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ON THE GENERAL DIFFUSION OF KNOWLEDGE. 



therefore, (he duty of every man who loves his 

 species, and who has a regard for the welfare and 

 prosperity of his country, to use his influence in 

 endeavouring to establish the literary and scien 

 tific instruction of the community on the broad 

 basis of the doctrines of revelation, and of those 

 moral laws which have been promulgated by the 

 authority of the Governor of the universe, which 

 are calculated to secure the moral order, and to 

 promote the happiness of intelligent agents, 

 throughout every province of the Divir-e empire. 



&quot; When we look at plans of education,&quot; (says 

 an intelligent writer) &quot; matured, or in progress, 

 which are likely to concentrate the national in 

 tellect, and form the national taste, and engross 

 the daily leisure of the peasant or artisan, on 

 principles of virtual exclusion to every thing spe 

 cifically Christian, when we see this grievous 

 and deadly deficiency attaching to schemes of be 

 nevolence, which are otherwise pure and splen 

 did, receiving the sanction of public recognition, 

 countenanced or winked at by the mightiest of 

 scholars, and most illustrious of statesmen, and 

 thus put in condition for traversing the land, 

 from the one end to the other, we do feel alarmed, 

 in no ordinary degree, at the effects that are 

 likely to follow it ; and could we influence the 

 consultations in which the whole originates, would 

 entreat its projectors to pause and deliberate, 

 lest they stir the elements of a latent impiety, 

 instead of dispensing a national blessing. We 

 dread not the light of science, nor any light of 

 any kind which emanates from God to -man. 

 On the contrary, we hail it as a precious acqui 

 sition, provided it be mingled and seasoned with 

 that which is revealed, as &quot; the true light which 

 lighteth every man that cometh into the world ;&quot; 

 but, ir a state of separation from this better light, 

 and jnattempered by its restoring influence, we 

 are constrained to dread it, by all the concern we 

 ever felt for the eternal well-being of our human 

 kindred.&quot;* 



To prevent any misconceptions that may arise 

 respecting our views of the connexion of science 

 and religion, it may he proper to remark, in the 

 first place, that we would consider it prepos 

 terous in the highest degree, to attempt the in 

 troduction of sectarian opinions in religion into 

 the discussions connected with science and phi 

 losophy. It would be altogether irrelevant to 

 the objects of scientific associations, to introduce 

 the subjects of dispute between Calvinists and 

 Anninians, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, and 

 Independents ; and we are of opinion, that the 

 sooner such controversies are banished, even 

 from theology, and from the Christian world at 

 large, so much the better ; for they have with 

 drawn the minds of thousands from the essentials 

 to the mere circumstantials of religion ; and, in 



* Rev. D. Young Introductory Essay to Sir M. 

 Hales Contemplations. 



too many instances, have exposed the Christiar 

 world to the sneers of infidels, and the scoffs of the 

 profane. Nor, in the next place, would we con 

 sider it as either judicious or expedient, to at 

 tempt to foist in even the essential doctrines of 

 Christianity, on every occasion, when the sub 

 ject of discussion did not naturally and directly 

 lead to their introduction, or to some allusions to 

 them. Such attempts generally frustrate the end 

 intended, and are equally displeasing to the man 

 c f taste, and to the enlightened Christian . What 

 we understand by connecting science with reli 

 gion, will appear in the following observations : 



I. As science has it for one of its highest ob 

 jects to investigate the works of the Creator, 

 an opportunity should be taken, when imparting 

 scientific instructions, of adverting to the attri 

 butes of the Deity as displayed in his operations. 

 The character of the Divine Being, and the per 

 fections he displays, are, in every point of view, 

 the most interesting of all human investigations. 

 The system of nature, in all its parts and process 

 es, exhibits them to our view, and forces them, 

 as it were, upon our attention, if we do not wil 

 fully shut our eyes on the light which emanates 

 from an invisible Divinity through his visible 

 operations. The contemplation of this system, 

 even in its most prominent and obvious appear 

 ances, has a natural tendency to inspire the most 

 profound emotions of awe and reverence, of gra 

 titude and admiration, at the astonishing displays 

 it exhibits of Omnipotent energy, unsearchable 

 wisdom, and boundless beneficence. Such stu 

 dies, when properly directed, are calculated to 

 make a powerful and interesting impression on 

 the minds of the young; and it is doing them an 

 incalculable injury, when their views are never 

 elevated above proximate causes and physical 

 laws, to the agency of Him who sits en the 

 throne of the universe. &quot; If one train of think 

 ing,&quot; says Paley, &quot;be more desirable than an 

 other, it is that which regards the phenomena of 

 nature, with a constant reference to a supreme 

 intelligent Author. To have made this the rul 

 ing, the habitual sentiment of our minds, is to 

 have laid the foundation of every thing which is 

 religious. The world from henceforth becomes 

 a temple, and life itself one continued act of ado 

 ration. The change is no less than this, that 

 whereas formerly God was seldom in our 

 thoughts, we can scarcely look upon any thing 

 without perceiving its relation to him.&quot; And is 

 such a train of thinking to be considered as un- 

 philosophical ? Is it not, on the contrary, the 

 perfection of philosophy to ascend to a cause that 

 will account for every phenomenon to trace its 

 incessant agency, and to acknowledge the per 

 fections it displays? Bishop Watson has well 

 observed, &quot; We feel the interference of the Deity 

 everywhere, but we cannot apprehend the nature 

 of his agency anywhere. A blade of grass can- 



