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THE

Emperial Magazine ;

OR, COMPENDIUM OF

RELIGIOUS, MORAL, & PHILOSOPHICAL KNOWLEDGE.

DEC.]

"SOCIAL REFINEMENT HAS NO EXISTENCE WHERE LITERATURE IS UNKNOWN." [1822.

THE PHYSICAL AND MORAL WORLD.

No. 12.-The Scale of Grace illustrated, and the Morality belonging to this new State.

IN the course of this investigation, we have before observed, that the first step of the Moral scale, which is faith, is founded on the last of the Intellectual, which is humility and docility.

at first, where mere intellect ends and faith begins, does it afford a twilight by which the new-born soul can but imperfectly discern spiritual objects; but afterwards, it is by faith it stands, and overcomes, and conquers; "for this is the victory that overcometh the world," says the apostle John, even our faith."

Taking faith, therefore, along with us in the illustration of the different steps of the scale, and viewing it as the necessary ingredient which constitutes the whole; the scale of Grace will be found to harmonize with the scale of Nature in the following manner,

1. Light and Darkness, in the first step, are expressive of the imperfect views of faith in its almost incipient state, or state of embryo, just striking in upon the intellect like a faint twi

Faith, then, in the scale of Grace, occupies the same place that the Elemental does in the scale of Nature. But as nature, in its elemental aspect, is not a subject on which we can reason; so in like manner neither is faith. As the former presents us with a state of things which excludes all ideas of diversity or change; so faith, the latter, is to be considered simple, and not capable of being divided and subdivided into what have been non-light, when the soul is brought to sensically termed direct and reflex, circumflex and appropriating, acts of faith; but faith is simply to be considered as the belief of truth. And the reason why it is spoken of in such a particular manner in scripture, is not so much on account of the nature of faith itself, as of the nature of the truths it is called to believe. They are truths, as we have seen in the course of this inquiry, which stand directly opposed to the pride and false glory of the human intellect; and can never be admitted by creatures under the influence of such false principles, till they be converted and born again, and like little children be humble and docile, and ready to admit upon its own legitimate authority, without cavilling or gainsaying, all that God hath declared in his word.

But again, as the whole fabric of the material universe is composed of the elements of matter variously arranged; or rather, as this first principle runs throughout all the steps of the scale of matter; so does faith, which we may style the elemental state of grace, run throughout all the steps of the scale of grace. Not only No. 47-VOL. IV.

that state of humility and docility, that it is disposed to hearken to all that the Lord has to say. By and by it becomes stronger, as the light of divine truth shines into the mind. But, in this state, only seeing in part, as through a glass darkly, there is all along, as in the planetary system, a mixture, and sometimes even alternations, of light and darkness.

2. Attraction and Repulsion, are the next step in order; and are phenomena in the sale of grace, arising as naturally from the divine illumination which precedes, as does the instinct for food in the new-born infant. But let it be observed, that this attraction and repulsion, in the scale of grace, proceeds upon the inverse ratio of noxious moral attraction and repulsion; and therefore to illustrate the first by the last, you have just to reverse the whole.

3. Composition and Decomposition, go entirely upon the same principle. The Christian, as a wise moral chemist, will extract all the good out of subjects, and reject the bad. He will reduce many bulky subjects to their quintessence; and, out of all the 3Z

heaps of rubbish, which the zeal and industry of the foolish moral chemists have for ages been collecting, take only what is genuine, be it little or much. And if he seek to serve God and his church, as the others do the devil and the world; there is no danger but he will succeed both in his analysis and synthesis, and in the use to which both his simples and compounds may be applied.

4. Strength and Weakness, in the scale of grace, may be well illustrated, from the situation they hold in the scale, by the vegetable kingdom, whose soul and strength is derived from the sun. Place, therefore, in the scale of grace, the Sun of righteousness, and see how the Scripture doctrine harmonizes with this scheme. Like a plant or vegetable, the Christian is strong or weak, just as he receives, or does not receive, the benign influences of this glorious spiritual luminary. Without Christ he can do nothing; but through Christ strengthening him, he can do all things.

