108 



THE GENERAL DIFFUSION OF KNOWLEDGE. 



which five years are generally spent at the 

 grammar-school, and two at the university and 

 the elements of logic, ethics and mathematical 

 philosophy. But such departments of know 

 ledge, in the way in which they have been generally 

 taught, have no necessary connexion with reli 

 gion and moral conduct. On the contrary, by 

 keeping the principles of Christianity carefully 

 out of view, and even insinuating objections 

 against them, some professors of these sciences 

 have promoted the cause of infidelity, and con 

 sequently impeded the progress of genuine mo 

 rality. What aid can be expected to morality 

 from a mere grammar-school education, when 

 the acquisition of words and phrases, and the 

 absurd notions and impure practices connected 

 with Roman and Grecian idolatry, form the pro 

 minent objects of attention ; and when, as too 

 frequently happens, no instructions in Christi 

 anity are communicated, and not even the forms 

 of religion attended to in many of those semina 

 ries ? The mere acquisition of languages is not 

 the acquisition of useful knowledge : they are, 

 at best, but the means of knowledge ; and al 

 though we would not discourage any one, who 

 has it in his power, from prosecuting such stu 

 dies, yet it is from other and more important 

 branches of study that we expect assistance in 

 the cause of moral improvement. 



With regard to men of learning and genius, 

 we have likewise to inquire into the nature and 

 tendency of their literary pursuits, before we can 

 ascertain that they are calculated to prevent the 

 influence of immoral propensities and passions. 

 Persons are designated men of learning, who 

 have made proficiency in the knowledge of the 

 Greek, Latin, French, German and other lan 

 guages, who are skilled in mythology, antiqui 

 ties, criticism, and metaphysics, or who are pro 

 found students in geometry, algebra, fluxions, 

 and other branches of the mathematics. But it 

 is easy to perceive, that a man may be a pro 

 found linguist, grammarian, politician, or anti 

 quarian, and yet not distinguished for virtuous 

 conduct; for such departments of learning have 

 no direct bearing upon moral principle or con 

 duct. On the contrary, when prosecuted exclu 

 sively, to the neglect of the more substantial parts 

 of knowledge, and under the influence of certain 

 opinions and prejudices, they have a tendency 

 to withdraw the attention from the great objects 

 of religion, and consequently from the most 

 powerful motives which excite to moral action. 

 We have likewise to inquire, whether such per 

 sons have made the Christian revelation one 

 great object of their study and attention, and 

 whether they are frequently employed in serious 

 contemplations of the perfections of the Creator, 

 as displayed in the economy of the universe. If 

 such studies be altogether overlooked, we need 

 not wonder that such characters should frequent 

 ly slide into the paths of infidelity and dissipa 



tion ; since they neglect an attention to those 

 departments of knowledge which alone can guide 

 them in the paths of rectitude. We may as soon 

 expect to gather &quot; grapes from thorns or figs 

 from thistles,&quot; as to expect pure morality from 

 those, however high they may stand in literary 

 acquirements, who either neglect or oppose the 

 great truths of religion. We do not mean, how 

 ever, to insinuate, that the subjects alluded tc 

 above are either trivial or unworthy of being 

 prosecuted. On the contrary, we are fully per 

 suaded, that there is not a subject which has 

 ever come under human investigation, when pro 

 secuted with proper views, and in connexion 

 with other parts of knowledge, but may be ren 

 dered subservient, in some way or another, both 

 to the intellectual and the moral improvement of 

 man. But, when we speak of diffusing useful 

 knowledge among the mass of mankind, we do 

 not so much allude to the capacity of being able 

 to translate from one language into another, of 

 knowing the sentiments of the ancient Greeks 

 and Romans, and the characters and squabbles 

 of their gods and goddesses, or to the faculty of 

 distinguishing ancient coins, fragments of vases, 

 or pieces of armour as to the facts of history, 

 science, and revelation, particularly in their 

 bearing upon the religious views and the moral 

 conduct of mankind. And, if the attention of 

 the great body of the people were directed to 

 such subjects, from proper principles and mo 

 tives, and were they exhibited to their view in a 

 lucid and interesting manner, there cannot be the 

 smallest doubt, that the interests of virtue and of 

 pure and unde filed religion would be thereby pro 

 moted to an extent far beyond what has ever yet 

 been realized. 



SECTION VIIL 



ON THE UTILITY OF KNOWLEDGE IN RELA 

 TION TO A FUTURE WORLD. 



MAN is a being destined for eternity. The 

 present world through which he is travelling ia 

 only a transitory scene, introductory to a future 

 and an immortal existence. When his corporeal 

 frame sinks into the grave, and is resolved into 

 its primitive elements, the intellectual principle 

 by which it was animated shall pass into another 

 region, and be happy or miserable, according to 

 the governing principles by which it was ac 

 tuated in the present life. The world in which 

 we now reside may be considered as the great 

 nursery of our future and eternal existence, as a 

 state of probation in which we are educating for 

 an immortal life, and as preparatory to our en 

 tering on higher scenes of contemplation and 

 enjoyment. In this point of view, it is of im 

 portance to consider that our present views and 



