Imatges de pàgina
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be necessary, if not to cause, at be fitted to so many different situ. least to heighten ideas of pleasure? ations? But suppose pleasure the and may not those painful sensa result of a comparison of sensa tions in consequence of being as. tions, and every difficulty vanishes. sociated through indefinite time, with that pleasure of which they will be found the constant forerunners, come ultimately to change their character, in the mind of the intelligent being; so as to make pleasure the necessary result of every possible impression?

This hypothesis,may be thrown into a more tangible shape, in the following proposition and corollaries.

I shall now endeavour to analyse one of our pleasurable emotions, that it may be seen how the phenomena correspond with this the. ory; let it be that of eating strawberries; and here I think it undeniable, 1st, That were we to eat nothing but strawberries, we should not have that pleasure in eating them which we now have:

and 2d. That were we to eat them without intermission, the unceasing act of eating strawberries would become, like that of breathing the air, indifferent.

From

Prop. Pleasure is the result of a comparison of sensations. It cannot be doubted that there hence it follows, that the pleasure are many impressions and states of eating strawberries is purely the of existence, which would cause result of a comparison, from the pleasure to some and pain to others; 1st instance, between the flavour for example, a piece of jerk beef, of this fruit and that of other edible or an ill-cured herring, is a lux. substances; from the 2d, between ury to a half-tamished savage; our state when eating, and that of a whilst to a full-fed citizen, it previous state of hunger. No would operate rather as an emetic. doubt, pleasures arising from other To a dethroned monarch, the state sources, may sometimes constitute of a private gentleman would be a part of the pleasure now under one of galling degradation; whilst consideration; for example, if by thousands setting out in life, we have been in the practice of it is regarded as the enviable re- eating strawberries with an esteemward of unwearied exertions, and ed friend, or in the light and the ne plus ultra of human felicity. agreeable society of ladies, or in The supposition of the absolute na- the midst of a delightful landscape; ture of pleasure, seems irreconcil. the pleasure resulting from these able with these facts, as also with causes, may be afterwards con. the universality of its existence: tinued to the simple act of eating, in all climates sentient beings en- with which they were previously joy pleasure; man, in particular, associated; but as all complex through all the states of society, emotions may be reduced to simfrom the most barbarous to the ple ones, it will be sufficient to most civilized, through all the consider matters in the simplest ranks of society, from the prince point of view. By the way, the to the peasant; and through all action of breathing mentioned the stages of individual existence, above, is a corroboration of this from the infant to the hoary eden hypothesis; we breathe incessantly, tulous. Is it conceivable how an unconscious of pleasure; but to a absolute, positive something, can person recovering from a severe

easy respiration is unspeakable.

attack of asthma, the pleasure of stant forerunners, will come ultimately to change their character in the mind of the intelligent being, so as to make pleasure the necessary result of every possible impression.

These considerations, I confess, appear to me, to prove the proposition; but it will be easy, no doubt, for him to whom they do not come with convincing evidence, In this corollary, without assuto point out that pleasurable emo- ming sensation as a certain passport tion, which is either not clearly to endless existence, it is simply referable to contrast, or which maintained, that where indewould exist at all, had no other finite duration is extended to impression, than that from which a sentient being, capable of recolit proceeds, been ever known. lecting its emotions and of explorCor. 1st. The pains of the sen- ing their causes; pleasure will tient creation are necessary in tend ultimately to be the result of order to produce ideas of pleasure. all its impressions. This, like all other corollaries, This, I confess, does not appear can stand upon no other demon. to me, to be beyond the power of stration than that which establish the associating principle, but raes its proposition, and is to acquit ther to be its natural effect, con. itself to the understanding, simply sidering that unless the pains have by a comparison between its own place, the pleasures will not folterms and that of its principal. It low; it reconciles the present may be proper to remark, however, motley appearance of things with that the production of pleasure in the attributes of infinite goodness this instance is purely mechani- and power in the Supreme Being; cal, requiring no exertion of intel- and in the means which he adopts lect, and in fact little else than for procuring the happy result, that the subject should be a sen- he exhibits himself as a wise and tient being; neither does it infer designing agent, as much as in any a future existence. But where a part of the animal or vegetable cause of pain is so violent as to economy. Resignation will then produce dismemberment or de- deserve the name of rational, and struction, it would seem either to the phrase of "seeing every thing point to a future state of existence, in God, and God in every thing," where it may produce its benefi. instead of an unmeaning ebullition cial effect; or to impugn the in. of over-heated devotion, may be finite power of Deity; for if this the predicate of a state future be established, I hold his infinite indeed, yet possible, if not cer benevolence necessarily inferred, tain. and of course, whatever militates against his infinite benevolence is conclusive against his omnipo

tence.

