After all the pains which our author has fo laudably beftowed on this inquiry, we own ourselves not entirely fatisfied with the proofs which he has advanced in fupport of the notion, that all theological knowlege is to be traced back to divine revelation. The authorities, which he has adduced, either prove nothing farther than that religious notions are traditionary, without determining whether that tradition originates in divine or human wisdom; or that they are the mere opinions of ancient writers, unfupported by argument or teftimony. It seems to have been a favourite point with many modern authors, to refer all religious knowlege to divine revelation: but we confefs that we are not without apprehenfion that divine revelation will be deprived of its beft fupport, if we defert the good old ground of natural religion, deducible from rational principles, prior to fome fupernatural communications.

The fecond effay in this volume, on the Character of Pamphilus, is little more than a general panegyric on that Chriftian Father, prefaced with a declamation in praife of biography.

Mr. Chriftie's hints, in the third effay, refpecting the state and education of the people, merit a more particular attention. The paper breathes an ardent spirit of philanthropy, and suggefts many ideas well deferving the attention of the friends of mankind. He juftly reprobates the contempt with which the bulk of mankind has hitherto been commonly treated, both by statesmen and philofophers; expatiates on the excellence of the Christian religion, as it is calculated to humble human arrogance, by equalizing mankind; and fhews how much more judicious as well as humane, it is, to govern the people by a fenfe of honour and duty, than by force, by fraud, or by corruption.

We think the fentiments advanced in this effay fo important, that we shall not apologize for giving them as extenfive a circulation as we are able, by making a large extract:

I am far from affenting to their opinion, who prefer favage life to civilized fociety; but I will freely own, that I think many things in the latter ftand in need of reformation. Mankind, in their original independent ftate, may be compared to a number of packages, fuppofe of wool or flax, placed by the fide of one another, in a merchant's warehouse, where each is fair and full, and retains his own proper fize and form. Whereas, in civilized life, their state feems to refemble that of the fame packages, piled up for conveniency on each other's heads to the cieling of the warehouse, where there is a gradual preffure, beginning at the top, and increafing downward to the lowest ranks, many of which are squeezed out of all shape, and fome have their very bowels preffed out. Such, I fear, is the cafe, more or lefs, in every civilized fociety in Europe: in this country lefs perhaps than in any other. Ye friends of hu

man

mankind, ye who can feel another's woe, decide on this question! Do we not bear too hard on the poor man? Do we not make his burdens too heavy, and his comforts too few? Are not many of our enjoyments purchafed by his forrows - many of our luxuries procured at the expence of his health, and of his life? But to proceed,

"There is no man," fays Dr. Clarke, "who is not capable of fome inftruction, and who may not be made the better for it. Perfons of the meanest natural capacities may have a mind attentive to inftruction; may have a love to truth and right; may have great probity, integrity of heart, &c. ."

An obfervation of a fenfible writer deferves particular attention here: "Si l'ignorance pouvoit s'abftenir de juger, elle feroit, fans doute, moins meprifable et moins dangereufe: malheureusement l'efprit humain ne peut etre fans action, il faut qu'il ait des opinions bonnes ou mauvaises; il faut qu'il ait des prejuges, s'il n'a pas des connoiffances, et des fuperftitions au defaut de religion; j'en appelle a tous les peuples barbares qui exiftent de nos jours +."

"If ignorance could refrain from judging and paffing decifions, it would be undoubtedly lefs contemptible and lefs dangerous; but unfortunately the human mind cannot be without action; men must have opinions good or bad; they must have prejudices if they have not knowledge; and fuperftition if they have not true religion. I appeal to the hiftory of all the favage nations now on the face of the earth."

⚫ M. Borde's obfervations are certainly juft. The narrow powers of reafoning, which ignorant perfons ufually poffefs, ferve to miflead, inftead of guiding them. They are apt to make very improper comparisons between the fuppofed happy ftate of their mafters, and their own hardships, poverty, and, as they efteem it, unhappy fate. They are apt to fay, what better are they than we; and, on the ground of their repining ideas, to justify to their own minds every instance of unfaithfulness.

