how obscure and unconnected, nay, how confused must it appear to the readers, when, besides God, Christ also is mentioned as å aλnoivos EOS!"Lücke. (p. 568.)

We marked many other passages deserving particular mention, which our limits compelled us to omit. For the same reason we have made short extracts, but it must not be imagined that the work is made up of such abrupt fragments. We trust we have given only enough to induce our readers to examine the work itself, which really contains a very full and interesting commentary on many of the most difficult passages in the Scriptures, though selected from the writings of those whom Unitarians are accustomed to regard as their opponents.

We have already stated our opinion, that Mr. Wilson has ably performed what he undertook, and fully established his proposed argument. With respect to the nature of that argument, however, candour compels us to add our opinion, that though startlingly plausible, it is not logically conclusive. It logically proves only the idiosyncrasies of the human mind, and amounts only to an argumentum ad homines. Every man's judgment is in some respects peculiar; nor is any one mind sufficiently comprehensive to view the whole of a subject at once; disproportionate importance is inevitably attached to the particular point on which the mind is immediately engaged, to the partial neglect or misconception of others. A Trinitarian might perhaps reply to Mr. Wilson, that the great diversity of ways in which the doctrine of the Trinity finds entrance into the human mind, strengthens the presumption that it is an essential truth. No man would consent to abide by the arguments of other men in favour of his own opinions; and it may perhaps be added, that no doctrine could stand, if the opposing admissions of its various advocates were allowed to neutralize each other. Might not the Deist, for example, triumphantly combine the concessions of those Christians who rely solely on the historical proof of miracles, and affirm the opposition of the spirit of Christianity to the natural impulses of the human mind, and of those who deny that there can be any satisfactory proof by miracles, independently of internal evidence and the accordance of Christianity with the dictates of reason and the aspirations of the heart? Might not even the Atheist support his dreary negation by collecting admissions from those who attempt à priori arguments, of those who rely solely on the à posteriori argument, by analogy, from the investigation of the marks of design in nature-and of those who deem both inconclusive and mechanical, and maintain the idea of God to

be essential to the attributes of the human mind? Or, to come more directly to the point at issue, might not a Trinitarian Mr. Wilson (if such could be found,) establish, from Unitarian admissions, the doctrine of the Trinity? Thus, many Unitarian writers profess a willingness to believe implicitly whatever is clearly laid down in the Scriptures; one (Dr. J. Jones, if we remember right,) has maintained the genuineness of 1 John v. 7; and more than one Unitarian preacher, we believe, has gone so far as to admit, that the Epistles of Paul contain "orthodox" doctrines. It is obvious that nothing could be easier than to compile from such admissions a most plausible proof of what all the parties individually denied. By applying a theological magnet, as it were, to the writings of any class of believers, so as to extract from them only that part of their sentiments which favours a particular view, a doctrine might be composed differing widely from the sentiments of all. Nay, might not the admissions of the same individual mind at different periods and in the pursuit of different trains of thought, be selected and arranged so as to form a concretion which that mind at all periods would disavow? We have hastily attempted to give these illustrations of our meaning without maintaining that a case could in all instances, or in any other instance, be made out so fully and completely as Mr. Wilson's case against the Trinitarians. But we are sure he will agree with us in the opinion, that the greatest and best ends which his book can promote, will be to silence popular dogmatism, to infuse more deeply and universally a spirit of humility and charity into religious inquiry, to bind men of all sentiments together by the consciousness of similar qualities and similar frailties, and, lastly, to substitute the exercise of individual judgment for mechanical reliance on authority, leading "every man," with the most respectful and tender consideration for the opinions of others, to "be fully persuaded in his own mind."

J. R.

ART. V.-INTRODUCTORY DISCOURSES DELIVERED IN MANCHESTER NEW COLLEGE, AT THE OPENING OF THE SESSION 1840. Simpkin, Marshall and Co., and J. Green, London.

In our former article on the Introductory Discourses delivered in Manchester New College, we devoted attention chiefly to the Literary and Theological Departments; we now proceed to make a few additional remarks on the Discourses delivered by the Professors of Mathematics and Physical Science; and we do this with the greater pleasure because we believe that the remarkably able and judicious manner in which these departments are filled, is not only gratifying to every one interested in this Institution, but also furnishes one of its greatest claims on public support. For the local advantages which such an institution as the Manchester New College confers, must greatly depend upon the power it possesses of satisfying the felt wants of the community around it, and by this means arousing their best sympathies in its support; and we cannot imagine any way in which this can be more effectually acomplished than by an unremitted attention to those scientific pursuits which have the most obvious relation to the employments which absorb the attention of the great mass of the surrounding population. The recent addition of a Professorship of Civil Engineering shows how much the Committee are alive to this truth, and it is to be hoped that the public will not be slow to avail themselves of the additional advantages thus offered to them.

As it may be presumed that none are doubtful respecting the benefit derived from the Study of Mathematics by those who are professionally employed in the applications of Physical science, the Mathematical Professor, Mr. Finlay, has selected for especial consideration those properties of mathematics which render an acquaintance with them important to every well-educated man, from their beneficial influence on the Student's mind.

