had been no farther than the boundaries of Europe, and his opinions terminated with its extremities. This gentleman declared, "that an opinion which contradicted the most important institutions of society, should not be promulgated," sanctifying thereby the inquisition of Spain, the despotism of Turkey, and every crime hallowed by public institution over all the world; thereby destroying the instrument of Nature, to operate changes towards a more perfect state of existence--the HUMAN THOUGHT— which, according to him, was irredeemably enslaved by civil, religious and domestic institutions, and was to be emancipated only in affairs of little moment.

The author since has been discouraged by the disappointment he met with in a character that promised so much perfection, and has determined to present his ideas to the public; for which his morality and sentiments as a child of Nature, must offer an apology, and he hopes it not a favorable reception, at least a candid discussion, to enable him to reform his own errors, and correct those of mankind. He proposes printing this work in duodecimo, to render it portable, that the judgment of the reader may deliberate and discuss its matter without the aid of memory, and that it may be opened in the scenes of rural solitude, where Nature affords a clearer atmosphere for the judgment, than the literary mist of the cabinet or library, where verbal ideas alone arise and circulate, to perpetuate prejudice and confound truth. The study of Nature should be pursued in the cabinet of Nature-groves, for ests, lawns, lakes &c. &c. Here real ideas or things present themselves to contemplation, and the great stan dard of truth becomes Nature's self.

Truth will present itself to the reader in these works, without the dress of erudition on eloquence, and under all the disadvantage which the criticism of learning, prejudice, superstition and personal interest can bring upon it. This opposition, like many other operations of ignorance, will defeat its own purpose, and the ingenuity of syllogism and insidious eloquence, and terrors of political and religious enthusiasm, will but serve to establish a color

ed lens, that the sun of truth may be distinctly contem. plated; whereas in the meridian effulgence this work pla ces it, the mind of man, emerging from the dark cave of error, might be dazzled and confounded, instead of enlightened with its blaze of splendor. The author hopes that the uncouthness of his style, the irregularity of arrangement, and the absence of erudition, will not prejudice the minds of the learned, so as to forbid a perusal of his matter: he entreats their criticism, which may furnish him with new light to approach that dark and recondite subject, the source of moral motion, and to discover the means of improving and extending human essence to intellectual existence.

I must beg the indulgence of my reader for any defects of composition, and offer, as my only apology, the following reflection:-The ideas communicated in the following work are real, and not verbal; that is, taken from things in the volume of Nature, and not from words and adopted sentiments in books, and the mind, in explaining new conceptions, finds greater difficulty to employ language which erudition and extensive reading alone can give, and this advantage the author, whose whole life has been spent in travels, has been deprived of, which he shall not regret, if his ideas are intelligibly explained. He regrets much the impulse of a genius, which flies too ra- ; pidly over the tardy detail of demonstration; but he hopes that the penetration of many of his readers, and the crudition of many of his critics, will assist in furnishing a supplement, for the demonstration of such truths as carry with them conviction, and the exposition of such errors as may oppose the end of his labors and attentions, to procure systematic happiness to all sensitive Nature.

He moreover declares, that in transferring from the mind to paper his thoughts, he has been careless as to style and language, and in the enthusiasm of sympathy, has not been able to give discrimination, or ample explanation to his ideas. This fault will serve to call into exercise the penetration of his readers, and call with

more necessity upon him, for a series of commentaries, to elucidate this work of texts, and he hopes in these to be aided by the light of frequent and sagacious criticism, to which he will pay an extreme attention, and pardon all the rancor, or personal abuse, which the passions may indulge in, when interested or rooted prejudices are attacked. He implores all his fellow parts in the great integer of Nature, not to treat these ideas with contempt, as visionary systems, but to favor the benevolent intentions of the author, whose mind is beyond the reach of the sordid motives of interest, and vanity of applause, but wishes to procure happiness to all animated Nature. He trusts, that this observation will be sufficient to entitle him to a patient reading, and impartial criticism, which he will himself ever labor at, till a period be put to the revolution of this identity, which dissolving into the great mass of Nature, and returning to animation under a different identity, may receive as an eternal part of Nature, the advantage that his former laors may have procured by removing moral evil from existence.

Identity is continually interrupted in the period of existence, and it is difficult to seize the moment of absolute identity, the moral and physical parts of body constantly changing; but the capacity of identity to pro cure present and future pleasure, and avoid present and future pain, is sufficiently evident to procure well-being. Present identity concerned, and interested to procure pleasure for future identity, which may have seperated from and consequently forgot its antecedent, represents the interruption of identity in the dissolution of life; for by the labor of the identity in life interrupted by death, as a part of Nature it must assume other identity, though it must have forgot its antecedent identity of life.

If the mind is once brought to a great force of internal operation or reflection, it can conceive with the utmost facility its internal and immortal connexion with Nature. Self, under all its changes and combinations must ever be a component part of that integer, or uni

versal mass of matter; and it is impossible in conception, to separate self as a part from its whole, notwithstanding the sudden interruption or dissolution of identity, whose connection being broken cannot remove its interest in the future good and evil of the aggregate mass of matter assuming new identities.

Some part of me was probably [?] some part of Alexander. If he had humanized instead of barbarizing mankind, the universal happiness of animated matter being the operation of his identity as Alexander, he would now enjoy under my identity, and his virtuous remembrance vould serve to unite the two identities.

I have given this conception much investigation in my mind, but I must close till the investigation of others may give me new matter to proceed and operate with. In the mean time I enjoy the utility of its influence, which establishes more encouragement to persevere in virtue, than imaginary and ridiculous rewards and punishments, that are now abandoned to nurses and children with the tales of ghosts and witches; by reflecting, that the good or evil I procure in this life are perpetuated to my enjoyment or suffering, as a part of Nature reanimated in a new identity. This also forms that comfortable and reasonable doctrine of immortality, which brought home to the conception, gives dignity and resigration to the mind of man.

If the utility of a doctrine cannot be disproved, the mind, in a state of doubt, will do well to establish utility or happiness, as a valuable criterion.

Lest bigots or enthusiasts might attempt to profit by this criterion, I must observe, that their visions are clear only in the darkness of credulity and superstition; for they dare not appeal to reason, which the doctrine of universal identity in the integer of Nature courts as its only support, spurning belief as a weakness, and respecting the assent of the mind, or formation of sentiment, which arises from conviction alone, as to positive or probable truth.

INTRODUCTION.

THE present is a moral crisis the most extraordinary the world ever witnessed. Man in various parts of the globe struggling to obtain liberty, and reclaim the natural rights of which despotism or fallacy of policy has deprived him; the mind of man is peculiarly called upon to desist from the futile occupations of arts and science, and to deliberate upon the present state of Humanity.

Whoever attends to the conduct and conversation of what is called the polite world, must observe, that virtue, that is, sympathy and probity, are treated with contempt; and honor or courage, that is, to pay a debt of which another has robbed you, or cut his throat if he exposes your falsehood or knavery, is the whole code of moral law. Luxury, which makes rapid strides in all European countries, while it destroys the bodily and mental health of the rich, increases the misery and labor of the poor, who are subjugated to institutions only calculated to protect property, of which they have none to lose; and happiness, all their possession, is sacrificed to wanton avarice, and their corporeal powers are worn into premature dissolution, and their mental powers so totally suppressed, that extreme labor leaves the peasant no time to acquire conscientiousness or intellectual existence.'

Human knowledge has acquired from the experience