which diftinguishes him from brute animals, who live by fenfe. This noble quality fubjects to us the material world, and rules over the bafer appetites of our nature; and makes men, in focial intercourfe and fublimity of comprehenfive thought, like gods. Reafon is the inftrument by which we difcover Scripture to be the word of God, by which we are capable of receiving divine illumination, and of being made temples of the Holy Spirit. By means of the human understanding, and the improvement of it, we hope to spread Chriftian faith and practice. A ftrange prejudice it is to separate reafon from piety: reafon indeed, without revelation, teaches not the way to everlasting happiness; but revelation is exprefsly addreffed to the reasonable faculties of man, and when it makes its way by means of the paffions, errors immediately enfue. It is alfo truly faid, that our great corruption is fhewn in the pride of reason: but here the evil lies not in the thing itself, but in the perversion of it, through felf-love. There is a pride of mental and of bodily endowments, of riches, even of charity: which are all good in themselves, and may be used to the best purposes; but pride cankers and poisons them, as it caused Satan and his angels to fall from heaven. Let us not then confound together good fenfe and felf-conceit, which are fo dif

ferent, not to fay oppofite, that the phrase, "a "reasonable man," implies in common difcourse a character of moderation and humility. Let us never forget, that it is the characteristic glory of Proteftantism to have introduced into matters of religion the authority of reason, instead of fuperftitious tyranny. The Church of Rome employed defpotic power, and the Anabaptifts fanatical zeal, as means to promote Christianity while moderate Protestants, and our Church in particular, employed learning and virtue for this purpose, after the example of the primitive Fathers. For Justin Martyr and Clement of Alexandria were learned in all branches of Gentile philofophy; Origen's reputation for erudition is perhaps greater than that of any man of any age; and Tertullian and Cyprian were killed in the study and practice of rhetoric and law, and in the literature of the times. Let us make a firm stand upon this high ground, and discountenance that disproportionate connection, which is sometimes pretended to exift, between infpiration and ignorance; affuring ourselves that true and found knowledge is the most useful handmaid of religion, and next to piety the brightest ornament of human nature.

There can be neither learning, nor knowledge, nor religion, without inftruction; the principal part of which is the education of

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youth. The catechetical fchools at Alexandria, which furnished a regular official employment to Clement and Origen, and the anxious care exhibited by Cyprian on the subject of the baptifm and Chriftian training of infants and children, fufficiently manifeft the fentiments of antiquity on this point. In a barbarous, that is to fay, an uneducated fociety, men perceive not that a partial submiffion of individuals is expedient for the neral happiness: each thinks it difgraceful to yield his own will, because no motive for conceffion is proposed to him but fear. Education fhews, that the true bond of focial intercourse is mutual advantage, and that asperity and violence defeat this end: it gives habits of obedience and conciliation, and while it takes away a portion of personal freedom and power, it provides greater fecurity and happiness under the more ample protection of laws. Add to this, that Christian education, strengthened as it now is by the enlarged distribution of the holy Scriptures, fuppofes and includes an attention to good morals and true religion, which are more cogent reftraints upon evil actions and evil thoughts than any human enactments. The profperity of the community is infeparable from the prosperity of individuals and the condition of human nature can be improved only by cultivating the hu

man understanding, and directing it habitually. to good, in fuch a manner that selfish and wicked propenfities may not have opportunity, to fhoot forth, and the benevolent affections may flourish with increased vigour, by conftant nurture and exercise. Without education the mental faculties are like wafte land, capable indeed of great products, but unemployed and ufelefs; and the bodily frame grows to the maturity of manhood, while the intellectual and divine part remains a blank.

By knowledge, in this extended fenfe of the word, man is diftinguished from man. Human nature in favage life excels in instinct and perfonal strength, because the animal part is moft exercised: and in that ftate, the paffions have uncontrolled fway, and rage with the violence of tempefts. Science, and art, and policy, good order, and tranquillity, all that makes life defirable, whatsoever things. are lovely and of good report, these are the work of reason, dispensed and improved under the especial favour of Providence. Still from the corruption of human nature, unrenewed and unconverted by Chriftian grace, the best faculties and attainments are continually perverted to evil purposes: and those which are moft powerful become the most efficient engines of deftruction.

The propagation of Christianity is the true

remedy for the miferies of mankind. The Christian alone knows how to turn to good account all the events of this probationary pilgrimage: "Blessed is the man, whose strength " is in thee, O Lord; in whose heart are thy ways: who going through the vale of mi"sery uses it for a well: and the pools are "filled with water. He will go from ftrength "to ftrength." The divine revelation fhews, what man difcovers not himself, that the fource of evil is innate human depravity: it directs him to faith in his crucified Redeemer for his juftification, and he prays to God for the grace of his fanctifying Spirit, that he may be enabled to do his will. The Fathers conftantly affert, that a Chriftian's hopes are better than those of other men, and therefore he is happier that his conduct is better, and therefore he conduces to the greater happiness of fociety. For the truth of this statement they appealed to facts, which are God's arguments, according to the fublime expreffion of Tertullian, "Res eft Dei ratio." After the lapfe of eighteen hundred years we make the fame appeal, affirming that the temporal happiness of nations and of individuals is promoted by the diffufion of Christianity, and that this is a proof and earnest of the bleffings which await Chrift's faithful followers in a future life. Confidering the indifference which