5. Action and Passion, in the scale of grace, are manifested, when not carnal, but divinely illuminated reason bears the sway in the intellect, and the passions are only spurs to urge us on in the performance of what reason, thus enlightened, discovers to be duty. Here it is that the world charges the Christian with enthusiasm and madness; but let them compare this step in the scale of grace, with its corresponding step of noxious action and passion in the scale of moral evil, and, themselves being judges, let them declare which is the enthusiast and the madman? But in grace, as well as in the animal or moral economy, there must be action and passion, otherwise it is impossible to serve the Lord. The state between these is, that of the lukewarm hypocritical formalist; a more disgustful and loathsome object it is impossible to meet with; it is such as God hath said he will spue out of his mouth. Here then let not the Christian be ashamed of his zeal, for it is good to be always zealously affected in a good cause; but let him rather learn a lesson from the way of the world; for it is well known, that, in all enterprises of importance, they will always prefer the man, ceteris paribus, who has his heart and soul in the work, to the lukewarm

and indifferent. If even an earthly prince would not thank a person for a service to which he must be dragged like a malefactor to the gibbet ; in the name of wonder, how can any expect the King of heaven to do so?

6. Knowledge and Ignorance, in the scale of grace, arise necessarily from the imperfection of the present state: "for here we know only in part; but when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.”

7. Right and Wrong, in the scale of grace, arise also necessarily from the imperfection of the present state; but it is incompatible with the Christian character heedlessly to allow wrong; so that in this last step of the scale, be is put upon examining, with much scrupulousness, all the steps which precede it; and perceiving in the whole train, that in many things he comes short, and offends in them all, he hence arrives by this last step at the very point where he began, that is to say, humility and docility; for he now sees his need of them more and more, and how vastly short his best performances are, of the grand summit of perfection to which his ardent soul aspires!

We come now to speak of the morality belonging to this new state.

It is to be observed, with regard to the morality founded upon this scheme of gospel grace, that it is radically the same with that formerly founded upon the moral principle in the rational soul. They equally inculcate love to God and man, as the one point on which the whole hangs; and differ only as it respects the motive by which this principle is inculcated. In regard to the one, man stood to God in the relation of a creature to its Creator; and to love and serve him with all the heart, and soul, and strength, and mind, as the Author and Preserver of its being, were the motives that naturally inspired his soul. But in regard to the other, man is in the state of a lost, but redeemed sinner; and as this new relation is effected solely by the grace of God in the gospel of his Son, so the motive to love and obedience, in this new relation, in addition to the former, arises from the nature of the case.

When God redeemed his people out of Egypt, the law of love, or of the ten commandments, which he then promulgated, was prefaced

with these words, "I am JEHOVAH | troubling you with these few thoughts thy ALEIM, which have brought thee out upon that great source of error,-Preof the land of Egypt, out of the house of judice. bondage." Here is a further motive urged, than that of mere Creator and Preserver, even that of a Deliverer; and it serves as a fit example by which to represent the nature of the motives under which we are now laid by the scheme of grace in the gospel.

But a difficulty here occurs, which, to many, is exceedingly perplexing, namely, whether these new motives are to be considered as binding on all men, or only upon the saved; and whether they ought to be urged upon all indiscriminately, or only upon such as believe in Christ Jesus.

I freely own, that there is indeed a difficulty here, and could it be clearly solved, it would tend very much to set the gospel free from those shackles, and fetters, and distorted views, which have ever been given to it by all the partisans in Christendom.

But though we have many weighty considerations to advance on this important subject, and many further elucidations to unfold, of the scheme of gospel grace, upon this new method of treating the subject; yet as these would lead into too lengthened a discussion in the close of this paper, and as this paper completes the series for the present year; so we conclude the whole, by wishing that a similar benefit may arise to the reader, that the writer flatters himself he has derived in composing them.

$, Elder-Street, Edinburgh, Aug. 12, 1822.

ON PREJUDICE.

SOCRATES was styled, by Apollo, the "Wisest of Men," because he drew the attention of mankind from subjects of remote interest, and fixed it upon the government of their passions, and the regulation of their minds. And if happiness in time and in eternity be the end of all our actions; if this end cannot be gained unless our actions are worthy; and if the worthiness of our actions depend upon the proper regulation of our minds; surely every one is deserving of some share of praise who but endeavours to point out the springs of error, and to lay down rules for their avoidance. shall therefore offer no apology for

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It is one of the greatest principles of wisdom, says a well-known writer, "that the degrees of our assent to every proposition should bear an exact proportion to the different degrees of evidence." So that it is not the mere forming a judgment upon weak evidence, which ought to be called prejudice, (as the definition given of it by the same writer would seem to imply,) but, to deserve that title, the judgment must be stronger than the evidence will warrant. I will therefore define prejudice to be a fixed judgment formed upon weak evidence.

