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 REESE LIBRARY 
 
 -ۥ" 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 Received^. ^^^h&Z* • r8^ / 
 
 Accessions No. j&&A7£9. Shelf No.„ 
 
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72 
 
 air. I7 10 
 
REVOLUTION of REASON; 
 
 • R THE 
 
 ESTABLISHMENT 
 
 of THE 
 
 CONSTITUTION 
 
 OF 
 
 THINGS in- NATURE, 
 
 P™ ' « 
 
 Of THE 
 
 MAN, 
 
 UNIVERgj: ojf human intellect, 
 ^UFORNlC^ M0RAL TRUTH ' 
 
 S^OF UNIVERSAL GOOD. 
 
 Ftr-x -.he sra of intellectual exiftence, or the publication of 
 •ihe apocalypfe of nature, an. 4. or, 5000 of recorded know- 
 ledge, afctrcainei by aitronomy in the Chinefe tables di 
 rclipfes. 
 
 LONDON. 
 
 printed for J. RIDGWAY, No. t, Ycri; Sttsefc 
 S: James's Sttjeet. 
 

 .^^rsy 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 M 
 
 OF THE 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
 ,Y pecuniary finances being nearly 
 exhaufted, while my mental (lore of pro- 
 greflive idea is increafing, I am necefH- 
 rated to comprefs the latter in a detail, 
 too narrow for general inftrudtion to ad- 
 juft them to the date of the former, as 
 the public feem averfe to aflift me by 
 the purchafe of thofe works, which de- 
 mand an intenfe operation of thought 
 and contemplation. 
 
 ja 2 This 
 
( iv ) 
 
 This general averfion of man to 
 thought and refle&ion confines him to 
 the animal fcale of exigence, and Hunts, 
 as it were, his growth to perfectability, 
 graduated on the higher fcale of intel- 
 lectuality ; though mod men are convin- 
 ced of this truth, how few there are who 
 deiire to increafe or elevate their exift- 
 ence j they all feem fubmerged in their 
 predicament, and like the mifer, prefer 
 the trepidating weeping care of amafiing 
 gold, to a cordial and joyful difpendi- 
 ture. 
 
 The fop, the pedant, the fdldier, all 
 prefer their animal predicament to the 
 intellectual predicament of the philofo- 
 pher, and like the liberated prilbner of 
 the Baftile returns from his home to 
 re-enter his dungeon. Every fpecies 
 muft have fpecifie qualities configuring 
 its effence, and marking a pofitive crite- 
 rion of its well-being; fo of man, the 
 qualities of fympathy, probity, wifdom, 
 
 and 
 
( v ) 
 
 and fortitude, mark the perfection of bis 
 
 fpecies or criterion of well-being, called 
 liappinefs; thefe qualities are the gradu- 
 ations of the intellectual fcale of exiifc- 
 ence; and the fop, the pedant, and the 
 foidier, who move on the animal fcale, 
 muft eftimace their happinefs on the nar- 
 row meafure of predicament, but not 
 the wide one of manhood ; and to inqui- 
 ries after their moral health, they muft 
 reply as the convalefcent, to inquiries 
 after phyfical health — " pretty well con- 
 fidering;" that is, pretty well confider- 
 ing their predicament is ftcknefs, or 
 pretty happy confidering their predica- 
 ment is unhappinefs. 
 
 Man is Co much the creature- of educa- 
 tion, that its acquired habits become im- 
 moveable centres, upon which he co- 
 ordinates all his actions ; thought ani 
 reflection, which break defukory into the 
 mind of an adult, ferve only to difcover 
 the vice of fyftem, but having neither 
 a 3 ex- 
 
( vi ) 
 
 expanfion nor duration to correct it, they 
 become painful and ufelefs. Thefehigh 
 qualities of manhood muft be produced 
 by education; they then become power- 
 ful habits, and the fource of intellectual 
 perfec~lability, pointing out the true cen- 
 tre upon which felf and its integer nature 
 is co-ordinate and identified in thcra* 
 eternal unity of intereftand exiftence. 
 
 The eifence of perfectability, or the 
 cenue of co-ordination of univerfal exift- 
 ence, are the defiderata attempted to be 
 developed in the following work; to 
 efTed which, the faculties of the human 
 mind will be emancipated from all the 
 incumbrances of prejudices and falfe 
 bias of habits, their capacities will be 
 impelled to expand into the plenitude of 
 their energies, by the expofition of the 
 true medium of their operations ; lan- 
 guage will be rendered a pliant inftru- 
 mentto fearch the recondite and crooked 
 pofition of mutable and progreflive pre- 
 dicament 
 
( vi ) 
 
 dicunent; and be no longer a ftiff in- 
 flexible meafure, applicable only to fu- 
 perficies, and not obliquity orprofundity, 
 the eflence of progreflive moral truth. 
 
 Ideas will be tausht as a true medium 
 of connection of names and things refill- 
 ing the impreflioa of chimerical abstrac- 
 tion, and receiving that only of exifting 
 relation or pofitive being, hypogriffs, 
 mermaids, ghofts, gods, and centaurs, 
 and all fuch non entities ; optimifm, 
 nihilifm, neceffity, abftracl: good, and 
 all fuch falfe relations of exigence, will 
 be exiled the province of intellect, and 
 nothing will be admitted into its facred 
 boundaries, but utility, comprehenfi- 
 bility, and demonftrable probability, 
 applicable to real exigence and its confe- 
 quences, and efficient to approximate 
 the gaol of perfectability. 
 
 The mechanifm of the univerfe will 
 
 be treated of, within the boundaries of 
 
 a 4 * {en- 
 
( viii ) 
 
 &nfation, the directory energies of each 
 fphere will- be confined to their own 
 limits, and the motival energies will be 
 treated of, with regard to their utility 
 and probability. It will be (hewn, that 
 the energy of the watch is not improved 
 by the colour, but by the energies of its 
 fubordinate wheels ; fo of man, the ag- 
 gregate energy of existence cannot be 
 improved by his apoftrophe in prayer, 
 but only by the energy of his thoughts 
 and actions, 
 
 How vain to apoftrophize the energies 
 of nature on a political fall day, as fol- 
 lows ; O perfonified aggregate energy of 
 nature, effect the purpofe of national 
 defence, by means cant rafted to their 
 ends ; that is, while we fufpend the 
 labour of our docks, do you procure for 
 us victory at fea ; and while our camps 
 transfer their arms to the churches, do 
 you-fpread the banner of victory over 
 
 empty 
 
C * ) 
 
 empty tents, and abandoned engines of 
 war; while induftry is univerfally fuf- 
 pended, do you increafe our commerce, 
 the fource of all offenfive and defenfive 
 energy;, and laftly, be to us an effica- 
 cious power, to keep the balance of the 
 watch at work, while we fufpend the mo- 
 tion of our little wheels, by turning the 
 affemblies of counfel into affemblies of 
 fuperftition and folly. 
 
 O delirious reafon, how much arc 
 thou below inflindt 1 
 
 Throughout the .different fpheres of 
 the mechanifm of the univerfe, whatever 
 may be their graduated, intellectual, or 
 phyfical energies, their intercourfe or 
 communication of influence can be 
 maintained only by general impulfe 
 ©r motivity ; directory or final im- 
 pulfe muft be confined in its communi- 
 cation to the limits of each fphere; man, 
 a 5 may 
 
( x ) 
 
 m y give and receive intellectual energy 
 from man, but from no higher fphere of 
 exiftence, with which he is connected 
 only by a paflive and general impulfe, 
 called attraction and gravitation. 
 
 It has been ufual for polemical enthu- 
 fiafts to degrade the being man, by a 
 comparative view of him as an infinitely 
 {"mail part of an infinitely great whole ; 
 and thus to reduce the eftimation of his 
 exiftence to a mere zero or nihility ; but 
 if they would at the fame time compare 
 his intereft of rbe moment of time, with 
 his interminable intereft of infinity, the 
 account would be balanced, and the 
 eftimation of man would become incal- 
 culably momentous. / 
 
 Every ad of man in thought or fact, 
 is a feed of good or evil to all eternity ; 
 how much the human modification of 
 matter at any fucceeding epocha, feels 
 
 the 
 
( rf ) 
 
 the conduct of a different modification 
 of the fame matter, at a preceding epo- 
 cha, we, the prefent exifting matter, 
 need no demonftration to convince us. 
 Had the anceftorial matter of the world 
 been more enlightened in the preceding 
 century, would the progenial matter be 
 now fuffering the barbariry of Afia, the 
 ftupidity of Africa, the tormenting civi- 
 lization of Europe, or the ferocious anar- 
 chy of Indian America? And do thefe 
 evils which now bear hard upon the pre- 
 fent exifting matter, require the connec- 
 tion of identity between the 'modifica- 
 tions of different epochas to give them 
 reality ? O no ! when good or evil at- 
 taches to the whole of exiflence, it is not 
 poffible for its fractional parts.to efcape k 
 by the paufe of concioufnefs, called 
 death. . - 
 
 Themechantfm of the integer, nature, 
 
 and its fractional parts or various modes 
 
 of being, has by means of fympathy pre- 
 
 a 6 vented 
 
vented the centre of felf from infulating 
 on its own point, and facrificing thus the 
 intereft of the whole to the intereft of the 
 parr, it expands the point offpace or matter 
 into infinite fpace, and time into infinite 
 duration, by which operation the contact 
 of the circumference is more valued than 
 the contact of the centre, and the good 
 of the integer is preferred, or rather iden- 
 tified with the good of the part ; and on 
 this knowledge is fixed the bafis of man- 
 hood, or ire true pofition on the progref- 
 five fcale, or relations of moral truth. 
 
 In the revolution of reafon, which this 
 worki s intended to achieve caufation 
 and confequence will be united in con- 
 geniality ; from the energy of human in- 
 tellect will be derived the well-being of 
 human nature in time and eternity ; from 
 augmentation of intellect will arife good 
 fyftems of education, from education 
 proceeds manhood, from manhood wife 
 
 laws, 
 
( *" ) 
 
 laws, from wife laws happy government, 
 from happy government happy individu- 
 als, from happy individuals happy na- 
 tions, from happy nations happy worlds;, 
 thefe confequences perpetuated on to fu- 
 turity form a happy medium of fcnfation, 
 to tranfmuting matter in its infeparable 
 unity of intereft and exiftence to all eter- 
 nity. 
 
 The chimerical operations of religious 
 phrenzy will be deftroyed by thedoftrine 
 of real exiftence, being made the arche- 
 types of ideas ; heaven, hell, foul, and 
 fuch airy articulations of no import, will 
 vanifh into the medium of their own 
 original darknefs, and give place to the 
 congruky of confequence and caufa- 
 tion; an aft of virtue, can produce no* 
 thing but happinefs to the individual ; 
 this to the community, the community 
 to the nation, the nation to the world, 
 and the world to all nature, in time and 
 eternity. If I fow wheat do I reap ap- 
 ples ? 
 
( xiv ) 
 
 pies ? If I plough my ground, does that 
 produce a habitation ? Caufes can pro- 
 duce nothing but direct confequences ; 
 from wheat comes wheat, from cultiva- 
 tion harveft, and not houfe; what then 
 are thefe words, heaven and hell, attached 
 as confequences to human actions ? Are 
 they fairy regions of irrecognizable feli- 
 city, where refule Mahomet's perpetual 
 virgins in conftant debauchery, or chrif- 
 tian cherubims, with no other occupa- 
 tion than (inging anthems ? Is hell a lake 
 of burning brimflone, where bodies are 
 to have exiftence in the moft powerful 
 medium of deftruction ? Can the energy 
 of intellect, producing well-being, be a 
 caufe conned ed with Mahometan vir- 
 ginity, its confequence ? or can. virtue be 
 productive of mufical compofition, for 
 the mouths of fairy cherubims? Such 
 ideas, did they not calumniate the be- 
 nignity of nature, their traveflie of the 
 laws of caufe and effect would make 
 folly's felf burft her fides with laughter,. 
 
 The 
 
( XV ) 
 
 The high energy of this fphere of ex-> 
 iftence, human intellect, can operate only 
 with its powers to give fixed nefs to con- 
 tingency ; or in other words, to fubfti- 
 tnte order to hazard, or reduce the 
 moral chaos to fyttem ; individual, dp- 
 medic, and national warfare, all teftify 
 the exiftence of this chaos, caufed by ig- 
 norance, and call aloud for aid from the 
 organizing powers of intellect. 
 
 Moral, civil, and political inftitutrons, 
 are the true medium in which intellect 
 operates to fyftematize chaos, or change 
 contingency to order; good laws of uni- 
 verfal policy would produce the happi- 
 nefs of the world, good civil inftitutions 
 would effect the happinefs of nations, and 
 good moral laws the happinefs of indivi- 
 duals in fuch a medium of organization, 
 perfe&abihty would have progrefs in time 
 and eternity, and diflblving generations 
 would renovate to reap wheat from 
 wheat fown, the true harveft from the 
 grain cultivated^ and not expect the efta- 
 
 blifhment 
 
( xvi ) 
 
 bliihment of good laws, to produce Ma- 
 hometan maidenheads ; or the improve- 
 ment of the moral medium of focial ex- 
 igence, to produce feraphic concerts in 
 cold clouds. 
 
 The great integer of exiftence, how- 
 ever its fractional parts may be intellec- 
 tually or phyfically organized, they can 
 have but a partial controul over each 
 other in the different combinations of 
 of genus, fpecies, and individual mode; 
 ex. gratia, fome fuperiour energies may 
 controul the planets in their orbits by 1 
 unknown laws, and may, at the fame 
 time, controul the moral world alfo, or 
 the mind of man, by unknown moral 
 laws; but this fupreme and unknown 
 energy, can no more impede the volcano 
 in the one, or phanatafm in the other, 
 than the energy of man can prevent the 
 ulcer of the toe, or the main-fpring of 
 the watch can prevent the irregularity 
 of its balance* Man, with his mind 
 
 will 
 I 
 
( xvii J 
 
 will, no doubt, dired much of the 
 operations of the toe, but the eiTential 
 energy, which is the circulation of the 
 fluids, is inherent in the toe ; and fo of 
 the balance of a watch, whofe fuperiour 
 movements are directed by the main 
 fpring, but whofe principal energy depends 
 upon its own folidity ; and this proves the 
 aggregate of energy, to be derived 
 though feparated from its partial items. 
 
 The above reflections lead the mind 
 to a mod important moral truth ; " that 
 the energies of the different fpheres of 
 exiftence can have no ultimate or final 
 communication with others beyond their 
 fpheres, and that all active or directory 
 energy is confined to the limits of each 
 fphere. The toe van energize only 
 with its combined folids and fluids, but 
 can receive no cou-del from the head 
 which governs it. Man can energi ze 
 only with man, through the medium of 
 intellect, but can take no counfel from 
 
 the 
 
( xviii ) 
 
 the higher energies which controul him, 
 as much as he controuls the toe, but with 
 the fame limited power of interrupted 
 communication.* 
 
 I am apprehcnfive that the whole 
 tribe of fanatics, optimifts, nihilifts, and 
 neceflitarians, will exult over this con- 
 ceflion of fupreme energies, controuling 
 man through the laws of paffion ; but 
 I recommend to their imitative arid un- 
 inventive minds to recollect, that as the 
 obflruction of circulation in the toe 
 brings great anguifh to the body, {q 
 does the morbid circulations of intellect, 
 give much pain to the confcious or 
 intellectual fphere of manhood; and 
 though the fupreme energies have ftill 
 & power to mediate, as man may the 
 
 * Man is fubje&ed to the various laws of gra- 
 vitation* climate, moral cuftoms ; but his own in- 
 dependent and final energy concentrates them all 
 into their focus or goal of happinefs, or well 
 being. 
 
 toe, 
 
( xix ) 
 
 toe, yet the refult depends upon the 
 inherent and incommunicable energy 
 of the individual part or mode. 
 
 After all poflible conceflions of 
 fupreme agency, what powerful incite- 
 ment ftill lemainsto man, to produce 
 the capacity of intellect into its energy ? 
 for the univerfal good of all exiftenQe 
 depends as much upon his final and 
 independent operations, as the well 
 going of a watch does upon the final 
 texture or folidity of the balance, not- 
 withstanding the fupreme influence of 
 all other parts of the machine operating 
 upon the fame balance to controul it.. 
 
 This directive vh, or final indepen- 
 dent energy of all modes, and part of 
 modes, is an evjdent demonftration of 
 the non -exigence of the infinite laws of 
 necefiity, and accounts for the partial 
 irreoulaiities in the mechanifm of nature. 
 
 Upon 
 
( m ) 
 
 Upon thefe reflections may be formed 
 that univerfal moral axiom, which feems 
 the polar ftar of moral truth and is the 
 great criterion by which all other moral 
 axioms mud be mcafured ; viz. let this 
 fphere of exigence energize its ozvn capaci- 
 ties, or, in other words, augment human 
 intellect, by the general intercourfe of all 
 minds within the fphere of manhood. 
 
 If we carry the fublime and cardinal 
 moral axioms of think, fpeak as, and all 
 you think, violate not, but aid the inoffenfcve 
 will ; know and love y our f elf, the axiom 
 of the fchools ; mala p ail non agere, fuffer 
 evil but do none. If we carry thefe to the 
 following great criterion, augment the 
 * energies of the fphere of exigence, human 
 inUl/ecl, intenfe thought would be mo- 
 derated, led intellect be debilitated ; 
 
 * I have throughout all my work frequently 
 \ifed the word energy, to difcriminate between 
 it and power ; the firft, being perfe&ability or 
 germination, the latter, capability or feed. 
 
 fpeech 
 
< KX1 ) 
 
 fpeech would be iupprefied, lead wifdora 
 become the victim of the refentment of 
 inquifitors ; violence would be limited 
 to the defence of the underftandingfrom 
 •the rage of ignorance ; the love of felf 
 would be overwhelmed in the love of 
 philofophers, and the fufferance of evil 
 would be apportioned to the fuccefs of 
 of intellect, or, in other words, the life 
 of a fool would be facrificed to the fafety 
 of a wife man. 
 
 All moral, civil, and political inftitu- 
 tions, meafured by the above axiom, 
 augment human intellect, would be cal- 
 culated to contend with ignorance, foreign 
 or domeftic, and to controul paflion in 
 the fubjecls, while luxury was energiz- 
 ing paffion into fenfibility, to produce 
 thought and reflection, the true medium 
 of intellect 
 
 To guard the pure medium or 
 pellucid current of intellect from tur- 
 
 bulency, 
 
( xxii ) 
 
 bulency, I have laboured in the follow- 
 ing work to precipitate fubtlety into 
 its native mud of ignorance, and confine 
 it to the bottom of the intellectual chan- 
 nel, I have cured the infanity of the 
 optimift, by making the comprehenfible 
 fphere of exiftence the criterion of evil, 
 and not fuppofing that unlverfal good 
 is promoted by an ulcer upon the toe. 
 I have cured the infinity of the necefli- 
 tarian, by proving that man is patient 
 in fenfation, and free agent in reflection ; 
 and that the irregularities or evils of the 
 whole of exiftence proceed from the 
 independent energies of its fractional 
 parts ; for if the law of caufation or 
 neceflity was infinite, the order of effect 
 muft be infinite, and diforder could have 
 no exiftence. 
 
 I have cured the infanity of the 
 knight errant of abftract good, bv prov- 
 ing the identity or unity of felf and 
 nature in the indefcuduuiiity of matter, 
 
 and 
 
( xxiii ) 
 
 and the inanity of perpetuated identity; 
 and with the fame argument, the 
 letiferous fubtlety of nihilifm, (or ex- 
 tinction of intereft in nature, by death) 
 has been incontrovertably exploded ; and 
 thus having cleanfed the river of the 
 human intellect, I have ultimately con- 
 duced it on to its difembogument into 
 the ocean of energy ; which flowing on 
 the coafts of all modifications of ex- 
 iftence, opens the univerfal intercourfe 
 of diftant minds to communicate their 
 converging energies to form the matrix of 
 capabrity, generating perfedtability, and 
 reducing the chaos of moral contingency 
 to the progreflive fyftera, exemplified 
 by the following diagram ; 
 
 The bafc, or firft circle, reprefents defpotifm, 
 
 The fecond, limited monarchy, 
 
 The third, ariftocracy, 
 
 The fourth, mixed government, 
 
 The fifth, reprefentativc government, 
 
 The fixth, democracy, 
 
 The feventh, ftate of enlightened nature. 
 
 where human capability or power, 
 revolving upon the center of law and 
 
 cuftom, 
 
( xxiv ) 
 
 cviftom, is projected by thought and re- 
 flection on the approximating and 
 graduated fpiral line of improvement, to 
 tneet its energy or vertex of perfecla- 
 bility. 
 
 All attempts of reform in nations to 
 pafs by any one degree is highly dan- 
 gerous, but to pafs over two, as from 
 defpotifm to mixed government, would 
 be impofTible ; the civic temperament 
 of the people, not having power to in- 
 vert the line of improvement towards the 
 vertex, it muft fly off in the tangent of 
 anarchy, and recoil back into a more 
 profound defpotifm ; this was the attempt 
 and error of France, whofe horrors of 
 anarchy, when they (hall have reached 
 their climax, muft exemplify the truth of 
 ■this moral diagram* 
 
NATURE, 
 
 OR. THB 
 
 WHOLE OF EXISTENCE. 
 
 HPHE human mind being finite can 
 take cognizance only of finite co» 
 exiftent parts. The integer of exiftence 
 offers no relations upon which judgement 
 can operate ro produce cognition. Ex.gra- 
 iia i The globe may be located by talcing 
 a relative view of the fun ; the fun by the 
 planets, the planets by the fixed ftars, the 
 liars by each other ; but the vifible uni- 
 B verfe 
 
( a ) 
 
 verfe comprehending the whole of thefc 
 
 luminous orbs will admit of no location 
 
 or relative ftation in the integer of ex- 
 istence. 
 
 The imagination will never pafs over 
 the bounds of comprehenfibility, and if 
 guided by fair conjecture, may fuppofe or 
 believe fimilar co-exiftences of planets, 
 funs, and ftars, beyond the boundaries of 
 human vifion ; it is by the temperate ex- 
 ercife of imagination, that the perfecta- 
 bility of the human mind acquires pro- 
 grefs, but it muft not wanton in analogy, 
 and thence aberrate into infinity. Ex, gra- 
 tia j I find by pofitive experience, that 
 intellect produces order, fymmetry, and 
 final caufes within the fublunary iphere. 
 Imagination then purfues the criterion of 
 analogy, and fairly conjectures higher de- 
 grees of intellectuality to be the energies 
 of the higher fpheres of exiftence in co-or- 
 dination j but mould it pufh on the ana- 
 logy to give form, fubftance, or attribute 
 
 thereto,, 
 
< 3 ) 
 
 thereto, it then becomes aberrate, and its 
 chimeras can procure no afTent or belief.* 
 
 Human reafon by controlling the exer- 
 cife of the paflions, will, no doubt, pro- 
 cure longevity to the body ; but fhould 
 imagination, through analogy, fuppofe the 
 procuration of immortality by the infinite 
 ratio of increafing reafon, it would be 
 downright infanity -, as well might the 
 man who lifted a calf every day, till it be- 
 came a cow, expect to lift ahoufe, moun- 
 tain, globe, univerfe, and ultimately, carry 
 all nature like a hat under his arm. 
 
 The extremes of exiftence, univerfa- 
 Iity, and individuality, or whole and part, 
 arc totally irrecognizable. The chain of 
 
 * Whatever may be the energies of the dif- 
 ferent fpheres of exigence, they can have only a 
 paflive influence on each other, the directory 
 'action is inherent, and totally independent, fa 
 that human reafon can receive directory impulfe 
 from reafon alone, and all fn.pernatural direction 
 is downright nonfenfe- 
 
 B a being 
 
( 4 .) 
 
 being or matter modified, reaches fb i&- 
 finite in both compolkion and decompo- 
 fition j every atom being divifible and 
 componible to infinity. 
 
 The cognition of the human mind is of 
 two fpecies, pofitive and relative ; the firft 
 is the quality of phyfical, the latter of 
 moral cognition. Phyfical cognition con- 
 tains the pofitive ftate of truth, with re- 
 gard to matter, and all its combinations 
 in number and figure, within the limits 
 of fair analogy. Ex. gratia - t Two added 
 to two is pofitively equal to four. The 
 three angles of a triangle are pofitively 
 equal to two right angles. The mathe- 
 matical afTymptotes contain positive, but 
 unintelligible truth, puttied by analogy 
 into infinity, like the divifibility of an 
 atom, approximating annihilation by the 
 lofs of its parts, but would never arrive at 
 it, though divided to all eternity. Moral 
 cognition contains truth only in a relative 
 ftate, applicable to mind, and its opera- 
 tor? 1 ? to p: kite well I to felf, inco- 
 ordination 
 
( S ) 
 
 ordination with its fpecies and integer na- 
 ture. Ex. gratia j The great moral rule! 
 of nature, think, fpeak as you think, 
 violate not, but aid the inofTenfive will ; 
 thefe are but conditional or relative 
 truth. Thought is related to a certain 
 boundary, for by thinking too long, and 
 roo intenfely, the mind may be deftroyed* 
 Probity, or fincerity of fpeech, is related 
 to circumflances of good and evil of ths 
 immediate predicament. Violence is re- 
 lated to the will upon which it is to be 
 infl cted or abftained from. 
 
 Univerfal good, identified with the 
 good of felf, in time and eternity, is the 
 great (landard of relation to meafure moral 
 truth ; but this ftandard, like the mag- 
 netic virtue of the north,, has only pola- 
 rity, but no point. The needle of prac- 
 tice muft be ever vacillatory, and feel the 
 influence of that mutability which feems 
 the elTential quality of nature. 
 
 B 3 The 
 
( 6 ) 
 
 The moral axiom which feems to Tjc 
 the polar ftar of truth, is augment human in- 
 telleB -, this axiom feems alfo to difcover 
 that great defideratum in the moral 
 world* the union of theoretic and prac- 
 tical truth* 
 
 To return to the analyfis of nature, and 
 trace the arc of human comprchenfion in 
 the great circle of exiftence, as far as it is 
 marked by the line of experience, fair ana- 
 logy, and conjecture $ we difcover a ma- 
 nifeft union of parts with parts, evinced 
 by the tranfmutation and attraction of 
 ^natter, and by fympathy in its accidents 
 or mind. This chain of connection ex- 
 perience traces to the boundaries of the 
 vifible univerfe, and fair analogy forces it 
 on to immenfity, where it takes its leave* 
 
 THOUGHTS 
 
( 1 ) 
 
 THOUGHTS 
 
 ON THB 
 
 IDENTITY OF MAN. 
 
 *npHE mode of being called man can 
 ■*■ have no pofitive or abfolute identity j, 
 it refembles the river whofe mode of ex- 
 igence is the form of its channel. The 
 flux of water in the river, like the flux of 
 matter in the body, can have no identity 
 or famenefs, . but is incefTantly on the 
 movement, cauied by evacuation and re- 
 pletion. 
 
 In confidering the whole of exiftence 
 
 with any of its modes or parts* cognition 
 
 or intelligence can feize upon nothing but 
 
 matter with its quality of indeftrucHbi- 
 
 B 4 lity. 
 
( 8 ) 
 
 lity. Matter, as to its whole or its parts,, 
 proceeds to infinity either forward to 
 augmentation, or the unity of its quantity; 
 or backward to diminution, or the indivi- 
 duality of component quantity. 
 
 All bodies participate with the whole of 
 matter in the quality of indeftru&ibility, 
 in their individuality the diffblubility of 
 their combinations has no connection 
 whatever with this effential quality of mat- 
 ter, indeftructibility.. 
 
 Identity of body is nothing but the 
 combination of individual particles or 
 atoms, in perpetual fluxion ; their diffohi- 
 tion by death is of no more confequence 
 to nature, or the whole of matter "in ex- 
 iftence, than the difiblution of figures. 
 combined in any fum is to t\\e power of 
 number. Ex. gratia \ The fum 129 be- 
 ing diflblved or feparated, the figure 1 is- 
 again combined, as 178, the figure 1 has 
 ft-ill existence as a power in number, in- 
 dependent; 
 
( 9 ) 
 
 dependent of any former union with' the 
 diffolved fum. 
 
 It may be perhaps objected that the 
 power of figure, in number, differs ef- 
 fentially from the power of fenfation in 
 animated atoms ; that there is a differ- 
 ence in the nature of thefe powers, will 
 be eafily admitted ; this difference of 
 quality is of no import, as will appear 
 in the following moral theorem or de- 
 mon drat ion. 
 
 Senfation is the power of feeling, as 
 figuration is the power of multiply ing ? 
 The combination and diffolution of feel- 
 ing atoms have no more effect upon 
 the pofitive exiftence of fenfation, than 
 die combination or feparation of k figures 
 has upon the pofitive exiftence of num- 
 ber : the improvement and increafe of 
 exiftence is, however, in both, mate- 
 rially affected, and dependent on thofc 
 combinations and feparations, 
 
 Bi This 
 
  ( 16 ) 
 
 This problem, which is in its own na- 
 ture Ample, is involved in complexity 
 and difficulty, by the erroneous ideas of 
 pofitive identity or famenefs of body or 
 perfon, created by, or dependent on 
 confcioufnefs or reflection. — Let us en- 
 deavour to investigate this proportion. 
 
 When the body or perfon is in the 
 actual ftate of fuffering pain, or enjoy- 
 ing pleafure, what avails the confciouf- 
 nefs of famenefs in the co-exiflent atoms, 
 or the reflection of their pad or future 
 combinations ? If the finger burns, the 
 co-exiftent atoms give figns of anguith 
 and torment that abforbs all reflection or 
 confcioufnefs ; thefe qualities ferve only, 
 in the tranquil flare of the being, to an- 
 ticipate and provide: for the improvement 
 of future fenfation by the experience 
 of paft fenfation, whofe pofitive ex- 
 iftence is totally independent of reflec- 
 tion or memory, called identity ; and 
 herein lies the only difference between 
 the power fenfation and the power nu- 
 meration, 
 
( II > 
 
 meration, neither of which depend upon 
 thefamenefs or identity of atoms or figures 
 for their exiftence. Senfation alone in- 
 creafes its energy by the remembrance of 
 caufe and efTecl; in former combination, 
 or the conjecture of future, by the ana- 
 logy of pail: events; whereas the memory 
 of former pofition gives no increafe to the 
 energy of figures. 
 