It is one of the evils of ignorance, not to be fenfible of its own defect. You shall never perfuade an ignorant ploughman to adopt an improvement in agriculture. You may tell an uninftructed man of the advantages of inoculating his children; but he will lend a deaf ear to you, and fay that it is tempting Providence to bring difcafes on children in health. Perhaps, foon after, that loathfome difeafe gets into the family, and you are called to affift in carrying one of the putrid carcaffes to the grave. You imagine this will produce conviction. By no means. The blinded parent tells you, "that fince his child died in God's way, he is fatisfied; but, if he had died by man's hands, he should have been quite miferable."

The Author of "Effays on various Subjects, interesting to Politics and Morality," having obferved, that the difcoveries in agriculture made by men of fcience are rendered nearly ufelefs, when not communicated to common husbandmen, and recommended the

* Vol. III. f. 19. p. 318. (8vo.) Lond. 1756.'

+ M. Borde, feconde Replique a M. Rouffeau, p. 377.' Riv. MAY 1792. C

compilation

compilation of accurate abridgments, containing a plain and eafy account of them, to be introduced into the fchools where the shildren of peasants are educated, adds, " Nor let it be regarded as a chimerical scheme, impoffible to be executed, to inform the minds of the common people. Experience proves its practicability. A German Prince (Erneft the pious Duke of Saxe Gotha) entirely changed the face of his principality not more than a century ago. Truly great by his political virtues, he had his people inftructed by compendiums of every kind of feful knowledge, which were put into the hands of the peasants in all country fchools." He adds, that though these conftitutions do not now exift in their original vigour, yet it is amazing to obferve the difference which ftill fubfifts between the people of this and the other circles. See the paffage in a note to p. 348 of the English version of an excellent German book, M. Hirzel's Rural Socrates. By the advice of the rural philofopher, the Swifs peasants were encouraged to attend the meetings of the Phyfical Society of Zurich. There every one gave an account of his method of hufbandry, and received proper advice from the Society. M. Hirzel's relation of this is truly interefting, and cannot fail to be very pleafing to every benevolent mind. It fhews how much we might do to promote the happiness and the knowledge of our fellow-creatures, would we only be at pains enough, would we lay afide pride and vanity, were we capable of feeling for their fituation, and of rejoicing in the pleasure of doing good.

"Is there any thing on this fide of Heaven," fays a benevolent writer," equal to the gratification of knowing and contemplating the wifdom of God in the wonderful works of the creation? And is this pleafure to be denied to all but a few philofophers and priests, who would become the tools of tyranny, to keep the people in ignorance, and fet them on a level with the brutes * ?"

And M. D'Alembert very properly obferves, "Quelques favans, il est vrai, femblables à ces Prêtres d'Egypte qui cachoient au reste de la nation leurs futiles myfteres, voudroient que les livres fuffent uniquement à leur usage, et qu'on dérobât au peuple la plus foible lumiére, même dans les matieres les plus indifferentes; lumiere qu'on ne doit pourtant guere lui envier, parce qu'il en a grand besoin, et qu'il n'eft pas à craindre qu'elle devienne jamais bien vive. Nous croyons devoir penfer autrement comme citoyens, et peut etre même comme des gens de lettres +."

"Some learned men, it is true, like thofe Egyptian priests who concealed their trifling myfteries from the reft of the nation, would have all books written folely for their own ufe, and would take away from the people every spark of light, even in the commoneft matters a light which we furely fhould not envy them, fince they have much need of it, and there is little danger that it will ever be too clear. Doubtless we ought to think more liberally as fellow-citizens, and perhaps men of letters." Unquestionably

Monthly Review, vol. XXXIII. p. 44.'

M. D'Alembert, Preface du 3 vol. de l'Encyclopedie."

the

!

the intereft of literature depends on the number of its cultiva

tors.

I would beg of those who are extremely afraid of trusting the common people with any power of self-direction, to read the history of mankind, and fay, whether, by allowing them to follow their own judgment, they could ever have been led into greater errors than they have been, by refigning themselves up totally to the direction of defigning men, who have rivetted them in the most fatal prejudices, and often hurried them on to fedition, perfecution, murder, bloodshed, rapine, and every kind of wickedness and enormity. Upon this foundation, "the ignorance of the people," have been erected all thofe permanent and stupendous fyftems of fuperftition and tyranny, which in different ages and countries have oppreffed and degraded the human race.

