CRUCIFIXION OF CHRIST. See CROSS. | others tends greatly to obstruct personal reformaCRUSADE. See CROISADE.

tion. They who are so officiously occupied about their neighbours, have little leisure, and less inclination, to observe their own defects, or to mind their own duty. From their inquisitive researches, they find, or imagine they find, in the behaviour of others, an apology for their own failings; and the favourite result of their inquiries generally is, to rest satisfied with themselves. We should consider, also, that every excursion of vain curiosity about others is a subtraction from that time and thought which are due to ourselves, and to God. In the great circle of human affairs, there is room for every one to be busy and well employed in his own province, without encroaching upon that of others. It is the province of superiors to direct, of inferiors to obey: of the learned to be in

CURATE, the lowest degree in the church of England; he who represents the incumbent of a church, parson, or vicar, and officiates in his stead: he is to be licensed and admitted by the bishop of the diocese, or by an ordinary having episcopal jurisdiction; and when a curate hath the approbation of the bishop, he usually appoints the salary too; and, in such case, if he be not paid, the curate hath a proper remedy in the ecclesiastical court, by a sequestration of the profits of the benefice; but if the curate be not licensed by the bishop, he is put to his remedy at common law, where he must prove the agreement, &c. A curate, having no fixed estate in his curacy, not being instituted and inducted, may be removed at pleasure by the bishop or instructive; of the ignorant to be docile; of the old cumbent. But there are perpetual curates as well to be communicative; of the young to be advisaas temporary; who are appointed where tithes are ble and diligent. In all the various relations impropriate, and no vicarage endowed: these are which subsist among us in life, as husband and not removeable, and the inipropriators are obliged wife, masters and servants, parents and children, to find them; some whereof have certain portions relations and friends, rulers and subjects, innumer of the tithes settled on them. Curates must sub-able duties stand ready to be performed; innumer scribe the declaration according to the Act of Uni-able calls to activity present themselves on every formity, or are liable to imprisonment. Though hand, sufficient to fill up with advantage and hothe condition of curates be somewhat amelior- nour the whole time of man."-Blair's Serm. ated by a late act, it must be confessed that they vol. iv. ser. 8; Clark's Serm. ser. on Deut. xxix. are still, in many respects, exposed to hardships; 20; Seed's Post. Serm. ser. 7. their salaries are not equal to many dissenting ministers, who have nothing to depend on but the liberality of their people. Can there be a greater reproach to the dignified ecclesiastics of this country, than the comparatively miserable pittance allowed the curates, who do all the labour? Surely they must be a set of useless beings, to reap so little wages; or else they are unjustly treated.

CURSE, the action of wishing any tremend ous evil to another. In Scripture language, it signifies the just and lawful sentence of God's law, condemning sinners to suffer the full punishment of their sin, Gal. iii. 10.

CURSING and Swearing. See SWEARING. CUSTOM, a very comprehensive term, denoting the manners, ceremonies, and fashions of a people, which having turned into habit, and passed into use, obtain the force of laws. Cus tom and habit are often confounded. By custom, we mean a frequent reiteration of the same act; and by habit, the effect that custom has on the mind or the body. See HABIT.

