The National Register. — London, England, 1813-11-07 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGPSTER... NOV. at war . with reason, which assertion does not prove" that the, man acts from unreasonable motives who acts under the in- fluence of gratitude, love, hope," &c. but if be does not re gulate those passions by reason, they cease to be .7ratitude, lore, hope, Site or at least they lase that amiable part c‘f their character which entitles them to admiration, and become l' i prejudicial to their possessor. The quotation from ('grin- I i thians certainly does not prove that• St. Paul addressed only the passions (and it is a remarkable negative to that supposi- ' tion that St. Paul reasons even to metaphysical distinctions, and strives more than any other Aros - tle, to impress the minds of the pi imitive believers with the rati..notity as well as divinity i of the Christian code), but it appears to prove that the Co. rinthians had made use of their reason, which occasioned that 1 carefulness, clearing themselves, &c. (which term clearing im- 1 plies reasoning in sonic degree) be commends in them. If V.-A. can possibly imagine that I conceive religion has no- I thing to do with the passions, he mast have read what I wrote j very hastily ; but I would make a distinction, and soften I, passions into alTertio.,s when they concern celestial objects, and me theta as passions when applied to terrestrial. That the affections must be deeply engaged in religi , n is too pal- I rble a truth for any one to deny (and I am glad V. A. ! allows reason as necessary to direct them), but this does not i prove that preaching to the passions alone is most service able to religion; iedeed it is to that custom we perhaps owe 1 so much of the evil animadverted upon by Onesims in the paragraph I have alltided to. V A. observes " vain arc that man's professions," &c. (page (36, line , 1, of your paper) I I' believe, search all hearts, the" hope of 1 ew at d," and the " fear I of puoishment," are the great instruments that excite to re- , ligious and mota! actions, and these, by some of the first I polemical writers, ate acknowledged" good" and not " vain." 1 I ant afraid without them there would he little, if any, reli- 1 , giott. Chr:st and his disciples make strong use of them. ij A man who " - breaks tirst through one band of sin and then another" from this " hope and 'fear," certainly cannot be I. said to act in " vain," because bore and fear are given to I make us " grow in grace," (that is, gradually glow in vi , tue ; i far gradual reformation seldom, if ever, relapses), and it' we I do bre ik a bond of sin, the promised reward must follow ; a hatred of that sin will eventually succeed, and a love of ho liness, which is simply, a state of virtue. " A habit of vir tue acquired," is more likely to be permanent than virtue in any other way obtained. The very term habit, implies con stancy, and constancy in virtue cannot be " vain," atql %% bete virtue is, the heart niu.i be concerned: no man can accom plish a habit of virtue without that necessary requisite ; and 1 believe most pious men will agree that " hope and feat are:the grounds of all real religion. In fact, no man can have that hope and fear really without a cot respoedio4 love for virtue and distaste of vice. V. A. acknowledge s that the discourses of Chi ist were chiefly ethical, and sa3s " a satis factory and conclusive reason may be given"----true, that he thought them most eminently necessairy to film Chris thins If V. A. fancies I Inca» that moral discourses are alone to be preached, he misanderstarids me. I iowever ex cellent morality is, and without it religion is iii vain, yet morality alone cannot open a man's eyes to the light of Christianity. Our doctrine, in the la% e of our Cod, com bines two branches. Lore of God, which is rel'gion, lore of our . neighbour, &c. which is morality ; but in the yaiious Napes which I have sent to your u'.eful raise:ha:ly, V. A. may read my opinions on this head at large, for neither have J time nor von room to detail them h:•re. That preachers • a: e never to addle, .s the atfeetioos or passions, 1 never as serted ; I'. only assert that preachers who rest all their labours ton them, are most likely to labour in vain.. To excite a po- 715 'pular tumult, cunning men • address the passions exclusively and what is the•consequence ? Why •a tumuit—neer to be defended, for it is always mischit sous in its effect. Religion stands in the same predicament ; for religion, not depending on the uncle' standing, is but a passion itself; and like all pas sions nest founded on reason, must expand itself; and this it is occasions so many etohusiasts to become in the end Deists and Atheists. .The man who works-upon the passions may make many instantaneous and violent converts. lie who addresses the undervanding mill not make them so fast, nor pet haps sn many, but those he does make will con tinue; those the other mskes will, many, if not most uf them, fail. Fruit raised in hot-houses never reaches that perfection or flavour fruit naturally produced dies. It is to be remarked that time passions always betray us into vice, the understanding cannot be so accused ; for the understanding is on'the side of virtue. In shot t, as the age of miracles is passed, no one can he converted that is not convinced ; and cotiVietion refers to the understanding. St. Paul, '' who lahoured more than all the Apostles," directs most of his wi tints, as I before obsetved, to the understanding,. No man can truly accomplish that which he does not understand. and the man Who founds his religion on passion %%Akita con-. suiting reason, professes what be is unacquainted with. In- . deed, human love, where it is the curet of passion, that is, when a man falls in love with a woman from a fine face and person and manner, without consulting the mind, is a pas.' sion simply, and such love neither produces happiness nor on•tancv ; but if a man becomes it) love with a woman's mind, then it is a passion founded on reason and unde;stand ing, and hence it is permanent, and produces happiness. 11e- • ligion is much the same; a man to be enamoured of it must understand its excellence; it is true be may he zealous about it from passion, but that zeal has no lasting foundation, for the passion gill expire, and the zeal with it. Zeal girt inging from the understanding, becomes a habit ; which term de notes active constancy. Passion never told us theme was a God, hot Reason ever did; because Reason observed that Na ture existed by depeedencies, and these dependencies na ttCsalls were tiaeed to a first cause, and that first cause Rea son concluded must be a superior power: Revelation came to her assistance, and acquainted her with who and what that first muse was, and the actions of Reassai atising flow her contemplation of revelation were religion. 1 agree with V. Ai, that the affections must go with religion, if it is reli gion ; but I must retrial k, that the pine affections never go with any object till first influenced by reason ; and the love of God never proceeded from any thing but the unders'aud ing directing the r assionF. V. A. must imagine I would make telitsion a cold, formal, prudential affection, though I would have all the heart in it and all the (,cosed) passions; but 1 would likewise have all the understanding, for in proportion as the understanding is deficient in its action, will the heart and passions err. I wou:d h;ive piety, as Addison observes, " a good masculine piety," ai:d then it will be effective. . If I have mistAen any of V. A.'s opinions, I apologize, as I ought to you, for intruding so long on your time; and to Your pi inter for the trouble he may have to make out this sc ribble w+ itten at the irttwilt, am i which I have no time to tianscribe. ! Lone my reasoning is not confused, for haste wil! prod•ice incorrectness and tautology. To V. A. I can only sequin the same respectful notice he has addressed to me, and hope, that though we differ in opi"ion, the unfortunate cawe of u;ost dissensions, we may, at the grand constomraticto he found sincere in our trust, and meet to4ether where opinion is lost in certainty, and hope in enjoyment. I am, Sir, your obedient set vant, A LAI MAN. 1