In the Introduction to thefe difcourfes, Mr. Stockdale endeavours to obviate an objection or two, that may be urged against their most important principles and arguments. "Ever fince," fays he, "I was capable of exerting reafon; ever fince I was converfant with the writers of Greece and Rome; from all that I could think, and from all that I could collect; it has been my fixed opinion, that the precepts of the gospel form a fyftem for the conduct of human life effentially the fame with the morality of the most celebrated ancient philofophers. "This view of human and divine ethicks was fo far from weakening, that it strengthened my belief in Chriftianity. I was happy to find that the immediate revelation of the will of God coincided with the doctrine of thofe virtuous and fublime fages who poffeffed the pureft and ftrongest reason; that original and facred guide, which in all civil and religious matters determines the affent or oppofition, the belief or difbelief, of every man who dares to be honeft, and to be free." The writer digreffes here to pay a juft encomium on an author, whofe opinion coincides with his own. "It appears from the writings of one very respectable and eminent author, that he thinks exactly with me of the excellence, of the perfec tion, of ancient morality. I mean the author of Hermes; that complete and elegant scholar, that fine reafoner, that fentimental and elevated philofopher, whofe works do great honour to English literature, and feverely reproach our men of independent fortune for the wretched mifapplication of their time. If that gentleman fhould read this introduction, I beg that he would accept my mite of praife, not as an encomium which I thought would give him any confequence; but as the warm tribute of a heart that glows with gratitude for the noble pleature which his books have afforded me. "My ftudies are broken and defultory, like my life. To corroborate my opinion, let me therefore appeal to a book which is fresh in my memory, and incorporated with my fentiments. If the accurate and unprejudiced reader will carefully perufe the Tufculan questions of Cicero, he will find that their moral eloquence, which comprizes an epitome of the ethicks of the best old schools, would ferve as well for a commentary on the Gospel. It may be objected to that beautiful and animated compendium of the most interesting uths, that the Wife-man of the author is unexceptionable; complete in virtue; fu perior to the foft allurements of pleasure, and to the cruellest perfecution of pain. But this objection would be precipitate, not jait. Does not the life of Chrift exhibit a perfect moral character? and is not he propofed in the New Testament, and by all evangelical inftructors, as the model for our imitation? The ancient philofophers, as well as our Saviour and his apostles, knew that in their most generous difciples there would always remain fome infirmity, fome vice; and that their moral courfe was to be held as direct as poffible. Hence they illuf trated and enforced their precepts and arguments with a bright exam. ple; harmonious in all its parts; uniformly good and great; an example which their followers were to imitate; which they were to en deavour deavour to emulate an example, which, as it did not authorize any deviation from rectitude of manners, would keep them intent and vigilant on the culture of the mind; ad, as it was dignified and graced with all the majesty and attraction of virtue, would ftimulate them to perform the most difinterested and heroic actions. Much grave cenfure and much pert irony have been thrown out on ftoical rant and ftoical apathy, by those who had not learning enough to know, understanding enough to comprehend, or fentiment enough to feel, that divine philofophy. It has likewife been objected to the heathen authors, that they never could agree in a moral fyftem; and that their several theories are extremely defective and inconfiftent. This has been afferted by theological pedants; and echoed by their fuperficial pupils ever fince literature was diffufed over Europe. And to this objection I answer, that in Old Greece and Rome, as in other countries, men of poor talents and cavilling tempers pretended to explain and inculcate ethics; that writers of mean abilities and intemperate warmth will always rather weaken than promote the beft caufe; that Chriftianity itfelf is often dishonoured and injured by the abfurdity of its prefumptuous defenders, and by their zeal without knowledge; and that the moral obligations propofed by the true fages and great authors of antiquity-by a Socrates, a Cicero, an Epictetus, and an Aurelius, were virtually the fame." "I thus give my fentiments," proceeds Mr. Stockdale," and almoft my conviction, to the public, without referve, because I am fatisfied by my best judgement, that the ability of man to afcertain, and practife all his duties, does not fuperfede the great advantages of the Christian Inftitution. To every good mind; to every mind that fincerely and ardently wishes to form a habitude of virtue and piety; the oracles of religion will dignify and evince the collateral dictates of reafon with an awful fauction, with an irrefragrable demonftration. And as life teems with calamity, how gloriously is the gloom of life penetrated and illuminated by the affurance which the gospel gives us of a future and eternal state; an