CURIOSITY, a propensity or disposition of the soul which inclines it to inquire after new objects, and to delight in viewing them. Curiosity is proper, when it springs from a desire to know our duty, to mature our judgments, to enlarge our minds, and to regulate our conduct; but impro- "Viewing man," says Lord Kames, "as a senper, when it wishes to know more of Ged, of the sitive being, and perceiving the influence of nodecrees, the origin of evil, the state of men, or the velty upon him, would one suspect that custom nature of things, than it is designed for us to has an equal influence? and yet our nature is know. The eril of this is evident. It reproaches equally susceptible of both: not only in different God's goodness; it is a violation of Scripture, objects, but frequently in the same. When an ob Deut. xxii. 29; it robs us of our time; it often ject is new, it is enchanting; familiarity renders makes us unhappy; lessens our usefulness, and it indifferent; and custom, after a longer famiproduces mischief. To cure this disposition, let liarity, makes it again desirable. Human nature, us consider the divine command, Phil. iv. 6, that diversified with many and various springs of ac every thing essential is revealed; that God can- tion, is wonderful, and, indulging the expression, not err; that we shall be satisfied in a future intricately constructed. Custom hath such influ state, Isa. xiii. 7. Curiosity concerning the afence upon many of our feelings, by warping and fairs of others, is exceedingly reprehensible. "It interrupts," says an elegant writer, "the order, and breaks the peace of society. Persons of this disposition are dangerous troublers of the world. Crossing the lines in which others move, they create confusion, and awaken resentment. Hence, many a friendship has been broken; the peace of many a family has been overthrown; and much bitter and lasting discord has been propagated through society. Such a disposition is entirely the reverse of that amiable spirit of charity our Lord inculcates. Charity, like the sun, brightens every object on which it shines; a censorious dis-power of custom. position casts every character into the darkest shade it will bear. It is to be further observed, that all impertinent curiosity about the affairs of

varying them, that we must attend to its opera tions, if we would be acquainted with human nature. A walk upon the quarter-deck, though intolerably confined, becomes, however, so agreeable by custom, that a sailor, in his walk on shore, confines himself commonly within the same bounds. I knew a man who had relinquished the sea for a country life: in the corner of his garden he reared an artificial mount, with a level summit, resembling, most accurately, a quarterdeck, not only in shape, but in size: and here was his choice walk." Such we find is often the

CYNICS, a sect of ancient philosophers, who valued themselves upon their contempt of riches and state, arts and sciences, and every thing, in

DEMONIAC

short, except virtue and morality. They owe their origin and institution to Antisthenes of Athens, a disciple of Socrates; who being asked of what use his philosophy had been to him, replied, "it enables me to live with myself." Diogenes was the most famous of his disciples, in whose life the system of this philosophy appears in its greatest perfection. He led a most whimseal life, despising every kind of convenience; a tab served him for a lodging, which he rolled before him wherever he went; yet he was not the more humble on account of his ragged cloak, bag,

DÆMONIAC

and tub. One day entering Plato's house, at a time when there was a splendid entertainment for several persons of distinction, he jumped, in all his dirt, upon a very rich couch, saying, "I trample on the pride of Plato!"—"Yes," replied Plato, "but with still greater pride, Diogenes!" He had the utmost contempt for all the human race; for he walked the streets of Athens at noon-day, with a lighted lantern in his hand, telling the people " he was in search of an honest man." But with all his maxims of morality, he held some very pernicious opinions.

D.

DAMIANISTS, a denomination in the sixth | beings did at times enter into the sons and daughcentury, so called from Damian, bishop of Alex-ters of men, and distinguished themselves in that andria. Their opinions were the same as the station by capricious freaks, deeds of wanton Angelites, which see. DEMONS, a name given by the ancients to certain spirits or genii, which they say, appeared to men, either to do them service, or to hurt them. Several of the heathen philosophers held that there were different kinds of dæmons; that some of them were spiritual substances, of a more noble engin than the human race, and that others had cace been men.

mischief, or prophetic enunciations. But in the instances in which they supposed this to happen, it is evident no such thing took place. Their accounts of the state and conduct of those persons whom they believed to be possessed in this supernatural manner, show plainly that what they ascribed to the influence of dæmons was merely the effect of natural diseases. Whatever they relate concerning the larvati, the cerriti, and the lymBut these demons who were the more imme-phatici, shows that these were merely people date objects of the established worship among the ancient nations, were human spirits, such as were believed to become dæmons, or deities, after their departure from their bodies.

