of all forms and principles, also overturn and destroy all powers, affinities, combinations; invert mathematical truth, and reduce the harmony and order of the universe, of creation, if the term be better, to confusion and chaos: and then, by pure "will," re-organize all things on fresh principles, create new matter and new motion, out of nonentity; make present truth become falsehood, and falsehood, truth? Will they allow all this? if not, I fear the line between Atheism and Deism is but faintly traced.

Playfair says, "it is, as infinity to one, that our solar system should be as it is proved to be, without being purposely thrown so by premeditation:" philosophical learning pauses, and asks, "how can these things be?" but she is not discouraged; she takes comfort by reflecting, "what I know not to-day, I may to-morrow; I must wait in hope; I have already done great things, perhaps still greater will be achieved by time, by patience, by perseverance; I will never shut my eyes against conviction, I may see good reason, to-morrow, to alter the opinion of to-day, and if I should, I will do so : there will be no real disgrace, or defeat thereby incurred; fools and fanactics only are ashamed to seek and hear better information: the man who will not listen to reason, who

says, 'I will not listen, because I fear,' is a foe to human felicity, a most despicable coward.” To illustrate this position, let us take one, out of numberless instances.

Suppose, that two thousand years ago, a man had said aloud, in the streets of Rome, "I incline to think, we do not know our true position in the scale of Nature; that we assign to visible effects, causes preposterous and inefficient, only for want of knowing better: for my own part, I see no reason, why the moon should not be made of the same matter as the earth; and if so, that it is highly probable she is inhabited by suitable forms; and, that in that case, those who dwell there, may look upon our earth just as we do upon theirs. And besides, that those twinkling points we call stars, may be suns at a greater distance; and as nothing here is without a corresponding use, they may, if so, perform to other earths, the office which the great light of the sun performs here. And, moreover, I cannot help thinking, the story our Priests tell us, about poor Saturn being kicked out of heaven, and Jupiter now reigning there all-powerful, must be a hoax; seeing, they make Jupiter himself subject to the Parcæ, who spin the threads of existence: surely our Mythology must be

founded on error and contradiction, and so will some day, be clearly shewn."

Had any one, I say, been bold and philosophical enough to advance this, he would certainly have been scoffed at for a fool and madman first, and perhaps torn in pieces by the rabble, to boot: what may we not then hope, when it is since proved, that such suggestions would have been founded on truth? and when an instrument has since been discovered, by which the height of the mountains in the moon has been measured by observations on their shadows, shadows caused by exactly the same laws which govern here? In short, every thing is fearful and wonderful; there is as much efficient cause in the formation of the meanest objects, as in those which seem most abstruse and complicated: the formation of a flower is as wonderful as that of our own bodies: both are equally well suited to functional discharge.

LETTER X.

L-continued,

It has been frequently asked, with all the insolence of ignorant triumph, "If Science and Learning lead to such vastly beneficial results, why did not the civilized, the very erudite nations of antiquity, the Egyptians, the Greeks, the Carthaginians, the Romans, why did not they practise the milder virtues? Why did they worship a plurality, and pay adoration at the shrines of idols?" The answer is forthcoming.

Because their teaching and learning, their laws and popular actions, were founded on a false, unstable basis; because their knowledge was not that of Nature, of man as a rational creature, of his true position in the universe. The telescope and the microscope had not unfolded their wonders. Because their youth were nursed in the lap of bigotry and misguided zeal; thus they grew up in prejudice, fell an easy prey to a grovelling superstition, and were led captive by the fancied special influence of the gods, who were only visible ap

'pearances, and emotions personified. They were absolutely ignorant of natural causes; they knew almost nothing of astronomy, geography, anatomy, chemistry, nothing of electricity, gravitation, navigation.

The electric fluid which Franklin caught with his kite, was the chief symbol of their "Jove the Thunderer." And yet with all these disadvantages, there were not wanting among them men who felt these evils, but were unable to stem the tide of popular delusion. The priests held the minds of the vulgar fast bound; gulled them with the bait of reward in Elysium, in order to rob them with the greater impunity in this world; and they succeeded to a tittle. They built on the groundwork of fear and avarice, flattered pride by holding forth the example of saints and demigods, a motley, mongrel race, half God, half man. Socrates, and doubtless many more whose names are lost, saw through the farce; but what is the opinion of one against thousands, without demonstrative proof in aid? and that proof was wanting, because they had not discovered what we know. Can a man swim up the falls of Niagara? Such men as Virgil and Horace laughed in their sleeves at the conceits of their countrymen, but dared not own their conviction. Would not those great men, Se