affurance which could never be established on the mere principle of human reafon? Here then we know what is right from the Highest authority; and the promifes of that omnipotent authority encourage us to act according to what we know. Even the virtuous man, who enjoys all the good things of this world; all the conveniences, the refinements of art; all the confequence, all the information, all the entertainment, that we receive from fociety; whofe liberty is without controul; who has the power to gratify every reasonable defire as foon as it is formed: even this man, though he must be as happy as a mortal can be here below, will often reflect on the vanity of tranfitory poffeffion; and will often anticipate a future exiflence with unfpeakable delight. But if we reverfe this bright fcene; if we view a perfon of a fufceptible, elegant, and benevolent foul; whom a flow malady confumes, and whom the iron hand of penury makes a prifoner, and a flave; who is every day galled with the flings, and arrows of outrageous fortune; and whofe frequent relief of is, to drop a tear in folitude, and to look up to heaven with an eye model appeal, yet confcious that it merits a better fate; what a mer ciful folace, what a thrilling pleafure, muft the certain profpect of a 8. future future existence afford to this perfon, fo excellent, yet thus afflicted, and thus depreffed! To fay with Pope, whatever is, is right, without taking the immortality of the foul into the moral economy of God, is the greatest impiety to the Supreme Being; and the most abfurd, barbarous, and exafperating inhumanity with which the good Diftreffed the noble-minded Few, were ever infulted. "But I offer not my opinion, of the purity, of the perfection of heathen morality, without a proper deference to thofe great men, both of the church and laity, whofe judgement on this point is totally different from mine; who think the leaft exceptionable system of Greek or Roman ethicks far inferior to the code of the gofpel. Rouffeau, too, in that part of his Emilius where he bestows a large and animated encomium on the precepts of Chrift, pronounces the beft of the ancient philofophers, in their theory of moral duties, deficient, felfish, often at variance with each other; and often inconfiftent with themselves; and I beg leave to affure his admirers, whom I muft always esteem, that, with fincere diffidence and humility, I acknowledge my comparative view of Chriftianity, and uninfpired Philofophy, to be quite incompatible with that of my great and revered mafter in learning, as in imagination; that firft luminary of genius, before whom all his contemporary intellectual ftars hide their diminished heads. The reader will find that in thefe difcourfes, I have expatiated on an article of my religious belief, which will be lefs difputed than the opinion I have now advanced. That the means by which we are to fecure eternal blifs, are most favourable to our interest, and yield us most pleasure in our temporary state, is one of my fixed, and invariable tenets; and in this tenet I am fupported by the most liberal and enlightened writers on Ethicks and Divinity. I will not, for many rea fons, affert, that the most virtuous are always the most happy. Few moral propofitions hold univerfally. Nor will I affert that virtue naturally brings a fpring-tide of profperity; the gold of Peru, and the gems of Golconda;-but of this I am demonftratively convinced, that moral rectitude, or a practical obfervance of the laws of Christianity, procures us, far more generally than any other mode of conduct, not only all the neceflaries, but likewife the conveniencies and elegancies of lite in that degree, which, as human nature is affected by externals, is moft conducive to human happiness. We are told by the doating Monk and Hermit, that we are to obtain heaven by making ourfelves miferable on earth; by a total neglect of domestic and public duties; by folitude, and gloom, and mortification; by a cruel, inflexible, and impious war with nature. But genuine fentiment; and reafon, and Christianity, by which they are confirmed, hold a very different language: they tell us that the life which is approved by God, is an active, and a generous life; that if we would merit his favour here, and in a better world, we must direct and exert our understanding, our talents, our paffions, for the good of fociety; by which conduct we promote and fecure our own that religion is not crowned with cyprefs and with ivy, but with laurel and with rofes;-that the chearfulness, the gaiety, the mirth of a Chriftian are a moft acceptable species of gratitude to his Creator; and that, when the virtuous man leaves earth for heaven, he afcend: from an inferior to a higher degree of happiness;-but that both are congenial, and that the one is natu rally preparative to the other." In the close of his introduction, Mr. Stockdale expreffes himfelf in very fevere terms refpecting Mr. Jenyns's last tract on Christianity. "Before I conclude this introduction, I shall make some observations on a late publication, entitled, "A View of the Internal Evidence of the Chriftian Religion." I should wish to remove fome grofs' errours, dishonourable to Christianity, which it may have impreffed on very ingenuous minds who had not been habituated to read, and to reflect. This is my only motive for defigning to animadvert on a