disordered in mind, in the same unfortunate situation with those madmen, idiots, and melancholy persons, whom we have among ourselves. Festus describes the larvati as being furiosi et It has been generally thought, that by demons mente moti. Lucian describes dæmoniacs as we are to understand devils, in the Septuagint lunatic, and as staring with their eyes, foaming at version of the Old Testament. Others think the the mouth, and being speechless. It appears still word is in that version certainly applied to the more evident that all the persons spoken of as gasts of such dead men as the heathens deified, possessed with devils in the New Testament, is Dent. xxxii. 17; Ps. evi. 37. That demon were either mad or epileptic, and precisely in aften bears the same meaning in the New Tes- the same condition with the madmen and epint, and particularly in Acts xvii. 18; 1 Cor. leptics of modern times. The Jews, among other 11; 1 Tim. iv. 1; Rev. ix. 13, is shown at reproaches which they threw out against our large by Mr. Joseph Mede (see Works, p. 623, Saviour, said, He hath a devil, and is mad; M That the word is applied always to why hear ye him? The expression he hath a can spirits in the New Testament, Mr. Far-devil and is mad, were certainly used on this has attempted to show in his essay on Damo-occasion as synonymous. With all their virup. et seq. As to the meaning of the lence, they would not surely ascribe to him at * Damon in the fathers of the Christian once two things that were inconsistent and conchurch, it is used by them in the same sense as tradictory. Those who thought more favourably was by the heathen philosophers, especially the of the character of Jesus, asserted concerning his Platonists; that is, sometimes for departed discourses, in reply to his adversaries, These an spirits, and at others for such spirits as are not the words of him that hath a damon; abever inhabited human bodies. In the fa- meaning, no doubt, that he spoke in a more raindeed, the word is more commonly taken tional manner then a madman could be expected an evil sense, than in the ancient philosophers. to speak. The Jews appear to have ascribed to DEMONIAC, a human being whose voli- the influence of demons, not only that species of and other mental faculties are overpowered madness in which the patient is raring, and restrained, and his body possessed and actu- furious, but also melancholy madness. Of John, by some created spiritual being of superior who secluded himself from intercourse with the J. Such seems to be the determinate sense world, and was distinguished for abstinence and the word; but it is disputed whether any of acts of mortification, they said, He hath a demon. And ever were in this unfortunate condition. The youth, whose father applied to Jesus to free at the realer may form some judgment, we him from an evil spirit, describing his unhappy day before him the arguments on both sides. condition in these words, Hare mercy on my son, 1. Denoniacs; arguments against the exist for he is a lunatic, and sore rexed with a def. Those who are unwilling to allow that mon; for oft times he falleth into the fire, and 24 or devils have ever intermeddled with the oft into the water, was plainly epileptic. Every ans of human life, urge a number of spe- thing, indeed, that is related in the New Testate arguments. The Greeks and Romans ofment concerning dæmoniacs, proves that they A say they, did believe in the reality of demo- were people affected with such natural diseases possession. They supposed that spiritual as are far from being uncommon among man

COVENANT

1.

COVETOUSNESS

6. Called new in opposition to the old, and as its | and 1596. The subscription was renewed in blessings will be always new, Heb. viii. 6. 8. 1638, and the subscribers engaged by oath to maintain religion in the same state as it was in 1580, and to reject all innovations introduced since that time. This oath, annexed to the confession of faith, received the name of Covenant, as those who subscribed it were called Covenant ers.

