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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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^ g $ y ^ artd allowed ta ^ ceui ^ ulate , ferta twofold purposefrrM < i for . his jftp P / i «« f : 2 < % * f ° $ aflduioo to the provision previousl y made for the pqpTtrf Aberdeen . Thi ^ aes ufnuja ti ng |^ dW *> rever > to he applied to its obicQ ^ - at the end of every fortieth ^ ear . The accumulation of t ^ ie firs t years , if not less than } 600 l . is
^ destined for Prizes to the authors of tfie two best Essays ,, on the , subjects which he prescribed , and ? the following Work discusses . Three fourths are assigned to the , first , aod one fourth to the second in merit . Whatever
exceeds these sums , allotted to the Prizes , is to be added to the fund for tjie use of the poor of Aberdeen . What this fund may produce , in the course of a long period of years , it is impossible to determine . In all probability , it will amount to a very large
sum . His motives for founding his two Prizes can be collected only from the terms in which tYi ^ Jb ^^ dation of Ifwm , and his other benevolent destinations , aj £ expressed . It can hardly be dpuhted that l > e was chiefly i n fluenced
by the string ^ impression , resting on his mind , of the high importance of the , subjects proposed / and of the benefits likely to result , to mankind , faun tlje comprehensive and able $ ^ c \ i $ si on of tlienx . This appears chiefly from what is expressed in his Deed of Settkm 0 , in behalf qf , the poor of Aberdeen ,, aiul in his Prouis \ on
fdfr \ the Prizes , cqntauied iri the same deed- TotHesc . he subjoins the fqU Iwtogsendees : ^ ' < Avfilmakv the above Destination , with an hearty delire to jbqr sincerely thankful to the Providence of Almiehtv God , for
having conferred , upon me , the power to do ao ^ a , nd with an humble hope thatjt ^ e . ^ ine will , in somje degree , W ^ ccppUbJe , in his sight ; and as iwcQj ^ ing ^ a disciple , a n ^ , conformable * P the precepts of the Holy Jesus ^ Wj&g intended for , the relief of the distressed ; and to prompte ; a thorough
5 onvi ^ pn ( pf those truths , w-hichiare ?{ l hftH grea ^ est consequence to raan-Agaia j in a codipil , he adds—^ T ^ Va great duty to be impressed with
Jtsus tp mankind j and with a sense of ther in valuable benefits they receive ty . him . Sprn ' e ^ , u « l | appily do not ^ K « owled g ^ : liewfotw ^ and thin k
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* tll is doubtful . To sueh ^ r- con ^ derations , independent of Rcuzlotion , are neces 6 ary . r JPo bring ^ them to a corvviction of a beity is of thje utmost consequence , and a step Id a belief in Revelation . The l considefatiotis on the subject may be beneficial to all /'
From the words , last stated , it is not improbable that Mr . Burnett had been frequently in compauy with persons who attacked Revt 1 at * on , on Atheistical principles ; and , as -fro ; m his being unavpidably much ; engaged in busint * ss , he could not ; b ^ gupposed ; to 1
have studied such subjects . with philosophical accuracy , that he found himself perplexed to re |> ly . to their distorted metaphysics . This conjecture , whichis merely that of the yv txiMr of this Memoir , will acquire . more ; ,
probability , when it is considered , that , when Mr . Burnett must have been in the prime of life , Mr : Hume \? PMlGsophy % which did so jrjuch : misphief to the young and Volatile ,, was in high fash ion in Scotland . - To sneer at
religion wa $ deemed t o ' be genteeL That Philosophy , as far as it - rentes to religion ^ and morals , has s ; been i exposed , ^ ls utterly false , by oagYi of the most distinguished tale / Us .. , Wfciether ,
or not , rel ; gious princi p le b ^ ; bow , more firpily establiahcd , and more generally diffused , thun was the case in Mr , Burnetts time » VvI pretend jaot to determine , The » -French Revolutioo exhibited the \ most
ferocious aspecVs of infidelity , / asr connected \\\\ . \\ politics . Aa alarea ^ as , hence , spread ; und , altbtowgh it lie evidtent , to the smallest reflection , that irreligion has a tendency to subvert , the . best
interests of society , if not to dissolve it ; still , no reasoning * or permasion , could have excited the >^ terror occasioned by th \ $ revolutionary . ) > con % tul $ ion . Hence , greater external , respect , at least , | ia $ been shewn to religious
institutions ; and infidelity is * now ^ gencraljly Connected wiw . licentious political opinions . This mty probably , procure a fair hearing touthe , GoB p ^ l , and obtain a candioT exarnirtation of
its principled and tenets , vTo a mind , habituated to refer all events to the direction of Provideijce / it will appear that ,, to produce this resold , was pro bably one reason for the . permission ; of such , hoitrible ^ onvufeions , and trernetidous ^ uliui ^ tios ^ 4 s have ; qharac - ^ le ^ ifetl oi ^ r p \ yH Jim ^^ c Qt f ! he athei
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Mempir relative to John Burnett , Ety . qfDsfis . ^ M
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Aug. 2, 1816, page 441, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2455/page/5/
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