 Identity of matter or fluxion in the 
 human body, is nothing more than 
 memory, which preferves the impulfion, 
 of pad atoms in its circulation, as the 
 rippling of a current perpetuates agitation 
 to the flowing globules of water. If the 
 memory was totally to ceafe, the iden- 
 tity muft ceafe; but this would not ef- 
 fect the exiftence of fenfation or confci- 
 oufnefs, for thefe words are fynoni- 
 tnous. 
 
 The improvement of fenfation would 
 
 be annihilated by the total lofs of me* 
 
 B 6 morjy 
 
( 12 ) 
 
 mory, and this great guide of life being 
 loft, man would precipitate himfelf into 
 the mod dangerous ad ions for want of 
 experience : he would walk into the fire, 
 the air y or the water; and a being thus 
 diforganifed, could not long exift. A 
 man is often faid to have loft his me- 
 mory when he has loft it but partially, 
 and whenever this lofs fully accrues to 
 the mind, an incurable infanity muft 
 fucceed ; fenfation, however, ftill exifts, 
 though liable to a great diminution. 
 
 By the foregoing reflect ions, I think t 
 have demonftrated the difference between 
 confcioufnefs of identity, and confciouf- 
 nefs of feeling; the one the inftrumen- 
 tality of improving good., the latter the 
 organization of pofitive animal exif. 
 tence, or fenfe of good and evil. The 
 former may be diftblved, and not affect 
 life, fupported entirely by the latter. 
 
 When 
 
( '3- )• 
 
 When matter in combination is dif- 
 folved, the fenfation of the diffolved. 
 mode muft ceafe, but all its component 
 particles mud be again liable to feniation r 
 revolving into new modifications, and- 
 the reminifcence or oblivion of pre-ex- 
 ifting afTociation can by no means affect 
 the pofitive exiftence of that fenfation^ 
 which has been demonflrated by the total 
 lofs of memory in life. 
 
 Identity of mode is nothing but appa* 
 rent famenefs, caufed by the iluxion of 
 matter or particles in contiguity or juxta 
 pofition, fo organized as to tranfmit the 
 effects of paffing to arriving atoms, and 
 conftitute-thereby individuality, in order 
 to mechanize energy, or give it that uni*. 
 tary form or figure, which, like the units 
 of number in the powers of numeration, 
 may fyftemize the aggregate energy of 
 the whole of exiftence. 
 
 Con* 
 
f 14 ) 
 
 Confcioufnefs orfe nfation, which form 
 the moral energies of nature, may be dif- 
 criminated under three diftincT heads, 
 viz. Senfation paft, fenfation prefent,. 
 fenfation future : the firft has for its qua- 
 lity or power, improvement ; the fe- 
 cond, enjoyment; and the third, provi- 
 fion or duration of enjoyment. 
 
 Senfation paft, is tire reminifccnce of 
 confcioufnefs at a preceding moment, by 
 which we are made acquainted with 
 events and their confequences, or caufes 
 and effects of this knowledge. Senfation 
 prefent, takes advantage, in order fo to 
 ceconomize enjoyment, that it may be 
 perpetuated taiucceeding matter, or fen. 
 fation future. Ex. gratia ; The function 
 of eating gives much joy to prefent fenfa- 
 tion, independent of pad or future fenfa- 
 tion, or identity of mind or body. The 
 thoughtful man expanding the operations 
 of confcioufnefs, puts a limit to the ex- 
 cefs of prefent joy, called gluttony, by 
 
 the 
 
( K ) 
 
 the recollection of paft indigeftion, caufed' 
 by redundancy of food, and confequenr 
 debility of appetite and difeafe. Thefe 
 caufes and effects being reflect: ed on, and 
 related to future fenfation, provifion 
 is made for the duration of joy and 
 health. 
 
 From the above reflections we may dif- 
 cover the end of apparent identity, or 
 famenefsofmode, not of matter; which is 
 neceflary only to the improvement of 
 fenfation, but not to its existence. 
 
 It will appear by the following conjec- 
 tural calculation, that the human body 
 renovates the whole of its matter in the 
 courfe of eighteen days. It is fuppofed 
 thatahuman body 5 in its mod perfect ftate, 
 will incorporate fix pounds of edible, and 
 fix pounds of inhaled or abforbed aliment, 
 by all its pores and organs, in twenty-four 
 hours ; the excrements of urine, ordure, 
 and perfpiration will weigh about three 
 3 pound 
 
C « ; 
 
 pounds in the fame time, there then re- 
 mains nine pounds to be difcharged by 
 imperceptible excrement. Suppofing. 
 then a well formed body to weigh one- 
 hundred and fixty pounds, the whole of 
 ks matter will be renovated in the courfe 
 of eighteen days ; this proves the total 
 ceffation of fpecific identity, as food and 
 excrement proves its mutability.* 
 
 The identity of mind does not clofely 
 follow the mutability of matter, but re- 
 fembles the agitation of a current which 
 conveys its vibrations to a long fucceffion 
 of renovated water. Memory, however, 
 marks its form of fubfidence, and when 
 the tether of memory breaks, the mind 
 receives a total renovation of its identity. 
 
 * The quantities I have affumed are all arbi- 
 trary, and. I leave it to the anatomift or chymift to 
 augment or diminifh them by experience. I fhall 
 infift only upon the truth, and not the mode of 
 flux and eflux of all matter in bodies upon whofe 
 frequent renovation depends corporeal health. 
 
 In 
 
( r 7 ) 
 
 In confrderrng the union of the whole 
 of exiftence, and its modes or parts, 
 though the indiffoluble connection and 
 intereft is a pofitive truifm, to which 
 any objection brings nothing but con- 
 tradiction and abfurdity; there is, how- 
 ever, a difference in the rapidity of 
 the fluxion of particles in various modes, 
 which feems for a confiderable period 
 to fufpend the communion of indivi- 
 dual, and unlverfal intereits of nature. Ex. 
 gratia; The human body, living, is fub- 
 ject to a more rapid fluxion of matter 
 than the fame body deceafed ; the for- 
 mer muft therefore poffefs a more im-< 
 mediate intereft on the fenfation of good 
 or evil ; the latter has an intereft in the- 
 ratio of its permeation through the coffin, 
 qarth, and tomb, to mix with the particles 
 received into animal fenfation. In the- 
 fame manner the particles combined in 
 mineral bodies havelefs rapidityof fluxiorr 
 than in vegetable combinations, 4nd alfo 
 
 farther 
 
f ** ) 
 
 farther removed from being received by 
 their edibility into animal fenfation, and 
 confequently poflefs a more remote par- 
 ticipation of univerfal good. 
 
 Though the rapidity or flownefs of 
 matter in commutation or permeation, 
 may give a certain ratio to the individu- 
 ality of intereft j. yet as this ratio is bound- 
 ed by finite epocha, its eftimation is- 
 totally abforbed and annulled by its rela- 
 tion to infinite duration. 
 
 The importance attached to identity 
 is the ignis fat uus which mifleads the mind 
 in the contemplation of whole or part, or 
 individuality and univerfality.. 
 
 When any mode of being is acted upon 
 by a caufe which procures its organiza- 
 tion to ceafe, the equilibrium of its incre- 
 mental and excremental motion is loft : the 
 latter obtains a preponderance, and brings 
 ea a flow but total decay ; the former, 
 
 hovveyer, 
 
( *9 ) 
 
 however, ftill' exifts, which is evinced 
 by the generation of animals, by its own 
 putrefaction. If then the flux and reflux 
 of matter is continued in all bodies^ 
 whether in vegetation or dhTolution, 
 this will prove a very fhorr duration of 
 identity, or total renovation of all par- 
 ticles which form fpecific modes : and if 
 a living body is totally changed in eigh- 
 teen days, I think it not extravagant to 
 conjecture that a- dead body might be to- 
 tally changed in as many years, however 
 hermetically inclofed in. leaden coffins or 
 ftone pyramids. 
 
 There is another more formidable 
 fubtlety which feems to fupport the fuf- 
 penfionofindividualanduniverfalintereft,. 
 I mean the attachment of individuality 
 to combination, a I the body fhut up 
 in the grave. When the diflfolutiom 
 of a human body takes place, my- 
 myriads and myriads of particles ema- 
 nate, and every one of them, may as well; 
 
 be, 
 
C *> ) 
 
 be called I, as the combined part' les' 
 which may remain inclofed eigt en 
 years in the grave. In fhort, the indivi- 
 dual link I, the part is as indefinite as F 
 the whole chain ; and till we c c 
 
 fome conception of individuality; we can 
 have none of the fufpenfion of rnterert 
 between the integer and its fractional 
 parts, or felf and nature. 
 
 Since then by the perpetual influx and 
 tffiux of all modes of matter, vegetative 
 or deceafed, it is evident no pofitive 
 identity can exift, the apparent identity 
 of mode is abforbed in the univerfal 
 identity of the whole of matter, vvhofe 
 involution from animation to inanimation 
 communicates feeling to, and interefts 
 eternally the irrecognizable individualities 
 of its aggregrate integral mafs. 
 
 Every mode of being muft be an ex- 
 iftent fomething, and part of the whole 
 tiling, and the eilence and intereft of all 
 
 parts 
 
( M ) 
 
 parts with the whole have a pofitive ex- 
 istence as independent of combination and 
 diffolutioOj as that of unitary figures 
 with their feparated and recompofed in- 
 tegral fums. Combination in both atoms 
 and figures does but increafe, and not 
 create their power of feeling or numera- 
 tion. 
 
 Was the fcience of optics improved, 
 we might in time difcover the univerfal 
 and reciprocal involution of atoms : we 
 mould obferve the active and paflive, 
 creative and created bodies in a perpe- 
 tual ftate of commutation. The watch- 
 maker and his watch, the painter and his 
 colours, the poft boy and his horfe, the 
 tyrant and his Have, reciprocally chang- 
 ing conditions, and fo rapid muft be 
 their motion, that the atom combined 
 in the body, inflicting a ilroke, would 
 reach the paflive body before the blow 
 had arrived. What powerful inftru&ors 
 would optic glafies then become ? The 
 
 philo- 
 
( l^ ) 
 
 phildfopher mnft bow his head in the 
 prefenceof the microfcope, which would 
 ^demonftrate to conviction what wifdorn 
 lias but jufl power enough to conceive, 
 the recondite fimplicity of truth, the unity 
 of felf and nature, or the identification of 
 individual and univerfal good. 
 
 It mud be the work of improving un- 
 derstanding, through the progrefs of 
 ages, to develope the recondite idea of 
 the unity of felf and nature, and to fpeak 
 intelligibly of mutable and immutable 
 identity, to demonftrate felf an eternal 
 fractional part of the great integer, na- 
 ture, organized by changeable modifica- 
 tions, which makes felf at all times the 
 center of the great circumference of its in- 
 teger. This organization giving ever to 
 felf a central or fpecific intereft, it has the 
 fame difficulty to generalize itfelf with the 
 •whole of exiflence, as the child has to 
 difaffociate the ideas of a ghoft, or an 
 adult religioniftthe ideas of a God. 
 
 The 
 
( *3 ) 
 
 The cemeteries of France inform man- 
 'kind, that when the fractional parts dif- 
 folve, they fink into eternal fleep. How 
 reafon delirates ! What, do thefe fractional 
 parts lofe their exiftence with their mo- 
 tion ? Oh, no ! like the undulations of a 
 current they fubfide into the water, and 
 are renovated by the preffure of the gale 
 of civil inftitotiohs, to fuflfer the tempeft 
 of paiTion, or enjoy the zephyr of reafon. 
 
 Let any mode of being contemplate its 
 relations with exiftence, it will difcover 
 no wifli or neceflity to connect pad iden- 
 tity with any epocha anterior to its me- 
 mory or birth ; hiftory furnifhes it with 
 -all the advantage of extended identity to 
 obtain the experience of pad: epochas, 
 and atoms of matter become the reader 
 of what they probably were formerly the 
 writers or agents. But this event is of no 
 confequence, futurity monopolizes all the 
 intereft of individual and univerfal iden- 
 tity 3 andthe current of eternal lifeor feeling 
 mud perpetuate to the fame fucceeding 
 
 matter 
 
t M ) 
 
 matter the agitation or tranquillity, pain, 
 or pleafure it's preceding efforts have 
 created. 
 
 The intereft of the great integer of ex* 
 /iftence can never be affected by the fame- 
 tfiefs or diverfity of its combined parts, 
 but only by the great mafs of pain or 
 pleafure, fnffered or enjoyed ; . fo it is 
 with the integrality of the human body, 
 it is of no confequence whether its pain 
 be in the hand, or the foot, or the atoms 
 which form thofe members be at all times 
 Specifically the fame ; if the whole fuf- 
 fers, the parts mud fuffer, and reafoa 
 in the latter confiders no more identity 
 when a red-hot poker is applied to the 
 cheek, than nature does its identity 4 o the 
 conflagration of the globe. The intereft 
 of the whole muft be the intereft of its 
 parts, and vice verfa, which axiom 
 makes identity and diverfity of combina- 
 tion, in time and eternity, of no impor- 
 tance but as the means of mechanifm. 
 
 ' - TREATISE 
 
TREATISE 
 
 ©N THE 
 
 Human Under /landing* 
 
 npHE mechanifm of mind may be 
 "*" difplayed by confidering its opera- 
 tions under feven diftindt qualities or 
 functions, viz. Senfation, Obfervation, 
 Reflection, Apprehenfion, Memory, 
 Judgement, Cogitation ; thefe I pro- 
 pofe to inveftigate feparately and con- 
 junctively. 
 
 : C SENSA- 
 
( *6 » 
 
 SENSATION. 
 
 The faculty of fenfation is caufed by 
 the mechanifm of the five fenfes, hear- 
 ing, feeing, feeling, tafting, fmelling. 
 If the organs of thefe fenfes are operative 
 and perfect, the mind is paflive under 
 their impreffions, and mufl follow the 
 law of caufe and effect. Ex. gratia ; If 
 the focus of the eye is imprefled by an 
 object, that object will arrive at, and 
 flrike the mind ; fo of the touch pre- 
 fented to hard bodies, and in like man- 
 ner of all the other fenfes : their percuf- 
 fions mull neceffarily arrive at the mind. 
 
 The quality of fenfation is that part of 
 animation which may be called paffivity, 
 fubjected to the laws of neceffity, or con- 
 fequence, or in other words, caufe and 
 effect ; its energy is diminifhed or aug- 
 mented by the increafe of the intellect to 
 which it is united, as is demonstrably 
 
 proved 
 
( *7 ) 
 
 proved by the ftate of idiots, madmen, 
 and favages. The pain inflicted upon 
 the body of a man of fane underftanding, 
 that would caufe violent acclamation of 
 anguifh, would but fcarce reach the miners 
 of imperfect and difordered conftku- 
 tions. 
 
 It is faid of a Ruffian peafant, that he 
 mud be beaten with a flick, for a twig 
 nfed to correct an Englilh ruftic would 
 make no impreffion upon the former, 
 which proves the greater quantity of mind: 
 in the latter. 
 
 The remedial treatment of madmen by 
 the infliction of fey ere pain upon; jjieir; 
 bodies, developes much of the mecha- 
 nifm of underftanding, and fhews that 
 fenfation mud be augmented to engender 
 obfervation, and thefe two qualities in 
 union effectuate their reciprocal in- 
 •creafe. 
 
 C z OBSERVA- 
 
( 28 ) 
 
 OBSERVATION. 
 
 •This quality is the re-aftion of the 
 fubtle upon the grofler parts of matter^ 
 and marks the fource of perfectability, 
 which diftinguifhes man from the brute 
 fpecies. The quality of obfervation fixes 
 the boundary of paffivity, and commences 
 the activity or agency of mind by dwel- 
 ling on,, and willing the paffive aft of 
 of fen-fat ion. Ex. gratia; Upon reading a 
 book, the letters, words, and paper are 
 all impreffed upon the retina of the eye, 
 and muft, through that organ of fenfe, 
 reach the mind ; but the mind difpenfes 
 its obfervation arbitrarily, and takes cog- 
 nizance either internally of the idea ex- 
 cited, or externally of the words, neg^ 
 lefting the letters and paper, 
 
 Another illuftration of this inceptive 
 'and arbitrary agency of the mind in ob- 
 fervation may be drawn from conven- 
 tion. 
 
( *9 ) 
 
 tion. Any two perfons engaged in very 
 important deputation will grant no at- 
 tention to the moft fonorous loquacity of 
 Surrounding interlocutors; this evinces, 
 that the increafed momentum of fenfa- 
 tion has but little power over the mind, 
 if it does not will the re-aclion of its. 
 obfervation, which will engender reflec- 
 tion. 
 
 REFLECTION. 
 
 The perfectability of human nature, 
 or the improvement of reafon, which 
 takes its fource in obfervation, flows on to 
 an incalculable difemboguement through 
 the channel of reflection. This quality, 
 which is nothing more than the repeti- 
 tion of obfervation, bent or carried back 
 perpetually upon its object, either inter- 
 nal or external, turns thought inward, 
 and inverts the mind upon itfelf, by 
 which operation the maximum of intelr 
 le&uality is procured. 
 
 C a^^-Tw-r-Qbfer- 
 
( 3® ) 
 
 Obfervation having colle&ed all ex- 
 ternal ideas, by reading, converfation r 
 or vifion, refte&ion prefents them to the 
 mind, where they acquire new aflbcia- 
 tions ; ; thefe, by the creative and inven- 
 tive power of cogitation, are again re- 
 flected, till by the re-iteration of reflec- 
 tion, the moft juft and general relations 
 are difcovered ; or to fpeak more defi- 
 nitively, knowledge obtains progreflion 
 upon the fcale of moral truth, who feend; 
 is indeterminable. 
 
 The mind, through the quality of re- 
 flection or bending back upon itfehy 
 procures through the generalization of its- 
 ideas thofe principia, or data, which cor- 
 refpond to algebraic or logarithmic figns 
 or numbers, tending to facilitate calcula- 
 tion and decifion. The favage mind pof- 
 feffing. the minimum of reflection, can 
 calculate numerically no farther than 
 five, and expand his relation to exiftence 
 so farther than his offspring.. He mur- 
 ders. 
 
( 3 1 ) 
 
 tiers his atfbciates ; he wars gr at u it on fly 
 with his tribes, and feels no propensity 
 to co-ordinate the focial or moral world, 
 and to^ procure well being to felf, by 
 giving fyfteni to that fphere of which felf 
 is the central point, and all nature its in- 
 fcpambte circumference* 
 
 The mind through reflection fo ex- 
 pands and exhaufts the relations of every 
 object it takes into confideration, that it 
 makes of its generalizations a logarith- 
 mic table, to procure cognition intui- 
 tively, as it were, without the perpetual de- 
 tail of induction and inference, though 
 all its conceptions muft, through their 
 means, have the capacity of develope- 
 ment. 
 
 I find myfelf deviating into the pro- 
 vince of judgement, and have only to 
 add on this head of reflection, that it is 
 this quality which diftinguimes man in- 
 tellectual from man animal, and its 
 C 4 cha- 
 
( 3? > 
 
 character and elogy 13 mofl: juffly de* 
 fcribed by Young — 
 
 " To turn thought inwards, force back the mind, 
 " To fettle on itfelf our point fupreme." 
 
 M E M O R Y. 
 
 This quality or fun&ion of the mind is 
 produced by obfervation, re-a&ed upon 
 by reflection. Senfation prefents many 
 objects to the memory, without making 
 any impreflion and pafs on it as a fha- 
 dow ; but the will returning obfervatioa 
 *,nd reflection, the feal is (lamped upon 
 vax, and memory bears a durable 
 and accurate impreflion-. 
 
 The memory may be juftly compared 
 co a large magazine of ideas, fo gene* 
 rically arranged, that judgement may 
 find immediately all their relations : the 
 ideas itored therein fhould be felect, and 
 cot redundant. Redundancy, or ideal 
 
 lumber 
 
C 33 ) 
 
 lumber, embarrafTes the operations of 
 judgement, and like a pot fluffed full of 
 peas, is fufceptible of no new arrange- 
 ment by the change of place in the peas, 
 or new affociation of ideas. 
 
 The memory, like a library, mufi 
 have room for the judgement to 'move 
 about in it ; bookifh men fill their me- 
 mories fo full of other men's ideas, that 
 they have no place for the operation 
 of their own, and this accounts for the 
 prefent copious .exiftence of learned error 
 giving birth to the imitative, and death 
 to the inventive faculty of the mind* 
 
 Upon the ceconomy of the memory 
 depends, in a great meafure, the ftrength 
 or weaknefs, of the intellect ; the matter 
 in this repofitory, if arranged like a li- 
 brary^ containing foreign ideas of hif- 
 tory.and fcience, with all their cir- 
 cumftantial detail, bound and docketed, f 
 the judgement will become in confe- 
 C 5 quence 
 
( 34 ) 
 
 qiience a mere librarian to record, trr 
 note, or recoiled the production of other-' 
 minds.- 
 
 Memory mould referable the ivory 
 tablet upon which all foreign ideas ufeful 
 to the augmentation of wifdom, com- 
 bined with the felf-created ideas of the 
 mind, fhould bear the pencil mark of 
 cautious judgement, eafily erazed to 
 make room for new combinations, and 
 thefe for others j and their laft juxta po- 
 rtion or record ihould be denominated 
 fentiment. Such is the juft ceconomy of 
 memory, the companion of genius or 
 progreffive mind. 
 
 JUDGEMENT. 
 
 The office of the faculty of judgement 
 is that of a meteor, who holding the ba- 
 lance and adjufting the weights, is cau- 
 tious as to the exactitude of thofe inftru- 
 ments, feeing that the fcales have no duft 
 
 or 
 
( 3i ) 
 
 or dirt of prejudice flicking on them, 
 and their pendant firings have no twift of 
 habit or inclination, and the weights 
 juftly marked with fpecific quantity. 
 Ideas thus weighed, will be brought to a 
 juft equipoife, and fentiment will be 
 brought to a juft determination, or ra- 
 ther it will form the point of progreflion 
 on the line of approximation to the cli- 
 max of moral truth. 
 
 Judgement might with more aptitude 
 be compared to a meafure, to afcertain 
 quality or quantity by a common ftan- 
 dard ; but as its higher employment in 
 the admeafurement of moral truth can 
 difcover no pofitive, but only progref- 
 five ftandard, the rule of exercife for this 
 faculty mult be to obtain die mod ge- 
 neral relations of all propofitioris-, within 
 fuch a fpace as action limits the pro- 
 cefs of deliberation, or practice that of 
 theory, 
 
 cg m 
 
c 3* r 
 
 Ex. gratia; An enemy prefents himfelf 
 to deftroy me ; I feel a ftrong influence 
 of the great moral axioms, do no violence' 
 to any creature that has fen fat ion ; prefer 
 the good of the whole to the good of the party 
 or the good of nature, the integer to the 
 good of felf, the fractional part ; per- 
 fonal fafety demands immediate action-, 
 but reafon will not permit the arm to 
 ftrike, till thofe axioms have had all 
 poffible deliberations, left by the deftruc- 
 tron of a being, wifer or better than my- 
 felf, and committing thereby noxious 
 violence, a great injury may be done to 
 nature, in whofe intereft dhTolved felf 
 muft ever participate; or, in other words, 
 a greater injury may be done to univerfal 
 than to individual felf. 
 
 In the union of theory and practice, 
 or the improvement of predicamental to 
 approximate abfolute good, the ftan- 
 dard of judgement is but the hope of 
 progrefs drawn from the analogy of pre- 
 ceding 
 
( sr y 
 
 ceding caufes and effects, and the greater 
 energy of that faculty is difplayed in the' 
 greater number of comparifons, and ! 
 more general; relations, which regulate 
 its decifions applied to action, and di- 
 rect its progrefs to the indeterminable' 
 range of fpeculation. 
 
 The effect of confu mmatejudgementin: 
 the controul of the will, is to equipoifc 
 uneafinefs or defire, which is the fpring 
 of all action ; in every deliberative itate 
 of the mind, this uneafinefs is preferved 
 with little difficulty ; it is in the active 
 ftate or ecftafy of joy, arifing from the 
 gratification of paffions, where this diffi- 
 culty is to be met with, and where it is 
 mod demanded, left the prefent moment, 
 like a fpendthrift heir, fliould facrifke 
 the advantage of futurity, and the wel- 
 fare of the point or center felf is pre- 
 ferred to the fyftem of nature or univerfai 
 felf. 
 
 The 
 
( 38 > 
 
 Tlie mod fublime exercife of judge- 
 ment ii fo to poize uneafrnefs, that the 
 prefent moment may be enjoyed, and 
 all future moments provided for, that 
 the point or center felf may fo temper 
 the ecftafy of enjoyment, by a due por- 
 tion of uneafincfs, that no infulatior* 
 may take place between it and its cir-* 
 eumference, univerfaL nature* 
 
 In minds of weak reflection, where 
 few comparifons are prefented to judge- 
 ment, uneafinefs is abforbed in enjoy- 
 ment, and thus time and fpace being, 
 infulated from futurity and univerfality,, 
 good breaks from fyftem, and devolves 
 into hazard and contingency, and lofes 
 the exquifkenefs of fenfetion, by the 
 weaknefs of intellectuality produced by 
 jirellexion. 
 
 COGITA< 
 
( 39 ) 
 
 COGITATION. 
 
 Cogitation is the conjunctive exercifc 
 6f the faculties of the mind.- Senfation r 
 enlivened by the re-action of reflection,, 
 conveys to the mind a (Irong impreffion* 
 of the object, Obfervation takes a vo- 
 luntary review thereof, and doubles fen* 
 fation. Reflection carries obfervation 
 reiteratively back ta the mind, this en- 
 genders apprehension. Memory enre* 
 gifters the refult of fuch procefs, called 
 fentiment or idea. Judgement clafTes it 
 by comparifon, and generalization with 
 its rank and relation with the fyftera 
 of the univerfe, or parts with their in* 
 feger. 
 
 I mail endeavour to give a practical 
 illuftration of this theory of mind, by 
 various examples of its double opera- 
 tion; the one to difcover truth, and the 
 i ether 
 
£>'■•>: 
 
 at&ef to determine action, in order t<? 
 proc u re well - being. 
 
 Procefs of the mind, to difcover the 
 truth of a moral proportion,, or nature 
 of any mode of being.. 
 
 The important object manbelng, pre-- 
 fented by the organ of fight to the 
 mind. The faculty of fenfation if 
 lively, emanates its tad: through all its* 
 organs upon this object, and with the 
 violent percuffion of fympathy, forces it 
 upon the mind, which, in proportion to 
 the (hock, received from fenfation., wills 
 the faculty of obfervation, or dwells as it 
 were upon hs awakened fenfibility. 
 
 The object, man ; prefented by the 
 organ of fight, is examined by rhe 
 other organs of fenfation, to afcertain 
 its phyfical exiitence, pofitive form, or 
 mode of being. Ex. gr. The eye may 
 prefent the object, man, reflected in a 
 
 mirror- 
 
C 4* > 
 
 mirror. The other fenfes proceed tc* 
 afcertain its exrftence, but as it refufes 
 all tact or impulfe, it may be denomi- 
 nated a mental but not modal exiftence ; 
 (o of a (trait flick fubmerged in water r 
 the eye prefents it crooked, but upon 
 the examination of the other fenfes, its' 
 falfe appearance is found mental and not 
 modal* 
 
 The fubftantial mode, man, being 
 recognifed by the general concordance 
 of the fenfes, the object is admitted to 
 the fenforium, when the external procefs 
 of fenfation ceafing, the internal procefs 
 of cogitation begins. Obfervation now 
 becomes the fubftitute of fenfation, and 
 perceives the object, man, in an infinite 
 variety of afpects or relations-; firfl with 
 regard to fpecific identity ; thefe relations 
 carried back by reflection, new afpects 
 are again difcovered by obfervation, 
 with regard to- fpecies and genus ; thefe 
 again carried back by reflection, new 
 
 afpeft& 
 
( 4* ) 
 
 afpefts arife, and the ultimate relations 1 
 of the mode man with nature are deve- 
 loped-, and its idea or reprefentative in* 
 the mind is formed- 
 
 In the proeefs- of reafon for the dl (co- 
 very of moral truth, fenfation has no* 
 immediate employ ; its (lores, however? 
 treafured up in the memory, enables ob- 
 servation to become its plenary fubfti- 
 tute, and to operate in the fame manner 
 as above, on propofition or mode* 
 
 When the fubjecl:, moral truth, i$> 
 prefented to the mind, obfervation en- 
 deavours to view k like phyfical or ma- 
 thematical truth, with fome fixed afpedl ; 
 its extreme fubtility, however, evades 
 all fixation, and cogitation dwelling 
 thereon, with a re-iterated proeefs, can 
 give it but an approximating configura- 
 tion under the definition, moft juft and 
 moft general relation of things in parts,. 
 
 and 
 
( 4J ) 
 
 <wrd their integer nature carried on? 
 progreflively towards that point, where- 
 comprehenfion ceafesand infinity begins.- 
 
 The procefs of reafon, to direct the 
 will in its ceconomy of pleafure, turns* 
 moftly upon the faculty, reflection, which* 
 furveying by the help of memory, the 
 rcfult of pad gratifications, it meafures- 
 that quantity of uneafinefs, with which, 
 the cup of enjoyment mould be ever 
 mixed by the providence of the mind,. 
 fo as to affume a new zed from the pre- 
 fentiment of repetition, and duration of 
 all ceconomifed pleafure. Ex.gr. The 
 pleafure of eating, if not limited by the 
 apprehenfion of indigeftion, would no 
 doubt acquire more plenary joy to fen- 
 fation, but reflection, which embitters 
 the cup of every fenfual gratification, 
 by anticipating the pain of excefs, does 
 but tranfpofe the joy from fenfe to intel- 
 lect, where it changes its effence to a fub» 
 limer nature, perpetuating ecftafy, and 
 
 D*an&- 
 
( 44 ) 
 
 tranfmuting fenfual bitternefs i'nro intel- 
 lectual fweetnefsv 
 
 The inhabitants of hofpitals are moft 
 tremendous admonitory examples of the 
 evil of fenfual ecftafy, unlimited by the 
 fapient and reftful uneafinefs of reflec* 
 f ion, the hfgha gent of fupreme intellect 
 wifdom and manhood ; and the fingle in- 
 fiance of neglect, in the ufage of anti- 
 venereal or preventative lotions, proves - 
 the providence in the human eo exceed 
 but little that of the brutal mind, by 
 the ignorant preference given between 
 the inconvenience of ablution, after coi- 
 tion and the direful' alternatives lofs of 
 health, property, happinefs, premature 
 old age, and death. 
 
