others by meekness, benevolence, probity, and a spiritual life. But this bright morning was succeeded by a day of clouds, darkness, and tempest. The Christian church, so pure and patient, during the ages of persecution, degenerated in the season of its tranquillity. Ignorance, bigotry, intolerance, cruelty, avarice, ambition, and enormous profligacy, were openly exhibited among the professed followers of him, who was meek and lowly in heart, who declared, that his kingdom was not of this world; and whose object was to purify to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Not only were abandoned that converse with heaven, that contempt of the world, and that elevated morality, which had been so conspicuous in the lives of primitive saints; but even all decency, all regard to appearances, were set at defiance and that not in one country, and one disastrous period only, but generally, and during many centuries. Since the reformation, there has doubtless been more piety in the church, than before that period. But, as some reflections have already been made on the present moral state of the christian world, it will be unnecessary to proceed further in this place. It has now been made evident, I conceive, that mankind, whether we view them in a civilized or barbarous state; whether in the enjoyment of patriarchal, Jewish, or christian light, manifest great uniformity of moral character;—a strong, inveterate attachment to vice.

:

3. As a distinct argument in proof of human depravity, I mention an acknowledged tendency to alter for the worse. In addition to many proofs of such tendency, which might be obtained by a recurrence to the preceding remarks, I mention; that corruption, whether in political, literary, or religious institutions, is generally allowed to be proportionate to their age. Old and corrupt, in application to government, are terms almost synonymous. Of the religious orders, which have, in different periods, been instituted, many, it is well known, adopted the most austere manners. This austerity usually gave place, by degrees, to indolence, fraud, and dissipation. A person, forming strict laws for a new community, might, with good reason,

hope to see them well observed, when first adopted; but he would have no doubt, that subsequent ages would be attended by relaxation. If little restraint were imposed by the laws; and considerable disorders were tolerated at the commencement, no rational person would expect the evil to correct itself. Such an issue would not be agreeable to the natural course of events. Whereas, the contrary, viz. a deterioration in the habits and morals of a community, at first well organized and governed, is a change at which no one would be surprised.

4. The moral feelings of mankind are indicated by the character, which pagan nations have attributed to their deities. This character is forcibly, and with great exactness exhibited in the following lines:

"Gods, partial, changeful, passionate, unjust,

Whose attributes were rage, revenge, and lust."

In what way can we account for the general prevalence of ideas, so unworthy of God, and so inconsistent with reason? When a right conclusion was much more obvious than a wrong, why was the latter generally made, the former seldom or never? There inust have been a bias on the mind;-a fondness for profligate, rather than for pure deities. St. Paul evidently attributes pagan idolatry, not to the difficulty of obtaining better opinions, but to an aversion in man from the character of Jehovah That, which may be known of God, is manifest in them. The invisible things of him, from the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse. When they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful. They did not like to retain God in their knowledge. Therefore they changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image, made like to corruptible man.

If the Gentiles did not like to retain God in their knowledge, neither did the Jews. They had, we have seen, witnessed and acknowledged many illustrious miracles, wrought by Jehovah,

in favor of a religion, which declared, that the gods of the heathen were vanity and a lie; a religion, the immediate object of which was to preserve the nation from idolatry. To avoid apostasy, there were many reasons of interest as well as duty. Besides this there is generally prevalent a strong partiality in favor of the national religion. A change in this particular is, by the Deity himself, ranked among the most extraordinary events Pass over the isles of Chittim and see; and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently, and see, if there be any such thing: Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? It is immediately subjoined: But my people have changed their glory for that which cannot profit.

Now, if Jews and Gentiles have shown unequivocally a dislike to the moral purity of God, they have evinced beyond the possibility of doubt the immorality of their own character.

Were there not some moral taint, or wrong tendency common to the whole species, we might justly expect to find some individuals, not guilty of having violated that law, which is holy, just, and good; that law, every command of which has the sanction of reason. Of all the remote islands, which of later years have been discovered, we might naturally hope, that there would be some, whose inhabitants having learned the character of God from his works, were habituated to worship the eternal Spirit in spirit and in truth. But the fact is, that these discoveries tend to establish the doctrine we are considering. Wherever there are human forms, there is misery and vice.

munity, whose leading object it is to obey reason, cultivate moral purity, and secure the favor of God, is not to be found on the earth.

Finally Our opinion of mankind is generally, perhaps universally, less favorable, in proportion to our converse with the world.

If a man is credulous, and readily presumes on the correct views of men, it is commonly and justly remarked, that he is ignorant of mankind; and that further acquaintance will teach

him better. This sentiment is usually expressed without the most distant apprehension of the inference, to which it leads.

From the preceding remarks, it appears, that whatever theory we adopt in accounting for the perverseness of man, the fact is undeniable; and further, whether there is in man by nature, a wrong tendency, a moral taint, or not, facts and appearances are, and always have been precisely as if the doctrine were true; and extremely different from what they probably would have been, had the doctrine been false. Greater disorder could not have been expected, had men been by nature inclined to evil; much less, would have been rationally expected, were they not thus inclined.

LECTURE XXXI.

HUMAN DEPRAVITY.

THOUGH many facts have been mentioned in the preceding lectures, highly dishonorable to the moral character of man, there are others of a contrary aspect, which are supposed to invalidate the conclusion to which the former would lead. If there is much vice among men, there is likewise, it may be thought, much virtue. If there is much perfidy, idleness, dissipation, and profaneness, there is undeniably much truth, fidelity, diligence, and temperance, and much decency of manner, in treating things sacred.

I answer, that advocates for the doctrine of human depravity, do not deny the existence of real virtue or holiness among men. They only deny, that this is the native production of the human heart, or ever exists there, without the particular agency of the Almighty. They further suppose, that the qualities which have been mentioned, such as veracity, temperance, industry, etc., are by no means to be considered as conclusive evidence of real virtue; i. e. of such a state of heart as God and reason require; since these qualities are generally conducive to worldly advantage. Without veracity a man can neither enjoy reputation, nor conveniently transact business. Without temperance and industry, he will be subject to the like embarrassment. Profaneness of language, or levity in regard to things sacred, exposes a man to the displeasure of many, whom it is his interest not to offend. An atheist, therefore, were he a man of prudence, would be guilty of none of these vices.