ON THE NECESSITY OF A DIVINE ""Tis revelation satisfies all doubts, Of all the subjects which excite the attention of mankind, there is not one in which their interests are so deeply involved, as that of religion. Every thing else, which is either the object of the corporeal or the mental faculties, only concerns man as a fugitive inhabitant of time, and is no further contributary or detrimental to his happiness, than as it applies to him in the immediate character of friendship or enmity, ease or pain, knowledge or ignorance. Hence we discover a universal disposition to consider every thing of an inferior order, and of less consequence, than that which constitutes theological sentiment, and is employed to direct the conduct, and inspire the hopes or fears which relate to a superior being, and a future state. We cannot recognize the foregoing facts without inferring, that, where there is such a prevalence of appetite, there is an adaptation of capacity, and that an adaptation of capacity presumes the truth and reality of some religious system, which is suited to the moral feelings and habits of the mind. A glance at the various theories which have originated in human peccability and weakness, is sufficient to discern the fallacy of their principles, and the incompetency of their energies to the end proposed. I shall therefore endeavour, in this paper, to evince the necessity of such a system, as should recommend itself to mankind by the divinity of its orign and its nature. It will appear, I. From the constitution of the human soul. Not like the beasts which perish, is that being whom the Eternal God has placed at the head of the inferior creation; but invested with faculties of mind, he is as dissimilar in construction as in appearance, and in the features of his conduct. The union of a spiritual with a material substance, has conferred an extent of capacity, not to be filled by all the objects of corporeal life; and the gratification arising from a participation of the common privileges of animals, is inpotent to grant that plenitude of felicity, for which he has the appetite and desire. Notwithstanding the abi lity of reason to project schemes, in which it may eminently display its stinct, still he fails to enjoy so dele superiority over the energies of intably as he wishes, and therefore seeks some higher theme, which shall fully involve the operation of his faculties, and fix a point and a limit for their tendencies. In revealed religion we find a subject adapted to that mertal insatiety, and behold a theme whose nature affords dignified and exquisitely beautiful topics for contemplation, admiration, and enjoyment. II. Because the moral nature of man requires a standard, by which virtue and vice shall be properly distinguished,-the life regulated, and the fears and hopes of the mind adjusted and excited. That man has a moral quality of mind, is one of those undisputed facts which flow unassailed onward in the tide of sentiment. Referring then to that fact in our present business, it must be admitted that this attribute should fully develop itself. To be unfettered by ignorance or prejudice, it is essential that it be competent at once to recognize the nature of objects, and discern how and when virtue is distinct from vice, and when either is comparative or absolute. It may be urged-reason itself is equal to this work, and that, by its operation, all the ends of moral feeling may be accomplished. Not to dispute what reason could effect, if it resided where there had been no infraction of moral rights, and no consequent degeneracy of principle, it must be replied, that reason, as it is now exemplified dered by sin, is vastly unequal to it. by faculties all polluted and disorTrue, there are some lineaments of its primal aspect-some traces of its ante-fallen nature, and it is owing to these, that where revelation is still unknown, the distinction between virtue and vice is yet partly preserved. But the immature state in which every ethical system is found, whose parts have not been framed and united by any super-human help, evinces that moral feeling would be very low, and almost intangible, were it not excited by divine energy; and that pure ideas | gance and incoherence of that intelliof virtue and vice would be unknown, gence, which is exposed to the barbawere they not revealed by one who ric waste of time, and the confusion cannot err, and memorialized in the and rust of age. literature of successive ages, that the Divine will might be known to all. Void of that knowledge, how ill would the conduct of mortals be regulated, and in what disorder and absurdity would the affairs of society be carried on. For a proof of this, we need only advert to the condition of those who, either through their obstinacy, or the accident of situation, are unacquainted with divine things; and it will be seen, that it is far from being other wise than what excites the disgust, and compassion, and pity, of an enlightened mind. They have indeed their peculiar and valued notions, at whose shrine they bow, and by whose principles they are actuated; but it must be seen, their hopes and fears are excited falsely, and the energies of