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simplicity of the gospel . And he clearly points out their ' tendency to produce the divine , the social , and the personal virtues . It will soon be perceived that the writer is familiarly acquainted with
Hartley ' s Observations on Man- / ' of the philosophy of which , and sometimes even of it ' s phraseology , we observe that he avails himself .
( 163—180 . ) From the whole of his arguments he infers that- — " The character of an enlightened and consistent Christian is a sublime , a
dignified , and an eminently useful character ; and that the tendency of Christian principles is to conduct themind to the highest attainments in wisdom and virtue , and to elevate human nature to its happiest and most perfect state . "
" It is true , he adds , " that this effect is not completely produced in any human character , and the history of the world supplies us with- onb : example only of consummate virtueI . But , though human frailty , under the best culture , falls
short of absolute perfection , it is , nevertheless , evident that the direct tendency of Christian principles is to meliorate and exalt the character , and that , in proportion as ^ hey prevail , they greatly improve the condition both of individuals
and society ; though , by countervailing influences , they are prevented from producing all those beneficial effects to which they naturally tend . " ( 17 S , 179 . ) The title of the sixth and last discourse is , The subserviency of knowledge to virtue , " ( John xvii . 3 ) and is the same , we perceive , in substance , with a sermon which our author printed in 1795 , and which lje entitled " Knowledge the foundation of Virtue :- ' he appears , however , with superior advantage in the
presentpubiication of it ; and some of our readers will ^ probably , be gratified and instructed by com * paring for themselves , the two compositions , and by observing
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Selskam ' s Summary Viexo \ 385
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the happy influence of revision and correction upon accuracy of statement and propriety of expression . After having given definitions of knowledge , of virtue and of rice , Mr . B- observes , ( 183 ;)
** The objects of knowledge are various : and though all are in some degree connected with each other , yet , as ° the human mind is contracted in its comprehension , no individual can embrace the whole compass of science , and indeed very few can comprehend any considerable variety of subject ? :. It is not then
every kind of knowledge which is productive of virtue , but chiefly that of which virtue is the principal topic , the science , as it may properly be called , of theology and morals : the sublimest of all science :, and perhaps not the mo ~ , t essy of attainment , at least if we may . jud ^ e by the gross errors into which many
persons , and those not always the most ignorant and illiterate , fall upon these subjects It is a vulgar error that knowledge has little or no connexion with virtue and piety : for men who excel in abstractor physical science sometimes appear to be sctptics in religion and defaulters \ defi ~ cient ] in viitue . This , however , is not a fair conclusion ; for how profound soever the speculations of such persons may be upon other subjects , they are often mere novices in the science of morals , and strip ings in the truest and . the best
philosophy . But that a person who has paid the same attention to these interesting subjects which is directed by others to thoe branches of ' science in whieh they are ambitious to excel , and who , in consequence of impartial and laborious
inquiry , has attained ju t sentiments of religion and morals , should , at the same time , be practically vicious , is , I believe , 3 . very uncommon case . I will not say that it has never happened . But it is most certain that persons of this description must have been placed in circumstance ;; peculiarly disadvantageou s , if the e cicum ^ tances were capable of counteracting the valuable impressions which are the natural result of [ zobirB are naturally made fr y ] the steady , habitual con-. templat ion o £ moral truth . ' * bonic valuable observations fol * Jow on credulity and scepticism ;
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), July 2, 1807, page 385, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2382/page/45/
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