which he has taken, respecting original sin, are wholly untenable; absolutely irreconcilable with the Scriptures; with our conceptions of God; with facts; with the foundation of all moral distinctions; and with the constitution of the human mind. This tract may be recommended with a more entire satisfaction, because, in addition to the complete success of the argument, an excellent spirit pervades it; and because of the serious and religious direction which it gives to our thoughts. It is, moreover, upon a subject on which it is more important, that a man should have clear and correct ideas, than upon any other in the whole compass of speculative theology. There is scarcely an errour which now exists, or ever has existed in the church, that may not be traced to some misapprehension of this subject, or to some supposed inference from it; that has not been held either as necessary to it, or as supported by it. Destroy this unaccountable delusion, which has possessed and still possesses so many minds, respecting the moral nature of man, and the moral condition into which he is born, and what a mass of absurd rites, and not less absurd opinions, which the credulity of the superstitious or the craft of the designing has imposed on the christian world, would be left without foundation or apology? In remarking, generally, on Dr Cogan's merits as a writer and reasoner, it must be admitted, that his want of a lucid and happy arrangement, his perpetual repetitions, and his vagueness and inaccuracy of expression, often indicating vagueness and inaccuracy of thought, afford frequent and serious ground of complaint to the reader. He likewise indulges his fondness for the analytical mode of reasoning to an extreme; treating of the faculties and phenomena of mind, not as they actually exist and operate, but disjointedly and abstractedly. The consequence of which often is, that he leaves his readers with as confused and indistinct a conception of the mind itself, and its various operations, as a man would have of a watch, who had never seen one after it had been put together, but had only seen, and perhaps heard a learned lecture upon the several parts of the machinery, after it had been taken to pieces. It is but just, however, to observe, that our author's passion for analysis and details has prevented his reasonings from being much affected by his general biasses in favour of the Hartleian school; which might otherwise have weakened not a little the confidence, that a large proportion of his readers may now safely repose in his conclusions. After all, however, it is the fine moral effect of his writings, which constitutes their highest recommendation. It is the harmony which they prove to exist between knowledge and virtue, between reason and faith, between perfect obedience and perfect happiness, that stamps upon them an unspeakable value, and makes it impossible for any one to read them without being made better. After being taught the intimate and necessary connexion of our passions and affections with our wellbeing, it is impossible that we should not attend more to their due regulation; after being shown, that in the nature of things complacency and delight must attend the exercise of the benevolent dispositions, and pain and misery the selfish and malevolent, it is impossible that we should not be more inclined to the former; after being convinced, that every event, even the most afflictive and inexplicable, tends to GOOD, that all is from God and for good to all, it is impossible that we should not be more cheerfully acquiescent in the dispensations of Infinite Wisdom; after considering the admirable adaptation of all our circumstances in this life to our moral condition and improvement, and the whole history of revelation to the onward march of the human mind, it is impossible not to discern in this the hand of God; and being persuaded that it is the RELIGION OF JESUS, which alone can excite and employ our best affections, and furnish an adequate object to our highest and purest hopes and expectations, it is to THAT we shall look for all real and permanent felicity here, and hereafter. J. W. |
