of the human race are made for endless happiness? There can, I think, be no reasonable doubt entertained concerning the salvation of every young person. If (as some who have versed themselves in this kind of speculations affirm) about one half of mankind die in infancy; and if, as indubitable observation proves, a very considerable number of the remaining half die in early childhood; and if, as there is the strongest reason to think, many millions of those who live to maturer years, in every successive generation, have their names in the book of life; then what a very small portion, comparatively, of the human species falls under the decree of preterition and non-redemption! This view of things, I am persuaded, will, to an eye so philosophic as yours, at least open a very cheerful vista through the gloom, if not entirely turn the imaginary darkness into sunshine; for, with respect to the few reprobate, we may, and we ought, to resign the disposal of them implicitly to the will of that only King who can do no wrong, instead of summoning the Almighty to take his trial at the tribunal of our own speculations, and of setting up ourselves as the judges of Deity. *

'You are, on the article of necessity, the reverse of an Arminian; and you are terribly afraid of being dubbed a Calvinist. I must own you are in some little danger. But cheer up; your case is not yet desperate. Poor Jansenius was in a situation somewhat similar to yours. He indeed swam farther into the Geneva lake than you have ventured to do; and, to elude the name of heretic, assured as many good people as would believe him, that he was all the while bathing in the Tiber.

*

"Zealous Calvinists," you tell us, "regard your writings with abhorrence." It would have been candid, Sir, to have expressed this with more restriction, and with less vehemence. Many very "zealous Calvinists" regard your writings, on some subjects, not only without "abhorrence," but with honor and admiration. Dark and "gloomy" as you have represented us, we still have sufficiency both of eye-sight and of day-light to discern the lustre of your genius, and the improvements which your equally profound and refined researches have added to the stock of philosophic knowledge. *

*

'Our case is pitiable indeed. But why will not the illuminated and illuminating Doctor direct a few of his rays, by way of experiment, toward our dark and dreary habitation? Be honest, good Sir, and fairly tell us, that your reason for huddling the matter up, and for not descending to particulars, was not our stupidity, but your fear of the consequences that would

result to yourself, had you gone to the bottom of the subject, and unfolded all that was in your heart. To screen yourself, you affect to give us over, as incurable, before you have so much as tried what you can make of us. If you set about it, who can tell but, stupid as we are, some of us may recover our sight and sense, and be emancipated from our gloom and our surprise together? Electricity, under your auspices, may work miracles.

'However lightly I may occasionally have expressed myself, I assure you, on the word of an honest man, that I have the honor to be, with seriousness and truth, Reverend Sir, your admirer and very humble servant.'

This plain letter led to some acquaintance with Mr. Toplady. And when Priestley published his Disquisitions on Matter and Spirit,' he sent him a copy and asked his opinion of it. Toplady replied, that he considered Materialism as equally absurd in itself and atheistical in its tendency,' but approves, as before, the views of necessity. We can take but two short passages from this second letter.

'I revere and admire real probity wherever I see it. Artifice, duplicity, and disguise, I cannot away with. Transparency is, in my opinion, the first and the most valuable of all the social virtues. Let a man's principles be black as hell, it matters not to me, so he have but integrity to appear exactly what he is. Give me the person whom I can hold up as I can a piece of chrystal, and see through him. For this, among many other excellencies, I regard and admire Dr. Priestley. * *

Can you bear this plain dealing? If you can, give me your hand; and I most heartily wish that all who differ from you, and especially, that all who may commence your public antagonists, may treat you, as I ever desire to do, with the respect due to your virtues and your talents.'

When the character of such a Unitarian as Priestley draws from such a Calvinist as Toplady encomium so decided as this, we must be pardoned for thinking that there is some uncommon excellence in the character itself.

THE

CHRISTIAN EXAMINER.

ART. I. The Life of Sir Isaac Newton. By DAVID BREWSTER, LL. D., F. R. S. [From the London Edition.] New York. J. & J. Harper. 1831. 18mo. pp. 324.