their mind devoted, by consequence, to what ends at best in delusion and disappointment. Without a Divine Revelation, therefore, that which is now (be it said with gratitude) only partial, and it is hoped temporary, would be found universal; and anarchy and discord,idolatry and superstition,-strife and revenge, would ravage and ruin the noble rational. III. Divine Revelation is necessary in order that men might know to what to attribute their demoralized condition, and ascertain if there be any means of recovery. To be acquainted with the existence of disease, and know neither its origin nor remedy, is to increase the affliction, and sadden the sensibilities, of the mind. That no investigation which might be instituted could ever obtain the requisite information, is evident from the circumstances themselves, abstractedly considered, and the nature of that knowledge which the records of Divine Truth furnish. We here perceive that the origin of evil could never be ascertained, and its consequences no more easily apprehended, since it would be impossible for the mind to penetrate the barrier of death, and familiarize itself with the proceedings of eternity. The means of recovery from the condition of sin, if any existed, would likewise be hidden, as it is the peculiar province of the being offended to provide both the means, and the knowledge of those means, if such was his will and pleasure; and this would be to execute what the foregoing is designed to prove necessary: for if we admit that man, remaining in darkness and deprivation, was deplorably miserable, and that the Creator possesses the benevolent affections we conceive to be inherent in his nature, we must infer that Divine Revelation is essential to the melioration of his circumstances. IV. That the human soul might arrive at the greatest possible knowledge of itself, and be satisfied respecting the apprehensions it is wont to indulge of immortal life. What hourly passes in the human breast, and is daily witnessed abroad in creation, satisfies the mind addicted to inquiry, that human nature has sustained a severe calamity. Thus The intestine operations of mind, by far is information derived from the an inevitable tendency, convince it posture and influence of facts; but of the dissimilitude of their nature these sources can disclose no more. from all that is corporeal. The ability Of the prior causes and ultimate to think, reflect, reason, and anticieffects, the mind is left in ignorance, pate, invincibly prove that the soul -to speculate in theories, and indulge is the wildest notions, or look with apathy at the question, and with passive but affecting indifference, gaze at the sorry lot of mortals, and wonder they should exist. Tradition might indeed convey to distant ages tidings of the disastrous event; but the ignorance connected with that event, is calculated to distort the features of truth, and obliviate what was most important of the narrative; hence the extrava "Of subtler essence than the trodden clod." But its discoveries are so limited, that it fails to educe, from any exertion of its intellect, what, as a whole, it is. It does indeed comprehend much, but it is obliged to apprehend far more. From its spiritual habits, it is led to guess, that its duration cannot expire when the material associate dissolves; and with that guess and that doubt it must continue agitated, | duced into the family of heaven ;if no foreign information alight on the mind. fixed in the belief of immortality, and taught how to render it glorious,-a Divine Revelation should be, and is, happily, made to man. Helstone, June, 1822. KENYON. J. H. L. For the soul to be left in this condi- LETTER FROM MR. CRABTREE TO LORD tion, would be to exclude it from its interests, and prevent that noble expansion of its faculties, which would follow such a knowledge, as would discountenance its doubts, and extinguish its perplexities. This conducts me to my position, that Divine knowledge is absolutely necessary. Lastly, That the soul might ascertain the nature of the posterior life it anticipates, and thus be enabled to institute any proceedings, which might be requisite to secure such an existence as it would desire. THE following letter, replete with mo- (The date of Mr. Crabtree's letter must be inferred from that of Lord Kenyon's answer.) "My Lord, The comparison between present and eternal things, falls short of any dimensions. The ponderous magnitude of infinity overwhelms the fleeting contingencies of time, and swallows all in its inconceivably profound abyss. Hence, in the mind awakened to an idea of its immortality, and indulging hopes of interminable years, it is natural there should be the inquiry, how far the present taste and habits are such as may resemble the future, and whether any change of sentiment or practice should be experienced, as a capacitating fitness for another world. Enwrapped with so much obscurity and perversion of feeling as pervades this lower scene, the possibility of correct judgment in the case is almost,-is completely, excluded. The loveliness of virtue, and deformity of vice, might indeed shew on which reward would probably be bestowed, and punishment