The Sun.
London, England, 1821-12-10 00:00:00

FOR THE SUN

REASON AND FAITH.—LETTER Iv.
Mn.EorFo a—Among the many gifts bestowed

py a wise and beneficent Creator upon man,
here aro none so valuable as reason, by which

e is raised far above the rest of sublunary be-

ings. If gratitude for a favour depend upon the
magnitude of the gift, there is none forwhiclk he
ought, therefore, to be the .more thdnkful to his
Maker, none that he should more zealously de-
vote to-his service. This is not, however, the
case; on the contrary, the whole of its powers
are, by some criminal or misguided men, directed
against the source from which it originated.
Yielding to the violence of his passions, to the
narrowness of his prejudices,man, vain and iuto=
lent of the powers of his mind, presumes to ar-
raign his, God before the tribunal of reason, aud,
making this faculty the only standard of his be-
lief, because it is the sole guide of his actions,
he does not hesitate to reject whatever he can-
not clearly comprehend, and even, gives to, his
own reason that tribute of adoration which Ile re-

fuses to his GOD
So limited is the human mind, and so imperfect
is man, that the extent of his virtues borders on
vice, and the extent of his wisdom upon error.
In the physical sciences, by proceeding gradually
through a chain of reasonings, founded upon such
self-evident axioms as one and one are two, the
whole is greater than its parts, Stc. &c., and de-
ducing from them a series of inevitable conse-
quences, he may attain a knowledge of truth.
The data upon which he proceeds falls here
within the,reach of his senses, and he can easily
seize the first link of the chain which will lead
him securely from what lie knows ,to what he
does not know. ,But in the vast and trackless
regions of metaphysical researches, he is every
where surrounded by uncertainty,
,and doubt, and
has no other compass than reason by which he
can steer his uncertain course. It is by reason
alone that man is eminently distinguished from
every other animated being, and when deprived
of it, he sinks even below the level of the brute
creation. It is the main spring of all his actions,
and the only.pilot that can lead him to the dis-
covery of truth : but it may, at the same time,
wreck his frail bark upon the shoals of error.
The knowledge of truth, even in a temporal
point of view, is of infinite importance to man :
and it was to attain this desirable object that his
mind was endowed with the powers of reasoning.
It is by comparing several ideas one with an-
other, that he is enabled to judge whether they
agree or disagree, and to draw his conclusions ac-
cordingly. His judgments, therefore, originate
in his ideas, and the truth or falsehood of the
former must depend, consequently, upon the
correctness or incorrectness of the latter.—
Were it possible for man to acquire a perfect
knowledge of the nature of things, and a clear
perception of the truth, reason could not pos-
sibly lead him into error ; but such , is our
ignorance, and such the limited power of our
understanding, that our judgments are gene-
rally uncertain, and frequently erroneous.—
The ideas, upon which alone they can be
founded, are transmitted to the mind through the
medium of -the senses—through a medium which
daily experience proves to be singularly decep-
tive. Hence do we find so many different and
contradictory judgments upon the very same sub-
jects. This difference which we frequently per-
ceive between the opinions of others upon one
subject, and in our own, is so considerable, and
appears to us, who view thi bject in a different
light, so contrary to self-evnt principles, that
we are quite at a loss how to account for such a
deficiency in the understanding of our opponents.
If reason cannot enable us to see things as they
are in reality, in matters that fall within the
reach of our senses, how shall we venture, how
take it as our only guide upon subjects that are
in their nature far above human comprehension
However capable reason may be of leading us
to the diScovery of some truths, it is, unfortu-
nately, too frequently the source of numerous
errors: ' Even, when it proceeds upon the most
incontestible data, it is liable to wander far from
the paths of truth, and seldom can be sure of ar-
riving at any thing like certainty. Hence do we
find that the men who have taken it as the sole
guide of their belief, have adopted opinions not
less absurd than contradictory, and consequently
equally contrary to truth, which, in its nature, is
essentially one and indivisible. Thus Calvin,
taking into consideration only the infinite justice
of G on, concluded that men were predestined to
eternal torments ; and Manes, attending only to
his holiness, believed the existence of two oppo-
site principles, the authors of good and of evil. If
we peruse the annals of the sciences, we shall
discover in every page convincing proofs of the
wanderings of reason, and of its liability to lead
men into error. The history of each science is,
indeed, in many instances,,only the record of the
fallibility of the human .mind. Hence reason,
when left to itself, must inevitably lead to scep-
ticism; and the discovery of truth thus becomes
if not wholly impossible, at least problematical.
This conclusion is so very absurd that, alone, it
would suffice to prove-the rashness :and folly of
believing nothing thatis not clearly perceived by