 I am now going to review the fever a! 
 faculties, and confider the bell: means to 
 educate and" ceconomife their feverat 
 functions* 
 
( 45 ) 
 
 Senfation, the fource of human vita- 
 lity, demands the powerful agency of 
 fear, to give it increafc and improve- 
 ment. The mind, in a fbte of infancy, 
 •augments its fenfation by the frequent 
 percuffion of various objects upon all its 
 organs, caufed by the tranquil pafiion 
 of Guriofity ; the curious child will have 
 double the fenfation of an incurious 
 child ; this, however, procures Jiule 
 more than mere animal vitality, or in 
 other words, the external or diverging 
 rays of intellect, from the center .felf to 
 the circumference nature,. 
 
 Fear, or the apprehenfion of evil, 
 caufes the rays of fenfation to converge 
 or centrate upon felf, and forms that 
 focus of mind called concioufnefs, whofe 
 increafe creates that high quality perfecla- 
 bility, which alone difcriminates the hu- 
 man from the brutal race. 
 
 The 
 
( 46 ) 
 
 The favage infant, on whofe mind 
 -neither fear nor curiofity is awakened, 
 by the torpidity of parental affection, ac- 
 quires a fenfation but little fuperior to 
 the brutes, and a confcioufnefs fo narrow 
 that contract him into an ifolated point 
 of exiftence ; hence the perpetual war 
 and bloodfhed of relatives, tribes, and 
 nations ; hence that total want of moral' 
 .^economy, which threatens a fpeedy ex- 
 tirpation of all favage hoards. 
 
 In the prefent (late of dark ignorance, 
 of moral truth (the moft juft and mod 
 general relations of things) and the dire- 
 ful aggregation of ignorant men, re- 
 {trifled by the factitious rules of adaptive 
 or predicamental civilization, fear 
 fee.ms the moft appropriated mean, to 
 excite that exquifne. fenfation, engen- 
 dering confcioufnefs^ the fource of $a£ 
 mental energy, fo neceffary to difcover 
 
 the 
 
( 47 ) 
 
 the knowledge of felf, its relations to 
 felf, to fpecieb, and to nature. 
 
 Fear is no doubt an evil, becaufe k 
 mud be prod-ucca by violence ; but this, 
 like every othei evil, whofe niafs forms 
 the main fpring of moral motion, mud 
 be tolerated, if the end propofed offers 
 the preponderancy of univerfal good. 
 The exquifite fenfation or confeioufnefs 
 produced by fear, may fo dev elope and 
 fimplify moral truth, that irrefle&ive 
 obfervation alone, may afterwards con^ 
 ceive, underftand, and effect it in this cafe*. 
 Curiofity might be fubftituted to fear,, 
 and a temperate fympathy might be cre- 
 ated by habit and example. 
 
 It is a problem, however, not eafily 
 folved without pofitive experience, whe- 
 ther a fociety of adults, poffeffing the 
 exquifite confeioufnefs created by fear, 
 could communicate to infant minds the 
 
 fame 
 
( 48 ) 
 
 fame concioufnefs by curiofity alone, 
 excited by .animated converfation. 
 
 The very effence of truth, being fim- 
 plicity, this facilitates its admittance to 
 conception ; and its energy when con- 
 ceived, creates an improved fenfation 
 cr confeioufnefs, which duplicated by 
 hope and love, furpaffes in vivacity that 
 which is engendered by fear alone. 
 
 In the prefent defective ftate of huma- 
 nity, fo low upon the fcale of perfecta- 
 bility, and fo ignorant of the unity of felf 
 and nature, fear feems the only means 
 to improve fenfation into confeioufnefs, 
 as may be proved by a comparative 
 view of education amongfl the different 
 nations of the world. 
 
 Among the various nations, I can 
 make but two difcriminatory divilions. 
 In the one, Great Britain ftands alone, 
 the -other comprehends all the reft of 
 
 the 
 
( 49 ) 
 
 the globe, which, however they may 
 poffefs light fhades of difference relative 
 to each other, yet they all agree in their 
 common contrail to Great Britain. 
 
 In this ifland, the animated character 
 of the inhabitants creates and demands 
 the operation of fear, or in other words, 
 the mod fevere moral difcipline T to re- 
 ftrain the paffions, and leave at the fame 
 time, fufficient liberty to improve the 
 reafon. 
 
 Let us view education in all its ftages, 
 from the cradle to the coffin: the pa- 
 rent or nurfe, endued with the mofl 
 tender fympathy, hears the cries of its 
 nnrfeling with ecftatic anguifh, and looks 
 forward with a burning inpatience to 
 meet the firft dawn of intelligence in 
 the infant mind, that by the application 
 of pain in punifhing, or the fear thereof 
 by menace, it may inculcate tolerance, 
 and Aifle thofe cries of caprice in the 
 D ' child 
 
( 50 ) 
 
 child which tortures the exceffive fyn> 
 pathy of the nurfe. 
 
 Let.a critical ancl philofophjcal obfer- 
 ver enter an Englifh nurfery, view the 
 inftincYive incelTant attention, eternal 
 carefTes and menaces, fondling ancl 
 punifhment, animated tones and geftures 
 of the nurfe to awaken or electrify^ ask 
 were, the infant mind; upon his exit 
 here, let him enter the Continental nun- 
 fery, here no cries, no punifhment, no 
 animation is to be difcovered, in either 
 parent x?r child ; nature holds a Rill 
 courfe, and the cold hand of cuftom 
 leads on the fame torpid economy 
 through domeftic, ciyal^ and political 
 departments of life. 
 
 The animated and fympathetic con- 
 dud of the Englilh nurfery is continued 
 in the fchool of a thoughtful and auftere 
 tutor : the pupil, having imbibed all the 
 fenfibility of its nurfe, feels impatiently 
 
 the 
 
( 5' ) 
 
 die injuries it receives from the caprice 
 of its comrades, and employs imita- 
 tion, fear, or punifhment, to refent or 
 remove them. (I allude to the cuftom of 
 boxing.) 
 
 With the moft awakened fenfibility, 
 the pupil iflues from the fchool or col- 
 lege, and enters the high-road of life : 
 toleration now grows more painful, and 
 competition more ferious ; the legality of 
 private combat in a more letiferous 
 fhape, both creates and receives the 
 paffion of fear apportioned to the aduk 
 ftate of intellect ; this parent of confei- 
 oufnefs, fear, is again fortified by the 
 laws of principle, honour, focial deco- 
 rum, patriotifm, reafon, and liberty, 
 which laws, being fupported by private 
 combat, focial exile, inevitable civil 
 punifhment, popular contempt or ap- 
 pkufe, confeioufnefs, the high charafre- 
 riftic of Engliflimen, and the fynonimous 
 D 2 term 
 
( & ) 
 
 term for manhood, is both created and 
 prefer ved. 
 
 In foreign nations, there exifts but- 
 one defcription of fear, and that is poli- 
 tical power; but as competition with 
 tyranny can never enter into the mind 
 of a Have, he muft be totally deprived 
 of confcioufnefs, the effect of fear alone ; 
 all civil contentions of individuals be- 
 ing adjuited by a partial influence, this 
 Proteus judge is courted by diflimulation, 
 flattery, and falfehood ; perfonal conten- 
 tions are adjufted by impious language, 
 •which has no other confequence than to 
 make their auditors laugh, and by fre- 
 quent repetition, terminates in the*anni- 
 hilation of the fmalleft degree of con- 
 fcioufnefs, ihame, or fenfibility; thus 
 this foreign animal in human fhape, this 
 ghoftof departed manhood, deprived of 
 confcioufnefs, thought or reflection, and 
 therefore totally ignorant of all the priiv- 
 ciples and elements of virtue, muft be 
 i jetained 
 
( S3 ) 
 
 retained in the orbit of fociety, as the 
 horfe in the mill, with the bandage of 
 fuperftition upon his eyes, the harnefa 
 of cuftom on his back, and the whip of 
 power at his heels. 
 
 The faculty of fenfation in a new- 
 born infant, fupplies all the powers of 
 cogitation ; it guides the mouth to 
 the bread of the nurfe, contracts it 
 upon the nipple to exhauft the milk, and 
 performs the operation of fucking with 
 an ingenuity that has given rife to the 
 doctrine of innate ideas, * founded upon 
 the general bafis of all error ; indifcri- 
 mi nation of terms miftaking intellectual 
 fentiment, for inftinctive aptitude. 
 
 This complicated and ingenious ope- 
 ration of fenfation, without the aid of the 
 
 * Animals of every defcription, are borne with 
 different capacities of fenfation, which may be 
 called aptitudes, but not ideas ; as ducks, to love 
 the water ; chickens, to fear it. 
 
 D 3 mental 
 
 tfacwj 
 
C 54 fc 
 
 mental faculties, proves to demortft ra- 
 tion that thought and matter, mind and 
 body, are one and the fame thing ; that 
 every ad ion performed by body, is ef- 
 fected by the re-aftion of the more 
 i\i btle, upon the more grofs parts of 
 matter, and that the fubtilty of the for- 
 mer grows on a parallel with the increaf*- 
 ing materiality of. the. latter, and ulti- 
 mately improves fenfation. into intellec- 
 tuality. 
 
 I fliall now proceed to confklen the 
 faculty of obfervation, in its capacity 
 and means of improvement ; the being 
 having acquired a high degree of fenfa- 
 tion, the mind is - (truck with violence 
 by the fenfes, and obfervation muft not 
 only be awakened, but alarmed ; it muft 
 aft as the door-keeper of the intellect; 
 every fcnfe that knocks muft be queftion- 
 ed till all the relations of its mcfiage.is 
 demanded ; that is, it muft dwell a long 
 time upon every object of its perception, 
 
 till 
 
(' 55 ) 
 
 till the preferring afpect is fully and 
 clearly conceived in all its relations. 
 
 To give to obfervation this quality of 
 attachment or refidence upon its object, 
 a capacity of abftraction muft be cul- 
 tivated, a power in the mind to ex- 
 clude the entrance of all foreign 
 matter, which makes the rays of 
 reafon diverge,   and : diffracts - 1 the force 
 of its light. Solitude feems the only 
 means to give to obfervation this quali- 
 ty of fixation, or refidence, upon corn- 
 pleat orfeparate objects; till all their af- 
 pect s and relations have been worked 
 upon by reflection, and received by the 
 faculty of apprehenfion. 
 
 Perfonal folitude operates only at firft, 
 to procure the exclulion of foreign mat- 
 ter by the channel of the fenfes, but 
 ultimately it increafes into mental fo- 
 litude, and produces that quality of in- 
 ternal feclufion or mental abftraction, 
 which prevents obfervation confound- 
 D 4. , ing 
 
( 56 ) 
 
 !ng the relations of its object, or palling 
 over it with too much velocity. 
 
 As fenfation engenders obfervation, 
 To- obfervation improved by foli-tude 
 engenders reflection. 
 
 The faculty of reflection^ the incep- 
 tive point of the quality of perfectabiliry, 
 which difcriminates the human from the 
 brute fpecies, is to be improved only by 
 doubt and hesitation; the mind infenfible 
 of this perfectahility, receives found for 
 fenfe, and words for things, and in a 
 ftate of infttnctive credulity, it pafTes on 
 from obfervation to apprehenfion, with- 
 out any intermediate operation ; but 
 when doubt appears, it forces back the 
 mind upon itfelf. reflection then begins 
 the procefs of reiterated obfervation, 
 which is repeated,, returned, re-calcu- 
 lated, till fubjects are exhaufted in all 
 their relations, and from their union, 
 generalization* and abftr action, are pufh- 
 
( 57 ) 
 
 td on to a mod elevated progrefllon,. 
 which is denominated the moft juft and 
 mod general relations of things applicable 
 to the prefent powers of human intellect. 
 
 Doubt, (the door of wifdom) and 
 immediate caufe of reflection, is created 
 by phyfical knowledge; the mind la- 
 bouring through mathematical demon- 
 ftration, and numerical calculation, ac- 
 quires a habit of prccifion, which habit, 
 however, can be regarded only as the 
 infancy of doubt ; its puberty and adult 
 age is brought on by travelling into 
 foreign countries. 
 
 The habit of precifion, acquired by 
 knowledge, introduces doubt only into 
 the relation of things ; but travel intro- 
 duces doubt into the nature of things. 
 The man who fpends his whole life in 
 ftudy, refident ever in the fame country, 
 will never be brought to doubt the re- 
 D 5 fembla 
 
C 53 ) 
 
 femblance of four mod important things, 
 and their, reprefentative words: moral 
 truth, wifdom, virtue, happincfs. Books 
 may furniih all the relations and fads to 
 his mind, which the traveller receives 
 from his experience ; but there is a moft 
 important difference between the im> 
 preilion of <deadrletter narrative, and 
 animated experience : . the firfl pafTcs 
 through the mind with the glimmering 
 light of a. meteor, and the others has the 
 fplendo.ur.and heat, of the meridian fun* 
 
 The book-worm ftudent, (when rea- 
 fon is feen to burft the barrier of culiom, 
 to give projective force to nature upon the 
 line of perfeclability) (hudders with con- 
 Ilernation, and exclaims with .vehe- 
 mence, is this nature ! He meanvis this 
 fbkable to predicament ! Perfe&ability 
 mould move on the line . of predica- 
 ment, as the fun upon, the ecliptic; 
 and fo long as it moves thereon, it may 
 
 be 
 
I 
 
 ( 59 ) 
 
 be called progreflive or improving na- 
 ture. 
 
 The bold and -philofophic cuftom of 
 inoculation, imitated from the Turks* 
 met with the general cenfure of unnatural 
 action ! but intellect triumphed over 
 inflinct, and fecuring the leafe of life 
 and beauty to millions, impelled nature 
 to proceed on the line of predicament 
 (by the force of example and perfuafion, 
 not law) towards perfectability. 
 
 I have moft extenfively and clofely 
 examined all the operations of the flu- 
 dent's mind, and I never could trace the 
 power of doubt beyond the relation of 
 things; the nature of things feemed 
 to pofTefs, with fome light (hades of 
 difference, one common efTence, and one 
 common boundary. 
 
 The travelled mind alone has intro- 
 duced doubt with that power, that it has 
 D6 noc 
 
( 6* 1 
 
 not merely opened a door Co wifdottf/ 
 but has rendered the temple on all fides 
 an open fabric. Who reads the hiftory 
 Gymnofophifts, or Gentoos of India, 
 but fmiles at the puritan ifm of philan- 
 thropy, when the infecl: is removed from 
 the body and laid gently on the ground ? 
 Who goes amongft thefe people, and 
 compares the mridnefs of their difpofi- 
 tion, their health, and (Irength of * in- 
 tellect, with cannibal nations, adopts 
 immediately their holy fyftem, and 
 enlarges the boundary «f the thing 
 called virtue. 
 
 The reading of travels and phi'lofo- 
 phic opinions, may fuffice to introduce 
 the pale light of doubt into the mind ; 
 but in the prefent contracted and torpid 
 
 * When I fpeak of the intelle& of the Gferitoosj 
 1 fpeak of its capacity, not energy ; there exifts 
 moral caufes to impede the progrefs of wifdom, 
 but their knowledge is improved by their incom- 
 parable fkill in numerical calculation, effected 
 
 with a ftf iking rapidity. 
 
 ftate 
 
( 6i ) 
 
 ftate of human intellecl:, travelling is as 
 necefTary to give heat to the luminary of 
 doubt, as fear is to enliven fenfation ; 
 when truth (hall be difcovered and pre- 
 fented to the mind in the fimplicity and 
 univerfality of its nature ; thefe painful 
 means to ftrengthen intellect will be- 
 come unneceflfary ; the power of truth 
 will be alone fufficient to improve in- 
 tellect, the higheft recognizeable energy 
 in this fublunary fphere of exiftence. 
 
 The inhabitant of a carnivorous nation 
 might read all his life, with a fmile upon 
 his countenance, of the bloodlefs and 
 healthy repafts of the Gentoos ; but 
 fhould he travel amongft thefe people, 
 and dare to fpill the blood of an inno- 
 cent animal for his own morbid aliment, 
 he would be driven to the foreft to take 
 Up his abode with the brutes of his own 
 temperament, whofe fociety would foon 
 remove his fmiles, and make a more 
 
 lively 
 
( 6 2 ) 
 
 lively impreffion of doubt than the dead* 
 letters of a traveller's journal* 
 
 A jealous hufband, who appropriates 
 the exiftence of a female fellow creature, 
 will fmile on the lecture of poetic ftric- 
 ture or profe ridicule- on the paffion of 
 jealoufy; but let him pafs fome time 
 amongft the Thibetean hords, where 
 men, women, and children, have a com- 
 mon relation, he will foon feel the differ- 
 ence between the heart dilated by na- 
 tural liberty x or contracted by factious 
 paffion; between fenfual pleafure and 
 intellectual joy: he will difcover that 
 vice and virtue attach to intellect 
 and not to body, whofe pleafure is 
 ever good and righr, within the bounds 
 of excefs ; its practice, however, muft 
 be meafured by predicament, advancing 
 temperately towards perfectability or 
 theory, its end. 
 
 Ridicule 
 
i 63 ) 
 
 Ridicule, or cenfure of paffions and 
 cuftoms in lecture, may infpire a feeble 
 doubt of rectitude in theory, but experi- 
 ence alone can give that impulfe to 
 doubt, which produces reflection, and 
 prepares a change of fentiment, difpofing 
 to action, on the line of predicamental 
 progreflion, xo the . perfectab.il ity of na- 
 ture. . 
 
 The faculties of fenfation, obfervation, 
 and reflection, may be compared to the 
 chords of a mulical inftrument ; which 
 have acquired their proper tenllon, 
 through fear, foliiude; and doubt : the 
 remaining faculties may be compared 10 
 time, notes, gammut, and bow, which 
 altogether co-operate to harmonife the 
 inftrument of mind. - 
 
 APPRE- 
 
( 64 ) 
 
 APPREHENSION. 
 
 To improve this faculty, its ftriking 
 analogy with the mufical gammut, 
 fhould be kept in view ; as this clafles 
 found or notes, fo the intellectual gam- 
 mut, apprehenfion, clafles fenfe or 
 ideas. 
 
 Upon the rectitude and extent of the 
 claffification of ideas, depends the me- 
 lody or difcord, wifdom' or folly of the 
 inftrument, mind. The word appre- 
 henfion, in its compofition, literally 
 means to take to, or take together, 
 which implies aflbciation ; when obferva- 
 tion and reflection are put in action by 
 fenfation, apprehenfion is fet to work, 
 to reduce to genera and fpecies, the 
 ideas that pour into the mind, and to 
 form as it'were the mental gammut; to 
 effect this, themoft active power of dis- 
 crimination 
 
( (>$ ) 
 
 crimination muft be employed ; imagi- 
 gination muft be bounded by fair and 
 clofe analogy ; rational and temperate 
 conjecture and conception muft guard 
 the fubtlc operation of fancy* 
 
 In every aft or motion of an animated 
 being, all the intellectual faculties have 
 a fimultaneous co-operation, and differ 
 ~ only in their energies, as they proceed 
 or follow each other. As it is the pro- 
 vince of apprehenfion, to clafs ideas 
 pending this operation, it becomes the 
 leading faculty, and all the others are 
 employed in fubordinate energy. 
 
 To illuftrate the above, I fhall ftfp- 
 pofe the idea of good is prefented to 
 recognition; fenfation, obfervation,. and 
 reflection, have already laid up in the 
 magazine of the memory, a variety of 
 fimple ideas i this magazine becomes the 
 laboratory of apprehenfion, which pro- 
 
 Iceeds* 
 
e 66 f 
 
 <?e'eds r in the following manner, to its 
 work of clafTifkation. 
 
 The fimple idea of good is clafled 
 with perfonai pain or pleafure, or well- 1 ' 
 being of (elf;* this is then combined 
 with the painand pleafure of the fpecies, 
 and apprehenfion here forms the fe- 
 cond or compound clafs, called focial 
 good ;« this- idea is again compounded^ 
 and forms a third clafs, called fenfitive 
 good, denominated fynipathy, or bene- 
 volence ; this being again recombinod, 
 the lad clafs is arranged, called univerfal 
 good, or the unity of intereft of all ex- 
 iltent matter, in its eternal flux and 
 reflux, through animation and inanima- 
 tion, and this laft-is denominated vir- 
 tue. 
 
 * The well-being of felf is the poflfeflion of pow- 
 erful intellect, to form a good will, and phyfical or 
 corporeal power to execute that will, both of which 
 are to be attained by the focial organization of man- 
 kind, to multiply the human energies. 
 
 In 
 
( 6 7 ) 
 
 Tn the above manner, apprehenficH 
 proceeds to exclude all heterogeneous 
 ideas in clarification, and follows that 
 feries of homogeneous reality, which 
 produces the true knowledge of things, 
 independent of all erroneous reprefenta^- 
 tion, by inadequate unintelligible founds 
 and words* 
 
 Apprehenfion has alio a power of ana- 
 lyfis, as well as fynthefis; and, in<de~ 
 compofing the former idea, good, to its 
 iimple elements, it fo clafTes. it, that 
 judgement difcovers perfonal good, to 
 be a powerful intellect, to direct the will, 
 and a powerful body to. execute it, 
 
 The errors of apprehenfion, in tlie 
 minds of fophifts and perfonal idolaters, 
 may be exemplified as follows.; when 
 the thing typified by the word good 
 prefents itfelf, various heterogeneous 
 ijeas are feized upon, technically and i 
 
 habitually, , 
 
( 68 ) 
 
 habitually, by apprehenfion ; in the 
 mind of fophifts, difintereftednefs is in- 
 feparably connected with the general 
 clarification of good, called virtue; in 
 the mind of the idolater, all feries of 
 homogeneity is loft by the rejection 
 of one of the vowels, and the reality 
 of good, is overwhelmed and confounded 
 by the perfonality God. 
 
 The apprehenfion of^ the fophift, is 
 deranged by the incongruous conjunction 
 of finity with infinity ; and that of the 
 idolater, by the more incongruous con- 
 junction of reality and perfonality, re- 
 fembling the credulity of children, in 
 whofe minds, apprehenfion puts toge- 
 ther the idea of darknefs and phantafm 
 of ghoft; and this incongruous affocia- 
 tion, the certain and long experience of 
 age, often fails to correct or expofe. 
 
 The 
 
( h ) 
 
 The incongruous conjunction of irre- 
 lative ideas, by unfkilful apprehenfion, 
 has produced all the creatures of error; 
 as ghofts, monfters, gods, and the more 
 dangerous fubtleties of metaphyficians, 
 neceflity, optimilm, chivalry * of vir- 
 tue, and nihilifm. \ 
 
 The feeble apprehenfion of idolaters, 
 operating upon the found, or word 
 ghoft, places accident in the rank of 
 fubftance ; as though you fhould deftroy 
 a round tabl-e, its rotundity would ftill 
 exift, and in aerial form ftill ferve the 
 repaft of aerial beings ; the monfter 
 centaur is formed by the incongruous re~ 
 
 * By chivalry of virtue, is meant, the fophifli- 
 cal doctrine of abstract good, feparated from the 
 intereft of felf. 
 
 By nihilifm, is meant, the annihilation of the 
 common intereft of the whole of exigence, and 
 its fractional parts brought on by the diflbhition 
 of modes, of change of combination. 
 
 iatiofl 
 
( 7o ) 
 
 lation of man and horfe ; and the word 
 God, by the more incongruous ideal af- 
 fociation of power and perfonality. 
 
 The delirious apprehenfion of the fo- 
 phift, in clafling the thing called ne- 
 cerlity, miftakes finity for infinity, or 
 partiality for univerfality ; fo alfo in the 
 clafling of optimifm, and abftract good, 
 or the chivalry of virtue, the whole is 
 miilaken for the part ; but in the clal- 
 fmg of nihilifm, this operation is re- 
 verfed, and the part is taken for the 
 whole. 
 
 To refume the metaphor of the intel- 
 lectual gammut. This fcale of the claf- 
 Mcation of ideas differs from the mufi- 
 x:al in the infinite variety of its notes ; 
 they accord, however, in the progref- 
 fion of their quantities directed by keys 
 in the one, and eflential relations in the 
 other; the illuftration of this analogy 
 4 will 
 

 < 7* ) 
 
 v ill eftablifh all the rules of exercife, for 
 •the faculty of apprehenfion. 
 
 Apprehenfion, in forming this gam- 
 mut of genera and fpecies, proceeds 
 both by analyfis and fynthefis, to dif- 
 cover the individual fimplicity, and 
 moft general combinations of all ideas, 
 examining their various relations, in 
 order to detect any heterogeneity. Ex. 
 gr. When the complex idea, reprefented 
 by the word vvifdom, is aflumed by ap- 
 prehenfion, in order to be clafled or 
 noted .upon the fcale of intellectual har- 
 mony, it proceeds by analyfis, to fearch 
 into the {amplification thereof, and finds 
 it to confift of the knowledge of felf ; 
 this again refumed by fynthefis, expands 
 that knowledge into a variety of rela- 
 tions, with the whole of exiftence; fo 
 that wifdom is claffed or noted as the 
 knowledge of felf, in its relations with 
 nature. 
 
 The 
 
( 7* )• 
 
 The greateft difficulty apprehenfion 
 meets in forming the intelle&ual gam- 
 mut, or claffification of ideas, is the 
 difcrimination of refembling ideas. Ex. 
 gr. the thing knowledge, or fcience of 
 matter, bearing an affinity or femblaace 
 to the thing wiftionvior fcience of mind, 
 if implicated therewith by claffification, 
 confufion and difcord, muft caufe falfe 
 quantities upon the fcale, and all com- 
 pofitions formed therefrom muft be erro- 
 neous. 
 
 Again; the thing or idea, virtue, is 
 arranged by apprehenfion, on the mental 
 fcale of fentiment, as follows : analyfis 
 difcovers virtue in its individuality, to 
 be well-being of {elf; and by fynthefis, 
 in generalization, to be the well-being 
 of all nature ; from whence judgement 
 forms the tune or fentiment of the iden- 
 tity of intereft of the parts and its inte- 
 ger, or the unity of felf and nature, and 
 
 con- 
 
( 73 > 
 
 concludes virtue to be the practice of 
 wiHom. 
 
 The idea happinefs, when adjufted 
 by apprehenfion, upon this fcale of fen- 
 timental criterion, has its quantity or 
 relations made up of virtue and wifdom > 
 from which being excluded the hetero- 
 geneity of capricious pleafure, the note 
 called good is fixed, and judgement 
 compofes the tune or fentiment, that the 
 improvement of intellect is the fum- 
 mum bonum of felf and nature. 
 
 The intellectual gamut has fuffered 
 much difcordant arrangement in the en- 
 deavours of apprehenfion to fix. th£ 
 note, or give a juft quantity to the idea 
 Right ; ex. gratia ; in the following fenti- 
 ments; The Rights of Man ; whatever is, 
 is right. In the former, all its relations 
 are confounded in a want of difcrimina- 
 tion betsveen right, applicable to pro- 
 perty, and right applicable to rectitude ; 
 £ ia 
 
( 74 ) 
 
 in the abfurd fentiments of Pope, what- 
 ever is, is right ; here finite right is con- 
 founded with infinity, and thus all cri- 
 terion of judgement being loft, the dif- 
 cord or heterogeneity of claflification is 
 complete, and right and wrong lofe 
 all their relations and diftin&ions, and 
 judgement having no fcale of meafure 
 formed by apprehenfion, it becomes in- 
 capable of all fentimental or ideal com- 
 pofition. 
 
 I (hall conclude this head of apprehen- 
 fion, by recapitulating the refemblances 
 between the mufical gamut, as in the 
 former relations of found, fix the quantity 
 and fpecies of notes; fo in the latter, the 
 relations of things fix the genera and 
 fpecies of ideas upon a fcale,* which 
 
 enables 
 
 * Ideas to be claffified on this mental fcale or 
 gamut, demand the following qualities j that 
 
 each 
 
( 7$ ) 
 
 enables the mufician to compofe melo- 
 dious tunes, and the judgement to com- 
 pofe the theory and pra&ice of moral 
 truth. 
 
 OF MEMORY, 
 
 The quality of memory, as before 
 treated of, has been compared to a well- 
 arranged library, as alfo to a delible or 
 ivory tablet ; the former ferving as a re- 
 pofitory of ideas, the latter a table to 
 compofe and -combine them, for the im- 
 provement of theory, or the immediate 
 uCc of practice. 
 
 Memory fcems to hold a diftincYiori 
 from the reft of the mental fculties ; in 
 
 each njuft poflefs the fulleft extent of relation, 
 from individuality to univerfality, and a perfect 
 homogeneity, by which fpecific quality is de+ 
 noted, and each note is feparated on the general 
 Jfcale of apprehension. 
 
 E 2 that 
 
( 76 ) 
 
 chat it is more liable to a noxious excefs 
 in its ufe. We never hear the cenfure 
 too much applied to judgement, reflec- 
 tion, obfervation, &c. but it may he 
 urged againft a ftuffed or^cumbrous me- 
 mory, which never fails to opprefs the 
 other faculties, and deflroys totally the 
 progreffive power of the mind in its 
 capacity of invention. 
 
 The repofitxmy, or library of the me- 
 mory, inftead of containing the num- 
 berlefs volumes of the detail of human 
 experience, ihould be a fynopfis eafily 
 transferred to the delible tablet,* or 
 .cogitative memory, which being marked 
 with few impreflions, leaves an unem- 
 barrafTed area, for the various items of 
 inventive and practical calculation. 
 
 * The difcrimination between repoiitory, and 
 cogitative memory, is marked by the folitaTy ope- 
 ration of mere reminifcence, and the co-opera- 
 tion of all the faculties in cogitation. 
 
c 77 y 
 
 To illuftrate the above, I will fup- 
 pofe the mind had for the fubject of its 
 contemplation, the thing called govern- 
 ment. Memory unfolding firft the 
 doors of its repofitory, transfers to thtf 
 delible or cogitative tablet, the whole 
 hiftory of the Grecian and Roman re- 
 publics, with an endlefs detail of lo- 
 cality, perfonality, and co-exiftence of 
 trivial circumftances ; this multiplica- 
 tion of ideal items Co fills the tablet,, that 
 apprehenfion has no room to mark that 
 items of modern or actual hiftory, to en- 
 able judgement to difcover difparity of 
 paft, and to decide on government, ac- 
 cording ,to prefent or cxifting circum- 
 ftances. 
 
