Education. 297 



the world with all that maturity of reason, light, 

 and information, which belongs to adult years. 

 But it is presumed neither of these suppositions 

 will be adopted by rational inquirers. 



Secondly. Anothef objection to this doctrine 

 is, that it is contrary to all experience. The world 

 has existed near six thousand years, and during 

 this long period, the exertions of intellect and of 

 virtue have been numerous and great. It will even 

 be readily granted, that amidst the mortifying 

 vicissitudes, and the degrading retrocessions which 

 the history of knowledge presents, mankind are 

 now far more enlightened than at any former 

 period. But is it a fact, that real wisdom, moral 

 purity, and true happiness have always kept pace 

 with the improvements in literature and science? 

 Are the most learned and scientific nations, and 

 the most learned and scientific individuals.^ always 

 the most virtuous? Are luxury, fraud, violence, 

 unprincipled ambition, theviciousintercourse of the 

 sexes, and the various kinds of intemperance, less 

 frequent among the polished and enlightened 

 nations of Europe, than among the untutored 

 natives of America? It is presumed that no reflect- 

 ing mind will answer these questions in the affirma- 

 tive. What, then, becomes of the fundamental 

 principle of those who hold the doctrine in ques- 

 tion, viz. That the progress of knowledge is alone 

 sufficient to reform, exalt, and finally to render per- 

 fect the human race? If this principle were well 

 founded, we should find virtue and happiness, both 

 in individuals and societies, bearing an exact pro- 

 portion to the advances made in knowledge, which 

 experience attests is far from being the case. 



But it will, perhaps, be said, that the principle 

 of experience may be pressed too far; that it is not 

 legitimate reasoning to infer, because an event has 

 never yet occurred, that, therefore, it never can 



VOL. II. »Q 



