encomium indeed! If it be a true one, what are we to think of a Douglas, a Campbell, a Gerard, a Reid, and fome others, who have attacked feveral of Mr HUME's opinions, and proved them to be contrary to truth, and fubverfive of the good of mankind? I thought indeed, that the works of thofe excellent writers had given great fatisfaction to the friends of truth and virtue, and done an important fervice to fociety: but, if I believe this prefacer, I muft look on them, as well as on this attempt of my own, with deteftation and horror. But before fo great a change in my fentiments can take place, it will be neceffary that Mr HUME prove, to my fatisfaction, that he is neither the author nor the publisher of the Essays that bear his name, nor of the Treatife of Human Nature. For I will not take it on his, nor on ground, crying like a flave, in fear of the law, and "the tongues of men, to whom he should himself be a "law, and the measure of right and wrong? What did "he conquer for, but to rule and to command, not "fervilely to fubmit to the vain opinions of men? Know you not, (continued he), that Jupiter is reprefented 66 with Themis and Juftice by his fide, to fhow, that "whatever is done by fupreme power is right?" By this and other difcourfes of the fame kind, he alleviated the king's grief indeed, but made him withal more haughty and unjuft. At the fame time he infinuated himself into his favour in fo extraordinary a manner, that he could no longer bear the converfation of Califthenes, who bea fore was not very agreeable, on account of his aufterity." Langhorne's Plutarch, vol. 4. p. 294. ny any man's word, tlt religion, both revealed and natural, and all conviction in regard to truth, are detrimental to mankind. And it is most certain, that he, if he is indeed the author of thofe Effays, and of that Treatife, hath exerted his great talents, and employed feveral years of his life, in endeavouring to perfuade the world, that the fundamental doctrines of natural religion are irrational, and the proofs of revealed religion fuch as ought not to fatisfy an impartial mind; and that there is not in any fcience an evidence of truth fufficient to produce certainty. Suppofe thefe opinions established in the world, and fay, if you can, that the good of mankind would be promoted by them. To me it feems impoffible for fociety to exift under the influence of fuch opinions. Nor let it be thought, that we give an unfavourable view of human nature, when we infift on the neceffity of good principles for the prefervation of good order. Such a total fubverfion of human fentiment is, I believe, impoffible: mankind, at their very worst, are not fuch monsters, as to admit it; reafon, confcience, taste, habit, interest, fear, muft perpetually oppofe it: but the philofophy that aims at a total fubverfion of human fentiment is not on that account the lefs deteftable. And yet it is faid of the authors of this philofophy, that they exert their great talents in promoting the good of mankind. What an infult on hu man Part III. man nature and common fenfe! If mankind are tame enough to acquiefce in fuch an infult, and fervile enough to reply, "It is true, we have been much obliged to "the celebrated fceptics of this most enlightened age," - they would almost tempt one to exprefs himself in the ftyle of mifanthropy, and fay, "Si populus vult decipi, decipiatur." Every doctrine is dangerous that tends to difcredit the evidence of our fenfes, external or internal, and to fubvert the original inftinctive principles of human belief. In this refpect the most unnatural and incomprehenfible abfurdities, fuch as the doctrine of the non-existence of matter, and of perceptions without a percipient fubftance, are far from being harmless; as they feem to lead, and actually have led, to univerfal fcepticism; and fet an example of a method of reasoning fufficient to overturn all truth, and pervert every human faculty. In this respect alfo we have proved the doctrine of Fatality to be of moft pernicious tendency, as it leads men to fuppofe their moral fentiments fallacious or equivocal; not to mention its influence on our notions of God, and natural religion. When a fceptic attacks one principle of common fenfe, he does in effect attack all; for if we are made diftrustful of the veracity of inftinctive conviction in one inftance, we muft, or at least we may, become equally distrustful in I every every other. A little fcepticism introduced into science will foon affimilate the whole to its own nature; the fatal fermentation, once begun, fpreads wider and wider every moment, till all the mafs be transformed into rottennefs and poifon. The pre There is no exaggeration here. fent ftate of the abstract fciences is a melancholy proof, that what I fay is true. This is called the age of reafon and philofophy; and this is the age of avowed and dogmatical Atheism. Sceptics have at last grown weary of doubting; and have now discovered, by the force of their great talents, that one thing at least is certain, namely, that God, and religion, and immortality, are empty founds. This is the final triumph of our fo much boafted philofophic fpirit; these are the limits of the dominion of error, beyond which we can hardly conceive it poffible for human fophiftry to penetrate. Exult, O Metaphyfic, at the confummation of thy glories. More thou canst not hope, more thou canst not defire. Fall down, ye mortals, and acknowledge the ftupendous bleffing adore thofe men of great talents, thofe daring spirits, thofe patterns of modefty, gentleness, and candour, thofe prodigies of genius, thofe heroes in beneficence, who have thus laboured-to ftrip you of every rational confolation, and to make your condition ten thousand times worse than that of the beasts that periíh. : VOL. I. 3 K Why Why can I not exprefs myself with lefs warmth! Why can I not devife an apology for thefe philofophers, to fcreen them from this dreadful imputation of being the enemies and plagues of mankind! — Perhaps they do not themselves believe their own tenets, but publish them only as the means of getting a name and a fortune. But I hope this is not the cafe; God forbid that it fhould! for then the enormity of their guilt would furpass all power of language; we could only gaze at it, and tremble. Compared with fuch wickedness, the crimes of the thief, the robber, the incendiary, would almost disappear. These sacrifice the fortunes or the lives of fome of their fellowcreatures, to their own neceflity or outrageous appetite: but those would run the hazard of facrificing, to their own avarice or vanity, the happiness of mankind, both here and hereafter. No; I cannot fuppofe it: the heart of man, however depraved, is not capable of fuch malignity. - Perhaps they do not foresee the confequences of their doctrines. BERKELEY moft certainly did not. But BERKELEY did not attack the religion of his country, did not feek to undermine the foundations of virtue, did not preach or recommend Atheism. He erred; and who is free from error? but his intentions were irreproachable; and his conduct as a man, and a Chriftian, did honour to human nature. -Perhaps our mo dern |