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few elevated minds liave admitted theoretically; they have 
found their enforcement even on themselves a matter of the 
greatest difficulty. They have admitted the. existence of a 
multitude of appetites and passions which vehemently 
struggled against the voice of reason, and which it .was 
unable to restrain. They were unanimous in their despair of 
being able to commend their own lofty principles to the 
reason of the masses of mankind, or to provide any means 
except that of external coercive force, which would be 
capable of restraining their passions. It is not too much 
to say that the whole tone of philosophy, with respect to 
the possibility of the moral elevation of the masses, prior 
to the appearance of Christianity, is one loud wail of 
despair. Philosophy concerned herself only with the upper 
ten thousand, and even here contemplated the position of 
things with bated breath.— In every inquiry into man’s 
moral constitution, there are three questions which require 
to be determined. First, what is the essential character 
and extent of moral obligation ; secondly, how is it to be 
commended to the reason of the masses ; thirdly, what 
are the forces by which the moral law, when recognized as 
obligatory, can be endowed with such a vitality as to enable it 
to become the regulating principle of human life. Christianity 
proclaims her ability to solve all these questions. WTiat says 
Philosophy ? Could she solve them ? If not, does she give a 
favourable judgment on the solutions of Christianity, or the 
contrary ? 
17. In questions of this description, the only certain mode 
of determining what man can accomplish is by carefully ascer- 
taining what he has actually effected. "We have no data for 
arguing the point on mere abstract grounds ; and the attempt 
to do so must land us in the regions of the clouds. If the 
issue be between Christianity and philosophy, the only safe 
mode of reasoning must be to ascertain what has been 
effected independently of Christian influences. 
18. To the first question the experience of the past returns 
an answer tolerably distinct. It is an unquestionable fact that 
mankind, by a majority so overwhelming as to render the 
exceptions, even if they exist at all, of no appreciable value, 
has recognized principles of moral obligation, though they 
may have been imperfect both in their character and extent. 
Also it is clear, that, however elevated may have been the 
moral law, which has been accepted by individual philosophers, 
each has felt that his system has had so much of imperfection, 
and that the principles on which it rested have participated so 
largely in uncertainty, that he would have gladly hailed the 
