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    couid rta ^^ Jtitekded as a deaenjraon of th& th ^ i ^^ of ^ U maokiirf « ^«^ tinieiOT ^^ f ^ ydlsli ^ ri ^ tetti - 'ISfe maaneif iUi ? 'wMfch ^ Efsfcofr these characters is expressed , ^ tefere is none righteojig , * 1 ^ not rO ^ l ^ r&M hone that underetandeth and seeketh after

    God / ' is at fipst view so general , that persons who i&ve adopted the worst opinion of human nature , and would represent it in its most depraved state , may from hence take occa ^ oa to say , that this is absolutely asserted to the full extent Qf the words , which are universal and without restriction .

    But before such an opinion of the whole hum&n race , by nature , can be justly deduced from such a passage of Scripture , it should be considered , whether such general expressions are not frequently fcfund ymong all writers in a relaxed sense . Such there

    certainly are , which we understand accordingly , without any difficulty . Is it not then possible this may be the case , nay , will it not be found the probable setise of this very passage ? The Psalmist does nat speak of human nature itself , or of all mankind as

    naturally corrupt and utterly indisposed to all good , and continually inclined to evUj but of the habits of wickedness which men had contracted by their own evil-doings . This is not to be understood of every man then living , as if there were none righteous , no not a single individual . For hTthe

    very Psalm from which these passages are taken , in which David , in such strong colours , describes the wickedness of some , he , at the same time , speaks of the good an $ l virtuous who were then iji the nation , in opposition to these vicious persons . " IThere

    were they" ( the workera of iniquity ) " in great fear ; for God is in the generation of the righteous . " H ^ ere the ri g hteous are opposed to the wicked , which shews that there Were ? men at that time , and in that nation , tjd whom the latter character < Ud nfct belong . The next part of the description , ' ' There

    is none thqfi understandeth , that seeketh after &o $ , " iftgthe saine manner dpes m $ imply auy iiore thl * n that there were but , qompanitively tew tfeat did sq . 1 ^ cannot lie supposed a umverspl character of all jnen , with--out exc ^ t ^ i ^ ^ h ^^^ fm ^ &mn *> emg hnyiiig revealed him ^ eAf t 6 the ' ' ews , that ipevefofiw , as w < $ l . *« * the

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    Works of God , <^ rt ^ nly ^ Mfe ^ di of them to ^ eekW m ^ mm ^^ m ^ slffchd his will . > Many also ^ no ^ ttfei Gentiles -were not % vitWut theiSmcpif idea after the Supreme < Muse and Sii « > perintending Power of the univei ^ e > And although they were not so successful in their researches ibto ihe

    nature and perfections of the Efiyinfc Being , as to attain a true understanding and just conceptions ofNttf&i&dh the gjory due unto his name , ttrat idolatry and superstition in ;^ li * tiiei # forms " ^ rew to thei r greatest tex <^ e »^ and universally prevailed , y et ii ap ^ pears from the writings of their gredte ^ t and best men , that God was the

    subject of their serious and diligent inquiries- and some of them had so far understood the subject as to speak of the Divine existence and character in the most just and sublime manner .

    And , whieh is $ 9 their great honour , men of the most illustrious genius arid in the highest civil stations in Greece and Rome , when they retired from the forum to their beautiful villas ;

    employed their time in rational and ingenious conversations upon this tojiic ; upon the nature , wdrks and ptfcftitteiSfce of God ; the laws of nature ; tfee du ^ y , destination and hope of man ; and the like important inquiries *

    The next part of the sentence , € t They are all gone out of the woy ^ they are together become unprofitable / ' being not such absolute characters of evil as the otheV , need not lie »

    taken notice of ; but what follows ia of the same exclusive nptilre of all degrees of good as the tw 6 first . Now * this expression , ** Theie is none that doeth g * ood , no not one , ** isnaotij I ap * prebend , intended to set forth the nature pf man as utterly averse to all

    good , and destitute of all principle and disposition to do : good in any instance , nof to assert that pot ? one single person among the race < bf m £ & ? doeth good . The Scriptutte f &lfoiv

    and suppose tliat there are-ipen who do good , who perform actariof kittdntess and beneficence , of vitoie » fiiSfl 3 ^ w ^ . ness , and that from gooxl iprili ^ iptes * aad dispositions . And expenende ^ will testify that it cajinot be said uuiver sally , " there is notie that doeth goodi ¦

    no not one . 'U :- *• > ";• - ¦• • * ;*' ifryyi- "* r The trulh , therefore , appears to be ^ that this character , as ' Well aa tli ^ former , is not levelled at' hitina ^ ^ v

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    Mr . Manning on / e ^^< ia \ vlO-Mt 2 , ^^ s ^ Pmlm xiv . 1—3 , $ 1

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    you xvii . . c

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Jan. 2, 1822, page 9, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2508/page/9/