IV. These two covenants above-mentioned agree in some things, in others they differ. "In both," says Witsius, "the parties concerned are God and man.-2. In both, the same promise of eternal life.-3. The condition of both is the same, perfect obedience to the law prescribed; for it is not worthy of God to admit man to a blessed communion with him but in the way of holiness.— 4. In both is the same end, the glory of God. But they differ in the following respects: 1. In the covenant of works, the character or relation of God is that of a supreme lawgiver, and the chief good, rejoicing to communicate happiness to his creatures. In the covenant of grace he appears as infinitely merciful, adjudging life to the elect sinner, agreeably to his wisdom and justice.-2. In the covenant of works there was no mediator: the covenant of grace, has a mediator, Christ.-3. In the covenant of works, the condition of perfect obedience was required to be performed by man himself in covenant. In the covenant of grace the same condition is proposed, but to be performed by a mediator.-4. In the covenant of works man is considered as working, and the reward is to be given of debt. In the covenant of grace the man in covenant is considered as believing; eternal life being given as the merit of the mediator, out of free grace, which excludes all boasting.-5. In the covenant of works something is required as a condition, which being performed, entitles to reward. The covenant of grace consists not of conditions, but of promises: the life to be obtained; faith, by which we are made partakers of Christ; perseverance, and, in a word, the whole of salvation, are absolutely promised.-6. The special end of the covenant of works was the manifestation of the holiness, goodness, and justice of God; but the special end of the covenant of grace, is the praise of the glory of his grace, and the revelation of his unsearchable and manifold wisdom."-7. The covenant of works was only for a time, but the covenant of grace stands sure for ever.

Solemn league and covenant was established in the year 1643, and formed a bond of union between Scotland and England. It was sworn to and subscribed by many in both nations; who hereby solemnly abjured popery and prelacy, and combined together for their mutual defence. It was approved by the parliament and assembly at Westminster, and ratified by the general assetbly of Scotland in 1645.-King Charles I. disapproved of it when he surrendered himself to the Scots army in 1646; but, in 1650, Charles IL declared his approbation both of this and the national covenant by a solemn oath; and, in ADgust of the same year, made a further declaration at Dunfermline to the same purpose, which was also renewed on occasion of his coronation at Scone, in 1651. The covenant was ratified by parliament in this year; and the subscription of it was required by every member, without which the constitution of the parliament was declared null and void. It produced a series of distrac tions in the subsequent history of that country, and was voted illegal by parliament, and provision made against it. Stat. 14 Car. II. c. 4.

COVETOUSNESS, an unreasonable desire after that we have not, with a dissatisfaction with what we have. It may further be considered as consisting in, 1. An anxious carking care about the things of this world.-2. A rapacity in getting.-3. Too frequently includes sinister and le gal ways of obtaining wealth.-4. A tenaciousness in keeping. It is a vice which marvellously prevails upon and insinuates itself into the heart of man, and for these reasons: it often bears a near resemblance to virtue; brings with it many plausible reasons; and raises a man to a state of reputation on account of his riches. "There V. The administration of the covenant of cannot be," as one observes, "a more unreasongrace. The covenant of grace, under the Old able sin than this. It is unjust; only to covet, is to Testament, was exhibited by promises, sacrifices, wish to be unjust. It is cruel; the covetous must types, ordinances, and prophecies. Under the harden themselves against a thousand plaintive New it is administered in the preaching of the voices. It is ungrateful; such forget their former Gospel, baptism, and the Lord's Supper; in which obligations and their present supporters. It is grace and salvation are held forth in more fulness, foolish; it destroys reputation, breaks the rest, evidence, and efficacy to all nations, 2 Cor. iii. 6-unfits for the performance of duty, and is a con18. Heb. viii. Matt. xxviii. 19, 20. But in both periods, the mediator, the whole substance, blessings, and manner of obtaining an interest therein by faith, are the very same, without any difference. Heb. xi. 6. Gal iii. 7. 14. The reader, who may wish to have a more enlarged view of this subject, may peruse Witsius, Strong, or Boston on the Covenants, in the former of which especially he will find the subject masterly handled.