inflicted; but how effectually to avert wrath and secure mercy, would be unknown, as is fully proved by every human theo-rect its exertions, is like a traveller on logical theory, and as is yet more per- a pathless desart, bewildered and tingently evinced, by the peculiarities confused; it proceeds without knowof that Revelation which God has ing whither, and perhaps sinks in the given us. pursuit of that, which, by timely assistance, it might have attained with pleasure. In order, therefore, that the dignified, though fallen inhabitant of earth, might be invested with all his mental and moral privileges ;-be defecated from the impurity of sin, and pardoned of the guilt of rebellion;-restored from the distance of revolt, and intro "I am a young man about to enter into the profession, at the head of which you preside with such distinguished eminence; and am desirous of moving in the sphere I am placed in, with as much credit as it will admit of. To gain a competent knowledge of the spirit and principles of the law, must be most essentially necessary to the pure practice of it; and I am now induced, by the accounts I have always heard of your Lordship's goodness, humbly to request, that you will be pleased to honour me so much as to communicate to me the course of reading necessary to be pursued in order to attain so desirable an end. "The mind, without a guide to di “Your Lordship will certainly be astonished at my presumption, yet I trust you will not wonder at the reason of it. It is natural for a man eager after knowledge, to wish to Lord Kenyon's Answer to Mr. Crab- A Discourse delivered at Plymouth, "Sir, tree's Letter. "I am afraid you have concluded before this time I decline to answer your letter: to say the truth, I had some suspicion that the letter did not come from a real person; but being convinced of that, I do not delay to write to you. I wish it was in my power to propose any plan that you could rely on. The truth is, that in the study of the law, a mass lies before the student enough to deter young minds, and they are left to hazard in which road to proceed. "I would advise you to read very carefully Blackstone's Commentaries; and if you would have the perseverance to go through it two or three times, I believe it would be of great use. After this, you may, perhaps, with some advantage, read Serjeant Hawkins's Abridgment of Coke's Littleton, and then proceed to Coke's Littleton, accompanying that arduous task with reference to the Abridgment I have mentioned, which will point out to you those parts of that vast work which are now rather obsolete. When you have done this, you will read the more modern Reports; Sir James Burrows's, Mr. Douglas's, Cowper's, and the Term Reports; and in Equity, the 1st vol. of Equity Cases Abridged; Mr. Cox's Edition of Peer Williams's; Hawkins's Reports in the time of Lord Talbot; and Precedents in Chancery. By the time this is done, you will be as good a (America,) in Commemoration of the First Settleme of New England. By Daniel Webster. Wells and Lilly, Boston. MR. EDITOR. SIR,-I rejoice to have it in my power, among the foremost of our periodical contemporaries, to lay before your readers some account of a production of the American press, highly creditable to the talents and good feeling of the individual writer, and of the society from which it emanates. It at once abounds with the finest eloquence, varied display of knowledge, national liberality of opinions, and profound remarks. From the pen of a gentleman of distinguished rank and abilities in the law, whose merits are very generally appreciated and admired in his own country, such a display of genuine oratory and powers of mind, comprehending much that is great and excellent in government, national manners, and religion, cannot but be interesting to the lovers of freedom, liberality, and religious toleration, on this side of the Atlantic. Under this impression, I proceed to give some extracts, which I think will fully substantiate the foregoing remarks: premising only, that the discourse was given to the Transatlantic public, at the request of the society, which thus concludes the invitation to the Hon. Daniel Webster, through their Secretary.— "While in the performance of this duty, as honourable as it is pleasing, I am directed to subjoin, that the Committee of the Massachusetts Historical Society, and of the American Antiquarian Society, who attended on this occasion by invitation, unite in the request. After a few more general preliminary observations, the learned and accomplished speaker thus continued his discourse: "It is a noble faculty of our nature, which enables us to connect our thoughts, our sympathies, and our happiness, with what is distant in place or time; and looking before and after, to hold communion at once with our ancestors and our posterity. Human and moral although we are, we are nevertheless not mere insulated beings, without relation to the past or the future. Neither the point of time, nor the spot of earth in which we physically live, bounds our rational and intellectual enjoy ments. We live in the past by a knowledge of its history; and in the future, by hope and