 The faculty of memory, to be free! of' 
 altexcef;, in co^eration with the other 
 faculties on the fubjed Government 
 mould produce the events of pad expe- 
 rience, divefted of ufelefs- derail or dis- 
 crimination. . Ex. gratia; The confede- 
 E 3 rate. 
 
( 7» ) 
 
 Fate will of the Grecian dates was con- 
 centrated and executed by Amphictry- 
 onic councils, in which oratorical influ- 
 ence held a paramount influence ; this 
 eoncife item, transferred from the repofi- 
 tory to the cogitative tablet of the me- 
 mory, and collated by apprehenfion, 
 with modern events. V. gr. the dag- 
 ger oration of Mr. Burke, in the 
 houfe of commons of England (which, 
 inftead of producing the erTec~t of fym- 
 bolic rhetoric upon the Grecian or upon 
 the Roman fenate, caufed the laughter 
 of contempt) gives a true meafure to 
 judgement to decide on the prefect na- 
 ture of government ; the criterion of 
 ■which mud be the difpofition of the 
 governed. 
 
 The memory of a learned blockhead, 
 like a voracious glutton, eats himfelf 
 into a profound fleep; or in other words, 
 fluffs itfelf fo full, that judgement is re- 
 duced to a lethargy, Hiftory is repo- 
 rted 
 
( 79 ) 
 
 u'ted with all the lumber of detail ; and 
 the cogitative or practical' tablet of" the 
 memory, when imprefied with ici icemV 
 leaves no place 'upon its area, for the 
 combinations of imagination, or the 
 tranfpofitions of apprehenfion, thejud&e- 
 ment muft therefore operate in adoption, 
 and exclude all invention. 
 
 The memory of the man of talents, or 
 wit, is- by no means a lumbered repofi- 
 tory, with the detail of univerfal hiitory 
 or fcience ; it is charged only with the 
 detail applicable to- one object of purfuit, 
 which, transferred to the cogitative ta- 
 blet, takes up but a fmall fpace, leaving 
 room for apprehenfion to produce the 
 creations of imagination, for the im- 
 provement of a particular fcience, or the 
 pleafant combinations of wit, in whofe 
 operations judgement follows, but never 
 takes the lead. 
 
 The- 
 
( So ) 
 
 Tire perfect memory, or companion- 
 of genius, is but a fynopfis of fciencc 
 and hiftorical experience, upon which b 
 founded fuch a generalization of ideas, 
 as gives to the apprehenfion great fa* 
 cility and latitude of arrangement ; thefe 
 transferred from the repoiitory of remi- 
 nifcence to the cogitative tablet, leave 
 by their concifenefs a vaft area for ima- 
 gination to imprefs its own creations, 
 and judgement to mark its long calcula- 
 tions, by which operation, the philofo- 
 pher difcovers moral truth ; or the mod 
 juft and mod general relations of things 
 in progreflion. 
 
 The memory of the learned man 
 may be compared to the almanack, 
 replete with indelible impretTions, which 
 ferve as a rule to guide judgement in 
 the acquifition of ftationary or predica- 
 mental good. 
 
 The 
 
( 8i ) 
 
 The memory of genius is an ivory 
 tablet, receiving delible impreflions, fo i 
 arranged by apprehenfion, - that judge- 
 ment forming an infinity of calculations, 
 and recalculations, the mind is guided 
 thereby to propel predicamental on the 
 lineofprogr.efiivc good. 
 
 The difcrimination of memory, noti- 
 fied by the above fimilies of the alma- 
 nack, and the ivorytablet, is better ex- 
 plained by the terms retentive, and 
 recollect ive. Memory $ which are in 
 conftant oppofition, like the two fcales 
 of a balance ; when the ' rubbifti of 
 ufelefs detail attaches to retention in 
 the mind of a learned blockhead, re- 
 collection is bewildered in the refearch 
 of ufeful ideas ; which it transfers to the.. 
 ivory tablet, or active memory, in co- 
 operation with cogitation. 
 
 The improvements of memory would 
 
 be facilitated by diflinguifhing it under 
 
 E 5 two 
 
f 82 ) 
 
 two feparate faculties, called retentive 
 or paffive memory ; the other, recollec- 
 tive or active memory ; and by con- 
 front care to preferve thefe in equilibre* 
 For this purpofe, all paft experience 
 mud be recorded by generalization; ex. 
 gratia, the events of hiftory divefted of 
 all ufelefs detail, and pofleffing no 
 more perfonality, locality and circum- 
 ftantiality then confirms their exiftence, 
 muft be generalized by their efficacy 
 to fupprefs paflion or ignorance, arrd to 
 promote thereby wifdom and happinefs* 
 
 In reading of ancient hiftory, the 
 conduct of the Amphiclrojonic councils 
 and Roman Senate prefent tbemfelvesj 
 I obferve their efficacy, and the means 
 followed to promote confederate, natio- 
 nal, and individual happinefs ; thefe 
 ideas I generalize, and divefted of the 
 tie, p lace, and, perfonages belonging 
 •thereto, I place them by the aid of re- 
 tention, in the repofitory of my me- 
 mory. 
 
t 83 ) 
 
 mory. Ideas thus generalized, take up 
 but little room, and enable recolle&ion 
 or active memory to take an immediate 
 and univerfal view of all its contents ; 
 and by this equilibre of active and paffive, 
 retentive or recullective memory, the 
 judgement of genius is enabled to form 
 the mod jud and mod general relation of 
 things, or take a progreffive view of 
 moral ttyth. 
 
 OF JUDGEMENT.. 
 
 The nature of this faculty has been 
 before treated,, it here remains to fpeak 
 of its improvement ; this would be bed 
 effected -by feparating it into two differ- 
 ent fpecies, denominated theoretic.,, and 
 L practical judgement; the firft of which 
 differs mod effentially from the latter; 
 one being only the difpofuion of 
 thought, the other its execution, or 
 
 action. 
 
 Judgement 
 
( U ) 
 
 Judgement in theory is nothing bttt 
 the arrangement of ideas, and their vari- 
 ous relations^ placed in a comparative 
 view or opposition, like pieces on a 
 chefs-board, waiting new pofitions from- 
 new movements ; or like an account 
 current, whofe balance is never (truck 
 till neceflity calls for active judgement. 
 
 While active judgement is fufpended y 
 moral truth, whofe nature is nothing but 
 progreflion, calls on theoretic judgement 
 for inceflant deliberation to re-arrange 
 its arrangements, to re- calculate its cal- 
 culations, and to view opinion only as 
 an aflbciation of ideas eaiily reformed by 
 the ingrefs of new relations. 
 
 Theoretic judgement rs deftroyed by 
 the influence of the paflions, among, 
 which, vanity is the mod powerful ene- 
 my, becaufe it not only prevents the 
 wholefome doubt of felf cogitation ; but 
 it (huts out molt peremptorily the 
 3 doubts 
 
( «5 ) 
 
 doubts of other minds, which would 
 furnifti new items to the account cur- 
 rent, or new movements on the chefs- 
 board of opinion. Every other paflion 
 nas a powerful influence over the judge- 
 ment ; in that, they precipitate action 
 by forcing its decifions under the fe- 
 ductions and propenfity of ftrong dt- 
 iire or frenetic will. 
 
 To illuftrate the above reflection on 
 ihc enmity oi paflion towards judge- 
 ment, \ [ball fuppofe. a min is called 
 upon for his opinion on any {object in 
 a numerous affembly ; ir> this cafe, he 
 refembles the chefs player, who moves 
 his own pieces with an intent foidy to 
 triumph over his antagonift. that is, to 
 gain influence and applaufe from that 
 affembly : now, theoretic judgement 
 being nothing but the means of obtaining 
 thedifcovery of moral truth, there fhould 
 be no oppofition among its inquirers, 
 fo chat each chefs player fhould not only 
 
 move 
 
C K T 
 
 move his own pieces, but ad vife a lib' 
 the oppofite player's movements for the 
 winning of the game, being the difco- 
 very of truth, all parties muft participate 
 in the common triumph. 
 
 Vanity has fo powerful an influence 
 over judgement, that it deceives it with 
 its own deceptions, and miftakes momen- 
 tary admiration for permanent eftimation. 
 The public orator, whofe theoretic 
 judgement mould collocate the various 
 ideas of the auditory with his own, and 
 declare with candour, that he dill faw 
 the neceffity of difcuffion, to furnifh new 
 relations for the aflbciation of ideas, and 
 to keep the account current of calculation 
 open till a&ion imperioufly demanded 
 its fettlement of decifion of fentiment ; 
 fxich a conduct,, though it would not be 
 marked with the meteoric blaze of falfe 
 talent, to convulfe with admiration, 
 would ftili be therefleding conftellation 
 to guide wandering judgement to the 
 
 polarity 
 
( 87 > 
 
 poJarity of truth ; and the doubtful ir> 
 ftru&ing orator would hold the fame 
 pre-eminence over the dogmatic fhining 
 orator, as the north, ftar over the ignis 
 fatuus, or will of the whifp, in the per- 
 manent eftimation of mankind.. 
 
 Theoretic judgement,, when perfect, 
 is nothing but the collocaiion of ideas* 
 arranged like the items of an open ac- 
 count current, ready to receive additions 
 from farther reflexion of felf and other 
 minds, to which, vanity and enthufiafm 
 are ever ready to fix a clofure ; but, as 
 moral truth, and even experience, move 
 ever on a parallel line of progreffion, 
 decifion mud be removed to the faculty 
 of active judgement. 
 
 The divifion of the faculty of judge- 
 ment into two f pedes, widi two diftincl: 
 attributes, contemplation and decifion 
 facilitates much the improvement thereof; 
 the one directs its progrefs, the other 
 
 ceconomizes 
 
( S8 > 
 
 ^economizes its ftation ; were the opera- 
 tions of judgement not kept open and 
 unfinifhed by theory, the mind would 
 fink into a ftationary apathy ; and were 
 it not for decifion in active judgement,. ... 
 predicament could have no well being. 
 
 The want of difcrimination between 
 theoretic and active judgement has 
 given 4'ife to the labyrinth of fophittry 
 and jargon of logic, which has perverted 
 the efforts of the human underftanding ; 
 as all our ideas, whether of fimple fub- 
 fiances or mixed modes, are ever pro- 
 greffive by the knowledge of new qualities 
 and relations in genera and fpecies, it 
 is neceffary judgement fhould have the 
 tablet of contemplation feparate from the . 
 tablet of decifion ;. the one on which 
 apprehenfion arranges all known rela- 
 tions, and incefXantly operates in addition 
 of new difcoveries and arrangements ; this 
 tablet may be called the department cf 
 perfcctability, where human capacity is 
 
 ftruggling 
 
( 8 9 ) 
 
 ftruggling to extend itfelf into human 
 energy. 
 
 The table of adlive judgement re- 
 ceives from the tablet of theory all its 
 actually exifting items, and bears the 
 balance or clofure of their pro and con 
 accounts, which is called decifion, and 
 thus prepares the enjoyment of adual; 
 predicament. 
 
 The paflions operate conftantly to 
 
 produce the miftakes and confufion of 
 thefe tablets ; on the one, vanity or pre- 
 judice arreft the inceflant labours of; 
 apprehenfion t,o augment the items, or, 
 in other words, to difcover the moft juft 
 and moft general relations of things ; on, 
 the other, the ardour of defire refutes? 
 the transfer of account from one to the- 
 other, and prejudicates decifion without, 
 any calculation : the firft is exempli fied^ 
 in the condudt of the public orator, who 
 fearches after applaufe, not truth ; and 
 
 the._ 
 
( 9° ) 
 
 the latter, in the luft of coition, where 
 health, peace, and property, are all fa- 
 crificed by the thoughtlefs voluptuary 
 at the fhrine of female beauty. 
 
 To conclude thi& head of judgement, 
 I recommend apprehenfion to be kept 
 conftantly at work upon the tablet of 
 theory, and no dectfion to be formed on 
 the tablet of action, till the contents of 
 both are conjoined, by which means 
 the reafon of man will be directed to the 
 enjoyment of actual, and the improve- 
 ment of future well-being; to which may 
 be added the following aphorifm, let 
 doubt have a perpetual eiftxence and 
 occafionai fufpenfion only conformable 
 tt> the neceffity of action. 
 
 OF 
 
( 9* ) 
 
 OF COGITATION. 
 
 THIS faculty of mind is formed of the 
 affemblage or co-operation of all the 
 other faculties, whofe jull equilibre is 
 denominated reafon, or re&itude of 
 thought; fenfation muft be exquifite, 
 obfervation contemplative, reflection 
 re-iterative, apprehenfion difcrimina- 
 tive, memory tenacious of utility onlyj 
 judgement doubtful, and cogitation in- 
 vertive ; and thus difcipiined, the mind 
 revolving upon itfelf arrives at wifdomy 
 that delicate-leading point, on the line 
 ,of progreflion of moral truth. 
 
 The improvement of this collective 
 operation of mind called thought de- 
 pends upon the. confummation of the 
 energies of the various faculties, and 
 more efpecially upon that of fenfation, 
 which may be regarded as the main? 
 
 rotas 
 
( w ) 
 
 ipring of intellect of fource of the 
 river of mind, whofe flream increafes in. 
 proportion as the different rivulets of the 
 faculties pour, in their currents. 
 
 The progrefs of fenfacion begins in 
 mufcular irritability, caufed by acute 
 feeling of pain ; this is increafed into 
 mental fenfibility, or confcioufnefs, by 
 the fear of future evil or returning pxin ; 
 when the faculties lofe their equilibre, 
 and the mind is reduced thereby to a 
 ftate of infanity, its difcipline is feldom 
 reftored but by the, infliction of bodily 
 pain, which proves the vitality of mind* 
 originates in mufcular fenfation^. 
 
 In the different fyftecns of the edtrca*. 
 tion of : infants by punilhment and fear, 
 or by animated inftrudtion ;.the former 
 is to be u fed where the mind is hard, 
 and mufcles torpid, but where it is 
 tender with an aptitude to cpnfeioufnefs, 
 the latter is to be preferred ; this truth 
 
 Will, 
 
i 93 ) 
 
 will be exemplified by taking a cam. 
 parative view of nations. 
 
 The charade riftic thoughtfulnefs of 
 the Britifh nation originates from the 
 feverity of education, and the itri&nefs 
 of moral difcipline in the conduct of 
 domeflic life, through all the llages of 
 which fear brandifhes a- colofTal club 
 in the irritability of the nurfe; the 
 auftere fenfibility of parents, the anger 
 of the tutor, the vindictive refentment 
 of afibciates (by private combat, autho- 
 rized by cuftom) in focial exile, and 
 laftly, the avenging and inevitable fe- 
 verity of the law by fuch fevere and 
 penal difcipline, animal fenfation is 
 improved into the higheft degree of 
 intelleftual confcioufnefs. 
 
 In all foreign nations, animal fenfation 
 being in a torpid ftate, education is de- 
 prived of all feverity in every ftage of 
 Rfe, and artful knowledge is its only 
 
 medium 
 
( 94 ) 
 
 medium language : rules of art and 
 curious fcience are impreffed in huge 
 heaps upon the memory ; the other 
 faculties are externally and fuperficially 
 employed upon its acquired contents, and 
 having nothing but animal energy, they 
 operate to produce but a higher degree 
 of human inftincx where fenfation is tor- 
 pid ; the other faculties can pofes no 
 internal or confcious energy, and cogi- 
 tation can have no power of inverfion : 
 thought cannot be turned inwards, nor 
 the mind revolve upon itfelf, to produce 
 the act called ratiocination, or the qua- 
 lity called reafon, by which the know- 
 ledge of felf and its relation with 
 nature, can alone be difcovered. 
 
 Whoever has travelled with moral 
 obfervation upon the Continent of Eu- 
 rope, cannot fail to have met' among. all 
 its nations, a chara&eriftic torpidity, 
 which contrafts with Englifli fenfibility, 
 without confounding it with that animal 
 
 irrh ability, 
 
( 95 ) 
 
 * irritability, which, at the found of fome 
 unmeaning word, makes a Frenchman 
 draw his fvord, the Turk his fcymitar, 
 the Indian his tomahawk, or the blood- 
 lefs Englifhman clench his fift. 
 
 I have no doubt, but when the pro- 
 greflive line of moral truth (hall be dis- 
 covered, its clear, effulgent reclitude, 
 will fo (trike upon animal or torpid 
 minds, as to produce intellectual fenfi- 
 bility ; but till that happens, fear mud 
 remain its neceffary fubftitute and only 
 agent, except in thofe minds where ani- 
 mated inftruction is beft adapted to fen- 
 fible and tender difpofitions. 
 
 There is a fpecies of fear created by 
 travelling, which feldom fails by its 
 
 * The difcrimination between irritability and 
 fentibility is marked as follows : the firfr, cap- 
 tious at trifles, is followed by refentment ; the 
 latter, affected by important caufes, only feeks 
 «o refpeft true, and pity falfe cenfure. 
 
 inceflant 
 
C 96 ) 
 
 incefTant operation, to increafe the facul- 
 ty of animal fenfation into intellectual 
 confcioufnefs ; new cuftoms, new laws, 
 new tempers, new circumftances, imprefs 
 the mind with perpetual apprehenfions ; 
 the want of language and diffimi larky 
 of fentiment invites to frequent folitude, 
 the true medium of juft cogitation, 
 which invrets the mind upon itfelf. 
 
 Though in travelling, the variety of 
 objects may demand more fenfual obfer- 
 vation and external operatioit of the 
 faculties, yet fear and folitude will 
 force the mind to creations of its 
 own, in order to difcover the road of 
 circumftances leading to peace and 
 fafcty. , 
 
 If we examine the hardened mind, 
 where fear is totally abfent, as in foldiers 
 or failors, animal fenfation ftrikes with 
 k> feeble a force upon obfervation, that 
 
 it 
 
( 97 ) 
 
 it communicates to the various facufries,' 
 but inftin&ive energy producing exter- 
 nal thought without power to invert 
 the mind upon itfelf, and create intel- 
 lectual confcioufnefs, hence that fool- 
 hardinefs called courage, that uncalcu- 
 lated voluptuoufnefs, producing difeafe 
 and mifery, marking (with but few ex- 
 ceptions) all military profeffions. 
 
 To produce thought, we muft flrft 
 ip.creafe fenfation into fenfibility or in 
 telle<5lual confcioufnefs ; obfervation is 
 t|ien awakened with all its energy ; this 
 energy is communicated to the reft of 
 the faculties, by whofe general momen- 
 tum the mind is forced back upon itfelf, 
 when, joining the whole contents of me- 
 mory, with all the additions of internal 
 obfervation or invention, the calculation 
 of moral truth is progreffively obtained. 
 
 The improvement of the faculty of 
 
 cogitation, depends wholly upon the 
 
 F inverted 
 
( 98 ) 
 
 inverted operations of the mind upon k- 
 felf, by which the objects of lecture, 
 converfation, and fenfation, receive an 
 augmentation of combination, and rela- 
 tion from inverted obfervation, contem- 
 plating the creations of mind, which dis- 
 criminates words from things, found 
 from fenfe, and univerfal from partial 
 truth. 
 
 I fhall conclude this head of cogita- 
 tion with the following axioms; " He 
 " who would wim to think muft firft learn 
 tc to feel, and he who would think we% 
 cs muft turn thought inwards* 1 ' 
 
 OF 
 
( 99 ) 
 
 OF IMAGINATION. 
 
 Before I difmifs the fubject cogitation, 
 I muft not neglect to take notice of 
 its operation, denominated fancy, or 
 the configuration of phantafm ; this ope- 
 ration is produced by the fubtilty of the 
 mind, paffing the boundaries of fair 
 conjecture or comprehenfible analogy* 
 Ex. gratia ; the mind in contemplating 
 •univerfal caufation, impelled by the im- 
 patience of incertitude, which conjecture 
 or analogy produces, proceeds to fub- 
 tlelize and produces the perfonification 
 of energy, neceflity, optimifm, abftracl: 
 good 3 nihilifm, and all the catalogue of 
 configurated nihility. 
 
 Thefe nihilities, through the influ- 
 ence of fancy, have power to make 
 martyrs of contrary opinions, burned at 
 oppofite flakes, rejoice in the evil of 
 F 2 torture, 
 
( io® ) 
 
 torture, and perpetuation of their own 
 errors: to account for this phenomenon 
 in the moral world, we need only ana- 
 lize the influence of prayer, or apoftro- 
 phe of this perfonification. When the 
 energy of man has apparently exhaufted 
 its efforts on an enterprize, the bigot 
 quitting the mean of reafon, appeals to 
 Jupernatural. means, or in other words, 
 the.energy of man, the part, calls upon 
 the integral, or perfonified energy, to 
 to conjoin the two energies, ;to augment 
 the power pf reafon ; it is as evident as 
 light itfelf, that the energy of reafon 
 can be augmented only by new efforts 
 of reafon , but as the bigot, or man of 
 prayer, has, by the apoftrophe of perfoni- 
 fication qr deity, given a new hahit to 
 his mind, .the.energy of reafon muft be 
 renewed in confequence ; and this effect, 
 imagination attributes to fupernatural in- 
 terference, though it clearly arifes moft 
 naturally from the repofe, ox new predi- 
 jpanaent of reafon kfelf. 
 
 In 
 
I 
 
 ( ah ) 
 
 In infantine, or weak adult minds,, 
 cogitation (the faculties of mind ope- 
 rating in difcipitne) has fo little power 
 to reftrain the irregularities of imagina- 
 tion, that reafon is fo completely vitia- 
 ted, as not only to believe, but even to 
 fee with the mind's eye (in an impercept- 
 ible delirium) the exigence of gods, 
 ghofts, apparitions, and magicians ; 
 and all thepower of truth cannot cure 
 this malady of cogitation, if the contagion 
 has taken root in the infancy of mind. - 
 
 This direful malady of the humar* 
 mind muft be guarded againft by edu- 
 cation ; and by that rational and natural 
 fyftem of logic, -which difcriminates be- 
 tween fenfe and found, and word and- 
 thing; the only clue to guide man ? 
 upon the delicate line of analogy, in its; 
 iRimited progfeflion from finity to in- 
 finity. 
 
 E 3 Among; 
 
( 102 ) 
 
 Among the various modes ofmcre&* 
 ling the faculty of cogitation, lhave before 
 forgot the mod powerful, which is lux- 
 ury, or the augmentation of natural de- 
 fires and willies, by artificial defires and 
 wiihes. This accounts for the difference 
 between the torpor of the favage, and 
 the ardour of the civilized mind. 
 
 The firfl: having foon fatisfied nature, 
 finks into repofe, and pafTes the greatefl 
 part of his life in fleep ; the latter muft. 
 pafs the greater!: part of his life in 
 thought, to fatisfy his infatiate and mul- 
 tiplied defires; thefe, however, force 
 thought to external operation or know- 
 ledge, rather than internal operation or 
 wifdom, but in this they refemble the 
 projectile bomb-fnell, which in propor- 
 tion to its removal from the object,. 
 penetrates the deeper into it, upon its 
 decadent progrefs ; and this work will, I 
 hope, both elucidate and juftify the 
 fimile, 
 
 OF 
 
( io 3 ) 
 
 of language; 
 
 As the Medium hi which Intellect operates 
 
 In the foregoing part of this treatife, 
 having developed the organization of in- 
 tellect, and the means of its improve- 
 ment, in part and whole, I now pro- 
 ceed to examine, and to correct the in- 
 'ftr umentality of its power. 
 
 I am overwhelmed with aftonifhment, 
 when I reflect upon the recorded, and 
 accumulated experience of revolving 
 and revolved epochas, which has not 
 yet difclofed the very inadequate relati- 
 ons of found and fenfe, and falfe words and < 
 reprefentauon of things. Mankind have 
 been calculating for ages the fum total 
 of univerfai good, with figures bearing 
 no fpecifk value, and wondering at the : 
 variety of balances, {truck- m perpetual' 
 difcord, by nations* and individuals;, 
 rea&n in attempting to correct them, not 
 E 4 having 
 
( i°4 I 
 
 having difcovered the common caufe of 
 error, laboured only with the aberrations 
 of fubtilty, to confummate the moral 
 chaos. , 
 
 What is the fenfe of the found God ? 
 Is this word a reprefentation of any thing 
 in exiftence? As it is a found of the high- 
 eft apparent influence, Ihave chofen it 
 as the firft object of my examination. 
 When the word God is pronounced, by 
 the mod intelligent deift, it imports the 
 energy of nature, identified as a being, 
 incomprehenfible in mode, or attribute, 
 the fource or caufe of all, exiftence. 
 
 Let us now examine, whether this 
 production of thought fhould be called 
 an idea, or phantom, an exiftent thing, 
 or a non -entity. The. whole of exift- 
 ence muft, no doubt, have caufal ener- 
 gy ;. or in other words,, every effecl: 
 muft have its caufe ; but fhould the fub* 
 tility of aberrating reafon identify caufe, 
 
 k 
 
C ios ) 
 
 it "immediately becomes 'effedt, and mud" 
 have its caufe ; that is, if we could iden- 
 tify the caufal energy- under the word' 
 God, God would be immediately an 
 effect, and we mud (till wander after its 
 caufe; and fo go on, difcovering the 
 God of Gods, ad infinitum. 
 
 The caufal energy of exiftence can 
 no more be identified, than the end of 
 time, or bounds of fpace ; and to in- 
 creafe the fum of good, by the increafe 
 of our own energy, we mutt limit our- 
 fclves to the boundaries of our own 
 fphere. 
 
 Here then we difcover this potent 
 word, God, fuppofed to be the hinges 
 of all human action, and bafis of all 
 good, to be a pofitive non-entity, and 
 this mighty figure in calculation, to have 
 no exiftrng quantity. O poor deluded 
 mortals, apply the fpunge to all the ba- 
 lances of your fuperftition, and begin 
 E 5 your 
 
( io6 ) 
 
 your calculation anew, with the compre- 
 henfible figures of reafon and manhood, 
 till you afcertain the ballanee of univer- 
 fal good ! 
 
 If this fundamental word has been 
 proved a phantom, what becomes of thefu- 
 perftru&ive words, heaven, hell, angels, 
 revelation ? the fabric mud fall with its 
 foundation, and their (hadows will no 
 longer cloud the reafon. O what a load 
 of rubbilh is here fwept from the under- 
 ftanding! 
 
 The word foul muft follow the impulfe 
 of the broom, and be fwept away 
 among the rubbifh ^ however, as it ap- 
 pears related to the infeparable intereft 
 of the whole and its parts, or the unity 
 offelf and nature, it demands fome dif- 
 crimination ; what intoxication of fancy 
 it requires, to imprefs impossibilities 
 upon the credulity of man ! The word 
 : oul implies the continuation of afloci- 
 
 ated 
 
( »f ) 
 
 ated accidents, when die fubflance 
 which c reate s t h em i s d i fl b 1 v ed . What ! 
 when the violin is burned, does ir's tune 
 dance about in aerial 'exiftence ? ' When 
 the idcot dies, does nature like a mifer, 
 hoard up his precious mind > When the 
 philoibpher dies, nature^ ir's true, fuffers 
 a -great lofs, but fome confolation is felt 
 in the records of his experience, which 
 promifes an increafe of good to feif and 
 nature in future ages. The non-entity 
 of the thing foul, is proved by the fol- 
 lowing axiom, than accident cannot ex- 
 id upon the difTolution of its fubflance. • 
 
 Among the former metaphyseal cata- 
 logue of infignifkant founds, let the 
 words ghoil, witch, devil, &c. he. be 
 inferted and fwept away upon the fame 
 dunghill of non-entity or nonfenfe. 
 
 I (hall now take cognizance of words 
 of great fignificance, whofe import hav- 
 ing various quantities, create much con- 
 
 E6 .,^" f%i 
 
 TT\TTT?1?Ti 
 
 etrmtr 1 
 
( v$ ) 
 
 fufion and difagreement of balance m 
 mental calculations ; the firft of which 
 is moral truth. The import of the word 
 truth, when applied to arithmetic, ma- 
 thematics, or phyfics, is abfolute and 
 fixed ; as two and two are equal to four; 
 that the two angles of the hypothenufe 
 are equal to a right angle;, that two 
 bodies cannot pofTefs the fame fpace, 
 but the word truth applied to morality 
 (or means of procuring the greateft pofii- 
 ble good, to the whole of exiftenice) is 
 riot abfolute or fixed, but is ever pro- 
 greflive.. 
 
 The word truth applied to morality, 
 however progreflive, pofTefTes neverthe- 
 lefs configuration or form, and may be 
 denominated an idea or fentiment, deve- 
 loped in the following definition ; viz. 
 €{ the moft juft and mod general rela- 
 tions of things ;" and here truth preferves 
 its real eflence, progreflion, and its form 
 
 or 
 
( io 9 ) 
 
 or idea, by which the mind is enabled to' 
 take cognizance of it> 
 
 The word next in rank, on the fcate 
 of importance^ is wifdom ; whofe fignifL- 
 cation has no fpecific quantity, quality, or 
 ideal definition ;jto fome minds, this found 
 conveys the idea of fcience,,to others the 
 idea of wit or talent, and generally the 
 idea of acquired knowledge. If the 
 word truth has been juftly derined-in the 
 foregoing fection, wifdom mult be tlxe 
 knowledge of that truth ; here then we 
 have a competent idea of wifdom, al- 
 though it muft participate with, truth in 
 its quality of progreflion. 
 
 Next in. importance, foil uvs the word 
 virtue'; which offers as many fignifica- 
 tions, as their are fyfteQis of education 
 in the world. Virtue in America is 
 parricide; in China, infanticide; in 
 Spain, and among ail nations of mental 
 or corporeal idolatry, rationicide, Vir- 
 tue, 
 
( no ); 
 
 ttie, however, preferves a fimilarity of 
 quality among all thefe difTentients, be- 
 ing regarded as a diminution of eviL 
 The father is killed by his f6n, to pre- 
 vent his fuffcring torture, if captured by 
 the enemy ; the child is expofed by the 
 father, left famine fhould deftroy the 
 whole, family, in the participation of • 
 feanty food, Reafon is deftroyed by 
 the idolator, left light fhould introduce, 
 doubt, and doubt difcord, and civil 
 war; by this we discover, that virtue 
 accommodates itfelf to the predicament, 
 or exifting circumftances, and that it 
 can have no general ftandard but moral 
 truth, and no other definition, but that* 
 it is the practice of wifdorn defined, as- 
 the knowledge of moral truth. . 
 