Ir religion is ever cleared from its corruptions, it will be seen that the object of Christianity is to form character, and to give a finish to character, by bringing the principle of improvement into full operation. But there is nothing visionary in this purpose; though it shows us that this earth is but a prison compared with the world in which the soul shall exist for ever, it forms characters for this life as well as another; it directs us to give to each its share. We have no doubt that, generally speaking, the most distinguished Christians have been as remarkable for common sense and intellectual power, as for moral excellence and religious devotion. We shall take the opportunity afforded by this work, to describe the man who is thoroughly furnished unto all good works-perfect-wanting nothing, and of the parts of character which go to form the perfect whole.

First, there is the practical character; the sagacity in action, which enables a man to act with efficient usefulness in the concerns of the world. We know that this discernment is apt to degenerate into suspicion, and that sagacious men complain of others when perhaps others have equal reason to complain of them; we know too, that this character must have something to elevate and refine it before it can be honorable and truly good. Still, it is of immense importance to know how to judge of men and things, to be able to take

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the direct way to the object, without wasting time or power. We need not, however, describe this character, because we see every day, in the intercourse of life, men who make us feel the force of the saying; "The children of this world are, in their way, wiser than the children of light.'

Next, there is the intellectual character, which belongs to thinking men. It is not confined to those who read and study; no; for there are many who read and study without ever thinking, that is, without bringing their minds into vigorous and successful action. The mind, like the body, wants only so much food as it can convert to its own support; more only injures its health and strength. There are some who never read any book but the Bible, some who never read any book whatever, who yet are truly intellectual, who are familiar with the living letter and the illuminated page of na

ture.

Again, there is the moral or religious character. We consider moral and religious the same; by morality, we mean not merely external decency, but religious conduct flowing from religious principle. We call no man moral who is not so according to Christian morality. It is time to rescue the word moral' from undeserved reproach, and to insist upon it that the word is properly applied only to him who does his duty to God and man with zeal, with energy, and with all his heart. This can never be done without strong religious feelings; without a love of God as our father, a love, fervent, sincere, and trusting; nor without regarding this world as the school of elementary education for another. With these feelings in his breast, a man cannot live to himself nor to this world alone, and whoever does regard himself and this world only, has no right to be called moral; that name is the prize of a higher calling,—the reward of an immortal

ambition.

Now let a man possess one of these characters without the rest, let him for example be practical without being intellectual or moral, and what will he be? It may be said that he cannot be practical without being in a measure intellectual; but this is a mistake; for many of those who are most remarkable for address, are most deficient in understanding, like some of the meaner animals. There are many, whose sagacity seems almost unerring in their little circle, but whose movements are wholly mechanical; they do not think, by

disuse they have almost lost the power of thinking; they do not act from principle, their pleasure and profit are all they care for; they enter upon every undertaking, and pass on from one day to another, with a single eye to themselves and their own. No one cares for them more than they care for others; still no one accuses or upbraids them. Conscience is like a timepiece, which requires to be occasionally wound up; but, not liking its admonitions, they have suffered theirs to run down and be useless long ago. It is but too common for practical men, whose minds and hearts lie fallow all their lives, to injure others by unfair advantages, by paltry extortions, by exploring that broad field of dishonesty in which they can defraud under the shadow of the law. But, however successful they may be in gaining wealth, they are laying up no treasures for the soul.

If the intellectual be added to the practical, the character takes a higher stand: the man in whom these are united, becomes perhaps a statesman, who, sure of party support, sets aside his conscience and honor; or the soldier, who fights for himself and not for his country. No character is more to be dreaded than that of one, who, with mind to form and power to execute great designs, has no principle to keep him in the way of duty. Men do not perceive how pernicious such characters are, because the Providence of God brings good out of evil. They tell you of some great destroyer, who has left a red light in the skies where he went down; they tell you what monuments he has made, what glorious deeds he has done, what powers he set in motion, which have brought good to his country and mankind, — while they say nothing of the habitations he filled with anguish, nor of the blood and tears he caused to flow. If good does result from such deeds and such men, we should give God the glory. The conflagration which sweeps away two thirds of a city is a vast calamity; but in a few years, the streets and squares rise from their ashes more magnificent than before. Do we bless the incendiary's hand for this? do we give to him who destroys, the praise of the repair? It is the Almighty's hand which repairs the ruin made by the rash hands of man.

Let a man be intellectual without being either practical or religious, and he is forlorn and helpless as an open boat on the open sea. The mind is the great source of power; but this power must be guided in its action and its end, by the