ZERO.

Glasgow,
Jan. 10, 1812.

SIR,

Theological Query.

Allow me to submit the follow

Cor. 2d. The pains of the intelligent creation, in consequence of being associated, through inde. ing query to your theological cor finite time, with those pleasures of respondents of every denomina which they will be found the con- tion:-Is it to be considered as a

VOL. VII.

M

suade myself, with more than suf- Nay, I even grant that they are ficient; not with zeal and bold. much more dependent on our ness beyond what the case requires and Christianity approves. If these tenets be corruptions of the gospel, and whether they are, we must severally judge for ourselves, it becomes our duty to expose them with as much firmness of purpose as calmness and candour of disposition.

But the author of the Inquiry, &c. complains that when the individuals and societies alluded to attack these doctrines, it is "only to set up other tenets respecting them in their stead." That is, in different and perhaps correcter language, error is combated, in order that truth may be established: it is attempted to remove the additions to the building, for the sake of exhibiting the fabric itself in its native strength and beauty. What is there unnatural in this process, or censurable in these efforts? In the mouths of many persons, it is a complaint against those who are said to subvert the belief of others, that they have none of their own to offer in its room. Mr. Burns is, justly enough, of the contrary sentiment: and you will wonder, Sir, that admitting the fact, he makes it the ground of an accusation; the 1ather as the simplicity of the creed of those to whom he refers, is discerned the moment that certain tenets by which it has been obscured, are seen to be unauthor. ized appendages to the Christian doctrine.

I agree with him, that the temper, the conduct, the character of the gospel are every thing: and I own with gratitude and pleasure that these do not belong exclusively to any one denomination of the professors of Christianity.

common faith than many may be able to discover or willing to con cede. However, what Mr. Burns himself has said, and truly said, concerning the moral feelings and views and attainments of some on whom he animadverts, might have satisfied him that the nature of religious practice is not unrelated to systems of opinions. Surely, for example, our esteem for the moral character of God" must be affected by the light in which we behold his government and attri butés. And it should be considered that those Christians whose sentiments are most remote from established and prevailing creeds, are not the least disposed, on principle, to recognize all as their fellow believers who acknowledge the Messiahship of Jesus.

While, therefore, the first object of zeal should be the diffusion of those "fundamental" truths, whence "a godly, righteousand sober life" immediately arises, I see not, Sir, why the enlightened Christian should be called to oppose the zeal of different classes of believers for what some may take to be merely matters of speculation. For the fact that those principles influence the minds and the conduct of men, I appeal once more to this very pamphlet of Mr. Burns'. Without dispute, however, it was particularly needless for the author to enter his caveat against what he regards as the illdirected zeal of the Socinian; as I question whether there be a single Socinian within his majesty's dominions.

I am, Sir,

Your constant reader, &c.
N.

Dr. Nic. Gibbon's "Socinian

SIR,

Popery."

But the most curious application of the Popery-charge is to be found in Richard Baxter's Life of himself, who represents himself as discovering that strange compound, (lusus theologiæ,) a Socinian-Papist: I extract his words as follows:

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For two centuries after the Reformation in England, the charge of Popery was bandied from one to another, amongst our sects. The puritans accused the highchurch party of it, and they re- "While I lodged at the Lord torted it: it was a watch-word Broghill's, a certain person was with the Nonconformists in the importunate to speak with me, civil wars, and Dr. South wittily, Dr. Nic. Gibbon who shutting but somewhat malignantly, re. the doors on us that there might presents them in alliance with Pa- be no witnesses, drew forth a pists against the monarchy and scheme of theology, and told me church of England". how long a journey he had once taken towards me, and engaged me to hear him patiently open to South pursues this subject in the me his scheme, which he said 1st sermon of his 6th vol. on The fatal was the very thing that I had Influence of Vords and Names falsely applied. In a short passage, which it been long groping after; and conmay be worth while to quote, he repre. tained the only terms and method sents the Popish and Protestant Dissent- to resolve all doubts, whatever ers of the 17th century, more sociable in divinity, and unite all Chris. than history, I fear, will warrant:"If these two parties are so extremely tians through the world; and there contrary, as they pretend to be, what is was none of them printed but what the cause now-a-days that none associate, he kept himself, and he commuaccompany and visit one another with that nicated them only to such as were peculiar frendliness, intimacy and familiarity with which the Romanists visit the prepared, which he thought I was, Nonconformists, and the Nonconformists because I was 1. Searching, 2.. them? So that it is generally observed in Impartial, and 3. A lover of methe country, that none are so gracinis and thod. I thankt him and heard him so sweet upon one another as the rankest Papists and the most noted fanatics.”— above an hour in silence, and after two or three days talk with

Sermons vi. 22.