reason.
In what a vortex of difficulties are we placed,
if we admit reason as our only guide ! Our mind
possesses a spirit, of investigation, which ever
prompts it to enlarge the sphere of its knowledge.
If it be often led astray, the dissatisfaction it
feels is a proof that it is conscious of not having

obtained the object of its wishes i"d this con-
sciousnesa!rnay be considered as an indirect proof
of the misery of scepticism, and of the existence
of truth. If truth be an an emp4y name--a
mere-phantom of the mind, in what can such .an
idea vtignate, and what is man ?—The "sport of
contititalAilusions ; the dupe of delusive appear-
ances, add a :he'ing without au object, without
hope lfsafqt if. Truth exist, then are we convinc-
ed thitg originatesin GOD ; that it is Gon him-
self ; afid-We look forward to the future with c0n-
.,...,, gOodness.
Howe er divideifmen may be upon some points,
there are others Which no man can possibly con-
trovert, and which may be, therefore, justly con-
sidered as acknowledged truths. The faculty
of thinking is, to us, an undeniable proof of our ex-
istence ; for no rational man will ever controvert
the celebrated axiom of Descartes, " I thin!: ;
therefore ,
..qna. It is equally impossible 'to
deny that the whole is greater than its parts;' that
a thing that is necessarily exists; that Alexander
the Great conquered the Persian Empire, &c. &c.
If We know that we are frequently exposed to
illusions, have we not the means of correcting Our
judgment ? This unerring guide is evidence.—
Truth is sometimes so evident, that we are not at
liberty to withhold our assent. Such is, for in-
stance the immediate and necessary connection
7e
betwen a principle and its consequence.. Thus
if 0* and one are two, two and two must neces-
wiry be four ; because this number. is formed of
Arice two units. Hence, by following the, chain
of self-evident and undeniable principles, we
are led to the most important, the most elevated
conclUsions. Since this is the case, we must be
convinced that something does exist, and the
Whole fabric of scepticism falls to the ground.
• The knowledge of truth must be of infinite
importance to man, and so much are we . con-
vinced of this fact, that we take every .possible
precaution to prevent our being led into error.
Hence we are ever apt to believe what we.have
actually seen, more firmly than what reaches,us
only through the medium of others. - This dis-
position of our mind is not blameable in itself,
but if carried too far it may prove dangerous,
and is certainly unreasonable in itself. It would
be unjustifiable in us to deny the existence of a
fact merely because we did not witness it, or be-
cause it is above . our comprehension. The con-
curring testimony of eye-witnesses, and the cur-
taiuty that they can have no motives for deceiv-
ing us, are sufficient reasons, and command our
belief, however improbable, or even impossible,
the .circumstancelnay appear. The disposition to
believe or to disbelieve, is generally regulated by
the number of our prejudices, or by the greater
or lesser extent or4ur knowledge. Thus an
African who had never seen an European, would .
hardly believe in the existence of white men
'and persons unacquainted with astronomical pur-
suits would not readily admit the possibility of
calculating with precision the distance of the
heavenly bodies from the Sun. Since, therefore,
it is evident that our reason alone cannot give.us _
an exact or true idea of some things, it follows
that we must often sacrifice its opposition to the
testimony of others, and believe what they assert,
however contrary this assertion may be to our
own ideas. This disposition of the mind, which
originates in the consciousness of its own limited
powers, is termed Faith. It arises either from
the immediate conviction of our mind, through the •
Medium of evidence;' or from the undoubted re-
spectability.of the source from whence our infor-
mation is derived ; hence we are naturally more
inclined to believe the assertions of a well-in-
formed and honourable man, than those of a per-
son whose mind is obscured by ignorance, or
whose judgment may be influenced by prejudices,
or led astray by the violence of passion.
The ideas of truth and error are so very dissi-
milar, that the one necessarily excludes
.the
other. It is therefore utterly impossible that
truth could lead to error; whatever originates in
the former must command our belief, however
contrary it may be to the testimony of our senses,
or to the dictates of our reason. God is truth itself,
and as such we are bound to believe whatever
he asserts. lie is moreover Omnipotent, and
indeed his power, with all his other attributes,
is far above our:comprehension; we must there-
fore believe whatever we
.are sure he has done,
however incomprehensible the action may ap-
pear. In religious matters, reason must necessarily
yield to faith, in the same manner that in scien-
tific. pursuits our senses must submit to reason,
or as the faint light of the starry heavens must
fade before the splendid rays of the rising sun.
In short, let us remember that the determination
of believing only what we can comprehend; must
either lead us to absolute scepticism, since very
few things fall within our comprehension, or it
may lead us to place a reliance upon the powers
of our mind, which will prove an inevitable source
of error. It is indeed the only ground upon
which the Deist takes his stand. And yet what
is the reason of man that he should thus presume
to make it the sole judge of what he will believe ?
Frequently an ignis fatuus, that leads him far
away from the safe path he should pursue, or, at
best, a glimmering taper that sheds on every sur-
rounding object only a feeble or uncertain light.
Ewhurst. A. P.

