The

another? The corruption of manners a mong the Greeks and Romans, in the decline of their republics, gave universal extenfion to the diffolute doctrines of the epicurean philofophy-and it is acknowledged by their own writers that the prevalence of that philofophy haftened and augmented the degeneracy of the public morals. fame voluptuous principles, with little variation, have been revived in modern times, and the fame pernicious effects have resulted from them. Judge ye what manners will be produced by that fyftem which represents man as being merely an organized fyftem of matter made to perifh and be reproduced under other forms like fucceffive crops of vegetables, the fole end of whofe being, and the only reasonable object of whose pursuit is sensual pleasure.† Every restraint is, by fuch doctrines, removed from the paffions, every encouragement is given to vice. To what purpose are the felf-denials of virtue if we perifh forever at death,and if we fhall meet, beyond the grave, with no reward worthy of its facrifices? If

See particularly Polybius book vi. for an account of its effect among the Greeks.

+ Helvetius.

appetite alone furnishes the chief good of man, how should honor, friendship, juftice, or religion, ftand in the way of its gratification? Such falfe and pernicious principles tend, not only to promote vice; they cover and protect it likewife from the cenfure of our own confcience. Would you fee in its extent the criminal conduct that may fpring from a brutal philofophy that thus fenfualizes the foul ?-Examine the hiftory of thofe men who have been its moft zealous and diftinguifhed advocates. Grofs and fhameful often is their public conduct; but their fecret hiftory prefents scenes of vice, from which piety and virtue must turn away with horror. Nothing can exceed the licentioufnefs, the hypocrify, the basenefs, the treachery, the cruelty, the total dereliction of humanity and virtue, of which many of the adepts of an impious philofophy have fhewn themselves to be capable.* Yet, in their principles do they find the juftification of their crimes, and they feem to poffefs the fatal art of perfuading them

See the hiftory of the illuminatti in Germany and France," by John. Robifon, profeffor of Nat. Phil. in the university of Edinburg; a work that deferves to be read by every friend to virtue and religion, who is folicitous to penetrate into the caufes of the prefent prevalence of vice and infidelity.

felves of their own innocency. As one example, let me call to your recollection a work but too well known, and yet, among the least criminal of those efforts that have lately been made to corrupt all moral principles-I mean the confeffions of Rouffeau. They exhibit to us innumerable follies, the eternal caprices of a restless, fickle, and ungovernable temper, the culpable fruits of paffions always exceffive, many very low, and many very fhameful vices. Yet, we fee him, in the introduction of that extraordinary recital, prefume, with an audacity that shocks the pious mind, to present the history of his infamy at the throne of the eternal, and to juftify his crimes to his creator and his judge who had given him his paffions. "Let the laft trumpet, faith he, found when it will, I will advance with this book in my hand, to prefent myself before the fupreme judge-I will boldly fay, behold what I have done! Here is what I thought! this is what I have been !"-This man's principles must have formed to him, the juftification of fo many crimes-They muft, at leaft, have concealed from him their turpitude and guilt, or he could not have dar

ed, with fuch fhameless honefty, to blazon his difgrace before the face of the world.

Men, who are not feeking apologies for their vices, may, under a mistaken fenfe of duty, be guilty of high offences against piety and against humanity. "The time fhall come, faid the Saviour to his difciples, when he that killeth you fhall think that he doth God fervice." And the apostle Paul,fpeaking of himself before he had embraced the faith of the gospel, fays, "I verily thought with myfelf that Lought to do many things contrary to the name of Jefus of Nazareth." Much more are they liable to errors in their conduct ofinferior moment from the false principles which the frailty of reafon and the prejudices of education frequently mingle with the religious systems of the best of men.-They maintain, perhaps, the bafis of divine truth; but they erect upon it a fuperftructure, in many instances, incorporated with errors of greater or lefs magnitude. In whatever degree fuch errors exift, in the fame proportion is the spirit of their piety impaired, and the fyftem of their virtues rendered imperfect. According to the figure of the apostle, if they build on the folid foundation

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every

of the gospel, wood, hay, Stubble, that is, any erroneous principles that lead to an unholy practice, their works fhall be burnt, but themfelves fhall be faved yet fo as by fire-the fire fhall confume all the falfe additions that have been made to this rock of which supports the faith and hope of real believer. Yet, till the day when the fire fhall try them, the mistaken profeffors of the gospel may not only remain blind to the imperfections of their own character, but even flatter themselves with the idea of their innocence or their merit.-Ah! who can understand his errors! Cleanfe thou

me from fecret faults?

As the clafs of evils of which I have been treating is capable of being fo much increafed by ignorance of our duty, and of the innumerable and delicate relations which we fuflain to our Creator, and to one another, permit me, in the remarks which I defign to make, in the conclufion of this difcourfe, to call your attention, in the first place, to the importance of carly inflruction upon thefe neceffary fubje&s.--Men, in the beginning of life, and before their habits are formed, more frequently fail in their

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