COVENANT, in ecclesiastical history, denotes a contract or convention agreed to by the Scotch, in the year 1638, for maintaining their religion free from innovation. In 1581, the general assembly of Scotland drew up a confession of faith, or national covenant, condemning episcopal government, under the name of hierarchy, which was signed by James 1. and which he enjoined on all his subjects. It was again subscribed in 1590

tempt of God himself: it is unprecedented in all our examples of virtue mentioned in the Scrip ture. One, indeed, spoke unadvisedly with h lips; another cursed and swore; a third was in a passion; and a fourth committed adultery; but which of the saints ever lived in the habit of co vetousness? Lastly, it is idolatry, Col. iii. 5, the idolatry of the heart; where, as in a temple, the miserable wretch excludes God, sets up gold instead of him, and places that confidence in it which belongs to the Great Supreme alone." Let those who live in the habitual practice of it con sider the judgments that have been inflicted on such characters, Josh. vii. 21. Acts v.; the misery with which it is attended, the curse such persons are to society; the denunciations and cautions respecting it in the Holy Scripture; and how effectually it bars men from God, from happiness, and from heaven. Scott's Essays, 72, 73. "South's

COUNCIL

CREATION

Serm., vol. iv. ser. 1. Robinson's Mor. Exercises, sively of the bishops, who used to assume that ex. iv. Saurin's Serm. vol. v. ser. 12. Eng. trans. title. Here, also, Hugh, archbishop of Lyons, COUNCIL, an assembly of persons met to- obtained of the pope a confirmation of the primacy gether for the purpose of consultation; an assem- of his see over that of Sens. The council of Bly of deputies or commissioners sent from seve-Rheims, summoned by Eugenius III. in 1148, ral churches, associated by certain bonds in a general body, Acts i. vi. xv. xxi.

called an assembly of Cisastrian Gaul, in which advowees, or patrons of churches, are prohibited COUNCIL, Ecumenical or General, is an as- taking more than ancient fees, upon pain of desembly which represents the whole body of the privation and ecclesiastical burial. Bishops, deaChristian church. The Romanists reckon eigh- cons, subdeacons, monks, and nuns, are restrainteen of them, Bullinger six, Dr. Prideaux seven, ed from marrying. In this council the doctrine and bishop Beveridge eight, which, he says, are of the Trinity was decided: but upon separation all the general councils which have ever been held the pope called a congregation, in which the carsince the time of the first Christian emperor. dinals pretended they had no right to judge of They are as follow:-1. The council of Nice, doctrinal points; that this was the privilege peheld in the reign of Constantine the Great, on culiar to the pope. The council of Sutrium, in account of the heresy of Arius.-2. The council 1046, wherein three popes who had assumed the of Constantinople, called under the reign and by chair were deposed. The council of Clarendon in the command of Theodosius the Great, for much England, against Becket, held in 1164. The the same end that the former council was sum- council of Lombez, in the country of Albigeois, in moned.-3. The council of Ephesus, convened 1200, occasioned by some disturbances on account by Theodosius the Younger, at the suit of Nes- of the Albigenses; a crusade was formed on this torius.-4. The council at Chalcedon, held in account, and an army sent to extirpate them. In the reign of Marcianus, which approved of the nocent III. spirited up this barbarous war. DoEutychian heresy.-5. The second council of minic was the apostle, the count of Toulouse the Constantinople, assembled by the emperor Justi- victim, and Simon, count of Montfort, the conAan, condemned the three chapters taken out of ductor or chief. The council of Paris, in 1210, in the book of Theodorus of Mopsuestia, having first which Aristotle's metaphysics were condemned decided that it was lawful to anathematize the to the flames, lest the refinements of that philosodead. Some authors tell us that they likewise pher should have a bad tendency on men's minds, condemned the several errors of Origen about the by applying those subjects to religion. The counTrinity, the plurality of worlds, and pre-existence cil of Pisa, begun March the 24, 1409, in which of souls--6. The third council of Constantinople, Benedict XIII. and Gregory XII. were deposed. held by the command of Constantius Pogonatus, Another council, sometimes called general, held the emperor, in which they received the definitions at Pisa, in 1505. Lewis XII. of France assemof the first five general councils, and particularly bled a national council at Tours (being highly that against Origen and Theodorus of Mopsues- disgusted with the pope,) 1510, where was present tia-7. The second Nicene council.-8. The the cardinal De Gurce, deputed by the emperor; fourth council of Constantinople, assembled when and it was then agreed to convene a general counLous II. was emperor of the West. Their regu-cil at Pisa. Murray's History of Religion. lations are contained in twenty-seven canons, the beads of which the reader may find in Dupin. Whatever may be said in favour of general counas their utility has been doubted by some of the wisest men. Dr. Jortin says, "they have been too much extolled by Papists, and by some Protestants. They were a collection of men who were frail and fallible. Some of those councils were not assemblies of pious and learned divines, but cabals, the majority of which were quarrelome, fanatical, domineering, dishonest prelates, who wanted to compel men to approve all their aprions, of which they themselves had no clear eceptions, and to anathematize and oppress those who would not implicitly submit to their determinations." Jortin's Works, vol. vii. charge 2; Broughton's Dict.; Mosheim's Eccl. Hist., Index. COUNCILS, Provincial or Occasional, have been merous. At Aix-la-Chapelle, A. D. 816, a uncil was held for regulating the canons of cathedral churches. The council of Savonnieries, 59, was the first which gave the title of Most Christian King to the King of France; but it did n become the peculiar appellation of that sovega till 1469. Of Troves, in 887, to decide the utes about the imperial dignity. The second uncil of Troyes, 1107, restrains the clergy from Trying. The council of Clermont, in 1095. I first crusade was determined in this council. The bishops had yet the precedency of cardinals. la this assembly the name of Pope was for the Erst time given to the head of the church, exclu