WELSH COLLEGE.—A Meeting of the Inhabi-
tants of Llanddewi-brevi and Tregaron, Cardi-
ganshire, was held on Monday lst, to consider
the propriety of addressing a Memorial to the
Lord Bishop of ST. DAVID'S, on the subject of
the College, for the erection of which, at Llan-
ddewi-brevi, a subscription has been collected,
but which, it is reported, is Dow intended to be
built elsewhere.

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.

PARIs,Duc. 6.—The King yesterday presided
at a Council of Ministers.

The Ottoman Porte has refused to evacuate
Moldavia and Wallachia.

The continual rains have destroyed the wheat
harvest in. several Provinces of the Russian Em-
pire, which has caused a rise in the price.
The accounts from Catalonia, brought by the
last courier, are satisfactory. On the 20th ult.
the mortality was reduced to from 30 to 50 per
daj, and of these 12 were ordinary sick. Eigh-
teen Spanish physicians have fallen victims to the
epidemic.

FR ENCII FUNDS.
Dec. 5, Five per Cents. BB f. 10 c.
Deferred Stock 99 f. 85 c.
Bank Stock 1595 f. 50 c.
Dec. 6, Five per Cents.
Deferred Stock 99 f. 70 c.

VIENNA, Nov. 23.—The preparations for war
are actively continued in Turkey. All the Mus-
sulman population are ordered to be ready to
march at a moment's notice. The Porte, it is
said, persists in refusing to evacuate Moldavia
aid Walachia. Irritated at seeing the revolu-
tion gain ground, and at the Boyards refusing to
return to their homes, the Grand Signior has re-
solved on making a vast desert of these two
principalities, to serve as a rampart against
Russia. The Commanders in these provinces
have received orders to this effect, and to this
cause may-be attributed the progressive increase
of the Ottoman forces in the provinces on the
other side of the Danube.
Nov. 25.—Since the return of the Prince de
Metternich, the diplomatic activity of our Cabi-
net is greater than ever. The communications
with the Court of London continue to be very
frequent. A Courier has been sent to Peters-
burgh with dispatches, said to be very important.
The Austrian Observer states, on theliutho-
rity of accounts from Venice of the 14th instal,
that the Turkish fleet had entered the port of
Sunda, to the North of Candia, where it appear-
ed to intend to remain during the winter.
The Governor of Cyprus, who committed great
cruelties against the Greeks, is stated to have
been dismissed.

FRANKFORT, DEC. I.—The Prince de Met-
ternich has held, at Vienna, the same language
relative to peace as he held here, yet it has pro-
duced no effect on the public funds.
HANOVER, Nov. 20.—During his Majesty's
visit to Hanover, the Bishops of the kingdom re-
presented to him the afflicting and precarious
situation of the constitution of the Church, and
of the Ecclesiastical Establishments. We learn
that his Majesty received the representation very
graciously ; and, in answer to a Memorial from
the Prince Bishop (Francis Egon) of Hilders-
helm, assured the Catholic Church and its Mi-
nisters of his protection in the most gracious
terms, and expressed his regret at not having
been able to become personally acquainted with
a- Bishop who is distinguished by so many- emi-
nri.nt qualities. The Bishop i 3 pow 86 years of age.
NOVEMBER 21.—His Royal Highness the
Governor-General set out the day before yester-
day, for Gotha ; and Count llardenherg, the
Minister of State, is gone to Vienna.
The Ministry has published the following
most gracious Letter from his Majesty to his
Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, and to
the Cabinet A 1 inisters :
" GEORGE the FOURTH, &c. &c. .

" After a fortunate journey,7without any accident whatever,
Re make it our first business tol:sequaint you of it, and, at the
same time, to express the joy andlihe particular pleasure ,which
we have derived from our first visit to our beloved German do-
minions. Circumstances, indeetl,4utve allowed us but a short
stay this time ; and we were hindered by indisposition of pro-
fiting by this short period ; yet the universal fidelity and attach-
ment, and the prevailing zeal .for the welfare of the country,
could not possibly escape us, since, wherever we turned our
eyes, we found the confirmation of the conviction we had long
enerishedin this respect.
" As this our first visit to our kingdom of Hanover will re-
main indelibly impressed on our memory, so we shall at all
times bear in mind what may tend to the duration and increase
of its welfare, and never doubt the readiness of our faithful sub-
jects to contribute, every, one according to his ability, to the

Same end.