 Were the different nations above men-^ 
 tioned in the poffefTion of moral truth, 
 their various predicaments would be to- 
 tally changed ; the more general rela- 
 tions of nations being peace, parricide 
 
 would 
 
f 111 ) 
 
 would become criminal; the more gene- 
 ral relations of individuals being focial 
 power, cultivation and granaries would 
 prevent famine, and infanticide would 
 be criminal; the more general relations 
 of mind, with mind facilitated by -a tem- 
 perate liberty of the prefs, would remove 
 all danger from   doubt ; the life* of intel- • 
 led and rationicide would be criminal. 
 Thefe reflections will, I hope, fuffice to 
 evince that as wifdom is the knowledge 
 of moral truth, virtue is the practice 
 thereof; and though it participates its qua* 
 lity of progreffion, the energy of thought 
 is by no means perplexed there by, in 
 operating to produce progrefTive good. 
 
 Next follows the word happinefs, 
 which though firft in importance, I here 
 placed the Jaft in order, becaufe it will 
 appear even to fucceed in the confe- 
 rence of caufe and effecT:. This word 
 like its precedent, truth, &c. has its 
 import determined by education and 
 3 cuftom. 
 
( nx y 
 
 Ouftomv The Laplander lays it means 
 the multiplication of his flock of rein^ 
 deer; the African, thethicknefs of (hade, 
 and melody of hisrnftic pipe;. the Alia- 
 tic places it in the confines of a Seraglio ; 
 the European in the fplendour of domes- 
 tic equigage. . 
 
 Tlie word happinefs to be generally 
 underftcod, and to becomethe univerfai 
 ftandard of well-being to all- the inhabi- 
 tants of the glebe, muft.be the union of 
 wifdom and virtue, defined as the know- 
 ledge and practice of moral truth, or in 
 Other words, the higheft degree of intel- 
 lect to form a good will, and the greateft 
 phyfical powers to execute that will ; this 
 definition muft fiait all beings pofTeiling 
 the nature of humanity under every pre* 
 dicament. 
 
 As the four preceding words feem to 
 give form to the higheft energy of the 
 fphere of exiftence, human intellect, I 
 
 (hall 
 
C 113 ; 
 
 fhall give them a recapitulated and more 
 impreffive arrangement ; 
 
 Moral truth, the mod juft and mod 
 general relations of things. 
 
 Wifdom, the knowledge of moral 
 truth. 
 
 Virtue, the practice of moral truth* 
 
 Happinefs, the union of wifdom and 
 virtue* 
 
 From the above definitions it is evident,, 
 that founds or words bear no fpecific fig- 
 nification, or adequate reprefentation of 
 their archetypes or things; this truth 
 however, does not render language an 
 inefficient medium or ufelcfs inftrument 
 of intellect, but evinces only its. improper 
 life.. 
 
 Where language is copious, and has 
 a capacity to mark all the operations o£ 
 thought,., it muft.be ever efficient to, the 
 
 adequate; 
 
 
(' 114 ) 
 
 adequate reprefentation of things. Word* 
 to preferve their quality of true reprefen- 
 tation- of things* mud ever be attended 
 with; definitions-, preferving a parallel 
 progrefs with the developement of pro- 
 greflive truth in the nature of things, ex. 
 gratia, the word virtue [in progredive or 
 theoretic definition, reprefems the thing, 
 moral truth; in its practical or predica- 
 mental definition, itreprefents the thing, 
 diminution of evil 5 thus it is evident 
 that words having their qualities increafed 
 by explication, are confummately efficient 
 to operations or inftrumentality of in* 
 telle*. 
 
 The logic of ; the. fchools by fuppo- 
 f?ng founds and words- complete repre- 
 fentatives of' things, has univerfalized 
 and perpetuated- the chaos of error. 
 This logic, though fomewhat purified by 
 modern authors, preferves ilill fo much , 
 of falfe fpecific reprefentation, that they 
 are. totally unintelligible to a realift,, 
 
 who 1 
 
( n5 ) 
 
 who demands found to agree with fenfe, 
 and words with things, by the conftanc 
 ute of deiinition and explication. 
 
 'Tis the vanity of man that prepares 
 the vantage ground of logic ; this 
 quality of fools makes the mind im- 
 patient of doubt and incertitude, and 
 beholding truth as ftationary, not pro- 
 gressive, calculating the mutability of 
 practice and the progreffion of theory 
 with the analogy of fixed arithmetical 
 items, whofe falfe conclufions or ba- 
 lances flatter the paffion of vanity, or 
 lull the apathy of thoughtlefnefs with, 
 aparent certitude and facility of intellect* 
 whereas doubt produces bumilky and 
 toilfome progreflive reflection. 
 
 The intercourfe of minds in the.- 
 
 examination and communication of the • 
 
 knowledge of things, can be maintained^ 
 
 only by things themfelves, and no- 
 
 founds cr fymbols fliould be eftablifh-- 
 
 ecL 
 
( 1x6 y 
 
 ed without the mod careful and profound" 
 inquiry into their fignification ; this is at- 
 all times very eafy in colloquial difcourfe,- 
 and might be rendered fo in fcriptural, 
 if authors would" fubjoin to their works 
 a definition of all important reprefenta> 
 rive- word Si- 
 lt has been attempted by fome men' 
 of more learning than genius, to im- 
 prove and fix the definition of various; 
 words in language ; this would etTe& 
 a (confolidation of error j for fo long as- 
 the nature of things exifts in pro- 
 greflion, words can be only conftituent 
 parts of a definition and explanation 
 porTefTing unitedly and individually 
 that flexibility which produces pro- 
 grefiion, parallel to that quality in kg 
 archetype; 
 
 To give that quality of flexibility to 
 words by which they may be made jult 
 representatives.- of their archetypes o^ 
 
 things,, 
 

 ( "7 ) 
 
 .things, they mud be constantly attended 
 >by definition, and definition mud be again 
 attended by explanation, ex, gratia, the 
 word virtue ufed by an American fa- 
 vage, implies the murder of a parent ; 
 this act repugnant to fympathy, excites 
 inquiry into the thing virtue, this brings 
 definion of the word, viz. the diminution 
 of evil, or the parent receiving lels pain 
 by fudden death than by the torture of 
 the enemy if taken prifoner. Inquiry 
 ftill impelled by fympathy, protrading 
 the verbal definition in purfuit of the real 
 nature of the thing, difcovers and opens 
 by explanation, the progremve fcale of 
 virtue or diminution of evil, denomi- 
 nated moral truth, which directs the re- 
 moval of this pan icidical evil by pro- 
 moting peace with the tribes, peace 
 with the whole fpecies of man, peace with 
 all fenfuive nature, which at lad arrives 
 at the thing virtue, called peace with felf, 
 the center and fractional part of the in- 
 teger nature. 
 
 Language 
 
< us ) 
 
 Language requires no other power than 
 copioufnefs, which may give form to all 
 the mod fubtle operations of intellect in 
 its purfuit of the nature of things ; in- 
 tellect, by making words accommodate 
 themselves to things, and found accom- 
 modate itfelf to fenfe, can never be 
 perplexed by the ambiguity, or arretted 
 by the ftubborn inflexibility which 
 cuflom and prejudice give to words and 
 founds. 
 
 'Tis congenial to the repofe of timid 
 and torpid minds, to cherim the certi- 
 tude of reprefentation between word and 
 thing, fearing the confequence of a Rid- 
 den revolution in the moral world, 
 ihould the prefent order of fcholaftic 
 logic be inverted by fubftitutihg fenfe 
 to found, and thing to word. Thefe 
 fears cannot affect men of wifdom, they 
 forefee only the rapid progrefs of good 
 carried on to a fublime theory, and 
 the practice of good modified in pro- 
 
 greflion 
 
( "9 > 
 
 ^grefTion t>y predicament, or exifting 
 >circumftances ; they follow the laws and 
 •cuftoms of every country in a tempo- 
 rizing manner, while they attempt by 
 theory to introduce fuch fentiments as 
 may difpofe to action or change of pre- 
 dicament, progreffive on the line of 
 human perfectability. 
 
 This new order of natural logic, 
 would, no doubt, increafe the reflection 
 of man in the fame proportion, it would 
 diminifh his activity, and confequently 
 become an increafe of good in the 
 moral world, it being more beneficial to 
 man that the difpofition to thought 
 fhould predominate over the difpofition 
 to action. 
 
 It may be apprehended by fome, 
 that by the fubftitution of real to ver- 
 bal logic, the intellect would be incapa- 
 citated to identify its ideas ; this objec- 
 tion will Jbe removed by reflecting, that 
 
 the 
 
( lao ) 
 
 the prefent identifications being formed 
 in a ialfe medium, they are like the 
 reflexions in water only, the difcrimina- 
 tions of (hadow from ihadow-. The 
 identifications formed by real logic, or 
 the confederation of things proceeding 
 their figns or words, would, no doubt, 
 be deprived of clofure by their quality 
 of progreflion ; but this progreflion would 
 liave predicamental quantity, and would 
 thereby, be able to identify the opera- 
 tions of intellect in fuch a manner, as 
 would be fufficient to the tranfpofition 
 of ideas or the intercourfe of mind with 
 mind, the end and purport of all lan- 
 guage. 
 
 Were the con fid erat ion of things and 
 their relation to take place, independent 
 of found, and language regarded only 
 as the inftmmentality of explication, the 
 whole cob web- work of fophiftry would 
 be all brufhed away from the mind, ex.g. 
 were the thing, neceflity, inveftigated in- 
 dependent 
 

 ( lit ) 
 
 dependent of the word necemty, we 
 mould difcover it to be a real arche- 
 type, or effect confequent upon caufe ; as 
 if the combination of caufes which make 
 the fun rife to day, Ihould continue to 
 exift to-morrow ; the effect or riling of 
 the fun will happen again to-morrow; 
 but this doubt of the exiftence of the 
 famenefs of caufation, proves, that the 
 thing represented by the word neceflity 
 is applicable only to effect, and not to 
 caufation; and that the fophifticated 
 doctrine of necemtareanifm has been 
 built on the mifapprehenfion of found 
 for fenfe, and'word for thing. 
 
 The word optimifm will be found 
 alio a mere cobweb of fophiftry when 
 analyzed by definition and explication, 
 to difcover its archetype. Whatever is, 
 is right, fays a great poet, who wiflied 
 to be thought a great philofopher in 
 the confideration of things ; independent 
 of their reprefentative founds, they 
 G mult 
 
( 122 ) 
 
 muft be viewed in three predicaments 
 of individual fpecies, and whole or 
 nature ; what is good for the one muft 
 be fo to all, as they are all related, 
 or fractional parts of one common 
 integer; there will, however, be an 
 apparent (miftaken for a real) compe- 
 tition of good, as when the indivi- 
 dual dies to fave the fpecies, or this 
 to fave all nature : in this cafe, partial 
 feeming evil is general good, and mufl 
 be alfo partial good, if the individual is 
 a fraction of the whole of exiftence. 
 It may be a general and partial good 
 that I may dk to fave a wife man or 
 a wife nation ; but it would be both a 
 partial and general ill, for an indivi- 
 dual to agonize through a long life 
 of difeafe and torment, from which 
 no good can arife to the whole, the 
 fpecies, or the part. 
 
 Phyfical evils, lightning, earthquakes, 
 peftilence, though producing fome partial 
 
 good, 
 
( *•» ) 
 
 good, cannot be called right; for the 
 art of man will labour to diminifh this 
 effecl:, arid prevent the fufferance of 
 the part in all cafes where the whole 
 acquires no benefit; if the common 
 reply of fophifts mould be here made, 
 viz. " We do not know but that which 
 is an evil to us, may be a good to fame 
 other part of nature." The knowledge 
 of moral truth is the only anfwer to 
 this obfervation, which teaches that 
 every individual modification of being 
 is to itfelf the center of all exiftence, 
 and mud be dire&ed by its own inde- 
 pendent energy, to procure the univer- 
 fal good of felf and nature by the mea- 
 fure of fair conje&ure and comprehen- 
 fible analogy ; whatever furpaffes thefe, 
 can be no criterion of human a&ion. 
 
 Abftracl good, defined by another 
 
 infignificant word, difintereftednefs, is 
 
 another fophifm of found, which mufl 
 
 difappear upon the attempt to refolve 
 
 G 2 it 
 
( 12 4 ) 
 
 it into thing or archetype. If there 
 was any fuch thing as abftrad felf, 
 abftract good might alfo have an ex- 
 iftence ; but as felf the part can never 
 be feparated from nature its integer, fo 
 the thing good muft ever impart the 
 thing common intereft ; and when I 
 facrifice my life to promote the caufe of 
 truth, it is only preferring the good of 
 eternal felf, to the good of temporal 
 felf, or the good of felf, the circumference 
 or integer nature, to the point or center 
 felf, its fractional part. 
 
 Nihilifm, or the annihilation of the 
 intereft of nature and its conftituent 
 parts upon the diffolution of mode or 
 body, is another fophifm which the 
 analyfis of things muft alfo deftroy. 
 All parts of nature have a pofitive ex- 
 iftence independent of accidental com- 
 bination, the diflblution of which refem- 
 bles the feparation of figures in arith- 
 metical fums, the various units however 
 
 combined 
 

 ( "5 ) 
 
 combined or feparated, are affected 
 only in their energies, but not in 
 their exiftence or eflential power of 
 enumeration ; fo of atoms, however their 
 energies may be altered by their tranf- 
 mutations, from vegetable to animal 
 modes, yet their capacity oC exiftence 
 is indeltrudtable, and coniequently their 
 interefl with nature mud be eternal and 
 independent of all identification or 
 combination. 
 
 The words which denominate fimple 
 modes of being, as gold, man, fire, &c. 
 are not fully defcriptive of the thing, they 
 are only difcrimi native, and prevent the 
 one being taken for the other : the word 
 gold unites metal yellow, fixed, malleable, 
 fufible, foluble, ponderous : the thing 
 gold, has many unknown qualities which 
 the word does not denote, fo of the 
 other words. By this we fee the ne- 
 ceflity of the confederation of things 
 fuperfedingthat of words, to eftablifh the 
 G 3 true 
 
( 126 ) 
 
 true medium of perfectability, phyfical 
 and moral knowledge of progreffive 
 truth. 
 
 Nothing is fixed or pofitive in lan- 
 guage but its conftruction or organization 
 of grammar to give method todifcourfe; 
 all abftradt or concrete words are fixed 
 or pofitive in their difcrimination only, 
 as when gold is fpoken of, man is not 
 meant ; but when eflence or thing is 
 fpoken of, as humanity or auriety, the 
 ufe of the word muft be flexible, while 
 fpeculation protracting its eflence in the 
 progreffive medium of moral and phy- 
 fical truth, or the rr.erft juft and mod 
 general relations of things. 
 
 Among the various and monftrous 
 creations of fancy in found, the follow- 
 ing are the moft familiar, viz. honour, 
 gratitude, modefty, glory : when reafon 
 attempts the difcovery of their archetypes 
 by the ftudy of thing or reality, nothing 
 
 is 
 
( 1^7 ) 
 
 is met with but direful error. 'Tis 
 honour to cut the throat of a friend if 
 he offends you : 'tis gratitude to ferve 
 a fcoundrel in preference to an honed 
 man if you are under obligations : 'tis 
 modefly to lie habitually and to ufe a 
 negative with your mouth while your 
 heart pants with the affirmative : 'tis 
 glory to put to death the inhabitants of 
 foreign countries, and by victory con- 
 vert their induftry to felf-profit. 
 
 The above words, realized by analyfis 
 into their mod favourable imports of 
 honefty, benevolence, rn^eKnefs, eileem, 
 procure but a cor iracted predicamental 
 good, which ferves as an index to point 
 out the neceffity of progrefs towards 
 human perfeclability, whofe climax is 
 marked by the following qualities ; 
 thought, probity, fympathy, (or bene- 
 volence) and fortitude ; and whofe prac- 
 is determined by nature's code ; 
 G 4 think, 
 
( 128 ) 
 
 think, fpeak all you think> violate not, but 
 aid the inoffenfive will. 
 
 I muft again caution my readers 
 againft the fufpicion of dubiofity in 
 words, producing incapacity of intelli- 
 gence ; it will no doubt expofe 
 language to the infidious perplexity 
 of fophifts, but men of candour 
 .will always find in the discrimina- 
 tive quality of founds and method of 
 grammar, a clear and facile medium to 
 determine of things in their theory and 
 practice by the intercourfe of thought 
 ie pirating fenfe from found, and word 
 from thing ; it will moil affuredly in- 
 creafe the propenfities of doubt and 
 ■reflection, but predicament or exifting 
 circumftances will oppofe a temperate 
 barrier to their excefs, and prefent that 
 clue which leads practice on the line of 
 progreffive theoretic truth. 
 
 I (hall 
 

 ( x *9 ) 
 
 I fhall conclude this head of lan- 
 guage with the following important 
 truth, that the word abftraction when 
 analized into its thing or archetype, 
 will be found to be nothing but mate- 
 rialifm or thing itfelf ; it is a word or 
 found ufed only to difcipline the ope- 
 rations of thought. The word mind, 
 the abftract quality of intellectually 
 organized matter, reprcfents the thing 
 fubtle matter operating upon grofTer 
 matter, which operation, we call 
 thought or mind, which quality can 
 have no abftract exiflence from fub- 
 ftance ; fo of colour, generofrty, triangle, 
 &c. 8cc. there is nothing: in nature but 
 matter, and language ferves only to 
 defcribe its motion ; and all found or 
 words are nothing but the difcipline of 
 intelligence to attain at the pmgreiTive 
 knowledge of things in their eflence, and 
 in their mod juft and mod general 
 relations. 
 
 G 5 RATIONAL 
 
( n^ ) 
 
 RATIONAL OR NATURAL 
 DIALECTIC. 
 
 THIS difcipline of intelligence to 
 attain the progreffive knowledge of 
 things in their effence and relation, is 
 formed by the conftruction and repre- 
 fentation of founds and words in lan- 
 guage. The art of discipline hitherto 
 purfued, has been the arrangement of 
 language by verbal logic, where found 
 has been fubftituted to fenfe, and word 
 to thing > which accounts for the prefent 
 imbecillity of human intellect, and the 
 mifery of exiftence in all its modes. 
 
 Verbal or fchotaflic logic, prefumrng, 
 words to be complete reprefentatives of 
 things, has been fupported by that ac- 
 curacy and precifion which argues cer- 
 titude ; this brings an infidious fatisfac- 
 tion tQ the mind, and by excluding 
 
 doubt 
 
( fp ) 
 
 doubt and reflection, conceals the per- 
 fectability of human and all co-exiftent 
 modes of nature. 
 
 The quality of fpecific reprefentation 
 of word and thing, fuppofed by the ac- 
 curacy and precifion of verbal logic 
 excluding doubt, continues to perpetuate 
 all the errors of cuftom, education, and 
 inftitution : phantoms or words that pof- 
 fefs no archetypes, mud long ago have 
 been fvvept as rubbifh from the mind, if 
 logical fyllogifm had not given them 
 tenacity. Words alfo importing ex- 
 travagant or ambiguous relations, mufl 
 have been corrected if the cloie construc- 
 tion of a logical propofition did not de~ 
 terminethe infallibility of its predications; 
 ex. gratia, the American Indian, in con- 
 verfe with a fellow Indian, when difcourf- 
 ing of virtue, as the predicate of a logi- 
 cal propofition, he understands no doubt, 
 paricide, and perpetuates that evil ; the 
 fame effect mult be produced in the 
 G 6 converfe 
 
( %34 ) 
 
 converfe of all fellow-countrymen when 
 difcourfe is maintained by logical con- 
 ftruction of their cuftoms and concep- 
 tions, however erroneous and atrocious. 
 
 Travelling is the only means by which 
 the fpeli of verbal logic can be broken, 
 and that of rational dialectic obtained; 
 when the European meets the Indian 
 and enters upon conversion, logic lofes 
 all its accuracy, for every word rauft 
 have a definition, and every definition 
 an explanation ; the clofe conftruclion 
 of propoiition muft be broken down, and 
 the, wide range of things in their nature 
 muft be opened to inquiry, which I 
 think may juftly be denominated rational 
 dialectic. 
 
 The diftindtion between rational and 
 artificial logic is, that the former is open; 
 that purfuing thing, this purfuing found ; 
 one progreflive reafon, the other ftation- 
 aryreafon. Artificial logic, in all its 
 
 procefs 
 
( *33 ) 
 
 procefs leaving out conftantly fome of 
 the mod general relations of things, mud 
 ever be imperfect in its operations, like 
 merchants who never can ftrike a ba- 
 lance if they do not take in all the items 
 of their reciprocal accounts current. 
 
 It is the province of rational and natu- 
 ral dialectic, to take a general view of 
 all poffible relations of things* to leave 
 out no item, and keep its balance ua- 
 ilruck (or open to receive other items) 
 till the neceffity of action demands its 
 clofure. 
 
 I fliall endeavour to place their dif- 
 tinctions in a clearer point of view, by 
 fuppofing the thing virtue to be treated of 
 logically and dialedtically, as in the fol- 
 lowing proportion ; " virtue is true felf- 
 love." Verbal logic commences its pro- 
 cefs on this fentence, and with its trea- 
 cherous quality of precifion, it extends 
 
 the 
 
( *34 ) 
 
 the different words into their definitions, 
 limited by opinion and cuftom, and then 
 clofed by the difcipline of fyllogifm, 
 forming fuch conclufions as tend only to 
 difcover the relation of found and not of 
 fenfe, of word and not of thing, as fol- 
 lows ; 
 
 The logical definition of the word vir- 
 tue is differently formed by the fancy of 
 different minds ; by the idolater it is de- 
 fined obedience to the will of God ; by 
 the patriot, that action which tends to 
 the good of fociety ; by the citizen of the 
 world, that which tends to the good of all 
 mankind. Self is again defined by the 
 firft, as an integral infulated mode of 
 being, fubject to a perfonified energy, 
 called God; by thefecond,asthemember 
 of a particular fociety ; and by the third, 
 as a fpecies of the univerfal genus, man. 
 The word love is underflood and defi- 
 ned by all thofe logicians, to be the de- 
 i fire 
 
( ns ) 
 
 fire of receiving good from the objed we 
 affect:. 
 
 The propofition virtue is true feif- 
 love, having all its founds or parts 
 limited by precife definition ; the procefs 
 of verbal logic forms its precife con- 
 clufion upon the relation of found alone, 
 and falls very fliort of the thing, as will 
 be proved by the contrafted procefs of 
 rational and natural dialectic. 
 
 Dialectic taking cognizance of the 
 above propofition, operates entirely by 
 explication, and nfes definition and 
 words as discriminative figns; virtue is 
 purfued to its lafl relation or effence, by 
 the analyfis of its open or progreflive defi- 
 nition, the pra&ice of moral truth.* 
 Self, by the fame analyfis, is difcovered 
 to be an infeparable fractional part of the 
 
 * Vide Moral Truth* 
 
 great 
 
( 136 ) 
 
 great whole of exiftence, and Jove is 
 found to be that quality of fympathy, 
 which involves the defire of good of the 
 part and its whole. 
 
 Dialectic paries beyond the boundaries 
 of logical definition, and through expli- 
 cation reaches the theory, and finds vir- 
 tue to be the actions of intellectualized 
 mode of beings, which tend to commu- 
 nicate raoft good to their integer or na- 
 ture. The word felf, by the fame pro- 
 cefs of explanation, paries beyond the 
 boundaries of human fpecies, through 
 all fenfitive and inanimate exiftence on 
 to nature; and the word love is found to 
 be the fympathetic identical defire of the 
 common interefl of the part and whole. 
 
 In verbal logic, every thing is precife 
 and clofed ; in dialectic, every thing is 
 open and progreflive; in the former, the 
 procefs is conducted by fyllogiftical con- 
 fir uction, 
 
C 137 ) 
 
 ftrucYion ; in the latter, by explication, 
 unfhackled by method or precifion. 
 
 Dialectic, like the crucible of the al- 
 chy.mift, contains all the ingredients pro- 
 ductive of. the required refult, whereas 
 verbal logic is the alembic of a tyro che- 
 milt, whofe procefs from the deficiency 
 of ingredients falls fhort of the refult. 
 Human intellect, in its attempt to ap- 
 proximate progreffive truth, mud take 
 in fimultaneoufly all poffible relations of 
 an idea, which forms the true character 
 of dialectic, as verbal logic is denoted 
 by its quality of fucceflion, or gradation 
 of different procefs, by the exclufion of 
 the totality of relation, which can never 
 arrive at the fought for refult. 
 
 I fhall produce one more example of 
 the contrafled operations of logic and 
 dialectic, upon the following proportion : 
 " The virtuous man fears God ;" logic 
 commences with that definition of the 
 
 word 
 
( 133 ) 
 
 word virtuous, which (huts out the molt 
 important of its relations, viz. the man 
 loving all mankind. The word fear, like 
 all fimple words cf action, is pofuive in its 
 definition, and denotes apprehenfion of 
 evil. God is a word introduced by the 
 error of cuftom and education., to denote 
 the perfonification of the aggregate mafs 
 of all the partial energies of existence. 
 
 Logic, afTuming the above definitions 
 for a complete explication of the things 
 affirmed in the proportion, produces that 
 conclufiori which arrefts the progrefs, or 
 contracts the fphere of virtue; and by in- 
 culcating fear for falfe objects, removes, 
 the fear of real evil, and difpofes man to 
 a noxious refignation. 
 
 Let us now fee how dialectic would 
 treat this proportion, u The virtuous 
 man fears God;" it firft forms the defi- 
 nition 
 
( «39 ) 
 
 nition of virtuous, which can mod: ap- 
 proximate the thing -, viz. That mode of 
 being which procures mod good to its 
 integer, or the union of felf and nature. 
 Explication then follows to analize the 
 definition, and carry on its approxima- 
 tion ftill farther towards its thing, as 
 thus ; every part of being mull partici- 
 pate in the qualities, powers, and inte- 
 refts of the whole of being, as the whole 
 is admitted to be indedruclible and eter- 
 nal in its eflence, though mutual in its 
 form ; fomudbe alfo its parts : that part, 
 therefore, which communicates mod 
 good to its whole, mud be the mod vir* 
 tuous, as that which communicates mod 
 pain is the mod vicious. The word fear 
 being next defined as the fimple appre- 
 hension of evil, and the word God bear- 
 ing no definition, being a chimera, and 
 having no reprefentative in exidence,. 
 dialectic makes the following: conclufion, 
 agreeable to the conditution of things in 
 
 ex- 
 
( H© ) 
 
 exigence, that the mod virtuous man is 
 he who fears moft evil.* 
 
 The difcrimination between logic and 
 dialectic may be happily illuftrated by 
 a companion with military tactics ; the 
 former refembles the pofition of men in 
 rank and file, and dialectic refembles 
 regimental evolution, the one is the con- 
 itruction of verbal difcipline, the other 
 
 * According to the above conclufion, the fick 
 or ignorant man is a vicious man, however in- 
 voluntarily, fo far his agonies muft convey much 
 pain to the matter flowing through his combina- 
 tion or hodv; yet mould his mind be wife or in 
 health, he may amply compenfate the pain he 
 gives to prevent exigence by moral inftruction, 
 which may prevent or cure the ficknefs of future 
 ages, and by this means may become the poflefiing 
 ibme degree of vice, the molt virtuous man in 
 exiftence, as the powers of the mind are of more 
 confideration than the defects of body, and the 
 good or evil produced thereby mull be meafured 
 by extenfion from part to whole, and by duration 
 from time to eternity. 
 
 its 
 
( 141 ) 
 
 us efficacy or end to be obtained, the 
 victory of truth and defect of error. 
 
 It was Mr. Locke's opinion, that if 
 men could detach their minds from the 
 import of terms, and contemplate things 
 on their real conftitution, and fuch con- 
 templation be perfectly tranfpofed into 
 other minds, mankind would foon be 
 brought to think the fame, though they 
 might wifh differently ; and fuch is the 
 province of real dialectics. 
 
 I (hall attempt one more contrafted 
 operation of logic and dialectic, upon 
 the various words of the fophifts, fcholi- 
 afts, and man of letters. The fubtleties 
 produced by thefe parrots, have been 
 owing to the quality of fixednefs in logic, 
 which fetters the invention, and prevents 
 judgement * turning the imagination, 
 
 '* Turning is a term in hunting, when the dog 
 makes the hare decline from her intended courfe. 
 
 while 
 
( 14* ) 
 
 while the mind is occupied with cogita- 
 tion, and it is the province of logic to 
 attach itfelf to found; of dialectic, to at- 
 tach itfelfto fenfe or thing. 
 
 The great paragon of all paradoxes, 
 is to be found in the theorem of the 
 afymptotes in mathematics ; thefe teach 
 apparent truth with a pofitive contra- 
 diction, that two points in motion may- 
 approximate each other perpetually, and 
 though their movement be continued to 
 all eternity, they could never meet. 
 The apparent truth is the jargon of found, 
 fupported by logic ; the contradiction is 
 the real conftitution of the thing fup- 
 ported by dialectic. 
 
 Logic, by fixing the found infinity, 
 and abftracting it from fenfe, or materi- 
 ality, confounds all meafurement, crite- 
 rion, or comprehenfibility, and calls this 
 operation iacpmprehenfible truth. 
 
 Diateftic 
 
( 143 > 
 
 Diale&ic, on the contrary, brings all 
 its objects home to materiality, or thing 
 in incomprehenfible existence, and dis- 
 covers the fophiftry of the afymptotes, by 
 proving, that approximating finite mat- 
 ter mud meet before unapproximating 
 infinite duration. 
 
 Logic treating the doctrine of necef- 
 fity, fixes by definition the fophiftry 
 of found, and demonftrates neceflity, 
 infinite, or immutable law, the caufe 
 of caufe, and the inevitability of all 
 effect, under the feholaftic proportion, 
 every eifed muft have a caufe. 
 
 Dialectic, breaking the above doctrine 
 by the explication of definition, and tra- 
 cing every relation to its fource, materi- 
 ally difcovers the word neceflity, to ap- 
 ply only to confequence, proceeding 
 from co-exiftent caufe or caufes ; and 
 that the thing caufation muft, like every 
 other thing, pofTefs within itfelf its own 
 independent energy, and that the variety 
 
 of 
 
( 144 ) 
 
 of independent individual energies pro- 
 duces that univerfal mutability in all ex* 
 iftence, which gives a full contradiction 
 to infinite law, or logical neceflity. 
 