anticipation. By ascending to an association with our ancestors; by contemplating their example, and studying their character; by partaking their sentiments, and imbibing their spirit; by accompanying them in their toils, and rejoicing in their successes and their triumphs; we mingle our own existence with theirs, and seem to belong to their age. We become their contemporaries, live the lives which they lived, endure what they endured, and partake in the rewards which they enjoyed. We protract our own earthly being, and seem to crowd whatever is future, as well as all that is past, into the narrow compass our earthly existence. As it is not a vain and thoughtless, but an exalted and religious imagination, which leads us to raise our thoughts from the orb, which, amidst this universe of worlds, the Creator has given us to inhabit, and to send them with something of the feeling which nature prompts, and teaches to be proper among children of the same eternal Parent, to the contemplation of the myriads of fellow beings, with which his goodness has peopled the infinite space; so neither is it false or vain to consider ourselves as interested and connected with our whole race, through all time; allied to our ancestors, allied to our posterity, closely compacted on all sides with others; ourselves being but links in the great chain of being, which runs onward through its successive generations, binding together the present, the past, and the future-and terminating at last, with the consummation of all things earthly, at the throne of God. of "And we would leave here, also, for the generations which are rising up rapidly to fill our places, some proof that we have endea voured to transmit the great inheritance animpaired; that in our estimate of public princi ples and private virtues, in our veneration of religion and piety, in our devotion to civil and religious liberty, in our regard to whatever advances human knowledge, or improves he man happiness, we are not altogether unworthy of our origin. "Great actions and striking occurrences having excited a temporary admiration, often pass away and are forgotten, because they leave no lasting results affecting the prospe rity and happiness of communities. Such is, frequently, the fortune of the most brilliant military achievements. Of the ten thousand battles which have been fought; of all the fields fertilized with carnage; of the banners which have been bathed in blood; of the warriors who have hoped that they had risen from the field of conquest, to a glory as bright and as durable as the stars, how few continue long to interest mankind! "The victory of yesterday is reversed, by the defeat of to-day; the star of military glory, rising like a meteor, like a meteor has fallen; disgrace and disaster hang on the wheels of conquest and renown; victor and vanquished presently pass away into oblivion, and the world goes on in its course, with the loss only of so many lives and so much treasure." But I must here omit much interesting matter, to arrive at portions of the work more immediately applicable to passing events, to this country, and the general purpose I have in view. The author proceeds to state: "Some retrospect of the past century which has now elapsed, is among the duties of the occasion. It must, however, necessarily be compressed within the limits of a simple discourse. I shall content myself, therefore, with taking notice of a few of the leading and most important occurrences, which have distinguished the period. "When the first century closed, the pregress of the country appeared to have been considerable, notwithstanding that, in comparison with its subsequent advancement, it now seems otherwise. A broad and lasting founds tion had been laid, excellent institutions bad been established, much of the prejudices of former times had been removed, a more liberal and catholic spirit on subjects of religious concern had begun to extend itself, and may things conspired to give promise of increasing future prosperity. "Standing in this relation to our ancestors and our posterity, we are assembled on this "Perhaps it may also be added, that during memorable spot, to perform the duties which the period of the civil wars in England, and the that relation, and the present occasion, impose reign of Cromwell, many persons whose reliupon us. We have come to this rock, to re-gious opinions and religious temper might, cord here our homage for our pilgrim fathers, our sympathy in their sufferings, our gratitude for their labours, our admiration of their virtues, and our attachment to those principles of civil and religious liberty, for which they encountered the dangers of the ocean, the storms of heaven, the violence of savages, disease, exile, and famine, to enjoy and to establish. under other circumstances, have induced them to join the New England colonists, found reasons to remain in England; either on account of active occupations in the scenes which were passing, or of an anticipation of the enjoyment in their own country of a form of government, civil and religions, accommodated to their views and principles. The violent measures too, pursued against the colonies in the reign |