maining part, as the danger of this consequence was of an integral certainty. For the sake of illustration, we are at liberty to suppose that a man loses half his moral faculties by drunkenness; this leaving him but half his responsibility, he incurs, when he commits the action, half of the whole guilt. We will also suppose that it was known beforehand that it was an even chance, or half a certainty, that this crime would follow his getting drunk. This makes him chargeable with half of the remainder, so that, altogether, he is responsible in threefourths of the guilt which a sober man would have incurred in the same action."

It is but fair to mention that the learned Doctor makes a kind of apology for this mode of expounding the matter, saying that he does. not mean that any real case can be reduced to numbers, or the calculation be ever made with arithmetical precision, but at the same time he alleges that "these are the principles and this is the rule by which our general admeasurement of the guilt of such offences should be regulated."

I confess that I think the arithmetical illustration required more apology, and that the allegation appended to the apology is one which should not be received without much caution and allowance. The Doctor had as well have left the matter at a preceding page, where, after quoting several texts from the New Testament

against drunkenness, he adds, "We are not concerned with the argument; the words amount to a prohibition of drunkenness, and the authority is conclusive."

DOUBTS AND DISPUTATIONS.

Ir seems to me that a great injury has been done to the cause of truth-such truth as, in this imperfect state, man is capable of attaining to-as well as to the peace and contentment of mankind, by the habits of doubt and disputation which modern philosophy has so much encouraged. There is, I think, much practical good sense and sound observation of existing circumstances in the remarks which an eminent theological writer of the present day* has made upon this widely-spread calamity. He tells us that, from our strange preference of inquiry to belief, we, or our fathers before us, have contrived to make doubtful what really was certain. We have created difficulties in our path; we have gone out of our way to find ingenious objections to what was received, where none hitherto existed; as if forgetting that there is no truth so clear, no character so pure, no work of man so perfect, but admits of criticism, and will become suspected as soon as it is accused.

* Rev. J. H. Newman, of Oriel College, Oxon.

As might be expected, we have succeeded in our attempt, we have succeeded in raising clouds which effectually hide the sun from us, and we have nothing left but to grope our way by our reason as we best can, our necessary, because our only, guide. And as a traveller by night, calculating or guessing his way over a morass, or amid pitfalls, naturally trusts himself more than his companions, though not doubting their skilfulness and good will, and is too intent upon his own successive steps to hear and to follow them, so we, from anxiety, if not from carelessness, have straggled each from his neighbour, and are all of us, or nearly so, in a fair way to lose our confidence, if not our hope. We, or others for us, have asserted our right of debating every truth, however sacred, however protected from scrutiny hitherto; we have accounted that belief alone to be manly which commenced in doubt, that inquiry alone philosophical which assumed no first principles, that religion alone rational which we have created for ourselves. Loss of labour, division, and error, have been the threefold gain of our self-will.

Such is the state of the case which this able writer lays down with respect to the very highest matters which can engage man's attention, and upon which a peaceful and settled state of mind is beyond expression desirable. And if this be the real state of things, well may the same author lament over it as he does in the

against drunkenness, he adds, "We are not concerned with the argument; the words amount to a prohibition of drunkenness, and the authority is conclusive."

DOUBTS AND DISPUTATIONS.

Ir seems to me that a great injury has been done to the cause of truth-such truth as, in this imperfect state, man is capable of attaining to-as well as to the peace and contentment of mankind, by the habits of doubt and disputation which modern philosophy has so much encouraged. There is, I think, much practical good sense and sound observation of existing circumstances in the remarks which an eminent theological writer of the present day* has made upon this widely-spread calamity. He tells us that, from our strange preference of inquiry to belief, we, or our fathers before us, have contrived to make doubtful what really was certain. We have created difficulties in our path; we have gone out of our way to find ingenious objections to what was received, where none hitherto existed; as if forgetting that there is no truth so clear, no character so pure, no work of man so perfect, but admits of criticism, and will become suspected as soon as it is accused.

* Rev. J. H. Newman, of Oriel College, Oxon.

As might be expected, we have succeeded in our attempt, we have succeeded in raising clouds which effectually hide the sun from us, and we have nothing left but to grope our way by our reason as we best can, our necessary, because our only, guide. And as a traveller by night, calculating or guessing his way over a morass, or amid pitfalls, naturally trusts himself more than his companions, though not doubting their skilfulness and good will, and is too intent upon his own successive steps to hear and to follow them, so we, from anxiety, if not from carelessness, have straggled each from his neighbour, and are all of us, or nearly so, in a fair way to lose our confidence, if not our hope. We, or others for us, have asserted our right of debating every truth, however sacred, however protected from scrutiny hitherto; we have accounted that belief alone to be manly which commenced in doubt, that inquiry alone philosophical which assumed no first principles, that religion alone rational which we have created for ourselves. Loss of labour, division, and error, have been the threefold gain of our self-will.

Such is the state of the case which this able writer lays down with respect to the very highest matters which can engage man's attention, and upon which a peaceful and settled state of mind is beyond expression desirable. And if this be the real state of things, well may the same author lament over it as he does in the