 The word optimifm, when treated of 
 by logic, is defined thus, " every ill is 
 good, relative to the whole;" what im- 
 pertinence of found is here fubftituted to 
 fenfe! irrecognizable infinity being made 
 the ftandard of finite and cognizable 
 good, a conclufion is formed, which 
 has created the mod dangerous paralo- 
 gifm, " Whatever is, is right," which 
 inverts the order of things, and annihi- 
 lates the perfe&ability of nature. 
 
 Dialectic operating upon this paralo- 
 gifm with the touchflone of explica- 
 tion, and evolving thing or matter from 
 the web of logical fubtilty or found, dis- 
 covers that it is wrong to eat poifon, and 
 right to eat wholefome aliment; thattheone 
 conveys joyous fenfations to matter, the 
 
 other 
 
( 145 ) 
 
 other painful and letiferous ; and this is 
 related or reafoned upon from the know- 
 ledge of the intervolution of matter into 
 matter, and its intimate conne&ion or 
 union in all modes of being; fo that 
 any ill may be tolerated if productive 
 of good to the cognizable part of ex- 
 iftence, but no ill mould be tolerated 
 upon the fuppofition that it may be a 
 good to irrecogniziable infinity. It may 
 be a good-; that a fool mould die to fave 
 a wife man, but it cannot be a good 
 that a fool fhould break his leg un- 
 connected with all cognizable con- 
 fluences, and abfurdly related to infinite 
 good, and thus by the latitude of ex- 
 plication, dialectic difpels the mift of 
 (ubtlety, and protects intellect from its 
 pigmy enemy ignorance, and its gigan- 
 tic enemy fophiftry. 
 
 The mind in a (late of ignorance, 
 
 is in a (late of vacuity, and inilruLtion 
 
 finds room for entrance, but fophiftry or 
 
 fubtlety inflates it like a biad <er, which 
 
 H uatrucUon 
 
C 146 ) 
 
 inftru&ion muft break to have entrance, 
 for in all fuperficial imprefftons, when 
 the prefTure is removed, the plenitude is 
 refumed, and I mould have more fan- 
 guine hopes to convince the mind of 
 the mofl ignorant clown, of the moftjuft 
 and general relations of moral truth, 
 than to convince the inflated underftand^ 
 ing of a lettered fophift:, or fubtle 
 logician. 
 
 The true characteristic -difference 
 between logic and dialectic is, that the 
 former takes its criterion from the con- 
 tracted relations of cuflom or the fophifti- 
 cated relations of incomprehenfibility ; 
 the latter from the perfedtability of cnftom 
 and the comprehenfible constitution of 
 things : logic operates by fyllogifm 
 upon the factitious and partial relations 
 of things : dialectic by explication upon 
 the molt juft and moft general relations 
 of things : logic has alfo a middle term 
 by which the parts of its propofition is 
 meafured : dialectic ufes no middle 
 
( H7 ) 
 
 terms, but affirms or denies of things 
 predicamentally and abfolutely confider- 
 ed; ex. gratia, logic reafons thus; our 
 Creator muft be worfhipped, God is our 
 Creator, therefore God muft be wor- 
 shipped. Dialectic thus, What is Crea- 
 tor compared with moral truth ? The 
 incomprehenfible energy of caufation 
 of which no idea or archetype can be 
 found. What is God ? A word with- 
 out a thing. What is worlhip ? A 
 found without fenfe. Again logic reafons; 
 wifdom is happinefs, John is wife, there- 
 fore John is happy ; dialectic thus, 
 What is wifdom ? What is happinefs 
 confidered in its mod jutt and mod ge- 
 neral nature, which is called theoretic 
 truth ? Then what is happinefs confidered 
 predicamentally or co-ordinate with ex- 
 ifting circumftances, which lad: is de- 
 nominated practical truth ? This mode 
 of reafoning admits of no middle term 
 or nominal meafure, for the meafure be- 
 ing nature, or the conftitution of things 
 themfelves, dialectic repugns all nominal 
 H 2 criterion, 
 
( '48 ) 
 
 .criterion, and recognizes all ideas by 
 immediate comparifon with things them- 
 felves. 
 
 I mall conclude this comparative view 
 .of logic and dialectic, with the following 
 obfervation : that logic ufes language 
 with a rigid inflexibility in order to fix 
 opinion, dialectic ufes language with 
 flexability of difcipline to improve and 
 regulate opinion; logic keeps man 
 ftationary in exiftence, dialectic leads 
 him on to the perfectability of his 
 nature. 
 
 Men of letters will, no doubt, cavil 
 much at the difcrimination between no- 
 minal logic and real dialectic ; but I 
 hope I have ihewn its juftice and utility, 
 which will familiarize and perpetuate it 
 with men of wifdom, who will readily 
 xJiftinguifti between the fixed and ftation- 
 ary 
 
C r 49 ) 
 
 ary power of words or logic* to obtain 
 falfe preciftorij and the progreffive or 
 flexible energy of language or dialectic, 
 to move on the parallel of progreffive 
 truth* 
 
 Nominal logic by its precifion is 
 competent to all the common purpofes 
 of lite, but real dRaWKtc by its flexibility, 
 muft be employed in all its mod impor- 
 tant and mod perfe&able circumftances 
 or principles of moral truth, vvhofe terms 
 being all progrefiive, render all middle 
 terms of logic and the order of fyllogifnr 
 totally ufelefs ; thus the idea good muft 
 be meafured immediately by moral truth 
 in progreffion or perfectability, and 
 again by predicamental truth called 
 practicability. 
 
 * Logic is the energy of fpeech in the positive 
 combination of fpecific words, partially reprefent- 
 ing things relative to predicament. Dialect* is 
 the energy of fpeech, in the flexibility of all 
 poflible combination of words rej)re'fent4ng things 
 in their progreffive relation to perfedtability, 
 
 H 3 The 
 
( *> > 
 
 The great error in the difcipline ol 
 cogitation, or the clarification of ideas; 
 has been owing to the falfe analogy 
 fuppofed to exift between fcientific 
 and moral truth, or the cognizance of 
 matter and of mind. Material or fcien- 
 tific proportions require fome middle 
 term or criterion of meafurement, as 
 they will not admit of juxtapofition ; 
 ex.gr* the height of a tower, and the 
 height of a walking-flick, can be 
 meafured only by the medium of ma- 
 thematical calculus ; fo of two triangles, 
 their difference cannot be afcertained by 
 juxtapofition, but mufthe fought through 
 a neutral medium or quantity of criterion ; 
 but moral ideas originating from the 
 fame mind, are ever, in juxtapofition, and 
 therefore need no third idea or neutral 
 medium to form their decifion or ad- 
 meafurement. When I conceive the thing 
 reprefented by the word virtue, I find 
 it relative to an infinite mutability of 
 circumftances, and the will which it is 
 
 to 
 
( W ) 
 
 to form muft be meafured by collating 
 it with the progreffive thing virtue, no 
 progreflxve medium or middle term can 
 be a meafure for progreffive extremes. 
 
 Learned men, imitators of antiquated 
 opinion, will here exclaim, " the will caa 
 then never be determined :" yes, the will 
 may be formed and action follow, guided 
 only by probability ariihig out of predi- 
 cament, which ihews good relative to- 
 exifting circumstances, 'and improveable 
 in their future mutability. 
 
 This new fyftem of rational or real 
 dialectics, in oppofition to nominal or 
 verbal logic, demands a thoughtful 
 and reflective habit of mind to make 
 ufe of it ; thoughtlefs minds will find 
 the latter fyftem mod agreeable to an 
 indolent habit of light cogitation, and 
 will cheriQi that falil p-LcMion which 
 has fo long kept the moral world in its 
 contracted orbit ; but real dialectics, by 
 H 4 diminishing 
 
( W ) 
 
 ditninifhing the momentum of aftion> 
 and increafing the momentum of reflec- 
 tion muft expand its orbit on the center 
 of incalculable perfectability* 
 
 The dialectician ufes language as 
 the difcipline of thought, and words, or 
 terms, as flexible and accommodative 
 iigns to move on the advancing parallel 
 of progreflive truth : when he cogitates, 
 his ideas pafs beyond the narrow boun- 
 daries of found, and he purfues the thing 
 as the center oi' all its relations, or the 
 meafureof itfetf, and language fcrves only 
 as an aid but not a boundary to his 
 thoughts. 
 
 Before I take leave of this fubjeel: of 
 verbal logic and real dialectics, I muft 
 endeavour to refute the opinion of 
 Mr. Locke ; that moral truths are capa- 
 ble of the fame demonftration as ma- 
 thematical truths. The diurnab expe- 
 rience of every ambulator of this capital 
 
 will 
 
( i53 ) 
 
 will prove the fallacy of that opinion. 
 When he enters a (hop to purchafe a 
 commodity, and the bill is drawn out 
 according to arithmetical calculation, 
 the amount is pofitive as two and two 
 makes four, which' admits of no difficul- 
 ty of relations or profound contem- 
 plation to determine the re&itude of its • 
 payment. When the fame perfon is 
 fupplicated by a beggar to perform an 
 act of benevolence, how profoundly con- 
 templation begins to operate, what 
 doubts arife refpecting the rectitude of 
 compliance ! What a train of reafoning 
 fucceeds, viz. If I give to this beggar, 
 I ill all encourage idlenefs ; I pay poor- 
 rates, let him go to the work houfe; . 
 I have a large family to provide for, let 
 others affift him. The phildfopher 
 efcapes not the dilemma with a -higher 
 ftyle of reafoning ; he is willing to (hare 
 his crull with the dying beggar, but 
 reafon flops his benignant hand with t 1 
 reflection, if • I participate my ft 
 
 H 5 P' • - 
 
( *54 ). 
 
 pittance, the pain of hunger will debili- 
 tate my mind, which by its labour is 
 preparing by the difcovery of truth, 
 univerfal and eternal good ; and fhalL 
 the exifience of the ignorant beggar, 
 whofe diffolution is of no concern to 
 nature, be put in competition with the 
 jneftimable energy of a philofophic 
 mind ? 
 
 There is, however, in all moral truths, 
 a fufficiency of probability to determine, 
 the conduct of men, which can be 
 judged of only by the energy of thought 
 and refle&ion, familiarizing the mind to 
 the painful habit of doubt and incertitude 
 infeparable from moral truth. The dif- 
 covery of this point of probability is 
 the peculiar province of invention and 
 imagination-,, which, like the vigorous, 
 hunter, flies over all boundaries to pur- 
 fue the objed of the chafe, while the. 
 imitative and learned mind, like the 
 jpack,-horfe, ambles on the road of 
 
 method. 
 
( >55 ) 
 
 method and cuftom, and finks into 
 the deep-worn ruts of * precifion, and 
 neither fees nor hears any thing of the 
 objects of the chace. 
 
 Locke was lead into this error of 
 eo-equal precifion in mathematical and 
 moral truths, by confounding ideas 
 with things, and probability with cer- 
 tainty. I can preafely tranfpofe the 
 operations of my mind into another 
 mind, and attach to the word virtue, a 
 fpecific quantity of relations ; this pro- 
 duces, however^ nothing but the preci- 
 fion of found or word ; for the thing 
 virtue, has its point or efTence involved 
 in an infinite mutability of place, time, 
 andcircumftances, whereas mathematical 
 proportions are independent of all mu- 
 tability of predicament. 
 
 * It was this, rut of precifion, that checked, 
 the rapid wheel of Locke's imagination, and ftoped> 
 him fo iliort on the road of progrefiive truth. 
 
 H 6 This 
 
( »5« ) 
 
 This incertitude of moral truth h 9 
 however, not at all difcouraging to 
 human energy or hope, in its progrefs 
 to perfe&ability. The mariner is not 
 at all* difcouraged by the unfixednefs 
 of the magnetic north, he follows its 
 propinquity and fails not to reach his 
 port; fo may the moralifbby^ following 
 probability, reach the 'haven of improv- 
 ing happinefs or progreffive. perfectabili^ 
 ty without determining the pofitive point, 
 of wrfdom or virtue. 
 
 IDEAS 
 
 ON this fubjed, Mr. Locke has 
 written fo erroneoufly, that to his pen 
 I attribute the prefent ftationary and 
 unprogreflive condition of human irv. 
 ^ellecl. He taught that moral ideas 
 were complete effences or archetypes of 
 themfelves, ana 1 that words, by ftriclly 
 reprefenting them, were capable of pro- 
 ducing moral truth with the fame accu^ 
 racy as mathematical proportions. 
 
 Moral 
 
( 157 ) 
 
 Moral effences are infinitely lefs fixed" 
 and more recondite than thofe of fub- 
 ftances, ex. gratia, the efTence of gold is 
 no doubt, equally recondite or incog- 
 nizable as that of virtue, but the known 
 qualites of the former, are fixed and 
 cannot be confounded with each other, 
 as thofe of virtue may. Malleability in 
 gold, can never be confounded with 
 friability; but clemency and cruelty, 
 generofity and prodigality, nay, even the 
 contraft, vice, may be fo confounded 
 with virtue itfelf in the mutability of: 
 moral predicament, that the mod pro- 
 greflive contemplation cannot feparate- 
 them. 
 
 Mr. Locke did not consider the in- 
 finite mutability of human predicament,, 
 which muft guide the will in practice,, 
 and the underftanding in the ftudy of 
 theoretic good, which has no ultimate 
 or terminating point, but as progreffive 
 ad infinitum participating m the great 
 
 principle 
 
( 158 ) 
 
 principle of eternal motion or vitality of 
 •nature, mutability. 
 
 On Mr. Locke's do&rine of moral 
 precifion moved the creative power of 
 the world of phantafms, God, Ghoft, 
 Angel, Devil, Soul, Harpy, Centaur, 
 &c. 8cc. American parricide, Chinefe 
 infanticide, and Spanifh rationicide; 
 thefe were all ideas becoming their own 
 archetypes, and capable, according to 
 Mr* Locke, of mathematical preciiiom 
 
 To the prefent refk&ing age, enlight- 
 ened by the apocalypfe of nature, moral 
 world, Book, revolution of reafon, works 
 of progreffive intellect, T need not dwell 
 long on the fubjedt of ideas, to prove 
 that if they have not things in exiftence 
 for their archetypes, they muft be con- 
 temptible phantafms, whofe abftra&icn,. 
 incapable of being reduced to relation, 
 ^proves non-entity. 
 
 Real 
 

 C 159 ) 
 
 Real or rational dialectics, as taught 
 by this book, mark the true operation of 
 mind in contemplation of real exiftences, 
 regarding words and ideas as nothing but 
 difcipline, which ferves only to arrange, 
 difcriminate, and methodize; but what 
 is called deciiion of things muft ever re- 
 main progreffive with the powers of in- 
 tellect, accommodating itfelf to predica- 
 ment, and approximating theory to pes- 
 fectabiiity ; by fuch a procefs, univerfal 
 and individual good will be increafed 1 
 and this is a fufricient confolation for 
 moral incertitude, the very life of intel- 
 lect, whofe vacillatory operations will be- 
 as eafy as refpiration in the human body,, 
 when the increafe of thought and reflec- 
 tion (hall have invigorated the mind-, 
 and produced manhood* 
 
 If, according to Mr. Locke, ideas-, 
 were their own archetypes, there could be 
 no criterion of the truth or faifehood of 
 ideas, aad a ghoft would be as juft ai> 
 
 idea 
 
( i6o y 
 
 idea as a man. Mr. Locke, with all his 
 pre-eminent mental powers,- had his 
 mind too much (hackled by the imitative 
 biafs, caufed byftudying the. ideas of 
 others, and not inventing for himfdf. 
 He had not difcovered the progreffive 
 nature of moral truth, and his reflection 
 was not expanfive enough to fupport a 
 general incertitude, his mind was fo ac- 
 cuftomed to the accuracy and method of 
 ratiocination, that where it. found not pre-- 
 cifion it was lo(L 
 
 It is with the profound moralift, as: 
 with the ikilful rope dancer, he muft 
 have his balance pole to keep him equi-   
 poifed on the delicate wire of moral 
 theory and its practice, and this pole is 
 extenfive and liberal reflection, which 
 venerates opinions only for their truth, 
 and not their confequence. 
 
 - Mr. Locke, to prove the arbitrium of 
 the mind, in creating moral ideas, pro- 
 duces 
 
* ( i6« ) 
 
 daces the following words, adultery, in- 
 ceft, dabbing ; what ! are thefe founds 
 mere fhadows, creatines of the fancy ? 
 O no, they are very important predi- 
 camentai relations of things in exiftence^ 
 Adultery reprefents the relations of the 
 male and female fex, co-ordinated to 
 produce domeftic peace. Health, fimili- 
 tude of difpofitions and education for 
 their offspring. Inceft is the relation of 
 kindred, which fpreads abroad partial 
 intereft to generalize the afTociation of 
 man. Stabbing is the relation of me- 
 chanical powers controuled by law, to 
 rirreft the arm of treachery or mortality ; 
 thefe are all adaptations of truth to the 
 contracted predicament of human igno-- 
 ranee, of felf and its unity, or relations- 
 with the whole of exiflence* 
 
 
 Archetypes of ideas are formed by thfr* 
 pofitive relations of things, in probable, 
 poflible, or real exiftence. The id-as 
 
 that 
 
( i6i ) 
 
 that the fun rifes to-day, that he will rife 
 to-morrow, and that at the end of the- 
 year he may increafe in apparent bulk; 
 thefe arc all within the legitimate boun- 
 daries of true relation t but fhould the 
 arbitrium of fancy go to work, and an- 
 nounce his rifing out of a pot ofporteiv 
 to-morrow out of a barber's fhop, and at 
 the end of the year .to affume a new 
 figure with a man's head and a cat's tail* 
 would fuch chimeras deferve the name 
 of ideas ? 
 
 Mr. Locke has inftanced alfo the 
 moral virtues, courage, liberality, bene- 
 volence ; what, are not thefe real rela- 
 tions of moral conduct, pofitive rules to 
 promote peace, happinefs, and univerfal 
 good ? and can thefe be called nebulous 
 creations of fancy, entities of the mind's 
 •arbitrary laboratory ? they are the mod 
 fubftantial relations between the actions 
 of man and man* 
 
 The 
 
( **3 ) 
 
 The mind, pofTefTing a power to anti- 
 cipate relations of future exiftence, has 
 its arbitrium in this operation conftantly 
 and imperiously controuled by a reference 
 to things in actual exiftence, and it has 
 a power to project only, and not create 
 the line of relation; and this projection of 
 imagination, when guided between the 
 parallel lines of probability and poffi- 
 bility, may be called fentiment or idea ; 
 but when it deviates therefrom, it then 
 generates nothing but phantafm. 
 
 Locke, in his Treatife on the Under- 
 ftanuing, has been guilty of the mod fla- 
 grant inconfiftency, in the mod momen- 
 tous part of his doctrine. He fays, in one 
 place, " that all ideas Can be nothing, 
 " but either outward fenfible perceptions, 
 " or the in\va:d operations of the mind 
 " about them/' In another part he fays, 
 " the inward operations of the mind are 
 " perfectly i ululated, and refer to nothing 
 " but themfelves, and that a mermaid, 
 
 " unicorn. 
 
I 1*4 ) 
 
 " unicorn, or any phantafm, is as good- 
 * an idea as a^rnaa or a horfe/* 
 
 Ideas ran be nothing but the opera* 
 tions of the mind, i eprefenting modes of 
 being, with their capacities and energies, 
 or in other words, the reality of exift- 
 ence, projected into all probable and 
 pofilble combinations. Ex, gratia ; I 
 may imagine the fun in the courfe of 
 ages, to increafe in bulk, by perpetu- 
 ally attracting the matter of furrounding 
 planets, and this would deferve the 
 name of a poffible, though a futile idea ; 
 but fffould I imagine the combination of 
 a man's head, and a cat's tail, to the. 
 body of the fun, this would form a filly, 
 phantom, to be fwept like rubbifli from:, 
 the refidenceof.intelled ; where nothing-, 
 fhould be permitted to enter but what 
 bears the certificate of real or poflible 
 entity, with its capacities and energies of; 
 new and endlefs combination, the only, 
 
 archetypes-. 
 
( *6$ ) 
 
 archetypes or references of all mental 
 operations. 
 
 Mr. Locke, in his difputation with the 
 Biihop of Worcefter, on the fubjecT: of 
 things and ideas, has laid afide his ufuai 
 candour, and employs all the art of fo- 
 phiftry to perplex the inquiry. The 
 bifhop very rationally maintains, that all 
 ideas mud be formed after the combina- 
 tion of the real properties of things, and 
 the inverie of this is maintained by Mr. 
 Locke, by the following argumentation; 
 that as the real edence of things is un- 
 knowable, the nominal elTence is formed 
 upon the arbitrary operations of the 
 mind; how falfe is this conclufion ! the. 
 nominal effence can be nothing but the 
 mafs of cognizable properties in real, 
 probable, or poffible combination, 
 marked by the words genus and fpecies, 
 and though various minds may form of 
 them different conceptions, the arche- 
 types 
 
( 166 ) 
 
 types or criterion thereof exifts in the 
 pbfitive and real combination of proper- 
 ties, and the mind can be nothing but 
 the mirror to refled or reprefent them, 
 whilft imagination has the faculty only to 
 difcover them. 
 
 Mermaid, unicorn, centaur, and other 
 fabulous animals, may be admitted into 
 the rank of ideas, becaufe there is a pof- 
 fibility from the irregular copulation of 
 animals, that an interminable variety of 
 monfters may be generated - 3 but the pof- 
 fibility is fo diftant, that they merit the 
 difcriminatory term futile ideas. 
 
 Phantafms are all thofe configurations 
 of fancy, which are not drawn from ca- 
 pability of exiftence, or, in other words, 
 reality, probability, poffibility ; ex. gra- 
 tia, the travelling or walking church of 
 Loretto (whatever may be Mr. Locke's 
 opinion) is not fo good an idea as the 
 fixed church of St. Paul's at London, 
 
 though 
 

 ( t6 7 ) 
 
 though both may be made by the fame 
 arbitrium of mind; again, a man walk- 
 ing out of his grave after death, called 
 ghoft, is not fo good an jdea as a body 
 walking during his life, called man. 
 An apple tree bearing rabbits, is not 
 quite fo good an idea as an apple tree 
 bearing apples. The whole of exiftence 
 creating exiftence, is a better idea than 
 fomething out of exiftence, called God, 
 a creator of exiftence. The three angles 
 of a triangle equal to two right angles, is 
 abetter idea than the three angles of a tri- 
 angle equal to a houfe. 
 
 I hope I have completely detected that 
 dangerous error of Mr. Locke's, that 
 makes the mind the creator inftead of 
 reflector of the capabilities of exiftence ; 
 and unlefs the difcrimination of phantafrn 
 and idea is well underftood, human in- 
 tellect mult remain in a perpetual laby- 
 rinth, in which founjds and conceptions 
 will be but tortuous allies of conftauc 
 
 aber- 
 
C us* ) 
 
 aberration, prefenting no clue to difcovcr 
 the center of moral truth. 
 
 The mind in all its combinations, is 
 imperioufly governed by the capability 
 or knowable conftitution of exifting 
 things produced to probability and 
 poffibility of relation ; from an apple 
 tree planted and all poffible engrafting 
 thereon, an infinite fpecies of fruit may 
 be produced, and the operations of the 
 mind reflecting, that variety of combi- 
 nation may juftly be called ideas; but 
 if fancy attempts to produce from the 
 apple tree, a church or an ocean, fuch 
 aberrations of the intellect would be 
 called only chimera or phantafms ; fo alfo 
 from the copulation of animals, mon Iters 
 may be produced but not mountains, 
 and mathematical figures in their equa- 
 tion cannot be related to incongruous 
 existences, or, in other words, the three 
 angles of a triangle may be equal to two 
 right angles, but cannot be equal to 
 ^ virtue. 
 

 ( 169 ) 
 
 virtue. The mind can only difcover 
 relations but cannot create them, which 
 axiom, if well founded upon the preced- 
 ing obfervations, mult explode die 
 falfe doctrine of Mr. Locke, that ideas 
 are their own archetypes, and the mind 
 their creator. 
 
 Left the foregoing obfervations 
 might fail in conviction of Mr. Locke's 
 very dangerous error, I (hall quote a 
 pafiage in his works, where he difproves 
 himfclf on the topic, general terms, page 
 22, vol. 2, (eft. 15. " 'Tis pad doubt, 
 there mull be fome real constitution on 
 which any collection of fimple ideas co- 
 exifting, mult depend ;" then follows the 
 mod palpable contradiction : " things 
 are ranked' under names, into forts of 
 fpecies only as they agree to certain ab- 
 (tract: ideas ;" thefe abftract ideas Mr. 
 Locke perpetually a Herts to be their 
 own archetypes, though here he fays 
 I thcv 
 
( W ) 
 
 tliey mud depend on the cognizable 
 reality of the conftitution of things. 
 
 I hope I have now cut off this great 
 •conduit of fubtlety, whofe foul ftream 
 has conveyed into die mind, all the 
 mbbifh of optimifm, necefTity, nihilifm, 
 and chivalry of abftract good. The 
 intellectual niorafs will now be drained, 
 the energy of effect will be cultivated 
 inftead of the origin of caufation, and 
 the capability of intellect will be pro- 
 pelled into its higher! perfectibility. If 
 the reptile fancy of fophifts mould 
 regret this revolution of reafcn, I re- 
 commend to them the mathematical 
 afymptotes on which to fpin their flimfy 
 web, or form their filken cocon, 
 
 Where worms exhauft their {lender ilore s 
 And cloud themfelves all o'er and o'er. 
 
 MORAL 
 
< iV ) 
 
 MORAL TRUTH, 
 
 TO treat this important fubjed dialeo 
 tically, I (hall firft give its definition 
 and examine that by explication. Mo- 
 ral truth, then, is the moll juft and mod 
 general relations of things in interminable 
 progreffion, or endlefs mutability of 
 predicament; this definition is the 
 arrangement or difcipline of words, the 
 province of nominal logic ; real dialec- 
 tic proceeds to examine the refemblance 
 between the word, the idea, and die 
 thing, and developes the definition by- 
 explication as follows : 
 
 The mod general relation of things 
 are to be fought after in their unity or 
 identity with the univerfality of exiftence, 
 denominated their integer or nature J 
 the perpetual influx and efflux of matter 
 I 2 in 
 
( *7* ) 
 
 in all bodies, the reciprocal tranfmuta'- 
 tion of body into body, the primary 
 elements becoming grafs, this eaten by 
 fheep, becoming mutton, and this be- 
 coming man, all tends to prove that 
 the whole of exiftence and its parts 
 is one aflimilated fluid, flowing through 
 organized moulds, to receive pain and 
 pleafure which is equally participated, 
 and the intereft of the whole and its parts 
 thereby identified. 
 
 The mod juft relations are to be fought 
 for in the conduct of the different powers 
 and energies which the various modes 
 of being pofTefs, to augment good and 
 diminilh evil to that part of their integer 
 which falls within the fphere of influence ; 
 with this view, I fliall proceed to ex- 
 amine the firft of all cognizable energies 
 in this fublunary fphere of exiftence, 
 man or intellect. 
 
 .As 
 
( i a 3 } 
 
 As the mode of being, man, is that or- 
 ganized mould through which matter 
 flows mod fufceptible of the fenfation 
 of good and evil, and productive of 
 power to increafe or diminifh them ; 
 it is juft that all other moulds mould 
 tend to converge or concentrate mod 
 good to human fenfibility and energy. 
 If the exiftence of man cannot be made 
 comfortable or powerful but by the death 
 or violence of the brute, it will be for 
 the good of the whole that the matter 
 flowing through the mould, brute 
 Ihould be compreffed or injured, in 
 order that the matter flowing through 
 the mould man, mould be dilated or 
 benefited ; and this conduct demonftrates 
 the mod juft relations of things in part 
 and whole, for the greateft good pro- 
 cured to the whole, muft be alfo the 
 greateft good to its part, notwithftand- 
 ing the apparent injury it receives ; and 
 all good muft concentrate in the 
 I 3 higheft 
 
( 174 ) 
 
 liigheft energy, by which means it is 
 augmented. 
 
 As matter is perpetually flowing 
 through all matter, and atoms perpetu- 
 ally changing their pofition, it is the 
 intereft of all matter that good ihould 
 be augmented in thofe organizations 
 which polTefs moft feeling, confcioufnefs, 
 or power. The partial good of an 
 elephant fhouid cede to the good of 
 man ; the good of the ant to the good 
 of the elephant, or the good of the 
 torpid oyfter to the good of the half- 
 humanized monkey; but it is the pe- 
 culiar province of reafon to be vigilant 
 over all violation, that no ill may be com- 
 mitted which does not promife the re- 
 compenfe of greater good, which forms, 
 the moft univcrfal and fubiime axiom of 
 moral truth, viz, to procure the higheft 
 degree of good. Viewing matter in its 
 moft juft relations, from the lovveft de- 
 gree of evil to that mode of being 
 
 which. 
 
( *75 ) 
 
 which holds the high eft energy, I hare 
 no doubt but that it would be for the 
 intereft of a man afflicted with a very- 
 painful and incurable chronic diforder 
 to put himfelf, or elfe be put to death ; 
 for when his organized mould commu- 
 nicates excruciating torture incefiant- 
 ly to matter flowing through him, and 
 the want of fortitude makes him prefer 
 pain to the dread of death, nature and 
 felf are then placed in a paroxyfm of 
 evil, which nothing but diffolution cart 
 remove, and which the intereft of the 
 whole and its part imperiously calls 
 for. 
 
 The mind of man has been hitherto* 
 exceedingly contracted and debafed, 
 (divefted of the expanfive rays of moral 
 truth) by habitudes of parental, civil, 
 and political relations ; man, by the ex- 
 panding powers of moral truth, is as nearly 
 related to the atom he breaths, to the 
 faorfe he rides upon, as to the child he 
 I 4 begets,- 
 
( 176 ) 
 
 begets ; and the morbid voluptuary who 
 communicates agony to the atoms he 
 affimilates by food (on the fcale of 
 moral truth) is a greater criminal than 
 the aflaifin ; the one gives momentary 
 pain to diffolving atoms, the other 
 iongseva! pain to incorporating matter. 
 
