74 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
produces a disagreeable and painful sensation ; and, consequently, he 
who clearly perceives the rule of right, and acts in direct opposition to it, 
does violence to his nature, and must be subjected to feelings and re¬ 
morses of conscience far more painful than those of the man whose mind 
is shrouded in ignorance. It is true, indeed, that proficiency in knowledge 
and in the practice of true morality, do not always proceed with equal 
pace. But it is nevertheless true, that every action that is truly virtuous 
is founded on knowledge, and is the result of scrutiny and choice directed 
by truth ; otherwise what is termed virtue would be only the effect of ne¬ 
cessity, of constraint, or of mechanical habits. We need not, therefore, 
feaT that the dominion of virtue* will be contracted, or her influence di¬ 
minished, by an enlargement of the kingdom of light and knowledge. 
They are inseparably connected, their empire is one and the same, and the 
true votaries of the one will also be the true votaries of the other, And, 
therefore, every one that sincerely loves mankind, and desires their moral 
improvement, will diffuse light around him as extensively as he can, with¬ 
out the least fear of its ultimate consequences ; since he knows for cer¬ 
tain, that in all cases whatever wisdom excels folly, and light is better 
than darkness. The following observations will perhaps tend more par¬ 
ticularly to confirm and elucidate these positions: 
1. Ignorance is one principal cause of the want of virtue, and of the 
immoralities which abounds in the world. Were we to take a survey 
of the moral state of the world, as delineated in the history of nations, or 
as depicted by modern voyagers and travellers, we should find abundant 
illustration of the truth of this remark. We should find, in almost every 
instance, that ignorance of the character of the true God, and false con¬ 
ceptions of the natnre of the worship and service he requires, have led, 
not only to the most obscene practices and immoral abominations, but to 
the perpetration of the most horrid cruelties. We have only to turn our 
eyes to Hindostan, to Tartary, Dahomy, Benin, Ashantee, and other petty 
states in Africa : to New-Zealand, the Marquesas, the Sandwich Islands, 
and to the Society Isles in the Southern Pacific, prior to their late moral 
transformation, in order to be convinced of this melancholy truth. The 
destruction of new-born infants,—the burning of living women upon the 
dead bodies of their husbands,—the drowning of aged parents,—the offer¬ 
ing of human victims in sacrifice,—the torturing to death of prisoners 
taken in battle—the murder of infants, and the obscene abominations of the 
societies of Arreoy in Otaheite and other islands, and the dreadful effects 
of ambition, treachery, and revenge which so frequently accompany such 
practices, are only a few specimens of the consequences of ignorance 
combined with human depravity. It is likewise to ignorance chiefly that 
the vices of the ancient pagan world are to be attributed. To this cause 
the apostle of the gentiles ascribes the immoralities of the heathen nations. 
“The gentiles,” says Paul, “having the understanding darkened through 
the ignorance that is in them, have given themselves over unto lascivi¬ 
ousness, to work all manner of uncleanness with greediness.” Ephes. 
iv. 18, 19. And, in another part of his writings, he declares, “ Because 
they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, they were given up to a 
reprobate mind,” or a mind void of judgment; and the consequence was, 
“ they were filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, co- 
veteousness, maliciousness, envy, murder, deceit, and malignity ;” they 
were “ backbiters, haters of God, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, 
disobedient to parents, without understanding, without natural affection, 
implacable, and unmerciful.” Rom. i. 28-31. And if we tum our eyes 
to the state of society around us, we shall find that the same cause has 
produced the same effects. Among what class do we find sobriety, tem¬ 
perance, recitudeof conduct, honesty, active beneficence, and abstinence 
from the grosser vices most frequently to prevail? Is it among igno¬ 
rant and grovelling minds? Is it not among the wise and intelligent, those 
who have been properly instructed in their duty, and in the principles of 
moral action? And who are those that are found most frequently engag¬ 
ed in fighting, brawling, and debauchery, in the commission of theft and 
other petty crimes, and in rioting in low houses of dissipation? Are they 
not, for the most part, the rude, the ignorant, and untutored,—those 
whose instruction has been neglected by their parents or guardians, or 
whose wayward tempers have led them to turn a deaf ear to the reproofs 
of wisdom ? From all the investigations which of late have been made 
into the state of immorality and crime, it is found, that gross ignorance, 
and its necessary concomitant, grovelling affections, are the general cha¬ 
racteristics of those who are engaged in criminal pursuits, and most deep¬ 
ly sunk in vicious indulgence. Now, if it be a fact that ignorance is one 
principal source of immorality and crime, it appears a natural and neces¬ 
sary inference, that the general diffusion of keowledge would tend to coun¬ 
teract its influence and operations. For when We remove the cause of 
any evil, we, of course, prevent ihe effects ; and not only so, but at the 
same time bring into operation all those virtues which knowledge has a 
tendency to produce. 