We fhould not be rafh in determining, that the Deity never meant the bulk of men to poffefs any knowledge, because he has placed them in a fituation where it is impoffible for them to acquire it. We ought to enquire, whether this impoffibility refults from the appointment of the Deity, or rather from the unreasonable actions of men. In this, as in other matters, God has been pleased to order things fo, that much of the happiness of one man shall depend on the conduct of another, While we blame Providence for placeing men in fuch a fituation, as that they cannot obtain knowledge, it is a fact, that, in many kingdoms of Europe, the poor common people are ftudiously kept in the darkeft ignorance by their tyrannic fuperiors. Were that time, which, in Catholic countries, is devoted to abfurd fuperftition, employed in inftructing the people, ignorance would foon be banished from among them. In proteftant kingdoms, I cannot but regard that as an improper and unreasonable state of police, which conftrains the people to inceffant labour from Monday morning to Saturday night, without leaving a fingle spare mo

ment.

For then Sunday will in general, and indeed almoft neceffarily, be employed in amufement, if not in diffipation. Both the mind and body require fome relaxation. I know I fhall be immediately reminded of the lofs of time to our manufacturers, which this would occafion; an argument which ftrikes fome people fo forcibly, that they are angry that Sunday itself is not employed in labour. But I confefs my view of this matter is very different indeed from theirs. I own their plan may enable us, to make our buckles and buttons a little better for the money than our neighbours; but, in the mean time, what becomes of our men, how do we fucceed in the formation of human minds, the greatest of all manufactures? Is it any compenfation to fociety, to the public weal, to the real intereft of a nation, that a great manufacturer has acquired a fortune of twenty thousand pounds, if he has obtained it, by degrading and plunging into ignorance and depravity many hundreds of his fellow creatures? I would ask any found politician, what effect fuch fyftems will ultimately produce in a nation? Can one clafs of mankind be depraved without in time affecting all others? Does not vice, like contagion, Alently diffuse itfelf over all? Are the prostitutes of great manufac

taring

turing towns reforted to only by thofe of their own ftation? Do they not corrupt our fervants, both male and female, and through them our fons and daughters?

But to return: Even under this ftate of police, fomething may be done. A part at least of the Sunday may be usefully employed in instructing those who will not go to church, and indeed cannot be expected to go, because they can neither read, write, nor underftand.

Since these remarks were first written, a grand and extenfive plan has been fet on foot in England, by Mr. Raikes of Gloucester, for the education of the common people. It will eafily be underftood that I allude to the inftitution of SUNDAY SCHOOLS. It is with infinite fatisfaction, that I find fo many eminent and excellent perfons have now engaged in promoting theie, and that the good effects flowing from them are already beyond all expectation. Excellent Mr. Raikes! May thy benevolent example be univerfally followed! Thou hast railed the depreffed human mind, and given light to thofe who fat in darkness. The bleffing of them that were ready to perifh fhall come upon thee; and the people who were defroyed for lack of knowledge, fhall celebrate thy name!'

In addition to the feveral focieties for promoting particular branches of knowledge, I could wish to fee one inftituted for diffuf ing KNOWLEDGE in general; one that fhould employ itself in encouraging modell merit, in fearching after the village Newton, in refcuing from obfcurity the genius of the cottage, and in calling forth the fong of the Milton, who would otherwife have been mute and inglorious: a fociety that fhould caule books to be compofed for the particular purpofe of inftructing the unlearned, and that fhould print and circulate, in different regions, fuch performances. as had a tendency to awaken the love of letters, and promote the improvement of human minds: a fociety which fhould receive a certain number of ingenious youths; and, after inftructing them in the fciences, fend them forth, fome as miffionaries, to put to flight the illufions of error and ignorance among men; and others to occupy various useful stations in life, as their talents or fituation fhould direct them; and who, in return for the advantages of their education, should be required at their difmiffion only to promife, that they would, in their feveral spheres, exert themselves to infpire the love of knowledge into the bofoms of their friends and acquaintance, and all around them: lastly, a fociety which fhould place philofophy in all the genuine dignity of her character; and which, Instead of celebrating days in honour of hypocritic faints and enthufiaftic devotees, fhould compile a new kind of Calendar, and confecrate a day to commemorate the birth of Ariftotle, and of Socrates, of Confucius, Locke, Newton, and fuch, as like them, have exalted the depreffed human mind, inftructed mankind in the use of their faculties, vindicated the rights of human nature, and fupported the caule of letters, liberty, and virtue, in various periods of the world.