As then we have seen "that wisdom consists in apportioning the degree of our assent to the degree of evidence," for by so doing we form correct judgments; so it is the part of folly, to form determined opinions upon slight evidence, for by that means we imbibe prejudices in the place of real knowledge. Taking it then for granted, that prejudice is folly, and therefore ought to be avoided; I will proceed, without delay, to lay down a few rules, by the observance of which, we may, in a great measure, keep our minds from falling into so grievous an error.

From my definition of prejudice, it will appear evident, I think, that whether our judgments may be termed knowledge, or but mere prejudices, will depend in a great measure upon the quality and quantity of the evidence upon which they are formed; and, consequently, that it behoves us to take care that the quality of it is as good, and the quantity of it as extensive, as the subject upon which we are forming our judgment will admit. That we may be able to do this, it is necessary that we should have clear ideas of the various kinds of evidence, and of the different degrees of reliance which may be placed on each. Watts distributes the several kinds of evidence into these six: "Sense, Consciousness, Intelligence, Reason, Faith, and Inspiration;" upon each of which I will offer a few remarks. In the first place, then, of Sense :-If our senses are in a state of perfection, great reliance may be placed upon the information they give; indeed, when the evidence of one sense is corrobo

rated by that of another, conclusions may be drawn from it with greater certainty, perhaps, than from any of the other kinds of evidence, excepting that of inspiration; but then, let the opinions which the vulgar form concerning the heavenly bodies, teach us (when the truth of a proposition relies wholly upon the evidence of one sense) how liable we are to be deceived. Of "Consciousness" and " Intelligence," I need say but little, consciousness being but internal sensa tion, and intelligence the evidence conveyed by self-evident propositions. The evidence of "Reason," we gain from a natural and regular train of argumentation, in the course of which, we probably bring into requisition most of the other kinds of evidence; so that before we admit propositions founded upon reason, as certain evidence, we must make them undergo the severest scrutiny; when, however, any of these four kinds of evidence, (viz.) those of sense, consciousness, intelligence, or reason, are found to be firm and indisputable, the conclusions we draw from them are called natural certainties.

The evidence of faith we derive from the informations of others; therefore, before we put confidence in such evidence, we must take a number of subordinate circumstances into consideration, as, the general credibility of our informer; the opportunities he had of getting information upon the particular subject of which he is informing us; whether he was likely to be biassed by any political, religious, or party feeling; whether there are any other persons who saw, and whose testimony corroborates, the same fact; and a number of other circumstances, which will have great weight in enabling us to determine what degree of reliance we may place upon such evidence. When a proposition founded upon the evidence of Faith," from a number of corroborating circumstances, amounts to a great degree of probability, it is called by logicians a moral certainty. And, further, this kind of evidence is divided into human and divine: it being called human, when depending upon the testimony of man; and divine, when depending upon the testimony of God. Of the evidence of faith, when depending upon human testimony, I have already spoken; so that I will only add, that

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when it is said to depend upon the testimony of God, we have only to ascertain its divine origin to give a proposition founded upon it our inmediate assent. Of the evidence of "Inspiration," as it falls to the lot of so few to be favoured with it, I will say very little; only, that as it is deriv ed immediately from God, its force must be overwhelming; and of course | the propositions founded upon it will be as true as God is true, who cannot lic.

I have thus made a few brief remarks upon the various kinds of evidence, and upon the reliance we may place upon each. And if prejudice were altogether caused by an ignorance of these points, it would follow of course, that nothing further would be necessary than to overcome this ignorance, in order to be entirely free from prejudices: but, as there is another cause of prejudice, viz. a wrong appropriation of our judgments, it will be necessary to make a few observations upon the causes which give rise to it.

Were we in a state of innocence and purity, free from the corruptions which sin has introduced, our judg ments would be unshackled, and our decisions correct; but as this is far from being the case in our present degraded state, it is incumbent upon us to inquire into those causes which operate as perverters of our judg ments. These causes are too nume rous to render it possible to give any tolerable account of them in a mere essay of this kind; therefore I shall not attempt it, but shall rest satisfied with merely noticing a few of the principal.

As the passions make us view every kind of evidence through a false me dium, and consequently prevent us from apportioning our judgments aright; they may, I think, be termed the most fruitful sources of prejudice. From which we may perceive the ne cessity of keeping a continual watch over these disturbers of the mind; or otherwise, what were given to us by our Creator but as spurs to action, and to increase our happiness, will become the bane of our lives, and the destroyers of the best purposes of our souls. Parents, therefore, who teach their children to bring their passions under the government of reason, instruct them, in fact, in one

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