terror impendit.* The Deist of our time is a very coward, and his self-deception appears even in his gasconades. He has desired to believe that there is no future judgment, no eternal punishment, no humbling doctrine of imputed righteousness; and he has arrived, by means of the cheat which the affections put upon the understanding, at some confirmation of his unbelief. He will not be convinced. By dint of partial investigation, by cultivating the growth of doubts, by joining himself to Pyrrhonists and scoffers, by poring over and accumulating difficulties and objections, by holding himself always in the posture of a combatant, and by cherishing a hatred of what he denies, he arrives at such a rocky strength of purpose, rather than belief, as may enable him to brutalize his nature in the sensual stye, to pour forth ribaldry and blasphemy in the alehouse club, or through the columns of a journal; or, like Hume, to jest upon his dying bed, with a paltry and unnatural affectation, as much at variance with good taste and philosophy, as with the revelation of the great and dreadful God. The never-ceasing effort to keep the lion's skin from slipping off, serves to exclude the conviction of which

Cicero. iv. Tusc.