book, which, of itself, is fo miferable a performance, that it deserves not, on its own account, a more active notice than filent contempt. Some fuffrages, however, very trivial, and despicable to those who have fenfe and fpirit enough to think and judge for themfelves, but very decifive with our human apes and parrots, have procured it a temporary fame, and confequently a temporary importance." Concerning this importance, after having expofed the futility and falsehood of fome of Mr. Jenyns's arguments, he tells us, that, "The book, as foon as it was published, met with a very favoura ble reception in the circle of majesty. Its authour was congratulated on his performance by his fovereign; the royal approbation was echoed round St. James's, and fhot forth into applaufe. I am confident that a flash of tranfitory fame gratifies extremely the felf-love of this authour;. though it will always be defpifed by those who diftinguish fashion from judgement; and who know with what ftrength, fymmetry, and beauty, thofe literary productions are invigorated, and adorned, which confer immortality. A religious book, in which the authour endea vours to prove, that Christianity prefcribes a poor, fqualid, hermitical, and inoft rigorous life, was published by a writer, who pants for a ribbon; and admired by a court which is notorious for its love of pleasure, magnificence, and dominion." "The tracts of Mr. Jenyns," adds Mr. Stockdale, " have a remarkable characteristick, which one would not envy their authour. They leave the mind of the reader in a state of uncertainty and confufion. Indeed, with regard to the merit of his last publication, I felt no fufpenfe. It was evident, as I read, that the arguments were neither forcible, nor ingenious; and that the ftyle was neither elegant, nor correct. Yet, even in confequence of peruling this treatife, I was in fome degree embarraffed. I could not determine from what inducement it was written. I fhall mention three motives; of which the authour must acknowledge one. 1. He wrote it, either from an honeft zeal for the cause of truth, and religion; to fhow the mistaken world their Chriftian duty; 2. or as a timid, and ironical enemy of religion; to make it ridiculous, and contemptible. 3. If "The View of the Internal Evidences of the Chriftian Religion" was dictated by neither of these motives, it was written to quell the free fpirit which yet remains in this country-to tink English minds to a torpor, a pu lanimity, a fervile fubmiffion to the most unconstitutional mode of government government with which we may be threatened to facrifice liberty and Chriftianity at the fhrine of defpotifin. If he was actuated by the first motive, we have an infallible proof of the weakness of his head: if he was impelled by either of the laft, I leave the proper epithet for his heart to the verdict of his confcience." The difcourfes themselves are in number fix; and are, on the whole, fenfibly and fpiritedly written: the 1ft treating of the advantages and pleasures of religion in this world-2d. On the good effects of perfeverance in our moral and religious conduct-the 3d, On the diftinctions between pride and a proper and manly fpirit-the 4th, A mifcellaneous difcourfe well calculated for the auditors to whom it was delivered on board his Majefty's fhip the Refolution-the 5th and 6th, In defence of the Church of England against the fectaries. On this laft subject our preacher expatiates with great warmth, and is very fevere on the diffenters *. He lets fall, however, a fentiment of moderation toward the clofe of his laft difcourfe; with which we shall take our leave of his prefent performance. "When a man compares the general morals of two large claffes, he should make the comparison concisely, and modeftly; with a proper fenfe of his own imperfections, and faults. If we estimate fairly, and accurately, the difpofitions, the habits, and the conduct of any two numerous bodies of men, I imagine we shall find that, on the whole, the one is not better than the other." A Voyage round the World, in his Britannic Majefty's Sloop, Refolution, commanded by Capt. James Cook, during the Years 1772, 3, 4, and 5. By George Forster, F. R. S. 2 vols. 4to. 21. 25. White. (Continued from Page 226.) Captain Cook, having but curforily examined the fouthern extremities of New Zealand in his former voyage, was prevailed on by the beautiful profpects, which prefented themselves from the land in Dufky Bay, to spend fome time there, in order to *Particularly on the celebrated Dr. Pricftley, whom he fingles out as the champion of the diffenters, and thus reproaches in an occafional note. "I once heard Dr. Pricftley preach at Mr. Lindfey's chapel in EffexHouse. The fubftance of his fermon exhibited the moral deformity of acrimony, pride, and tyranny; and recommended univerfal mildnefs, benevolence, and good offices. All clergymen and fpiritual teachers have their failings; most of them have their faults; and many, their vices as well as other men. I wish that fome of thefe gentlemen, for the fake of decency, would not be fo abfurdly fond, as they often are, of declaiming against thofe vices, or faults, to which they themselves are addicted. It rather exercifes Chriftian patience to hear a notorious high priest arraign pride, and inculcate humility. Quis tulerit Gracchos de feditione querentes ? Rr JUVENAL." gain |