 Moral truth difcovers intentional 
 crime impoffible ; all criminality is ihftt 
 ignorance which augments evil and 
 diminimes good ; and the morbid glut- 
 ton, after the Spaniih Inquifitor, who 
 extinguifhes the light of intellect, is the 
 great felon of nature. The moll nefa- 
 rious malefactor intends good to the 
 part, feparatcd from the whole, and in 
 ignorance confifts all criminality, and the 
 evidence of evil confequences to an 
 action is mifcalied the intention of evil. 
 
 The characleriftic of man, is to be 
 able thus to apoftropfilze food. Co- 
 exillent atoms, fellow parts of one con^- 
 
 moo 
 
( ^77 ) 
 
 mon integer, enter into this organized 
 mode of being, poiTeffing moral and 
 phyfical health, prepared by intellect to 
 communicate joyful confcioufnefs to your 
 happy exigence, and to elevate you 
 from a (late of inanimation, to the 
 higheft degree of intellectuality, which 
 by revealing moral truth, or the unity 
 of felf and nature, gives to every 
 individual atom in fpecies, genus, or 
 fphere, its mod confurnmate energy. 
 
 Though moral truth identifies every 
 atom or mode, as co-exiilent parts of 
 one great whole participating equally 
 in all its good or e;il, yet there are 
 different relations of thefe parts, which 
 being more attentively and clofely ob- 
 ferved, augments the partial energies^ 
 and produces a fyftem of co-ordination,, 
 which augments the general energy of 
 this fphere of exigence. 
 
 1 5 Man 
 
( -*78 : ) 
 
 Man having obtained a knowledge 
 of the mod general relations of things, 
 or their complete union or identification 
 with nature, he next confiders thejufl- 
 riefs of their relations, or that fyfteni 
 of allocation which more intimately 
 connecl s the different fpecies of being, 
 Man cultivates a nearer relation with 
 men, to multiply iris energy, protect his 
 fympatby, and apportion good to de- 
 grees of fenftbility ; we're man to con- 
 ned!: himfelf with the brute fpecies, 
 (as is the cafe at prefent) his energy 
 would be impeded^ his fympathy and 
 fenfibility totally cleftroyed ; there can 
 be no co-operations in the different 
 energies of nature, but where reciprocal 
 intelligence exiftsj without this, all co- 
 operation mud produce the augmen- 
 tation of evil, and decreafe of good. 
 
 Man, in confidering the relation of 
 his own fpecies, and guided by moral 
 truth, meafures its intimacy and intereft 
 
 by 
 
( '79 ) 
 
 by intellect alone: he finds himfelf 
 more intimately related to the man of 
 wifdom than to the child of his loins ; 
 and that it is ofmore advantage to him to 
 fupport and cheiim the former, than the 
 latter: the one, by inereafmg the energy of 
 thefpecies, procures univerfal and eternal 
 good, by following the progreflive laws 
 of truth ; the other, procures only 
 (lationary or predicamental good, by 
 following the factitious laws of fociety^ 
 or improving inftincT.. 
 
 The mod juft relations of things 
 may be placed. on an afcending climax,, 
 as follows- : The atoms or inanimate 
 matter we incorporate by food, are at 
 the bafe of this fcale of relation ; the 
 next degree is fenfitive or animal matter,, 
 the fource of fympathy ; this is followed 
 by intellectualized matter, the refidence 
 of energy; this laft, graduated by 
 family, neighbourhood, country, and 
 nations, carries interefts or good in aa 
 1 6- inverfc 
 
( i8o ) 
 
 inveife ratio to inftinct, and places Irs 
 climax in the mod diftant circle of felf- 
 love, viz. all fenfitive exiftence, fo that; 
 what inftind makes the neareft or mod 
 juft, 'moral truth makes the motl diftant 
 and lead juft relation, and vice verfe. 
 
 It is evident that if nations exift 
 in a predicament of violence and igno- 
 rance, this fiiuft affect every indi vidua) 
 country; the country muft affect the 
 province or neighbourhood, this muft 
 affect the family, and this contagious 
 violence or ignorance, muft laftly be 
 brought home to felf. I muft here in- 
 troduce as a moft per feci: illuft rat ion of 
 moral truth, that tranfcendent allegory 
 of Mr. Pope, confummated by the author 
 of thefe pages, which developes in a few 
 verfes, what all the voluminous books 
 of the world have only ferved to con- 
 found, the four cardinal points of intel- 
 lectuality, truth, wifdom, virtue, hap- 
 pinefs ; 
 
 Self-love • 
 
( iSi ) 
 
 " Self-love but ferves the virtuous mind to wake $ 
 " As the fmall pebble flirs the peaceful lake, 
 " The center moved, a circle ftrait fucceeds, 
 " Another ftill, and itill another fpreads. 
 " Friend, parent, neighbour, firft it does emj 
 
 brace, 
 M Our country next, and next all human race ; 
 " Wide and more wide, the overflowings of the 
 
 mind, 
 " Takes every creature in, of every kind. " 
 
 Rifes to intelle&ual being bleft, 
 
 Where felf and nature's union ftandscon 
 
 nfeft. } 
 
 In the above allegory, the definition 
 of moral truth, the mod juft and moft 
 general relations of things have their full 
 explication, the latter in the union of 
 felf and nature, where alt co-exiftent 
 modes appear but parts of their common 
 integer, and the former developed in the 
 co-ordination of energies, which makes 
 intellectuality or fenfibility the fcale of 
 partial and univerfal intereft identified : 
 that the intereft or good of inanimate 
 atoms mud cede to animate modes, and 
 
 thefe 
 • Climax by this author. 
 
C 1 8a ) 
 
 rhefe to perfe&able or rational modes> 
 whofe reciprocal interefts muft be go- 
 verned by the greater and lefler degrees- 
 of their fenfibility or intellectuality ; 
 the wife man is of more value than the 
 fool, the elephant than the oyfter, and 
 the oyfter than the atom ; whatever ap- 
 parent facrifice of good the lefs valued 
 may make to the more valued , it is but 
 the putting out evil to intereft with good, 
 for if the whole is thereby benefited,, 
 the part muft participate in the medium 
 of incefTant intervolution of matter, and 
 good muft ever be carried to the high eft 
 energy, which becomes the matrix of 
 good to the whole, by improving the 
 iphere of its own exiftence.* 
 
 Having explained moral truth, in 
 its own abfolute nature,, the increafe of 
 
 * In fpeaking of animal genus* I think the 
 word perfectability more difcriminate of human 
 fpecies, than rationality, which latter brutes po£* 
 fcfs, but are totally deyoid of the former. 
 
 the 
 
( 1% ) 
 
 die highed energy of the fphere of exig- 
 ence, I fhall now confider it relative to 
 practice or predicament, co-exiftence or 
 co-ordination of other beings. 
 
 In the prefent chaos of error and 
 darknefs, the moral elements being 
 agitated by the temped of paflions, 
 the velTel of humanity rauft con- 
 form its potltion to the dorm, mads muft 
 be (truck, fails mud be furled, windows 
 mud be darkened, and decks mud be 
 inclined ; or to quit the allegory, brutes 
 mud have maders and devourers, men 
 mud have countries, families, and ielf- 
 interefts ; good mud have a fuppofitious 
 nature, and fociety a factitious center. 
 
 Were a nation of philofophers to rife 
 fuddenly into exidenee, and enter into a 
 plenary practice of abfolute moral truth, 
 they would for a fliort period experience 
 an extatic intellectual exidenee. but they 
 rauft foon fall victims to the ferocious 
 
 ignorance 
 
( i*4 ) 
 
 ignorance of furrounding nations, and 
 furnifh a direful lefFon, that all attempts 
 to force the predicament of co-exiftence 
 caufes the retrogradation of truth and uni- 
 vrefalgood; foalfo would it happen to the 
 individual, who (hall endeavour to con- 
 form his conduct to the principles of the- 
 oretic moral truth, by following the code 
 of nature's law ; u think, fpeak as you 
 " think, and all you think; vioiate not, 
 "but aid the inoffenfive will;" it is certain, 
 that were the predicament of his afToci- 
 ates, conftituted as at prefent, he muft 
 a vi&im to his zeal for truth. 
 
 It is much eafier to defcribe the boun- 
 daries of theoretic truth than thofe of pre- 
 dicamental truth ; the former has a 
 movement flowly progreflive and appa- 
 rently terminative, the latter has a raoft 
 rapid and indeterminate progreffion. 
 The individual who has a full intelli- 
 gence of moral truth in perfe&ability and 
 predicament, takes the latter as the m-ea- 
 
 fure 
 
( i8 5 ) 
 
 fure of his conduct, and the former as 
 the meafure of his thought, which it is 
 his intereft to promulgate over all the 
 world, in order to ftimulare intellectu- 
 ality to progreffive movements on the 
 line of perfe&ability, which leads from 
 predicamental, to abfolute moral truth, 
 or the mod juft relation of things to 
 produce the higheft degree of intellect. 
 
 " Moral truth, in the moft juft and moffc 
 general relations with the whole of exilt- 
 ence, refembles the beacon on the 
 haven of happinefs, or perfeclability. 
 Predicamental truth refembles the chart 
 of fhoals, rocks, and winds, upon 
 the ocean of exiiting circumftances, 
 through which wifdom navigates the vef- 
 fel of humanity, keeping in view that 
 beacon, which may be denominated the 
 union of perfe&ability and practicability, 
 or the quo itur and the quo eundum. 
 
 WISDOM. 
 
( 1 86 ) 
 
 WISDOM. 
 
 Wifdom is the knowledge of moral 
 truth* or the mod juft and mod general 
 relations of things in interminable pro- 
 greflion, from predicament to perfecta- 
 bility ; it proceeds wholly from a capa- 
 city of reflection, or the habit of turning 
 thought inwards, which enables the .mind 
 to balance itfelf upon that delicate line of 
 incertitude, uniting predicament with, 
 perfe&ability. 
 
 The human mind has hitherto mifta- 
 ken knowledge for wifdom, which has 
 caufed the prefent low (late of exiftence,, 
 upon the fcale of perfedlability. Know- 
 ledge imports certainty,, and exifts ia 
 fbme phy Ileal truths, as no two bodies 
 can be in the fame place, the whole is 
 greater than the part, and is applicable 
 to the difcrimination of things and ideas; 
 as blue is not green, the man is not the. 
 
 horfe, 
 
C 187 ) 
 
 horfe, &c. Sec. ; in thefe is placed cer- 
 tainty, and this certainty is called know- * 
 
 ledee 
 
 b 
 
 Wifdom differs totally from know- 
 ledge, in that it has no certainty, but 
 only the higheft: degree of probability, 
 arifing from the mod comprehenfive 
 calculation. Wifdom cannot exift with- 
 out knowledge, though knowledge is 
 often found without wifdom ; knowledge 
 takes cognizance of the paft, wifdom of 
 the future. In the field of paft events, 
 knowledge difcriminates between caufes 
 and effects,, and produces that certainty, 
 with which wifdom calculates events ia 
 the field of futurity. 
 
 Reflecting futurity there can be no 
 certainty, becaufe the vitality of nature- 
 is mutability, and diforders arifing from 
 the independent energies of die various- 
 modes of being;, if there exifted infinite 
 caufation, infinite effect mull follow ,\ 
 
 but 
 
( i88 ) 
 
 but as we meet with nothing but finite or 
 uncertain effect, we muft conclude un- 
 certain and finite caufation. 
 
 Nature, however, from the duration 
 ofcaufation, gives fo long an cpocha to 
 immutability, that wifdom has a fuffi- 
 cient rule of probability to effectuate good 
 and prevent evil by the calculation of 
 futurity ; though there is no certainty 
 that the fun will rife to-morrow, yet, as 
 the union of caufes which procure its 
 rifing, have had fo long a duration, it 
 would be the highefl folly to fufpedt its 
 termination to-morrow, and therefore 
 decline all provifion df happi.nefs for its 
 advent. 
 
 Wifdom is an unwelcome gueft to the 
 human mind, becaufc of its quality of 
 incertitude; it humbles the man of learn- 
 ing, and mortifies the man of wit or 
 talents, whofe minds are familiarized with 
 with the certainty of knowledge, and 
 
 employed 
 

 ( i89 ) 
 
 -employed conflantly in imitation or ex- 
 ternal operation ; the rays of wifdom 
 caufe a fermentation, which gives a 
 naufea to uninverted thought or weak 
 reflection, denominated wit or talent. 
 
 The mind of the philofopher, inverted 
 \>y extreme reflection upon itfelf, and 
 operating upon its own ideas, receives a 
 pleafing emotion from incertitude, and 
 appeafes all tempeltuous agitation by the 
 quality of probability, which ferves as an 
 index for prudence to mark the quo itur 
 and quo eundum, the junction of action 
 and fpeculation, or predicament and 
 perfectability. 
 
 Wifdom is nothing but a habit of pow- 
 erful reflection, creative of new ideas, 
 . by which the fubjects of cogitation are 
 placed in all poffible afpects, to obtain 
 their mod recondite and delicate relations 
 in predicament and perfectability ; and 
 that mind which is capable of containing 
 
 doubt7 
 
{ l 9° ) 
 
 doubt as to theory, and decifion as to 
 practice, with the lad degree of agitation 
 and perplexity, may be called the mind 
 of wifdom or manhood. 
 
 The grand charadfceriftics of a mind of 
 wifdom, is firft inflection, next inven- 
 tion, and third repugnance to decifion ; 
 thofe of knowledge are in contrail, as 
 outward direction, imitation, and apti- 
 tude to decifion. I am acquainted with 
 many men of profound learning and ex- 
 tenfive knowledge, whofe minds are fo 
 irritated in converfe with men of wifdom, 
 that they have no other means to appeafe 
 the fermentati@n of doubt and incerti- 
 tude, but immediate departure with 
 flrong marks of refentment and anger. 
 
 If moral truth has been intelligibly 
 treated of, it will be unnecefTary to fay 
 any thing more on this head of wifdom, 
 which is nothing more than the know- 
 ledge of that truth, in all its relations of 
 predicament and perfe&abilky ; or in 
 i other 
 
( *9 X ) 
 
 otner words, the fertile matrix of the 
 higheft -energy of it's own fphere of exist- 
 
 ence. 
 
 VIRTUE. 
 
 1 have before obferved, that virtue if 
 nothing but the practice of moral truth ; 
 now as this truth has nothing fixed, but 
 is made up of progreflive and indetermi- 
 nate relations, action can have nothing 
 but parallelleity to direct its courfe on a 
 progreflive and indeterminate line. I 
 lhall elucidate this by various examples. 
 
 The man of virtue is he who knows 
 himfelf and loves himfelf, who fees his 
 unity with nature, and is fenfible of a 
 temporal and eternal intereft in univerfal 
 good ; his fole view or goal of action is to 
 increafe human intellect, the victor of 
 ignorance or evil. He finds evil to be 
 the main fpring of all motion, and there- 
 fore 
 
( is* ) 
 
 fore fecks only its relaxation, but not de- 
 finition. He follows the confummator 
 maxim to obtain that end ; viz. To ef- 
 fectuate the higheft poflibie good with 
 the lead poflibie evil.* 
 
 Though a citizen of nature, he at- 
 taches himfelf to a partial community ; 
 though he fixes his regard incefiantly 
 upon the paramount law of nature ; 
 Think, /peak as you think, and all you 
 think; violate not, but aid the inoffeufive 
 will; 1 yet he refpects the law of cuftom; 
 he takes up arms againft the enemies of 
 his country; he appropriates things and 
 perfons in domeftic relations ; he con- 
 
 *. The great axiom of virtue is to hold prin- 
 ciple or end immutable, but the rule of means 
 to effect the end, flexible and accommoda- 
 ting to predicament ; ex. gratia ; The parent who 
 means to preferve the life of his child, does right 
 to inoculate it. To promote truth, it is right to 
 uie falfehood. 
 
 ceals 
 
( *93 ) 
 
 ceals his fentiments, he arrefts thought 
 with the the importunity of a&ion ; this 
 compliance with predicament, however 
 in appearance criminal, is yet conform*- 
 able to moral truth, if the intention of 
 the mind is thereby to give a fpring to 
 predicament, and force it on to perfe&a- 
 bility.* 
 
 In every action , if the greateft pquTole 
 good is intended to be effectuated by 
 means of the lead poflible evil, that ac- 
 tion is univerfally or naturally juft, whe- 
 ther it is the parricide of an American, or 
 the lie of a philofopher, at the bar of the 
 Spanifh inquifition ; the former fpares 
 the torture of a captived parent ; the 
 latter preferves mind by falfehood, with 
 an intent to propagate truth, and if they 
 both polTefs temperaments of truth, and 
 
 * The end of all aftion is called principle, and 
 urirft be immutable ; the rule or means mull be 
 flexible to predicament. v 
 
 K bene- 
 
( *94 ), 
 
 benevolence, no fmgle act of necefllty, 
 however contrafted, can poffibly deftroy 
 them. 
 
 The man of virtue is mod confum- 
 rriately juftified in all compliance with the 
 violence and falfehood of predicament, 
 if done with an intention to improve pre- 
 dicament into perfe&ability ; this com- 
 pliance muft, however, be the lcaft pof- 
 fible, and always attended with that re- 
 pugnance which marks the character of 
 manhood in full poffeffion of its qualities, 
 thought, fympathy, probity, and forti- 
 tude. 
 
 The great impediment to the progrefs 
 of virtue is the miltaken notion man- 
 kind entertain of evil. That compre- 
 henfive maxim of the ancients, to fuffer 
 evil and do none, embraced by quakers 
 and chriitians, is highly injurious to uni- 
 verfal good ; ex. gratia. A nation of Bar- 
 barians and favages invading a wife and 
 
 virtuous 
 
( fc»* ) 
 
 virtuous nation, if not oppofed, would, 
 by deftroying wifdom, remove or retro- 
 grade the period of happinefs and repofc 
 to all nature; fuch alfo would be the con- 
 fequence of a fool's affaflinating a philo- 
 fopher. The man of virtue mud polfefs 
 that fortitude which will enable him to 
 oppofe all evil, which is not productive 
 of ultimate good. 
 
 In the phyflcal as well as moral world, 
 evil is the univerfal inftrument of good, 
 and the whole labour of human energy, 
 muft be directed by the alternative of 
 greater or lefTer evil. Thunder and 
 lightning, which deftroy life, is the 
 caufe of vegetation, which fupports it, a 
 fool would attempt to annihilate the 
 evil in totality ; a wife man would at- 
 temper it, by placing conductors over . 
 thofe objects expofed to it ; fo it is in all 
 political and moral government. Coer- 
 cion is a great evil which wifdom muft 
 portion to the ignorance of the govern- 
 K 2 ec^ 
 
( 196 ) 
 
 cd, while folly claims that liberty, which 
 would annihilate coercion the inftrument 
 ofpeace and order, the medium, through 
 which predicament moves on progref- 
 fiyely to perfe&ability. 
 
 Virtue is nothing but a wife flexi- 
 bility of fyftem, or firft principles ; 
 that parallel rule formed by its two 
 fides of predicament and perfectability, 
 or in other words, the law of na- 
 ture and the law of exifting circum- 
 ftance ; their declining progreflion to 
 form the angle of action, mud be deter- 
 mined by univerfal good; this juftifles 
 the murder of law, if the peace offociety 
 is thereby promoted, and the mafTacres 
 of policy or war, if the fafety of fociety 
 is procured ; this apologizes for all con- 
 formities, with cuftom in facraments, 
 tefts, &c. &x. The patriot minifter, 
 who executes a teft or oath of allegiance, 
 means only the approbation of a fyftem, 
 which may have the greateft poffible 
 
 fixec}- 
 
( *97 ) 
 
 fixednefs, without excluding the fahis 
 populi, or mutability of nature. 
 
 The abfolute inflexibility, which has- 
 been made the attribute of virtue by nar- 
 row minds, but benevolent hearts, has 
 caufed diminution and deftruclion to 
 the number of its votaries ; as moral 
 truth is in its own nature progreflive, its 
 practice muft be fa too, and to propofe 
 immutability of principle to mutability 
 of fact, is what perpetuates the prefenc 
 chaos of morality. 
 
 This doctrine of the flexibility of prin- 
 ciple or fyftem, the bafis of univerfal 
 good, can ferve only to guide the minds 
 of philofophers, who are fenfible of their 
 unitary and eternal interefl with nature. 
 The mind, ignorant of the true relations 
 of things in exiftence, will be dazled by 
 the luftre of this truth, and apply it in an 
 inverfe operation, to procure the good 
 of infulated and unrelated exiftence, to 
 K 3 fuch 
 
< »i>8 ) 
 
 fuch minds; coercion rauft be*thecen° 
 tincl over flexibility, as the fword of law 
 guards the flexibility of the Britifli con- 
 ftiturion againft factious demagogues, 
 -but not againft patriot citizens, who 
 would give it conformity to the mutabi- 
 lity of nature, or progrefs from predica- 
 ment to perfectability. 
 
 In a late publication, entitled Political 
 Juftice, the author has given great proofs 
 of a fixe'd and uninventive mind, and 
 tho' poflefling much liberality, ftillfhack- 
 led by methodical and imitative learn- 
 ing. He has miftaken'the non-exiftence 
 ;of principle for its flexibility, and has 
 not had fufficient laxity of reflection to 
 difcriminate predicament from perfecti- 
 bility. He difcovers fome evil in go- 
 vernment, therefore he would abolifh 
 it in toto ; fo alfo of the various inftitu*. 
 tions of contracts, promifes, &c. &c. 
 He refembles the plodding grammarian, 
 who fending his very methodical brain, 
 
 em bar- 
 
( l 99 ,) 
 
 cmbarraffed by fome few exceptions, 
 blotted out all the rules preceding- gram- 
 marians had formed. 
 
 It may be objected to this fyftem of 
 virtue, that it gives Coo great a larity to 
 principle. I have only to tanfwer, ' that 
 it is the virtue of perfe&ability, the affo- 
 cia'te of wifdom ; and that .ignorance 
 mud be conftrained thereto by die in- 
 flexibility of law, and the guidance of 
 cuftora.* - . . - '.-'■• 
 
 To give a full and con cift ckfin4 rion ^>f 
 ..the thing virtue, it is that action -of felf, 
 which procures the greateit good -to tfae 
 whole of exiftence, or nature, in time and 
 eternity ; whether* this is procured by 
 following or op pofmg meansto principle, 
 it matters not ; all compromife with evil 
 is juft, if a greater good is the end pro- 
 pofed, and cannot be effected without it ; 
 this definition is only a repetition of a 
 preceding one ; that virtue is the practice 
 K 4 ^ 
 
( 200 ) 
 
 of moral truth, the mod juft and mofo 
 general relation of things in progreffion, 
 or endlefs mutability of predicament. 
 
 The juft criterion of the virtuous man 
 is the giving to all rules of morality the 
 higheft poflible degree of inflexibility; 
 by which means the mutability of moral 
 predicament becomes reftricted ; ex. gra- 
 tia, I determine with the leaft poflible 
 variation, to execute the fimple code of 
 nature's law ; Ihink, /peak all you think ; 
 violate not> but aid the offenjlve will ; and 
 fhould all mankind follow my example, 
 the mutability of moral predicament 
 would almoft lofe its nature, and become 
 fixability ; for when the fpeaking of 
 truth could produce no danger, falfehood 
 would lofe all its advantage and venia- 
 Iity. 
 
 HAPPI 
 
U> ( aoi ) 
 
 HAPPINESS. 
 
 Happinefs is the effect of moral truth* 
 developed by wifdom and pradtifed by 
 virtue, and may be defined the higheft 
 (late of intellect to form a good will, and 
 the greateft quantity of power to execute it; 
 in the prefent unenlightened ftate of hu- 
 man nature, its energies are all employed 
 to conftrain the will and circumfcribe the 
 fphere of intellect, left the paflions ta- 
 king fire by the application of inflamma- 
 tory difcourfe might explode fyflem, and 
 thereby caufe the retrogradation of hu- 
 man energy. 
 
 It is ufual with irreflective people, to 
 attribute happinefs to thoughtleflhefs, and 
 prefer the exiftence of the peaiant, to the 
 fenator, or the fool to the philofopher. 
 The thoughtlefs man muft, no doubt, 
 have kfs fenfibility than the thoughtful, 
 K 5 and 
 
( 202 ) 
 
 and both good and evil muft have a dif- 
 ferent momentum in the minds of each. 
 If the peafant is exempted from the pain- 
 ful fenfations of the fenator, he is depri- 
 ved alfo of the pleafing ones ; and the 
 exquifite joy of forming a law which may 
 extend good to all prefent exigence, and 
 perpetuate it to futurity, muft certainly 
 exceed the joy of producing a potatoe, 
 by which the palate is tickled and the 
 body nouriihed for a few moments. 
 
 Confcioufnefs, being poiTeffed in pro- 
 portion to fenfibility, it elevates the fena- 
 tor upon the kale of existence, and if 
 happinefe was placed at the bafe thereof, 
 brute matter mud have the preference to 
 intellectual, and happinefs mult rife, as 
 energy defceads, which would invert the 
 Harmonious order of exigence. 
 
 Nervous cr animal irr'tability is often 
 miilaken for fenfibility, when neither 
 
 are 
 
( 1°1 ) 
 
 are attended with an evident degree of 
 wifdom ; and this morbid confcioufnefs 
 which feenis priviledged to feel and not 
 to remove evil, is certainly not to be 
 preferred to the obdurate and healthy 
 nerves of a ftupid peafant; bnt as ' fe ni- 
 hility is the germ or capacity of intellect, 
 whenever \t becomes progreffive towards 
 energy, happim-aj muft increafe in an 
 equal ratio, becaufe it enables the mind' 
 to form a good will, and alfo to devife 
 powers or means to execute the fame. 
 
 'i 
 
 Happinefs is often defcanted'on m the 
 fallowing vul^r jtrgon. The -madmrm 
 is happy in his midnefs, the fool fa bM 
 folly, the mifer in his avarice, the rake 
 in his voluptuous diforder ; and in fhorr, 
 that happinefs is juit what each individual 
 eiVnnates it ; to this I fliiAM tfppdfe a firm* 
 ler jargon refpeciing health. The bed- 
 ridden, if you inquire of his condition, 
 fays he is very well, when his decrepitude' 
 pe milts him to (et up a few moments ancf 
 K 6 forget 
 
( 204 ) 
 
 forget his pad and returning laffitudc 
 The febrons calls himfelf well in moments 
 of intermittance ; the chronic patient, 
 when the fit of agony fubfldes, and the 
 convalefcent, when he can pafs the threfh- 
 old of his door, rejoices in his ftate of 
 health. 
 
 Moral health, (or happinefs) and 
 phyfical health, have a pofitive ftandard 
 independent of that comparifon which 
 mental habitude approves. The mind 
 may be faid to be in health, when all its 
 faculties have a due and plenary opera- 
 tion, to procure the maximum of intel- 
 lect, to guide the volition ; and the body 
 may be faid to be in health, when all the 
 functions of life have an unobftructed ex- 
 ercife to execute that volition ; and this 
 union of intellectual and corporeal power 
 mutt be the only ftandard of happinefs. 
 
 The peafant can be faid only to be 
 happy as a peafant, the fool as a fool, 
 the mifer as a mifer; but the philofo- 
 
 pher 
 
( *°5 ) 
 
 pher * alone can be faid lo happy as a 
 man. 
 
 In the prefent unhappy predicament of 
 existence, all temporary accefiion of 
 thought and reflection refembles the 
 rapid flafh of lightning, which difclofcs 
 the horrors of the ftorm, and for this 
 reafon every means of diflipation is fought 
 after, to prevent its unwelcome vifit ; 
 were its vifits to be encouraged, and its 
 acquaintance improved into friendfhip, 
 it would then become the ufeful pilot, to 
 trim the velfel of humanity in the ftorm 
 of ignorance, and conduct it into the 
 haven of predicamental happinefs. 
 
 * Philofopher is a name applicable only to that 
 being who, in full pofleflion of the qualities of 
 humanity, thought, probity, fympathy, forti- 
 tude, obtains by their exercife the knowledge of 
 moral truth, or the juft and general relations of 
 things in progreflion, and in the unity of ^all ex- 
 igence. 
 
 I ana 
 
C 206 y 
 
 I am fenfibie of the great difficulty to 
 introduce the habitude of thought into 
 adult minds ; this can be done only by 
 education moulding the waxy min-d of 
 infancy. 
 
 The animal life of intermitting pain 
 and pleafure may exift in the medium 
 of contingency, where little thought is 
 required ; but intellectual exigence or 
 happinefs mud be founded on "fyftem, 
 and fyftem can be procured only by the 
 habitude of thought and reflection. 
 
 Happinefs having been already defi- 
 ned ; viz. die higbefr. degree of intellect 
 to form, and the greateft corporeal power 
 to execute a good volition, I [hall en- 
 deavour dialeclically or rationally to ex- 
 plain its nature in the prefect predica- 
 ment. 
 
 * The 
 
( 207 ) 
 
 * The ftate of happinefs or well be- 
 inor is that habitude of mind, which 
 unites the intervals of active enjoyment, 
 with the emotion of expectation, formed 
 of a well-tempered union of fear and 
 hope ; this expectation is lead on by that 
 coloffal intellect, which overlooks the 
 walls of the labyrinth of law and cuftom, 
 and finds a gratilkation for all innocent 
 defire, by a view of the exit of predica* 
 ment. 
 
 To illuftrate the foregoing, I (hall 
 fuppofe a cafe where parties united in 
 matrimony have, by fome accident on 
 the male fide, been deprived of connu- 
 bial enjoyment ; this mult caufe a dread- 
 
 
 * The ftate of happinefs is the equalization of 
 fenforion and refledion, or content and dtfeoft- 
 
 tcnt in the mind ; by the one we enjoy the prefent 
 moment, by the other we ceconomize enjoyment, 
 expanding it to the universality of nature, and rhe 
 
 eternity of lime. 
 
 ful 
 
( 208 ) 
 
 ful ftate of a fufferance to the female, if 
 law and cuftom is to form a pofkive bar- 
 rier to all enjoyment. I (hall fuppofe the 
 male to be a philofopher, or man of 
 mind, and that the identity of offspring 
 would give him lefs concern than the 
 perfection of offspring; in this cafe the 
 exit of predicament would fend forth a 
 fubftitute to procure connubial joys to 
 his wife. I am aware how much the 
 pigmy mind, fupported by the go-cart 
 of law and cuftom, will utter indignant 
 exclamations; but I will anfwer them 
 with the indignation excited by the vio-* 
 lated rights of nature, and declare in the 
 hallowed name of truth, that whatever 
 man fhall dare to perpetuate the torment 
 of a fellow creature under the fanction of 
 law and cuftom, that he is a plebeian 
 fcoundrel, and an enemy to all exift- 
 ence. 
 
