1805.] AbJ}raii Ideas not mere Terms,'— Dr,Jebby ^c. SOI 



ABSTRACT IBEAS KOT MIRE TERMS. 



P. S. Unlefs I am greatly miftakcn, your 

 Correfpondent from WolverhajBipton is 

 known to me by correfpondence and efteemed 

 by me. But although he has the fanftion of 

 great names, I cannot accede to his hypo- 

 thefis of the non-exiftence of abftraft ideas.— 

 If abftraft ideas were merely terms, we 

 could not reafon by them ; for there is no 

 reafoning by terms that do not reprefent 

 ideas. Now it is by thefe terms, and the 

 ideas which they are appointed to repre^.nt, 

 that we do reafon. Give no fenfe to «*<jira- 

 cadabra" or " coatlixi," and there is no reafon- 

 ing about them. Give them a fenfe involv- 

 ing fome general aflertion, and immediately 

 they are fubjeils of reafon. Th-j miftake 

 may have originated in this, that the abltraft 

 terms do not commonly convey fenfible 

 images. Bur ideas are not, in philolophic 

 language, confined to fenfible images. TliC 

 term extends to being in general, and to pro- 

 perties and relations of being ; to polTibiiity, 

 real or fuppofed : in a word, to " whatever 

 employs our mind in thinking." It is very 

 allowable, convenient, and fometimes necef- 

 fary, to extend words beyond their etymology, 

 in order to obtain a mod comprehenfive term. 

 Though a Piatonift perhaps would fay, that 

 idea with him is equally comprehenfive, and 

 included every thing which can be feen, or 

 perceptible to fenfe, or recognized by an ope- 

 ration of in'.elle£V, fo as to be an <^£x either 

 a-Tto % iJtiy, or £ijEs-&ai. 



DR. JOHN JSBB. 



I did hope fome other furviving friend of 

 Dr. John Jebb would have ftept forth, in an- 

 fwer to the imputation attempted to be 

 thrown on him, where I fliould lead have ex- 

 pelled it, in the Biographical Memoir of Dr. 

 Paley, in your Magazine for July laft (p. 

 60S). Unlefs there be fome obfcure and 

 concealed irony, 1 cannot in the leaft compre- 

 hend the pafTage. If meant to convey praife 

 under the form of cenfure, and cenfure under 

 that of praife, it will then, and then only, 

 be jurt and intelligible. I do not objeft to 

 the prjife of Dr. Paley, whofe character and 

 writings I highly refpeft, but to the implied 

 praife of the oppofers of all reform. 



*' Dr. John Jebb, well known both by 

 his talents and hit violence both in religious 

 and political controverfy." — He was, indeed, 

 and will be ever, well known by his talents. 

 But lie is not lefs known by his genius ; his 

 profound, accurate, and general learning, his 

 indefitigable benevolence, his pure and firm 

 difmtcreftednefs. Violence ! His writings 

 »re before the public. Many remember his 

 countenance, his manners, his voice. Thefe 

 J believe will think that they have fcldom 

 read any writings which breathe fuch a fpirit 

 of peace and mildneft j that they have yet 

 rr.ore rarely fcen or heard any perfon who 

 conveyed to the hcut (u full a fentimcnc of 



the moft amiable virtue, or who better maiiM 

 tained the imprelTion by his life andconduft. 

 •' The moft notorious innovator both in 

 creeds and government that difturhed the age 

 in which he adled." — It would have been cu- 

 rious had any one flood forth by name to 

 avow the honour of fuch language applied to 

 fuch a perfon. But the arrow (iew ia the 

 dark, 



Preffa eft infignis gloria fafli ;' 

 Nee fefe .^neas jaftavit vulnere quifquam. 



It is a wonder it had not been (aid, " creeds, 

 government, and philofophy ;" for Dr. John 

 Jebb, who facilitates the comprehenfion of 

 the Newtonian philofophy, in conjunAion 

 with two friends alfo eminent,* was much in 

 the fame fenfe an innovator in religion anfl 

 government as in philofophy. All abufes 

 have been innovations; and thofe who cry 

 loudeft and longeti: againft innovators ate 

 thofe who (unaware perhaps) maintain the 

 wideft deviations from the purity and fimpli- 

 city of original truth and good. With all the 

 vehemence of oppofition to Dr. Jebb's reforms 

 in the Unrverfity of Cambridge, parts of thjit 

 reform have fince his death been adopted, 

 and more it is to be hoped will. And as we 

 cannot be ftationary either in government or 

 our religious fyftem, but from the necelTary 

 mutation of hunun affjirs either accumula- 

 tive abufes or reforms will co-ne, let us iraik 

 that it will be reform, and reformfuch as fce 

 wilhed and endeavoured, with ftrenuous i>e- 

 nevolejice and perfevcrance ; mild, peaceable, 

 confidernte ; and as far permanent as human 

 circuinftances admit. For this muft always 

 be rcnie.-nbered, that no human fyflem of po- 

 licy can be maintained by indolently admiring 

 and boafting of its perfeftion, and implicitly 

 believing or afFefting to believe that it is 

 alike incapable of degeneracy or of improve- 

 ment. And this alfo, that the later reforia 

 comes the more violent it generally i:, the 

 more produftive or calamity, and the more 

 uncertain of beneficial refult. 



CROSS-EKAMrNATtON. 



In anfwer to the query — if a witnefs era- 

 mined thinks that a counfel abufes the free- 

 dom neceffary tocrofs-examining with cfte(9, 

 the witnefs has a right to addrefs the Judge, 

 and to fay that he will anfwer that queftion if 

 the Judge will be fo good to put it, or to fay 

 that the counfel had a right to put it, ani 

 tliat the witnefs is bound to anfwer. Aij<l 

 where a witnefs may want the refolution ne- 

 celTary to fclf-defence, a judge will interpofe 

 and check a crofs-examination, if he fees it 

 to be improperly condufVcd. This abufe was 

 formerly much greater than it is at prefent. 



• The Rev. Robert Thorpe, of Peter-houfe, 

 and the Rev. George Wollafton, of Sidney.— 

 See •« Memoirtof Dr- Jebb." by Dr. Oifney, 

 p. 16. 



T» 