2. Knowledge is requisite for ascertaining the true principles of moral 
* By virtue, in this place, and wherever the term occurs, I understand, con¬ 
duct regulated by the law of God, including both the external action and the 
principle whence it flows; in other words, Christian morality or, that holiness 
which the Scripture enjoins. 
action, and the duties we ought to perform. Numerous are the treatises 
which have been written, and various the opinions which have been en¬ 
tertained, both in ancient and modern times, respecting the foundation of 
virtue and the rules of human conduct. And were we to investigate the 
different theories which have been formed on this subject, to weigh the 
arguments which have been brought forward in support of each hypothe¬ 
sis, and to balance the various conflicting opinions which different philo¬ 
sophers have maintained, a considerable portion of human life w'ould be 
wasted before we arrived at any satisfactory conclusions. But if we take 
the system of revelation for oar guide in the science of morals, we shall 
be enabled to arrive, by a short process at the most important and satis¬ 
factory results. We shall find, that, after all the theories which have been 
proposed, and the systems which have been reared by ethical philosophers, 
the Supreme Lawgiver has comprised the essence of true morality under 
two commands, or fundamental principles, “ Thou shalt love the Lord 
thy God with a!! thy heart,” and “ Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy¬ 
self.” On these two commandments rests the whole duty of man. 
Now, although the leading ideas contained in these commands are sim¬ 
ple and obvious to everyone who considers them attentively, yet it re¬ 
quires certain habits of reflection and a considerable portion of knowledge 
to be enabled to trace these laws or principles to all their legitimate con¬ 
sequences, and to follow them in all their ramifications, and in their bear¬ 
ings on human conduct, and on the actions of all moral intelligences. 
For it can easily be shown, that these laws are so comprehensive as to 
reach every possible moral action, to prevent every moral evil, and to se¬ 
cure the happiness of every moral agent,—that all the duties inculcated 
in the Bible, which we owe to God, to our fellow-creatures, and to our- 
selyes, are comprehended in them, and are only so many ramifications of 
these general and fundamental principles,—that they are equally adapted 
to men on earth and to angels in heaven; that their control extends to the 
inhabitants of all worlds; that they form the basis of the order and happi¬ 
ness of the whole intelligent system; and that their authority and influ¬ 
ence will extend, not only through all the revolutions of time, but through 
all the ages of eternity. Here, then, we have a subject calculated to ex¬ 
ercise the highest powers of intelligence; and the more we investigate it 
the more shall we admire the comprehensive nature of that “ law which 
is exceeding broad,” and the more shall we be disposed to comply with 
its divine requisitions. But unless we be, in some measure, acquainted 
with the first principles of moral action, and their numerous bearings up¬ 
on life and conduct, we cannot expect to make rapid advances in the path 
of virtue, or to reach the sublimer heights of moral improvement. 
3. Knowledge, combined with habits of thinking, would lead to inqui¬ 
ries into the reasons of those moral law's which the Creator has promulga¬ 
ted, and the foundations on which they rest. It is an opinion which very 
generally prevails, even among the more respectable portion of mankind, 
that the moral laws given forth to men are the mere dictates of Sovereign¬ 
ty, and depend solely on the will of the Deity, and consequently, that 
they might be modified, or even entirely superseded, were it the plea¬ 
sure of the Supreme Legislature to alter them or to suspend their au¬ 
thority. But this is a most absurd and dangerous position. It would take 
away from the inherent excellence of virtue, and would represent the Di¬ 
vine Being as acting on principles similar to those of an Eastern despot. 
If such a position were true, it would follow, that all the immoralities, cru¬ 
elties, oppressions, wars, and butcheries, that have taken place in the 
world, are equally excellent and amiable as truth, justice, virtue, and be¬ 
nevolence, and that the character of infernal fiends is just as lovely and 
praiseworthy as that of angels and archangels, provided that Deity willed 
that such a change should take place. Were such a change possible, it 
would not only overturn all the notions we are accustomed to entertain 
respecting the moral attributes of God, but might ultimately destroy our 
hopes of future enjoyment, and endanger the happiness of the whole mo¬ 
ral universe. But there is an inherent excellence in moral virtue, and 
the Deity has willed it to exist, because it is essential to the happiness 
and order of the intelligent system. It might be shown, that not only the 
two fundamental principles of religion and morality stated above, but all 
the moral precepts which flow from them, are founded on the nature of 
God, and on the relations which subsist among intelligent agents, and that, 
were they reversed, or their influence suspended, misery would reign un¬ 
controlled through the universe, and in the course of ages the whole mo¬ 
ral and intelligent system would be annihilated.* 
Now, if men were accustomed to investigate the foundalions of mora¬ 
lity, and the reasons of those moral precepts which are laid before them 
as the rule of their conduct, they would perceive a most powerful motive 
to universal obedience. They would plainly see, that all the laws of God 
are calculated to secure the happiness of every moral agent who yields 
obedience to them,—that it is their interest to yield a voluntary submis¬ 
sion to these laws,—and that misery, both here and hereafter, is the cer¬ 
tain and necessary consequence of their violation. It is a common feel- 
* For a full illustration of these positions, and a variety of topics connected 
with them, the author begs to refer his readers to a work which he lately pub¬ 
lished, entitled “ The Philosophy of Religion, or an Illustration of the Moral 
Laws of the Universe.” 
