Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1840-02-26
VOL. XII. Nc

progress, - long IS caie-C..rS ana ,.-#.-.-
p.gs retained ;neir ascendancg ! ..-
schools; and the sp,euloT AID rap Il
'ts TRAM rs, 81 soon as nan unG
mat he was nO.hing n.ore than IN,
pie ct Nature, aad mis-; laha Us
as Nature otf,rs j. % him.
y hat IS true Of iAe SCIENCE OF ext. .. +.
nature, holds equally true Of tue s.
and plenomena of mind. On this
Jet. too, the rresump;Ious amt...
man carried him far from the sober
OF experimental inquiry. He conc
that his business was not 10 obs"rva
. specuiale 10 construct SysIe.ns e..
,haa ccnsa.t his own experience arr sig
experience OF others 10 cul.cc, tas
riais Of MS theory. not from tie hist .t
observed iacrs. bat from set Q! ASST .
AMI excogiip'ed principles Now .e
sane observations apply to This der. r..
nient Of inquiry. We must admit TT e-
true, not what we presume, BU! WI ID
(nd TO be so. We must restrain TIE a1
terprises Of fancy. A law Of the hon p
mind must be Only a series Of VII.
thentica:ed facts, reduced 10 one Ctre
description, or grouped together uEc..
some general points Of resemble
The business of the moral as we'll as e
the uatarAi philosopher is not 10 ass.
what be- cXcog takes, but 20 record what
observes not 10 amuse himself witt ;ae
specniaIions Il fancy, but 10 describe pie
uomCna as he sees or as he feels then
This is the business of the moral &c w
as Of the natural inquirer. We mus: 9
a.. II I ordI
cipes to moral and metaphysical /. b.
ircts. It was long before this app:ica.. 20
was recognized. or acted upon t. p.......-.
piers Giiny If the continental speoul-.
ious are sill! infected with The prvsGm
tuous q yli0ri spirit of the Old sc.l IS: -
though the writings Of Reid an6 Stew 81.
I hsve contributed much TO chase ave-
spirit from the metaphysics of our o.
county, and 20 bring the science Of III.
as we'll as matter. under the entire DOM
ion of the inductive philosophy.
These general observations we concei..
to be most direct aud applicable inv
dGction 10 tha. part OF the SUBJECT wing.
Is before US. In discussing the evidcnc=
Of Christianity, all that we as: of our
reader is TO bring along with him the
same sober and iudOctive spiri!, that i.
now deemed so necessary in the TrosecU
ton of the other sciences; 10 abanioa
every system Of theology, that Is no. sup
: norrd hv evidence, however much It n.2Y
/ csalIly his taste, or regaie bis magma
ton, and TO admit any system Of thcol0c-
that is supported bv evidence. however =
pugnant 10 his feelings or his prejudice.
10 make conviction, IN fact, paramount 20
, inclination, or to fancy; and 10 maintain,
through the whole process OF the invest
CATION. that strength and intrepid.ty of
character, which will follow wherever the
light of argument may conduct hia', tho
= it should land him IN conclusions the
= most nauscous and unpaIaiabe.
: We have 10 time 10 enter into causes :;
, but The fact is undeniable. Nlony phiios-
= ophers of the present day are disposed Il
} nauseaie every thing connected with the
= olocv. They associate something low
( and ignoble with the prosecution Of it
] They regard il, as not fit subject for lib
e cral inquiry. They turn away from If
= with disgust. rs one Of the hunblest de
. parime:is of literary cxertion. We O.
\ not say that they rcjec: lis evidences. 5U'
Il thew evade the investigation Of them
b, They feel no conviction; net .becaus
= they have established he iailacy Of Il ST.
:; gle argument, but because they cLtsr.ai.
d general dislike at the slbirct, auG ptt
e no. attend to i. They love % ey aa'iaic
in the more kindred fields Of scirG"r -
e elegant literature; and while tie most ra
1t s2ec;ful caGiion. and hnmii't-, and sleod
Ie ness, are seen 20 preside over every de
&c pagtmen: of moral and physical inv stig;
u Iirn. lh-ole-y is the oniy subject thai /,
IS scf.red I, remaia the vic;in Q. preju
: dice, and Of coLt.mp' the mCsi Unjus
a. and The most unphiiosophieal.
Ill We 10 10. speak Of this feeling as at
:, impietv we speak Of II as 81 ofcuc
4 agaias. the principles Of jos; sPecu!a,:oa
"A We do uot speak Of it as it aiiares Il
ID heart from the Influence of religion; "
l. speak Of !. rs II aiiIres the understand
be- ng from the Influence of evidence a.
- ruth. In word, we are TO, Prva-hiI
eli against II; we reason agains. Il. Ut
% contend that it is tfansgTess:oa acain
ie- the rules Of the inluctIve philosophy
CO Al that we want i. the Application {
er Lord Bacon's principles t. the 'nses.igt
ci- ton before us: AM as the i"linehre
VS. prriadice and DISCUS: is banished T.
evcry other department Of inq':iry, =
~ conceive il fair that il should - b1niSh'
~ from theology also, and tL,.l ouF subj,
- sb-rN haze the coumoD advantage ol
en-. hearinr.-wh-re no l'afIa'hy Of u
-, bar. or fancy is admitted, AID no 9th
IA influence a-,nowlet Jed than the inl-
,., .,-s If evilesce orer the CONVICTIONS
49, ,br understanding.
49, 80 l., Us therefore e,lteavoT to evince I
''' -.,...ss and felicity with which ard 4