" We wish these our most gracious sentiments to be made
known to the several Authorities, and to the country in ge-
neral, and remain, with brotherly friendship and affectionate
regard, , " GEORGE R.
" Carlton House, Nov. 9. 1821." • -
Nov. 28.—The.Duke and Duchess of Cum-
berland left this city on the 24th, to return to
Berlin.

BEItLIN, Nov. 2-1.--On the 22d, the colossal
statue of Blucher, from the model of Professor
Rauch, was cast in bronze. The States of Silesia
mean to erect it in Breslau, iii commemoration of
the victory on the Katzbach.
11.4.11 LEM, Nov. 21.—A letter from Souracarta,
in Java, of May 26, contains the following parti-
culars :

" About a month ago, a very malignant dis-
order manifested itself among the native popula-
tion at Samarang. The Javanese, Malays, and
Chinese, who were attacked with it, died for the
'post part after 12 hours indisposition ; many fell
dove ii dead suddenly after a very short indisposition.
This extraordinary mortality excited the atten-
tion of the faculty, and convinced them that the
cholera morbus had reached the island. It soon
attacked,the Christian population, and especially
was very destructive among the military. The
terror and confusion became _ general, and were
soon followed by the flight of the Europeans to
the mountains and cooler districts. On some
days, when the thermometer rose from 95 to
100 deg. from-160 to 180• persons died at Sama-
rang, as well islanders as Europeans 'and their
descendants. The general distribution of good
medicines, and the cooler weather, have already
checked this disorder. flowever, of a company
of European hussars of SO men, 25 have been
buried ; and of five superior officers at Sama-
rang, two Majors, Engler and De pre. For per-
sons who have not enervated themselves by the use
of strong liquors, for those who have a good con-
stitution, and a cheerful disposition, this disorder
is not more formidable than an ordinary fever,
provided they daily use the proper remedies.
Poor Javanese, who wanted the inclination or
the ability, have suffered most.—The sickness
broke out here a few days after it appeared at
Samarang. It is however of a less malignant
description. Of 60 Europeans who were attack-

ed 16 have died: We have reason to hope that
the cool weather and the approaching rice har-
vest will put an end to the sickness. Many per-
sons chiefly ascribe it to the bad food which the
Javanese of the lower classes have been obliged
to use for some months."
We learn that the Squadron of the Netherlands
in the Mediterranean, after leaving the Roads of
Genoa, has been to Minorca, and has since sailed
for Malta.

HAGUE, DEC. 4.—From the Papers laid before
the Second Chamber by his Excellency the Mi-
nister of Finance, it appears that the excess of
the expenditure above the receipt on the Ist of
January amounted to the sum of fl. 3,553,434.
During the course of the year 1820, the Import
and Export Duties and the Excise (levied ac-
cording to the existing regulation) fell short of
the estimate by 11. 2,987,321. The revenue
arising from the, duties of Registration and Do-
mains, as they are called, for the same year, fell
short of the estimate by fl. 1,366,281. On com-
paring the produce of the first seven months of
1821 with that of the first seven months of
1820, there appears in the Import and Export
Duties and Excise a deficiency of fl. 519,428 in
this year compared with 1820. There is also a
deficiency in the Registration and Domains for
the same period.
COPENHAGEN, Nov. 17.—Our Exchange has
greatly improved within the last week, viz. from
160 to 250.—Accounts from IViborg, of the 4th,
say, that snow had already fallen there. The
dreadful storm which has lately raged bad
thrown a vast quantity of wreck on the coast.

SPAIN.

CORTES, NOV. 22.

The Assembly continued the debates on the projet of law pro-
posed by the Committee, for the prevention of smuggling. A
cgnsideiable debate arose on the fourth article, by which the
formalities to be observed when a house is suspected to contain
contraband goods, are declared not to be necessary in the case
of public houses, as inns &c. Many members declared this
article to be equal in the eye of the law. Count Torreno and
several others spoke in favour of the article, shelving that the
case of an innkeeper into whose house any person, whether a
smuggler or other criminal, might enter at pleasure, was very
different from that of a private per Son, and that, in point of fact,
inns were subject to particular regulations in all parts of Europe,
otherwise they would be places of refuge fore malefactors and
bad characters of every description. The article was carried by
7.5 votes to 42.