The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1823-03-14


II AL lsl,ersss eihses.ed To the Editors mnd
he posT rain, or fbse viii not he attended 10.
- -----------------------
LYNCIIBURG, MARCH, IL, 1928
II The poetieal communication f"C'.,
is too incorrect Tor insertion.
-.seses..
IL The Rev air. iitEADWAf win preach
al the Masoas Halt, next Sunday at eleven
o'clock.
900
In the ranks oi modern philosophers, the
name of David Hume has long stood, aud
mustdescend 10 posierity, with distinguish
ed aud almost solitary lnstre. Ia the qualities
with which naiMre endowed his mind, in his
life, and In his denth, he was different from
common men Possessed -uf the ecutest and
most discriminating intellect, aud al a eaI,Rei-
w for the g,rofoundesi rehu elton, he searched
the bottom OF every subject, and poured n
blaze Of light on The akscprest aud most alb
virusc points of philosophical contemplation
Theres,if Of his reflections was incorporated
Snto n system, anti formed All essential parof
the man. He fulfilled MI the duties of life
with the grestest gentcness truth aud mode.
ration. Socrates was not milder, Plato more
persuasive, Diogenes more temperate and nib
siemious, or the divine Howard himself
scarcely more benevolent. lie wanted, in.
deed, but one thing more 10 make him the
love, as be was mlreaay the admiration Of the
world. .Dhvid Hume was an inhdcl. Repos.
ing on the unassisted strength Of his own in.
tellect, and submitting every thing IL the test
OF human reason, the very powers Of h,s mind
condueed tolead him aslray from the com
mon faith and tbe thllacy OF hr guide he
had chosen iDdneedhim Ia reject, asa SYSTEM
of religion, what he could not admit ms "a ra.
tional belief, Happy had II been for his fame
TINT fnme which IN all things else he so rich
Iy deseryed--bsppy, Perhaps for multhudcs,
who, sedueed by bis reasoning, have embark
cd with him on the speci9us stream OF inGde-
lity, had he confined his scerticism To the
speculations Of the closet But iie has pre-.
ferred 10 expose the weakness and inennsls>
teney of religion, founded, as he soemnly
believed, IN human arliioo, md imposed on
human toIly. lie has attempted Ia defy
REASON ~ the only representative of the
Supreme Intelligence, worthy the admiration
OF mankind; whose conclusions ware GER
tain, and whose guiding was intuIlible. II
was a mistaken bat Godike attempt, IN the
immensely OF whose design we lose sight of
all bat the minhby which II was conceived
But shuli " for this be said that Hume was
devoid OF TINT common sentiment, common
alike TO Hotteniot and European the ohspring
OF intuition, and that asserts the existence of
a God' Hume, whose mind had explored the
most secluded regions of philosophy, and
comprehended the sublimity oil the universal
system! Hume, who weighed things in The
incest balances of evidence, Of reason and of
probability Gould this man di,beneve the
existence OF a Great First Cause, or nserihe
the beauty, TIE order, TIE harmony of the u.
nis7se, to confederation OF chanGes2 II
- utterly incredible Hume was nm inidel
out he was an inidcl of no conmon stnmn
He was not Vlliers or Rochester, whose
.apions aadacity In the season of health ana
inrth, dehed the vengeance Of the Almighty
God tut whose dying cowardicc gave the lie
70 the sincerity OF their lives. Nor Gibhon.
VINO WEAKLY stroFc 10 inngino that Denth nj n
distance which his philosophy should have told
\ him was inevitable, and whose mngiuar, ter.
rors il should have taught him TO disregald-
lie died asho lived, the calm, the .philosophic.
The inimliaale Hume. In the fall possession
OF his faculties, 10 the midst of his friends,
dscohrslng TO the last on the great sfbiccf !
which had ever filled his mind, he mci with
indifference that pcati1 he knew he could not
aVoid, aud contemplated with satisfaction his
removal 10 that world where his duration
N'NtH''l avs Nl'fhuldilbls IHh4t III
immensely, and his study be God.
II have, IN the above remarks, INDUCED
IN too wide latitude, il was only to yindi.
cat" The memory OF the man whose bfamecs,
TIE nuTiotonnh learning, in spite of his or.
rors, constituted him an ornament 20 human
nature. will briefly remark, that the occa
sion OF my doing so, was tho reproach cast
upon hts name, not as nm in6dei merely. but
rs an atheist eno an enemy OF all religion
IRON the pulpit ,of the Methodist Church on
Sunday last vac scrrst TO hear sentinenl
so illiberal uttered on that occasion by cler
eyman, to whom always listen with plea
sure aud instruction; nnd firmly believe
have done that gentleman Justice only, when
iescribe what he said toan ignorance of the
true character OF this greet nnd excellent
though mistaken man. II he will read an nc
count OF his last hours, by his friend and CON
Temporary, Ad9m Smith, who was with him.
am persuaded he will not only derive plen.
sure from the book. but that his sentiment,
will undergo decided change. +.