It appears from Baxter, that South himself narrowly escaped being puritanized. This curious circumstance is recorded in connection with another not less curious, which the historian of himself has an evident pleasure in relating. "About that time, Bishop Morley having preferred a young man, named Mr. S (orator of the University of Oxford, a fluent, witty satyrist, and one that was sometime motioned to me to be my curate at Kidderminster ;) this man being household chaplain to the Lord Chancellor, was appointed to preach before the king; where the crowd had high expectations of some vehement satyr: but when he had preached a quarter of an hour, he was utterly at a loss, and so unable to recollect himself, that he could

go no further, but cried, The Lord be merciful to our infirmities, and so came down. But about a month after, they were resolved yet, that Mr. S. should preach the same sermon before the king and not lose his expected applause: and preach it he did, little more than half an hour, with no admiration at all of the hearers: and for his encouragement the sermon was printed. And when it was printed, many desired to see what words they were that he was stopped at the first time: and they found in the printed copy all that he had said first, and one of the next passages which he was to have delivered, was against me for my Holy Commonwealth."-Baxter's Life. B. I. pt. 2. § 267.

proof of ignorance, or of the thority Mr. Adam gets his intelli closest and most mature investi- gence concerning the Unitarians gation, that the Athenians of old in Transylvania, but, from the erected an altar to the "UNKNOWN nature and publicity of his work, GOD?" A. Z. it is reasonable to consider his account of them as being correct: I therefore, draw the following conclusions from it.

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Unitarians in Transylvania.

SIR,

West Ham, Essex,

Jan. 2, 1812.

1. That these Unitarians are

To such as are acquainted with the largest body of Christians of ecclesiastical history, it is well their sentiment which we know of, known that the Unitarians of Po- as no other state in Europe can land, after their cruel expulsion furnish upwards of 160 congrega. from that country in 1661, did, ma- tions which openly profess the ny of them, settle in Transylvania, great doctrine of the Divine Unity. where their doctrine had been 2. That they have a civil estolerated from about the year tablishment, or, at least, a very 1563. Their numbers, circum- liberal toleration of their religion, stances and doctrine have been as Mr. Markos is styled "Profess from that period, very little known. or of the Unitarian College of I have lately met with a work Clausenburg". I believe that this called "The Religious World circumstance cannot be paralleled Displayed, &c. by the Rev. Ro- in the Christian world.

bert Adam, B. A. Oxford; Mi- 3. That from their long settlenister of the Episcopal congregati. ment and present numbers and on, Blackfriars Wynd, Edinburgh, privileges, they have some com&c." In the second vol. of this mon form of ecclesiastical governwork, p. 174, this author says ment and discipline, which unites that "An abstract of the faith and them as a body, or denominatiprinciples of the Unitarians of on.

Transylvania was published in * Since writing the above, I have 1787, with permission of their looked further into Mr. Adam's work, and government, by Professor Markos, in vol. ii p. 185, he says "Transylvania of the Unitarian College of Clau- is the only country in which they (Unitasenburg". rians are not only to erated, but have

In a note, at the bottom of the their rights and privileges secured by express laws, and possess a sort of page, we are informed that "this establishment. Their church governwork of Professor Markes is en- ment, in that country, consists of one titled Summa Universæ Chris- superintendent and two consistories. The tianæ secundum Unitarios in usum higher consistory is composed partly of laymen, partly of the inspectors or su Auditorum concinnata et edita; perintendents special of the eight dioceses, Cum Privilegio S. C. R. A. Maj. into which the 164 Unitarian churches Claudiopoli Typis Collegii Refor. in that country are divided. matorum, 1787."

Mr. Adam also says that, the Unitarians in Transylvania have long had separate congregations, and have upwards of 160 at this day. I know not from what au

"It appoints persons for all the livings and receives reports from the inferior consistory, to which the church discipline is intrusted. The superintendent general presides in the inferior consistory, the higher. Matrimonial affairs, &c. but occupies only the second place in are under the jurisdiction of these courts.”

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