Deity. The law of Morality is to be sought in the constitution of men and things. Do we believe that the material world proceeded from, and is governed by, the Deity? That it is governed by laws to which he has exacted an obedience, which cannot be departed from? Do we believe, that intellectual being proceeded from him, and that it is, in like manner, subjected to laws; that intellectuality, as it exists in man, allows to him the liberty of choosing, whether he will act in one manner or another? Do we believe, that this liberty of choosing, could have been given to man, unaccompanied with a capacity to learn the consequences of choosing well or ill? Do we believe, that man has availed himself, to some extent, of this capacity; and that he has learned, more or less perfectly, what these laws are, which were intended to govern his choice? Do we believe, that he has improved his condition, from age to age, by studying and applying these laws? Do we believe, that in all the term of life permitted to each individual, he is under the necessity of doing certain acts for himself, and relatively to those with whom he is associated by family ties, by social bonds, and by the using of those things which minister to his well being, consistently with the rights which others may have therein? Do we believe, that he ought to abstain from acts which are injurious to himself, and to others; and from acts which disturb the good order and harmony, of the political association of which he is necessarily a member? 152. If we so believe, then such belief must be followed by the conviction, that we must ascertain and conform to the rules which are adapted to accomplish these ends of our being. Morality, then lies in knowing, and in conforming, to these rules. In the proportion in which these rules are known to us, and observed by us, we shall conform to the will of the Creator, as discernible by us, in the nature of his creation; and in the proportion in which we are uninstructed in these laws, or are disobedient to them, when known to us, we shall fall short of obtaining the good of which we are capable. Gross ignorance, and wilful disobedience, are the causes of suffering in body, and in mind. 153. Those who are instructed, are favored with a monitor under the name of conscience, which never fails to perform its duty. The character of this monitor, is derived from the state of improvement to which the human race attain. It is such, in each individual, as he makes it to be. In some individuals its influence is feeble, in some ever active and severe; in some misdirected, and leading to absurd consequences. This may be so, because of the narrow and misconceived rules, which conscience enforces. Conscience operates in every mind; it operates well or ill, usefully or mischievously, according to the character of the mind in which it resides; one may be strictly conscientious in things of imaginary importance, and even revolting to sound reason, and good sense. 154. Without adverting to revelation to prove that the spirit of man is immortal, we have assumed that it is so, in the preceding pages. But this allimportant fact, cannot be left on assumption, merely. We have, then, to inquire whether the light of nature discloses to us immortality. We know not that the tenor of human life ought to be different from what it should be, whether the spirit of man is transferred to another life, or not. We discern nothing in revealed law, which ought to vary that conduct which will result in man's greatest earthly good, if he is not to live again. Whatever revelation may add to man's duties, it takes away no law, and impairs no law, which it would not be for his good, faithfully to observe, if life begins and ends in this frail being. CHAPTER XIX. On Immortality.-There is an Immortal Spirit in Man. 155. We propose to consider this subject of immortality, by the same light which has hitherto guided us. We do not say that we expect to demonstrate the immortality of the soul; but we do expect to find truths, which will furnish inferences that it is immortal. The proofs of this proposition, as derived from revealed religion, are not now to be considered. We shall go by the truths which the human mind is capable of perceiving, and by the inferences which can be drawn from these truths. We shall be met, perhaps, at the threshold with the objection, that nothing in the nature of proof can be drawn from this source, because, there is no truth within our knowledge, which proves the existence of an immortal spirit; nor any truths from which an inference can be reasonably drawn that there is such a spirit. If this be so, we admit that the argument must fail. It is also admitted, that with the exceptions which are found in the Scriptures, there is no satisfactory evidence, that the disembodied spirit has been seen by any mortal. We know not of any useful purpose, (with the exceptions above referred to) which would require that the spirit of man should be seen of the living. And we think it is irreconcileable with the qualities of our nature, so far as we can comprehend them, that spirit, whatever that may be, should be perceptible by mortals. There are many narrations which tend to show, that supernatural appearances have been witnessed. No credit is due to these. They are to be accounted for by recurring to truths, and to inferences from them. It is a truth that the mind may be affected by delusions. External objects may seem to the mind to exist, which do not exist. There are many well authenticated facts of this sort. 156. How this delusion, which has no being but in the mind, is produced, is not known to us. All accounts of apparitions, and supernatural occurrences, are undoubtedly to be referred to some mental error. We think it may be assumed, that it is contrary to the truths known to us, and to the inferences which must be drawn from them, that the immortal spirit can be perceived in a disem bodied state, by the human senses. What natural evidence, then, can we have that there is such spirit? We answer, that we are to take all the truths that bear on this inquiry, and make reasonable inferences from them. Among these truths we rank the following. 157. First. The universe is the work of one GoD. All its parts constitute a united, consentaneous whole. Every part acts, or may act, when motion is given to it, relatively to the whole. There are laws of analogy which pervade the whole; as well as general and particular laws, which act always in like circumstances, to the same ends. Among these analogies we may select as examples: The great principle of waste, supply, and renovation; the analogy of organic bodies; the resemblance which the vegetable creation bears to animated being, in the vessels, ramifications and circulations; and the analogy which exists between the circulation of fluids, in vegetable and animal being, and that of the waters of the earth. The principle of universal attraction, and the relation which every one of the globes, floating in the vast expanse around us, bears to all others. Every part of created being has some relation to, and connexion with, all other parts. It is not certainly known that all this is so; but so many truths are certainly known, as to present inferences so obvious, so satisfactory, and so conclusive, that the mind cannot refuse its assent to them. 158. Secondly: It must be admitted that all created being came from the universal Deity, whose attributes, so far as can be discerned, are forced upon the mind. From these truths we infer, that nothing which He has made was made in vain, or without design, or without some useful purpose. All that is known of man, comes within these general rules, always keeping in view, that man is a free agent, and that one is not to suppose, that the Deity intended he should necessarily commit the errors, follies, and crimes, which spring from the exercise of the liberty given to him. We are not to judge of man from the ignorance and vice, which mark the course of certain individuals; nor from the benighted and low condition in which some nations are seen. But we are to judge of him by this undeniable truth that he is made capable of improvement, and that the progress of improvement must, from obvious causes be slow; and that what is generally true of all the human race, under all the variety of circumstances in which they are seen, must be founded in the general law of man's nature, ordained by his Creator. These circumstances depend on the kind of government under which men live, the national habits, the degree of intelligence which they have attained to, and the influence which the knowing and the privileged, have exercised over the mass of men; and on the climate in which they happen to be placed; and perhaps, more than on everything else put together, on traditionary habit, everywhere the relentless enemy of improvement. To mankind, however thus diversified, the sentiment of immortality has been almost common. Some persons who do not believe in immortality, and even some who maintain it, allow no weight to the universality of this sentiment. They say it proves nothing; that it is natural to man to desire to live again; and that such desire establishes nothing as to the certainty of future life. To this we disagree. We go back to the truth, that the sentiment springs from the organization of the human mind. That it appears under all the aspects in which man appears. it could not, and would not appear, if it did not spring from that power from which man himself originates. Why should the thought of immortality have entered the human mind naturally, if it have no foundation? Is there any thing else which men imagine of themselves which is known to be unfounded, or believed to be so? Since, then, the Creator has given this sentiment so commonly to the human mind, and since we cannot suppose that any sentiment is found there, and especially one so materially affecting existence, as this, without his That |