'To those who are sceptical with regard to the advantages of this study, I might instance its use to the navigator, the astronomer, the mechanical philosopher: but as the utility of such applications of the abstract principles of mathematics is well known and very generally admitted, I prefer to urge the indirect use of the study in influencing the general spirit of scientific inquiry, which has long operated beneficially in every department of science and literature, and which is at present essential to every educated man.-The object of

a liberal education is to develop the entire mental system. The human mind is composed of several elements, all of which must be attended to, in a complete system of mental culture; but the intellectual part of human nature, from its great susceptibilities of improvement, and its importance in directing the other principles, is peculiarly entitled to a severe and rigid discipline. The science of Geometry seems to afford the best initiatory exercise of the reasoning faculty. In fact, the student of geometry is obliged to confine his attention to the points on which the force of his demonstration depends: and from the character of certainty which belongs peculiarly to this science, is enabled with the greatest facility to detect any fallacy in the process of reasoning. This naturally invigorates the mind, and generates habits of severe attention and rigorous investigation;-habits which alone can enable him to proceed with ease and safety in the more complicated chains of deduction which occur in the moral and the physical sciences.

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But it may be said that our Collegiate systems of Education afford another means of improving the reasoning faculty in requiring from our students a knowledge of Logic. A little reflection, however, is sufficient to convince any one that logic, although it may be useful, is by no means adequate to this purpose. Logic has been very properly called the grammar of reasoning; Geometry is the book in which the first lessons are to be learnt. The latter affords examples of the most perfect kind of reasoning, while the former presents merely an abstract statement of all reasoning. Logic teaches to reason by precept; Geometry by example. Which of the two is the most effectual method of developing the reasoning powers, it seems to be no difficult matter to decide.

"If it be granted that mathematics afford the best exercise of the reasoning faculty, and the study is objected to for its exclusive culture of that faculty, it is not difficult to show that this objection is unfounded. The fact is, that the young Mathematician must, at the very outset, have his mind stored with several of the most important abstract ideas. The importance of this initiatory mental exercise will scarcely be denied by any one who considers that these pure conceptions of reason are in general so ill defined in the human mind, that their existence has even been denied by some of the most acute philosophers. Indeed, the obscurity, or the inadequacy of such an idea to represent an individual, is the very circumstance which constitutes its abstract nature.

'It has been said that a familiarity with Mathematical reasoning unfits a man for reasoning on other subjects. If all reasoning is expressed by the dictum de omni et multo, which forms the basis of Aristotle's beautiful theory of syllogisms, it seems to follow demonstratively, that the mere process of reasoning is the same in all the sciences; but as the sameness of the reasoning process in all cases has been so clearly pointed out by the most eminent of modern logicians, it will scarcely now be asserted that Mathematical reasoning is different from Theological and Moral.

"The spirit of geometrical enquiry,' says Fontenelle, is not so exclusively attached to geometry as to be incapable of being applied to other branches of Knowledge. A work of morals, of politics, of criti

cism, or even of eloquence, will, if all other circumstances have been the same, be the more beautiful for having come from the hand of a geometer. The order, the precision, the clearness, which, for a considerable time, have distinguished works of excellence on every subject, have most probably had their origin in that mathematical turn of thought, which is now more prevalent than ever, and which gradually communicates itself even to those ignorant of mathematics.'"

Mr. Finlay then proceeds to take notice of some arguments lately urged for excluding algebra from a system of liberal education, on account of the "generality of its reasonings and conclusions." In answer to which he observes :

Surely this very circumstance should be considered its highest praise, as it renders this study an instrument likely to prepare the mind for the establishment of a general law of nature, from induction in the other sciences. This has always been considered to be the work of the master-mind. Men of inferior talent may collect the stores which contain the general fact, but the highest genius is often required in performing that powerful attraction which is frequently necessary to disentangle the general law. If it is objected that these powerful acts of generalization are the exclusive gifts of the man of genius, the objection has no force, unless we suppose genius to be confined to a few individuals. That the reverse is sure, appears to follow demonstratively from the laws of association, as far as they have been already satisfactorily developed. But, however this may be, I can see no reason why those who receive a liberal education should be debarred exercise in a mental process, which has actually led to results so magnificent.

"But this extensive power of generalization, so important to the philosopher, is not the only advantage to be derived from the study of algebra. It affords the student an excellent exercise in the formation and use of language. Every one who has the slightest knowledge of algebra must be aware that the interpretation of the symbols employed is the most important part of any algebraical process. The simplest transformations in the algebraical symbols frequently lead to results of extreme interest, when expressed in common language, and the adoption of a happy notation is frequently more important than a real discovery in opening the way to future discoveries. Language, which in the other sciences frequently acts as a mist, in this alone presents itself always in the character of a true, powerful and faithful guide to reason.

"The inadequacy of language for the purposes of the philosopher is a complaint, the justice of which must have appeared to every student of mental or ethical philosophy. Complaints have also been made against Logic, for having left untouched the ambiguity of words, one of the chief sources of error in reasoning. Logic, however, confesses this to be beyond her province. Algebraical analysis teaches us, by examples, to avoid perfectly such difficulties and errors. It is evidently impossible to supply a system of general rules for instructing in the full meaning of every general term; but if it were possible, it is difficult to