COUNCIL of Trent. See TRENT.

COURAGE is that quality of the mind that enables men to encounter difficulties and dangers. Natural courage is that which arises chiefly from constitution; moral or spiritual is that which is produced from principle, or a sense of duty. Courage and fortitude are often used as synonymous, but they may be distinguished thus: fortitude is firmness of mind that supports pain; courage is active fortitude, that meets dangers, and attempts to repel them. See FORTITUDE. Courage, says Addison, that grows from constitution, very often forsakes a man when he has occasion for it; and when it is only a kind of instinct in the soul, it breaks out on all occasions without judgment or discretion; but that courage which arises from a sense of duty, and from a fear of offending Him that made us, always acts in an uniform manner, and according to the dictates of right reason.

CREATION, in its primary import, signifies the bringing into being something which did not before exist. The term is therefore most generally applied to the original production of the materials whereof the visible world is composed. It is also used in a secondary or subordinate sense, to denote those subsequent operations of the Deity upon the matter so produced, by which the whole system of Nature, and all the primitive genera of things, receive their form, qualities, and laws.

There is no subject concerning which learned men have differed in their conjectures more than in this of creation. "It is certain," as a good

CREATION

CREATION

writer observes, "that none of the ancient philo- | beings, called angels, we have express intimation sophers had the smallest idea of its being possible in Scripture (see the article ANGEL.) But the to produce a substance out of nothing, or that limits of the creation we must not prétend to de even the power of the Deity himself could work fine. How far the regions of space extend, o without any materials to work upon. Hence how they are filled, we know not. How to some of them, among whom was Aristotle, as-planetary worlds, the sun, and the fixed stars are serted that the world was eternal, both as to its occupied, we do not pretend to have ascertained. matter and form. Others, though they believed We are even ignorant how wide a diversity of that the gods had given the world its form, yet forms, what an infinity of living animated beings imagined the materials whereof it is composed to may inhabit our own globe. So confined is our have been eternal. Indeed, the opinions of the knowledge of creation, yet so grand, so awfu ancients, who had not the benefit of revelation, that part which our narrow understandings can were on this head so confused and contradictory, comprehend. that nothing of any consequence can be deduced "Concerning the periods of time at which the from them. The free-thinkers of our own and Deity executed his several works, it cannot he of former ages have denied the possibility of cre- pretended that mankind have had opportunities ation, as being a contradiction to reason; and of of receiving very particular information. Mary consequence have taken the opportunity from have been the conjectures, and curious the fanthence to discredit revelation. On the other hand, cies of learned men, respecting it; but, after a'l many defenders of the sacred writings have as- we must be indebted to the sacred writings for serted that creation out of nothing, so far from the best information." Different copies, indeed, being a contradiction to reason, is not only pro- give different dates. The Hebrew copy of the bable, but demonstrably certain. Nay, some have Bible, which we Christians, for good reasons, cetgone so far as to say, that from the very inspec-sider as the most authentic, dates the creation of tion of the visible system of Nature, we are able the world 3914 years before the Christian era. to infer that it was once in a state of non-exist- The Samaritan Bible, again, fixes the era of the ence." We cannot, however, here enter into the creation 4305 years before the birth of Christ. multiplicity of the arguments on both sides; it is And the Greek