policy of states, or in other words, that predominant spirit and system in the administration of the affairs of nations, by which the people have been abandoned to such a deplorable state of intellectual and consequently moral degradation, while resources approaching to immensity have been lavished on objects of vulgar ambition. So far from feeling that such observations can require any apology, he thinks it is high time for all the advocates of intellectual, moral, and religious improvement, to raise a protesting voice against that economy of the states denominated Christian, which has for ages found every conceivable thing necessary to be done, at all costs and hazards, rather than to enlighten, reform, and refine the people. He thinks that nothing can be a stronger sign of a mind enslaved, (if it be not rather a sign of the time-serving dishonesty which is still worse,) than that sort of doctrine which tells the philanthropist, that it is quite beside his business and out of his proper sphere, to animadvert on the course pursued by the great depositaries of power, (not meaning merely transient individual men, but systems of the administration of nations,) when he sees them not doing what he is solemnly and with infallible truth maintaining to be the most important of all things to be done; but often or habitually doing the contrary; and with an effect which diminishes his own confined ability, and that of his co-operators, for prosecuting as individuals the momentous object ADVERTISEMENT TO THE AMERICAN EDITION. is THE Publishers of this edition deem it proper to apprise the reader, that the English copy printed in one continued discourse, or essay, without the least nominal division from begining to end. But as this unbroken continuity is rather fatiguing to the reader; has not the proper marks for convenient reference; and can certainly add nothing to the merit of the performance, it was considered an acceptable service, to divide the work into chapters and sections, noting the several subjects of each in a general manner. It was also thought, that it would add to the value of the book, to pre pare a copious Index. Boston, May, 1821. CONTENTS. SEC. 4. Uneducated persons have vague, limited, un- SEC. 5. General effects of the want of knowledge in a community; and the facility with which a vacant mind receives wrong impressions, SEC. 6. Gross ignorance produces a degraded state of SEC. 7. Answer to a very common, but futile objection. SEC. 1. Uneducated minds destitute of any religious SEC. 4. Indications of a better age approaching:—with SEC. 5. Moderate computations to be made for the effects of knowledge communicated:-advantages act- ESSAY. MY PEOPLE ARE DESTROYED FOR LACK OF KNOWLEDGE.--Hosea. CHAPTER I. HISTORICAL REVIEW OF THE GENERAL CONDITION OF MANKIND, IN AN INTELLECTUAL RESPECT, AT DIFFERENT PERIODS. SECTION I. Indifference of the Human Mind to representations of Misery. IT may excite in us some sense of wonder, and perhaps of self-reproach, to reflect with what a stillness and indifference of the mind we can read and repeat sentences asserting facts which are awful calamities; especially if we perceive that this repose of feeling remains undisturbed when the calamities so pronounced have all the aggravation of being of a moral and spiritual. nature. And this indifference is not an extraordinary thing, the mere transient effect of occasional heaviness and languor. The self-inspector must often be compelled to acknowl |