 If we take a furvey of the different 
 claffes of mankind, we fhall obferve the 
 
 progrefs 
 
C 209 ) 
 
 progrefs of mind marked by the term 
 liberality, cuftom, or ceremony, has dif- 
 penfed with in the ratio of mind or edu- 
 cation amongft the higher clafs ; but this 
 cannot take place with the lower clafs; for 
 here the clue of cuftom is neceflary to pre- 
 vent the brutal paffions from dangerous 
 collision ; if the affable freedom of con- 
 verfe of a polite rout was to be permitted 
 in an alehoufe or a mob, the light of the 
 eyes would foon be reduced to an equa- 
 lity with the light of the underftanding, 
 and the whole dialogue would be im- 
 printed upon the countenance of the 
 thouglulefs and ferocious interlocutors. 
 
 Happinefs is, then, as has been before 
 obferved, the union of wifdom and vir- 
 tue, or the emancipation of mind from 
 the (hackles of law and cuftom, or the 
 progrefiive criterion for the equipoife of 
 good and evil ; this makes confcience 
 the paramount law, which arraigns the 
 legalift, the politician, and the moralift 
 at the bar of truth ; what atrocities may 
 
 noc 
 
( 210 ) 
 
   not tire tyrant commit, and plead the jus 
 gentium ; what nefarious and bate con- 
 duel may fkulk under the wing of law ; 
 what infamous paffions may feek protec- 
 tion under the barrier of cuftotn. Confci- 
 ence, like the qualified fportfman, levels 
 all boundaries to increafe the pleafure of 
 the chace or acquifition of good, and 
 raifes them again to guard againft the 
 trefpafs of plunderers, or attack of evil 
 and falfehood. 
 
 I muft here caution my reader againft 
 any mifapprehcnfion of the foregoing 
 leclion. Confcience muft not be libe- 
 rated from the clue of law and cuftom, 
 fo far as it is accompanied by the parallel 
 line of good ; when this declines, the clue 
 of law muft be forced into its parallel, 
 and the line muft remain unbroken, as a 
 guide to the weak and enflaved reafon 
 of the herd of mankind ; the great dif- 
 ference between the wife man and the 
 
 ignorant 
 
( 211 ) 
 
 man is, that the former makes the line 
 of law decline upon the progreflive line 
 of good, and the latter in contraft, makes 
 the line of good decline upon the fixed 
 and unprogreflive line of law and 
 cuftom. 
 
 Upon, the mifapprehenfion of the 
 right of law and right of conference, has 
 been founded the inflammatory doctrines 
 of the rights of man : the criterion of all 
 human action is rectitude of relation of 
 things in fyftem, which directs not what 
 is legal but what is right to be 'done, to 
 produce the greateft poflible good or 
 happinefs, by the leaft poflible degree 
 of evil: this criterion can be difcovered 
 only in ratio of the mind's expanfion by 
 thought, and 'the line of approximation 
 to the progreflive apex of moral truth 
 or happinefs, may be called the line of 
 reflection or the act of inverting the 
 mind upon itfelf. The condition of man 
 arrived at this apex, (hews felf the cen- 
 tral 
 
( t*J ) 
 
 tral part of the great whole of exigence, 
 conveying through the radii of fympathy 
 the greateft poffible good to felf and 
 nature in time and eternity ; and felf 
 thus co-ordinate may be faid to be in 
 a (late of happinefs, as the well-being 
 of the part mufl depend on the well- 
 being of the whole, and vice verfa, the 
 well being of the whole or nature cannot 
 exift without the well-being of all it* 
 modes, parts, or fehfs. 
 
 GOVERNMENT. 
 
 GOVERNMENT is the mode of 
 organization of the higheft comprehen- 
 fible energies of exiftence, the human 
 fpecies ; its forms mud vary according 
 to the nature of man in his different 
 moral and phyfical pofitron on the 
 gjobe'; its end however muft be uniform 
 and immutable, viz. to increafe the in- 
 tellect, that it may form a good wil), 
 
 and 
 
(21 3 ) 
 
 and augment the phyfical powers to 
 execute it. 
 
 As man is at prefent in a ftate of total 
 darknefs or ignorance of his relations to 
 exiftence, every motion or ftep he makes, 
 becomes a tangent aberrating from the 
 true orbit of nature, and brings him 
 into direful coilifion with his fpecies. 
 On this account, factitious fyftems have 
 been invented, that by giving an or- 
 bicular courfe to aberration, may pre- 
 ferve him from total deftrudion by 
 changing tangetical into parallel or 
 focial movement, while philofophy with 
 a gradual and eafy preiTure of difcovery, 
 is forcing back the prefent factitious 
 orbits of civilization into the immenfe 
 area of all exiftenceu pon the center of 
 moral truth. 
 
 
 The progrefs of philofophy begins with 
 education, which improving the moral 
 temperament of the individual, modifies 
 
 according 
 
( 2I 4 ) 
 
 according to its energies the factitious 
 fyftem ofdefpotifm overall the world. 
 In paffing over the globe, and beginning 
 with- the extremities of Afia, I find ediu 
 cation totally neglected : here defpotifm 
 reigns in all its horrors, but ftill becomes 
 a falutary evil to protect individuals 
 from their reciprocal ferocity. Moving 
 towards the weft, I find education 
 making a gradual appearance, and def- 
 potifm mollified in a parallel ratio, until 
 I arrive at England, the climax of im- 
 proving civilization, where the great 
 energy of education having produced 
 an univerfal habit of reflection in the 
 people, government has aflumed the 
 true point of civil predicament, where 
 power is fo organized as to be the jailor 
 of paflion and guardian of improving 
 intellect, the germ of univerfal good. 
 
 • I could have wifhed to have transfer- 
 red this climax to the extremities of the 
 "Weft, America, whofe theory of govern- 
 ment 
 
( a*j ) 
 
 roent bears a^ fairer afpeel of perfeclion, 
 but as locality and not education, forms 
 the field of its practice, I fear this fair 
 phantom will vanifli when the matter 
 forming the body of the Prefident 
 Washington, (hall dhTolve into its pri- 
 mary elements. Superltition and avarice 
 has fo brutalized the American mind, 
 that it will require the efforts of a cen- 
 tury of education to awaken the mind, 
 to civifm and manhood. 
 
 The true fabric of government in the 
 prefent predicament or chaos of moral 
 truth, mull have for its bafis, a well-edu- 
 cated people in full poffeflion of their 
 fovereign power, exercifed in deliberation 
 only, to control the aflumed or delegated 
 authority of ariftocracy, modified and 
 improved, and conllituted upon the 
 experience of pad and prefent times, 
 adapted to internal and external circum- 
 flances, with power enough to confixain 
 the paffionate part of its fubjecls from 
 
 action, 
 
( lit ) 
 
 a&ion, and confidence enough to liberate 
 the reflective fubjedt in all difcuffion, 
 which concerns the welfare of all nature. 
 
 It is with political as with moral truth, 
 they 'are both progreflive to refleftive 
 mifids, but to thoughtlefs and irrefle&ive 
 minds, they muft hold out inflexibility 
 or determination ; reflection alone can 
 go (trait forward without a clue, but 
 ignorance muft aberrate. The conftitu- 
 tion of government, as the conftitution 
 of morality, muft form an adamantine 
 wall to the factious, and the vicious, 
 patriotifm and liberality has no bounds 
 but perfectability* 
 
 From what has been already laid, 
 it will appear incontrovertible, that 
 thought is the fource of all perfectabi- 
 lity; and this will lead to an inquiry 
 what is the beft form of government for 
 promoting thought. 
 
 The 
 
c m ) 
 
 The moral temperament of the people 
 governed, mud be the index to point 
 out the mode of focial coercion, or civil 
 government, the bed adapted to the 
 protection and improvement of intellect; 
 democracy is no doubt, the bed form 
 to extend the freedom of fpeech to every 
 clafs of the community, but as the great 
 majority of its members mud be the 
 mod irrefLective, the univerfal freedom 
 of fpeech would produce inflammatory 
 difcourfe, and designing demagogues 
 would keep focicty convulfed in perpe- 
 tual action] this . would occafion the 
 prccarioufnefs of fubfidence, and the 
 whole occupation of intellect would be 
 the acquifuion of the ncoeffaries ofMife* 
 
 Defpotifm is equally inimical with 
 democracy; for though it edablimes 
 order favourable to the germination of 
 thought, yet, when it fiioots forth its 
 plant and promifes to fructify, it is ml- 
 ^mediately rooted up and dedroyed ; 
 L this 
 
/ ( ai8 ) 
 
 this operation was exemplified in the 
 former government of France, when the 
 Baftile was an abyfs which fwallowed up 
 every luminous and inftrucHve author. 
 
 The happy point of thought- pro- 
 tective government, mud be found 
 between true two extremes of democracy 
 and defpotifm ; and this point is mixed 
 government, where, by the juft equipoife 
 of monarchy, ariftocracy, and demo- 
 cracy, the public will affumes a power 
 over the irrefledtive and paflionate ma- 
 jority of the community, and by a law- 
 ful and limited freedom of fpeech, per- 
 mits the prefs to bring thought and not 
 paffion into action ; by this means the 
 jclifcipline of focial order being preferved, 
 fubfiftence is eafily obtained, and mind 
 is wholly employed upon the fpeculation 
 of truth in predicament and perfects 
 bility, 
 
 m 
 
( *i9 ) 
 
 In proportion as inftruction incretfes, 
 the reflective minority of the community, 
 democracy or the popular branch of 
 government (liould extend its power by 
 improving the reprefentation, and this 
 parallel increafe of popular thought and 
 popular power, would folve the difficult 
 problem or union of predicament and 
 perfectability, which folution would form 
 a fcale of progreflion, from barbarifm to 
 civilization, and upwards, to a ftate of 
 enlightened nature. 
 
 The Britifli government is a model of 
 this, thought, protective fyftem, it per- 
 mits the boldeft inveftigations of the 
 mod facred truths to call thought into 
 action, and prohibits only the inflamma- 
 tory difcourfe of defigning demagogues 
 to precipitate action, and fubftitute con- 
 tingency to order, which would deftroy 
 the moral medium of improving intel- 
 lect. 
 
 L 2 An 
 
( 22 ° ) 
 
 An- awful predicament is now pro- 
 duced by the viciflitude of policy, when 
 government muft all be brought to the 
 fiery ordeal of arm am exit in a mafs. The 
 continental nations from their vicinity 
 to the volcano of France have already 
 began this meafure, and it would be 
 well for Great Britain to follow their 
 example, and not to fleep behind her 
 wooden walls. I am confident that 
 thought and reflection have fo leavened 
 the community, that a conftitutional 
 army of 300,000 men may be formed 
 to protect the prefent fyftem from both 
 internal and external enemies; if this 
 force was imbodied, the prefs might be 
 wholly liberated, and the lower order of 
 the people might with fafety be encou- 
 raged to political difcuflion; were the 
 poor laws but well adrnin'iflered, and 
 committees formed by. independent 
 gentlemen to protecl: them, the condi- 
 tion of plebeian might be rendered en- 
 y&ble. 
 
 J view 
 
( m ) 
 
 1 view the condition of the rich as <i 
 ftagnant pool of fuperfluity, running over 
 into the current of plebeian ne'eeffif^j 
 a ftagnant pool of morofe grandeur, 
 enflaving etiquette, difmal itate, pomp 
 without pleafure, acquaintance without 
 friendfbtpj Hfe without health, pleafures 
 without cheerfulnefs, and total moral 
 thraldom. O peaceful plebeian current, 
 how enviable would be thy ftream, if 
 the harpy hand of avarice would grant 
 thee one hour more repofe, a few pence 
 more for food, and procure thee an 
 afiembly for recreative fports ! Who 
 would then change the fpade for the 
 coronet, or putrefy in the pool, when 
 he might live in the current ? 
 
 I tremble for the deftiny of civiliza- 
 tion, mould the armament in m,afs take 
 place on the continent, it will bring 
 about a war between the rich and poor, 
 which muft end in a focial chaos. I am 
 Confident, however, in Great Britain, 
 L 3 that 
 
( 22,2 ) 
 
 that men of property alone, including; 
 the thoughtful, who might be guaran- 
 teed by them, would form a very fuffi- 
 cient mafs to fupport the focial fyftem 
 againft internal, and the nation againft 
 foreign enemies. I fear, however, Ad- 
 minillration does not participate in my 
 confidence of Englimmen, and that 
 their fear of internal, will betray them 
 into the hands of external enemies, by 
 deferring the armament in mafs, till it 
 will be too late to be ferviceable. 
 
 The important and awful predicament 
 of policy at the prefent epocha, has in 
 fome meafure made me lofe fight of my 
 main object, which was, to point out that 
 form of government mod favourable to 
 the creation and improvement of thought. 
 It is a matter of great- confolation to 
 fuffering nature, that this government is 
 not to be fought in the realms of fancy 
 or fpeculation, but that it exifts actually 
 in practice on., the ifland of Great 
 
 Britain^ 
 
( **3 ) 
 
 Britain, where thought has (o meliorated 
 the moral temperament of the natives, 
 that it is capable to affurae any military- 
 predicament which the date of (unround- 
 ing hoftile nations might require, with* 
 out endangering the focial fyftem, or 
 even difturbing the practical fyftem of 
 a conftitution that contains within itfelf 
 capacity growing into energy, and on 
 whofe eminence is placed the directory 
 pod of policy, on the road of perfecla- 
 bility, marking the quo itur and quo 
 eundum, to the travelling and ad r 
 miring nations. 
 
 I am mod profoundly and confcien- 
 tioufly convinced, that the prefent moral, 
 civil, and political predicament of Eng- 
 land, has advanced all the nations of 
 the globe, at lead five centuries ; and 
 it forms the bridge of progreffive capa- 
 bility, over which all nations mud pals 
 to arrive at perfectability ; through lux- 
 ury the matrix of fenfibility, and mixed 
 L 4 government 
 
govommenr, the matrix of political 
 ciyifm, producing together, inverted 
 thought,, the matrix of marrheod or 
 waiverfal- energy-. 
 
 FERFECTABrLITY 
 of NATURE* 
 
 THE frliy doAritTe of ojftimlfrfrj 
 founded upon Pope's maxim, if whar- 
 "ever is, is right," all partial ill is 
 irniverfal good, has fbrrcHrnded humaflr 
 intellect: with fuch a chilling atmofpherc, 
 that reafon has been reduced to a Itate^ 
 of torpor, and liuman capacity has ceafed 
 to germinate into energy. That good 
 and evrl are infeparably blended through 
 all the works of nature, cannot be 
 denied, and that the total annihilation of 
 either is impoflible ; but as their criterion 
 or equilibre mutt ever be formed upon 
 the mod juft and mod general relations 
 of cognizably- fy (terns of exiftence, of 
 
 which >■ 
 
( *tt ) 
 
 Which felf muft be the centre, it is the 
 duty of human energy, to produce the 
 greateft poffible good, from the lead 
 pofliblc evil, without any reference to 
 irrecognizable exiftence. 
 
 The prefent focial, moral, and po- 
 litical ftate of man has afTumed a 
 predicament adjufted like a veftel in a 
 ftorm, to the co-ordinate pofition of 
 the reft of the fpecies. The quo itur, 
 or road of preclicamental conduct, is 
 guarded by peremptory laws andcuftoms, 
 which tend only to the prefer vation of 
 the fpecies in • a direful ftate of indivi- 
 dual competition ; the quo eundum, or 
 road of perfectability, leads to the high- 
 eft enjoyment or happinefs of the fpecies 
 in a ftate of co-adjutation. 
 
 The line of progrefs which connects 
 
 predicament and perfedtability, refembles 
 
 the parabola, and is as follows : where 
 
 intellect is in the extreme ftate of torpor, 
 
 L 5 with. 
 
( 226 ) 
 
 with no expanfion or elevation, trie moft* 
 inflexible law of defpotifm is neceftary 
 to controul it, when it arrives at elevation 
 ariftocracy attends it, as it afcends demo- 
 cracy appears ; when thefe three powers 
 unite, they produce, through the liberty of 
 the prefs, the declination of the para- 
 bola; when the mind begins to invert 
 upon itfelf, engendering thought and re- 
 flection, then follows total reprefentation* 
 plenary democracy, humanization,* ar> 
 enlightened (late of nature, or univer&fr 
 federalifm. 
 
 Perfect ability, in attempting to paft 
 over the gradations of improvement (as 
 above noticed) outruns intellect, and 
 increafes fo powerfully the momentum 
 
 * Humanization is that ftate, when all con- 
 nexion with the brute creation fliall ceafe ; and 
 tha-l of nature* is when appropriation of things 
 and £erfons ihall teai'e. 
 
 of 
 
( 227 ) 
 
 of paflion, that as it muft neceffarily re- 
 trograde to meet intellect ; it forces it 
 lower upon the fcale by the weight of its 
 returning and fudden fall ; in other 
 words, the coercive force of law and def- 
 potifm muft be increafed by all retrogade 
 motions of policy. 
 
 The French nation, who have at- 
 tempted to arrive at perfectability, with- 
 out the gradation of fyftem, will no 
 doubt, eventually form a dreadful ex- 
 ample of the above problem ; it is how- 
 ever very unwife in furrounding nations, 
 to form an external prefTure upon the 
 arch of revolution, to protect it from 
 thofe internal convulfions, which could 
 not otherwife fail to deftroy it ; it would 
 be fufficient for them to arm to defend 
 their countries from all invafive (hocks, 
 and to be ready when called upon by 
 the victims of anarchy, to throw a pre- 
 ponderating weight into the ofcillating 
 L 6 fcale 
 
fcale of returning order, but not to mover 
 till the hope of luceefs almoft equalled* 
 certainty. 
 
 The progrefs of nations towards per- 
 fectibility mud be very flow, and refera- 
 ble the vefTcl navigating towards the 
 harbour with (mail boats, preceding and 
 fou n dm g to direct her track. Colonies 
 and feels Hfrtifl be the preceding pilots to 
 nations, and let their inffitutions, im- 
 proving competition into co-adjutation> 
 mark the high road to perfect ability j na- 
 tions muft conform to tte predicamens 
 of ignorance in other nations, and by 
 that means have power to fpread a -/otter- 
 ing wing to its fects and colonies, whofe 
 advance to perfeetability would otherwife 
 rifk their predicamental fafety* 
 
 AH perfect ability, natural, moral, civil,, 
 or political, depends on the increafe of 
 thought or reflection, and refembles 
 'greatly the improving progrefs of the 
 
 navU 
 
( **9 ) 
 
 navigator compafs ; ignorant pilots in its 
 rude ftate, fuppofing its index fixed the 
 north pole, were led into dangerous 
 error, againft which no remedy had bee-n 
 prepared. Wife pilots m its more im- 
 proved ftate have difcovered the ofciila- 
 tion of its index, or variations from the 
 north, and are thereby prepared againft 
 all the dangers of their courfe. 
 
 The above fimilitude will be explain- 
 ed, by regarding moral truth as the 
 magnetic north, having propinquity but 
 no point, notwithstanding which, they 
 are equally efficient guides both to the 
 veffeland the conduct of life. The irre- 
 flective mind, following the inflexibility 
 or pofitive point of law and cuftom, is 
 brought into riany dilemmas, for which 
 doubt or exception has prepared no 
 remedy. The reflective mind, on the 
 contrary, fenfible of the flexibility of 
 truth, law, and cuftom, prepares expe- 
 dients for every novel combination of 
 
 circun> 
 
( n° ) 
 
 trrcitmftances, and by the virtue of libe- 
 rality relaxes, without difiolving the 
 bond of principle in all contracts ; and 
 on this delicate point, which nothing 
 but the moil confummate wifdom can at- 
 tain, reds the imion of predicament or 
 perfectability* 
 
 The directory maxim for action to at- 
 tain perfectability, is the mutability of 
 rule or means, and the immutability of 
 end or principle ; this is exemplified in 
 the act of inoculation; I am warranted 
 to give a dangerous difeafe to my child, 
 thereby changing direct rule and means, 
 when the prefervation of life is my im- 
 mutable end or principle. 
 
 Human capability germinates through 
 the influence ofprogrefllve moral truth into 
 perfectability, or the increafe of human 
 intellect, the higheft final energy of this 
 fphere of exiftence, operating to reduce 
 the chaos of moral contingency into du- 
 rable fyftem. 
 
( a-3' 1 J 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 I SHALL endeavour to recapitulate 
 tlie moft important ideas of the preced- 
 ing work, to concentrate them in fuch 
 a manner as that they may approach as 
 near as poffible, to axioms or didacYive 
 fentiments; 
 
 The firft, and moft important object 
 of the confideration of man is, power or 
 caufe to produce the effect well-being or 
 happinefs. It is evident that nature or 
 the whole of exiftence is conftituted of 
 various fpheres, fyftems, and individual 
 modes that have a partial dependance ori 
 each other ; the paramount vis, or con- 
 trouling energy of each, however formed, 
 can have no final or intelligent commu- 
 nication with its fubordinate parts; ex. gra- 
 tia, man can have no intelligent com- 
 munication with that power which forces 
 his diurnal relation upon the axis of the 
 globe, or annual revolution in his folar 
 
 fyftem; 
 
fyftetfi ; this communication is totally' 
 limited to the boundary of his own fpe- 
 eies, from wbofe general co-operation 1 all 
 final energy muft be direded to effect, 
 while the motival caufes mud ever re* 
 main unknown. 
 
 The identity of mode is nothing but 
 organized form to receive matter in per- 
 petual flux, and give it power to melio- 
 rate and create fenfation : the contiguity 
 of the fame fpecific atoms, or the thing, 
 famenefs of matter, can have no ex- 
 igence ' 7 all is influx and efflux in bodies 
 which generalizes the intereft of the in- 
 integer of nature, and its fractional parts 
 or modes of being ; matter flowing in 
 the channel of human organization, has 
 a power, by making good laws, to im- 
 prove the fenfation of the very fame 
 atoms, when in fucceflive moments they 
 are tranfmuted into the body of brutes, 
 and it is of no import to the joy or pain 
 of matter, the famenefs of contiguity at 
 
 any preceding period. 
 
 The 
 
( *& ) 
 
 The nlould or form of organization* 
 called John, prepares by its intellectual 
 energy, happy fenfatron for fucceflive 
 periods; but tlrofe very atoms which 
 planned the happinefs are' not the fame 
 Which enjoy it. Though we mull ever 
 regard felf or identity as the centre of 
 the univeife, yer we mnft ever remember 
 that our higher imerefts are placed in 
 the wide circumference of our integer' 
 nature ; though all feeling centres in- the-' 
 point felf, yet the greater mafs of contact 
 h placed in the circumference of tire 
 whole fenfitive fyftem, as in the human 
 body ; though the intellect is the point 
 of feeling, yet the mafs of contact is in 
 all its members and- parts* 
 
 The difTolution of organized matter 
 impreffes upon weak, and irreflective 
 minds a ceilatron of intereft in the 
 future good- and evil of renovating 
 matter; death offers to their contracted 
 intellect, a back door of cxiftence, out 
 
 ac 
 
( *34 ) 
 
 at which they prorriife themfelves an 
 efcape upon the general conflagration of 
 the edifice -of nature — fools, ye are em- 
 barked in the veflel of nature, upon the 
 ocean of eternal exiftenee,- and thofe 
 who create diforder, peftilence, or 
 mifery, anion gft the crew, muft feel their 
 confequences during a long voyage to 
 the haven of infinity. 
 
 To call forth the capability of human 
 uature, and propel it to its perfect ability 
 or energy, we muft keep the faculty of 
 thought in perpetual operation ; all de- 
 eifion evinces an ignorance of the infinite 
 progrefiion of moral truth, following the 
 infinite mutability of predicament. De- 
 cifion is the mark of imitative minds, 
 following the doctrines of infinite ana- 
 logy, and pofTefling no invention to 
 extricate themfelves from the trammels 
 of ftudy, or habitual and fixed afTociation 
 ©f ideas* 
 
 Laws , 
 
( *H ) 
 
 Laws, cuftoms, and opinions, are ule- 
 ful to give fixed nefs to the mutability 
 of predicament, and to mark the point 
 of progreflion in moral truth to eftablifh 
 a factitious centre for the revolution of 
 improving intellect, moving in a fpiral 
 line, from the bafe, capability, to the 
 vertex, perfectability. Verbal logic 
 ads as gravitation- to deprefs the line 
 of direction upon the bafe real, dialectic, 
 to attract it towards the vertex : 
 
 u Turn thought inwards, force back the mimJ 
 " to fettle on itfelf our point fupreme."' 
 
 To effect this purpofe, all moral and 
 focial inftitutions fhould be conftructed^ 
 a diffufed luxury or factitious want, or 
 deiires mould pervade the whole com- 
 munity to awaken the dormant faculties 
 of the mind, and create fenfibility, which 
 lead on by a civil discipline accommo- 
 dated to the temperament of man, may 
 produce that well-poifed judgement or 
 reflection, which, forms that true equi- 
 
 Librium; 
 
C 236 > 
 
 frbrium of greater and lefler evil, th€ 
 true compafs of intellectual- progrefs. 
 
 The French phitofophers, in poflefliorl 
 of fome invention and much learning* 
 have been able to difcover only the 
 difcriminatioft between' good and evil, 
 they wanted the foul of intellect reflec- 
 tion, to difcover the more complicate 
 and finer (hades and relations between 
 evil and evil ; they ufed the fcales of 
 intellect to weigh evil againfl: good, 
 and fluctuating preponderancy has kept 
 them in perpetual percufiion of the beam. 
 The Enghfh philofophers, in poflefTion 
 of thought and reflection, have equally 
 difcriminated between good and evil ; 
 but following nature in all her operations* 
 they have tranfpofed reciprocally, the 
 weights good and evil into the fame 
 fcale, and produced that juft equilibrium 
 of power and fubmiflion, ofreafonand 
 paflion, of doubt and decifion, that has 
 rendered their philofophy the leading 
 
 point 
 
( m ) 
 
 f»oint on the arc of human perfect a- 
 bility. 
 
 How often do we hear thefe thoughtlefs 
 foi-difant philofophers exclaim, u how 
 eafy and fimple is the art of government !" 
 Whilft their own conduct gives a ftrong 
 contradiction to fuch a fentiment : man, 
 ki the fimple government of felf, con- 
 duds life to the anarchy of paffion and 
 the duTolution of moral and physical 
 diforder, and is it to be hoped, that 30 
 million of felfs, in union, can fimpiify 
 or improve the fyftem of individual hap- 
 pinefs ? O no ! all is extreme complica- 
 tion in practice, the line of progreffion 
 to attain the apex of Simplicity or theory 
 of moral truth, 
 
 A WORD to the REVIEWERS. 
 
 YOU regard not, you fay, the abufe 
 Q.t a man, who abufes the author of 
 nature; What! He who declares the 
 whole of exiftence to be its own author, 
 
 uniting 
 
( *3» ) 
 
 uniting caufe and effe<5t in an infinit-c 
 circle, calling all modes of being to 
 operate progreflively towards knowable 
 effecl:, and not retrogreflively towards 
 unknowable caufe, recognizing the 
 * unity of felf and nature, identifying 
 the good of the integer and its fractional 
 parts in time and eternity. Is fuch doc- 
 trine the abufe of nature, and does the 
 idolatry of fuperftkious ideotifm, which 
 imagines fomething out of exiftence to 
 make exiftence, or a partition of matter 
 into the creator and the created ? thefe 
 fools do not obferve that when caufe is 
 
 v * Let any fenfible refle&ive man profoundly 
 tnter into himfelf, and afk this queftion: the 
 various atoms of which my body is now compofed, 
 have doubtlefs been difperfed by an infinite num- 
 ber of deaths or diflblutions. Would it avail any 
 thing to preferve a reminifcence of their former 
 combinations ? Certainly not, their prefent pain or 
 pleafure could not be at all affectecl by them, then 
 what is death ? Nothing but the change of por- 
 tion, but not even a paufe of that intereft or ex- 
 igence which is perpetuated in the indeftructabi- 
 lity of matter, and the vitality of its eternal motion. 
 
 fixed, 
 
< *39 ) 
 
 fixed, it immediately becomes effed, 
 and that a creator muft have a creator ad 
 infinitum. Such idolatry is the real 
 abufe of nature, becaufe it deftroys the 
 final independent energies of the differ- 
 ent fpheres and modes of exiftence, 
 caufing the river to flow back ufelefsly 
 upon its fource or caufe, inftead of pro- 
 pelling it forward to its channel of fer- 
 tilization or effedl, the improvement of 
 exiftence. 
 
 Thefe Apollo's of A B C, and Midas's 
 of wifdom, exclaim (when any improve- 
 ment of law or cuftom is propofed) Is 
 this law ? Is this nature ? They mean to 
 fay, is this our law ? Is this our nature ? 
 When inoculation was firft introduced 
 into this country, how loud were the 
 exclamations of prejudice, is this nature ? 
 They foon found that whatever improv- 
 ed exiftence, was the beft of nature, 
 though produced by the mod refined 
 and novel complication of art, and the 
 % moil 
 
( H° ) 
 
 meft ourrageous violation of propensities 
 and cuftoms. 
 
 I mull conjure my readers not to be 
 difcouraged in a fecond perufal of thefe_ 
 important works, from their various, 
 inaccuracies of punctuation, orthography, 
 ungramrriatical conftru&ion, frequent 
 lapfes of thought, daggering under its 
 Own weight; but. (top, like the fcholar 
 in the preface to Gil Bias, and dig round 
 the epitaph of the mifer, whofe foul was 
 fliut up beneath the fod. My mind en- 
 tirely imployed in generalization, has 
 been hurried beyond particularization, 
 and a11 my hopes of perpetuating this 
 confummate doctrine of the unity of felf 
 and nature to -an incalculable period of 
 futurity, is placed on the penetration of 
 th ofe readers who, thirfiing after intellec- 
 tual life, and having their faculty of in- 
 vention relieved by my labours, will 
 turn all the energy of their minds into the 
 channel of expofition and methodized 
 initrudion. 
 
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