Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-02-06
Tron the .Na,isnr! IHtsiissRcsr.
A XIV WORK.

David Huffman. ESQ. professor Of law.
IN the Uni,e-si, Of May land, has lately
pab;i,hed book, entitled g A Course OF
jsral Study" respectfully addressed to
the students OF law in the United Stats.
He has gwen first q general. then
particular syllabus, WHICH claim the at
iention Of the legal student. Al the head
Of the books 10 be studied he places the
Bible. The observations Of the learned
professor on the importance Of ttis yo-
lu:ne to the LAWYER, inust prove highly
gratifying TO the friends OF correct pm
ciples. aud the sincere christian.
q The Bible," SAYS he" forms very
natural in reduction 10 this course. as re-
cnrIiug form Of government and law,
originating in TIE greet legislator 81 ne
pnirsrss whose pleasure II was 10 en-
joia. by dirsct tomn4EiGsEt Of has u''H,
those duties, and declare thO.e oosiga-
tons WHICH, vhsn reasoning or the na-
tu-e and relations q man, We have con-
cluded 10 be such as are the dictates ol
the law of nature.
=: The purity and sub!itnity Of the mo-
rails Of the be have ar no time, and in
10 country, been questioned; Il IS the
rsJTrl1.igr II the common l1lr Of srsrg
cfr:siicn ma ION. The christian religion
isa part Of the common l4to Of he land,
rni. as sarh. stoaid rscsirs certainly
considerable PARTON If the iary2rs' attn
zion. n yaic do we look among the
writings Of the ancient philosophers for
system If moral law comparable with that
OF the B;Ul.. How Res gre and lifeiess
are the E:hic:' If Aristotle, the Mo
rS.,' of Senec., the Memorabilia Of
Xencphon, the OHi,ia' Of Cicero, com
pared with il! From the Bible, says
Soame JeDTns, NAV be collected system
in which every moral p-ecept founded
GA reason is carried TO higher degree Of
purity aud perfection than in auy other
Of the wisest philosophers Of preceding
ages. Every m"ral P7ecePt founded on
false principles Is totally omitted, and
many new principles aided, particularly
c,rrespsndng with the new object ct thi.
religion. II trsStises on morals should
be the fist which are placed 10 the hands
Of TIE student, aad the structure OF MS
legal education raised on the broad and
solid foundation Of ethics, what book -,
proper to be thoroughly studied with this
view as the Bile?
Bet the religion aud morals Of me
Bbie do not form ;he only claim which
this inestimabie volume possesses on the
earnest attention cf the legal student -
There is much ta,0 in it, and great deal
which sheds mo- han glimmering light
on variety Of legal topics" Here the
learned professor enuDerates several
subjects Of legal character on which he
scriptures are calculated TO throw light.
lie 'hen p'ocae's t. point out the supe-
ricr eiOqGcnce AID subimity Of style
which cn;t!e this book to the particular
attention Of all wh) are designed for
plbijc speaking. To illustrate lis point
he extracts the sUbl;me,t passage in Ho-
mer, aud compares il with some passages
from the S.l.., OF David; after which
i,e saws,
Al comment an Che comparative
merit Of thes, passages l. superfunus."
In the conclusion Of bis remarks on
this FIRST title in his SYLLABUS, lac observes,
4" In the morals Of the New Testament
We have tie fa!ne's If light, the raiiaRce
" dirIn2 truth. Ihe history Of Christ
and the Apostles are in the highest de-
gree interesting, and the style peculiarly
cool. The parallels Of Our divine master
for ease, simplicity and aptness, have
never been eqralled-fnally, this, in
common with the old testament, contains
more of the utits Ct datce than any other
competition.
I've have been thus particular on the
subject Of the utility of the Bible to the
larger from deep conviction that It's
morality, history, aud law, canuOt fail OF
being eminently serviceasle TO him: ftom
our observation that young lawyers ire
q1ent'v READ any other book but this
ald 'tIy, from the fact that nearly all
the distinguished lawyers with whom we
have been acquainted through the medl-
um OF books, pei sOnally or otherwise,
have not Ony prOfessed the highest vene'
ration for biblical learning, bat were
themselves considerably versed in it"