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existence of any objects external to ourselves, nor of any past events, we have no means whatever of arriving at the knowledge of his existence. The only possible indications of it, that fall within our grasp, are those furnished by the perceptions, affections, and volitions, which he creates in us; and as these cease to be, as soon as they come into existence, and moreover take place successively, or so that at most only one perception, affection, and volition, exists at the same identical moment, we manifestly are never in possession, at any one time, of sufficient materials for an argument. The premises cease to exist, ere the conclusion is created; the proofs vanish from being, before the result which they demonstrate is attained.

And even if that were not the fact,-if all the materials for the argument were to be created simultaneously in our minds, we still could have no certainty of the correctness of our conclusions; for as, according to the theory, neither the existence nor nature of those conclusions is caused even instrumentally by the evidences from which they are derived, but owe their being and nature entirely to the immediate act of God, we plainly can have no certainty that they actually sustain toward each other the relations which we ascribe to them, nor that their connexion is not wholly arbitrary and deceptive.

But it were an endless task to trace all the errors and absurdities of this system. Enough has been said to show it to be a wretched fiction of weak and infatuated minds, without a semblance of evidence to sustain it, abhorrent to all common sense and reason, and undisguisedly at war with every doctrine of natural and revealed religion. A scheme

more palpably false, more fatal to all human virtue and hope, and more fearfully impious in its imputations on the Most High, it may be safely said has never been devised by either the fanatical friends or enemies of his cause. It is matter of amazement that any can have imposed on themselves or others the belief of it, by the empty dogmatism and shallow argument which have been the sole instruments of its propagation.

The moral influence of the scheme must obviously be of the most unfriendly character. The views which it presents of God and his government, of ourselves and our destiny, in place of awakening joy and confidence in him, a feeling of security under his administration, and a holy gratitude for his goodness, are adapted to freeze every such affection, and inspire the horror of victims who find themselves thrown within the grasp of a merciless tyrant, or the stern and haughty contempt and disregard of those, who forced to believe that their agency cannot influence their fate, resolve to dismiss it from their concern. What influence on the subjects of an earthly monarch, would be exerted by a belief, that by some inexplicable influence he created all their actions, and arbitrarily rendered them rebellious or obedient as he pleased; and that he designed, in the same manner, to pardon or punish them, as his caprice or interest should dictate? Could it inspire any other feeling than that of horror, hatred, or utter recklessness? And how can this theory, which exhibits our immortal interests as in the hands of such a being, awaken any better feelings? While all other religious schemes produce a character in their disciples corresponding to their own, is

it to be expected that this is to prove an exception? I appeal to those who have witnessed its influence, whether such traits have not characterised its disciples?—whether it has not blunted their finer sensibilities, frozen up their sympathies, taught them to look forward to their own possible final destruction with singular indifference, and to contemplate the sacrifice which they anticipate of their fellow-men, with a kind of joy, as though it were to be in vindication of their system. It is, indeed, openly held and taught by them, that it is as much, and for the same reason, our duty to rejoice in the destruction of those who perish, as in the salvation of those who are redeemed; and to be as willing that the one destiny should be assigned to ourselves as the other.

Such being the character of the theory, those who adopt and inculcate it as a doctrine of revelation, assume a most fearful responsibility. To say that they take upon themselves to teach as from God what his word does not authorize, is to state but half the fact. The system is not only without authority from him, but involves the total subversion of his word. It is childish, out of any respect to them, it is criminal to overlook or disguise this fact. The scheme is totally false, or every fact of revelation, all human knowledge, all common sense, are an empty phantasm. It strikes as sure and fatal a blow at all religion, and certainty, as does the system of Hume. It, in truth, is his system in its most essential features, merely disguised under the name of Christian theology, in place of atheistical philosophy; and its propagators are the propagators of his sceptical theory against the gospel, in place of the gospel

itself. No matter what their character is; no matter what their intentions are; no matter how much truth they preach -inconsistently of course-along with their theory. That does not alter the fact in regard to the theory itself. So far as that is concerned, they are the disciples of Hume, not of Jesus Christ, the inculcators of atheism, not of the gospel of the grace of God. Is it not time that the church opened its eyes to this fact, and gave to the system-as to other fundamental errors-the place which it merits?

PROFESSOR TAYLOR'S

SERMON

ON THE

NATURE AND CAUSE OF SIN.

ONE of the most important of the views advanced in the foregoing pages, and in the earlier numbers of this work, is that obviously which respects the instrumentality of motives in determining the voluntary agency of mankind ;— the representation that the sole reason of their acting in the manner in which they do, lies in the moral influence exerted on them. This fundamental doctrine of theology and philosophy is involved in all the important positions I have employed myself in sustaining, as well as demonstrated by the arguments directly alleged for its support.

It obviously results from the fact that men are the efficient causes of their voluntary agency; as no other mode than that of moral suasion of influencing their conduct, can be imagined to be compatible with their giving birth to

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