New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-02-20
LECTURES.
THE PROBLEM OF HUMAN DESTINY.
IFCTURF VIII

THE PROBLEM OF HUMAN DESTINY.
LECTURE vIII.---BY REV. DR.. DEWEY.
The closing lecture Of DIR. Dewey s
course on the Problem of Human Destiny was de-
vered last night at the Church OF the Messiah, be-
fore highly respectable audience. Having consid'
cred certain conditions of human existence, said
Or. D.. we shall nov set forth the grand movement
OF humanity, the phases of progress in the history
of man. We need no: inquire whether the race
sprang from single stock or whether several VAIL
cites brought into existence, at the origin oil
gs. But it Is more pertinent question, What
was TIC primitive state Of mani From what point
cid he art III the great ovement, of which the end
is lot YET known On this subject there are Two
theories. One, that the first parents were born IN
his state Of perfection which the has now lost
the other, that they were in state OF infancy ana
impeIfecuon, from which progressive advance has
been experienced. For my own part, said DR.. d. l
adopt the latter theory. In the Biblical account of
Adam and Eve there nothing to authorize the no.
ton that they born in state Of perfection, in
teectual or moral. They had the weaknesses COM
mon to children and in these the early inhabitants
fully participated. The distinctive features of indi
vdual progress reproduced In the history of the
race. Like the individual the has It's childhood,
the age OF dociity aid mpresslOnS,lts youth, or
HOOD, or the age of solid results. This DIVISION, In
fact corresponds to the celebrated classihcaton
OF Comte VINO GeslgDates the progress OF mental de-
velOpueDt as theological, metaphysical, and POSI-
tive-distL ctiOn which though novel In expression
has no actual originality.
The leading agents OF human progress are thought
ard Institutions In the progress OF thought, we are
to notice the history Of philosophy and the phases
OF public sentiment On the former point, much has
been written on the latter, we have little or moth
ing. II does not appear To have attracted the atten
tiOn of scholars. The most important institution is
no doubt that of religion. In its first historical man
ifestatlon 1t assumed the TORN of fetchism, or the
worship OF Lature, as in Egypt, then. the symbolic
aGOTatlen OF human qualities, as In Greece while
IN Rome which dispensed with idolatry, religion
regarded as the primal bond OF the 81 tte Other
agencies of progress 10 be found IN colonization
and invasion. The invasion of barbarous nations
by those OF higher civilization. has given great I'M
pulse TO the worlds affairs The conquest OF lnola
Dy Great Britain presents remarkable illustration
of this fact No 4ter event has taken place within
the last century. Nor was 1t attended With sol much
opp essOn and injustice aS is often supposed. Many
of the Eastern princes were glad to accept the pro-
tecioH OF the British Government And the people
Of England are polspOsed TO witness arbitrary and
cruel acts without calling the perDet ators to strict
account. or this, the trial OF Warren Hastings at
fores striking proof
The lecturer then gave condensed and graphic
ages TO the present time. Everything shO Va that
progress has been made in government, arts ltera
lure, religion and social happiness. But this is only
aforetaste OF what We may expect. Inc visions OF
Condorcet who. in the midst of the ferocity and
carnage of the French Revolution, wrote a treatise
on the cestiny OF the race to freedom, virtue and
happiness had a foundation In reality. The lecture
closed with glowing description OF the re-
sources OF the present and the hopes of the future
for the advancement of humanity