the atmosphere; or conflagrations indicate the natural malignity of fire.

It is an acknowledged maxim, corruptio optimi est pessima. Whatever possesses very limited powers, cannot prove, in its worst estate, extensively detrimental; whatever possesses extensive powers, however excellent, may in certain situations be rendered dreadful. Those powers and propensities characteristic of the human mind, which in their natural and placid operations are productive of much good, constitute the bonds of society, relieve distresses, and advance happiness a thousand ways, may, by being perverted, spread desolation and horrour. But these perversions are extraordinaries; they are excesses, which distort and deform the human heart, and not faithful portraits of its real character, or native propensities.

In the midst of the greatest excesses and most flagrant immoralities, much good is still observable. In the worst of times there are many laudable exceptions to the general depravity of character, and in the worst of characters some remaining virtues. Vice being not only pernicious in its tendency, but often quick in its effects, alarms, strikes, and we instantly complain. Virtue being in its nature placid, and, our aliments, productive of habitual health by imperceptible operations, in its usual tenour scarcely produces an encomium. It is some extraordinary and almost romantic virtue alone, that has power to arouse

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our attention. These are facts, which cannot be denied; but they could not exist, if the doctrine of original sin, as stated in catechisms, were true; they could not exist, if man were naturally inclined to hate both God and his neighbour; if he were incapable of doing any good, and if he cannot avoid sinning, more than a bad tree can be productive of good fruit; or if the human heart were "tainted with sin, radically, and to the very core." If this were the wretched state of man, the pollution would be universal throughout the species, and so complete in each individual, that our natures would exhibit a mass of corruption inconsistent with a state of society. We should be as the fierce beasts of the forests; and the "pestilence," instead of "walking in darkness," would stalk forth at noonday.

No one, who has studied the heart of man free from the bias of systematic prejudices, has been able to discover such universal marks of innate depravity. Every attentive observer will contemplate a great variety of excellent qualities diffused over the human species. He will notice that where the mind has been properly informed, and where self-love is not predominant to a shameful excess, it knows not the dominion of evil propensities; nor will he perceive the smallest traces of inherent, unprovoked, hereditary malice. He will perceive that in every case, where this calumniated mind has emerged from ignorance, and has acquired the power of discrimination,

it learns to know what is right, it acquires a delicate sense of what is right, loves and approves of it, severely censures and reprobates its contrary, unless some selfish pursuit, or ardent desire of immediate gratification, shall have hardened the heart, for the instant, or perverted the judgment. We have instances innumerable in the history of human life, where the benevolent principle operates with wonderful energy; in which the human mind manifests itself to be liberal, generous, compassionate, forgiving; in which it has been impelled by exquisite sympathy to brave dangers, and face death itself, in order to succour the distressed. But as this subject has been so well treated by another writer, I will urge it no farther.*

You have only two ways of solving this difficulty; the first is, to ascribe every remaining good observable in the unregenerate heart, to the influence of divine grace. But this will render the grace of God much more diffused than is consistent with your general system. It will break down that barrier, which is so assiduously erected between the real christian and the unconverted; and yet, if the mere moral man and nominal christian be supposed destitute of these divine influences, to what can we ascribe the good qualities so frequently observable in the professedly wicked, which, in some instances, have put the professed people of God themselves out of countenance?

* See Belsham's Review of Mr Wilberforce's Treatise, Letter IV.

The second method is to deny the facts; and, in the face of the strongest evidence, to assert, with the Walloon church, that all the works of the natural man are vicious in themselves, consequently that they must displease God, and be condemned by him; that its best deeds are only splendida peccata; and however beautiful they may appear to the undistinguishing eye, they are inevitably sinful, because the heart is corrupt. But this mode of evading the difficulty is a sacrifice to hypothesis, which no one who pretends to reason, will ever admit. Predetermined that the doctrine of universal corruption must be true, and shall be true, the supporters of such an opinion render themselves wilfully blind to the strongest evidences of the contrary. They resemble some disciples of the acataleptic, or incomprehensible school, among the ancients, who denied the reality of motion, because its existence would entirely confute their system. Common sense knows not of any splendid sins, excepting such actions as are performed with a design to impose upon mankind, or which spring from unworthy motives. Ambition, vanity, hypocrisy, may be guilty of them; but where the heart of man is incited by the love of man to deeds of justice, liberality, compassion, and mercy, they must be sterling. Such deeds cannot be counterfeit, and he that gives them the name, knows not the nature of coin.

You strenuously maintain, Sir, the necessity of regenerating grace; you acknowledge this grace to be

perfectly free in its operations, and yet you inform the poor impenitent sinner, that he must earnestly supplicate for its communications; but according to the principles now advanced, this very prayer, proceeding from a corrupt heart, must be offensive to the Deity, a punishable sin; the humblest supplication which the natural man can utter, instead of procuring the desired blessing, may render it still more remote. If your good sense should preserve you from such an absurd extreme, then you must be compelled to admit, that the natural man is able, without any immediate interposition of divine grace, occasionally to imitate the good works of the true children of God so closely, that it is impossible to distinguish the one from the other; and the carnal man, unpurged from the corruptions of the fall, becomes a formidable rival to the spiritual man, with all his superiour advantages; consequently this grace is not so absolutely necessary as you have conceived; or it is more liberally diffused than your system can possibly grant.

The assertion, that we are naturally prone to hate both God and man, is also an extravagant assertion. Considered in an absolute, unqualified sense, it is a stigma which reflects dishonour upon the hypothesis which gave it birth, or upon the hearts of the theolo gians who first gave it a place in their creeds.

It is granted that our commerce with the world presents us with too many instances of jealousies, envyings, malice, revenge, &c. generated from rival