translation, known by the nat enough for us to know what God has been pleased of the Septuagint version of the Bible, gives to reveal, both concerning himself and the works 5270 as the number of the years which interof his hands. Men, and other animals that in-vened between these two periods. By comparing habit the earth and the seas; all the immense va-the various dates in the sacred writings, exami rieties of herbs and plants of which the vegetable ing how these have come to disagree, and to be kingdom consists; the globe of the earth; and the diversified in different copies; endeavouring to expanse of the ocean, these we know to have been reconcile the most authentic profane with sacred produced by his power. Besides the terrestrial chronology, some ingenious men have formed world, which we inhabit, we see many other ma- schemes of chronology plausible, indeed, but not terial bodies disposed around it in the wide extent supported by sufficient authorities, which they of space. The moon, which is in a particular would gladly persuade us to receive in preference manner connected with our earth, and even de- to any of those above mentioned. Usher makes pendent upon it; the sun, and the other planets, out from the Hebrew Bible 4004 years as the with their satellites, which like the earth cir-term between the creation and the birth of Christ culate round the sun, and appear to derive from Josephus, according to Dr. Wills and Mr. Whe him light and heat; those bodies which we call ton, makes it 4658 years; and M. Pezron, wit fixed stars, and consider as illuminating and che- the help of the Septuagint, extends it to 5872 rishing with heat each its peculiar system of pla- years. Usher's system is the most generally renets; and the comets which at certain periods ceived. But though these different systems of surprise us with their appearance, and the na- chronology are so inconsistent, and so slenderly ture of whose connexion with the general system supported, yet the dierences among them are of Nature, or with any particular system of so inconsiderable in comparison with those which planets, we cannot pretend to have fully disco-arise before us when we contemplate the chrono vered; these are so many more of the Deity's logy of the Chinese, the Chaldeans, and the works, from the contemplation of which we can- Egyptians, and they agree so well with the gene not but conceive the most awful ideas of his cre- ral information of authentic history, and with the ative power. appearances of nature and of society, that they Matter, however, whatever the varieties of may be considered as nearly fixing the true form under which it is made to appear, the rela-period of the creation of the earth." Uncertain tive disposition of its parts, or the motions com- however, as we may be as to the exact time f municated to it, is but an inferior part of the the creation, we may profitably apply ourselves! works of creation. We believe ourselves to be to the contemplation of this immense fabric. In animated with a much higher principle than deed, the beautiful and multiform works around] brute matter; in viewing the manners and eco- us must strike the mind of every beholder wit; nomy of the lower animals, we can scarce avoid wonder and admiration, unless he be enveloped acknowledging even them to consist of something in ignorance, and chained down to the earth with more than various modifications of matter and motion. The other planetary bodies, which seem to be in circumstances nearly analogous to those of our earth, are surely, as well as it, destined for the habitations of rational, intelligent beings. The existence of intelligences of an higher or der than man, though infinitely below the Deity, appears extremely probable. Of these spiritual

sensuality. These works every way proclam the wisdom, the power, and the goodness of the Creator. Creation is a book which the nicest philosopher may study with the deepest attention, Unlike the works of art, the more it is examined the more it opens to us sources of admiration of its great Author; the more it calls for our inspec tion, and the more it demands our praise. Her