The works of the Rev. William Thom, late minister ... - waughfamily.ca

LETTERS, TRACTS, ts'c,237general, that it was not a religion for gentlemen; andI may well aver, that prefbytery, as we have it, is nota religion for either gentlemen or philofophers. Allthe mailers, and the bulk of the {Indents, for nianyyears pall, had become quite wearied and difguiledto hear in the church where we have our feats. Theininifler, though efleemed a man of learning, talle,and primitive (implicity, is often infilling upon thedepravity of human nature, and the necelHty of revelation.He feems to maintain, that philofophy is notfufficient to render men virtuous and happy : He faysit is abfolutely neceflary to believe the gofpel ; andthat without this all the fyflems and precepts of philofophyare feeble, and will in the. ilTue prove ineffe6lual.He even defcribes, modeflly indeed, but ina pi£lurefque enough ftyle, fome practices, fuch asdrunkennefs, fwearing, wenching, avarice, opprelFion,which he calls fmful, and inconiiftent with havingtrue religion : And while he is doing this, it oftenhappens, that moll of the fludents, and many of thecongregation, gaze at us, as if we were the perfonspointed out as guilty ; and we are ftill more keenlygazed at when he defcribes the duties of Chriilians',Sabbath-keeping, family-worihip, juflice, veracity,tem.perance, chaftity, and what fliould be the converfationof thofe who are entruiled with the educationof youth. All this, you will agree with me, is veratlous,and even unfufFerable. We have, whatevermay be faid of us, a real, though a general, and philofophicalreligion •, and had we a chapel, where fuchof us as have been clergymen are to preach by turn?,we will have difcourfes upon the dignity of humannature, upon difmtereded benevolence, upon fympathyand propriety, upon living according to nature-,and upon virtue's being a futhcient reward to itfelf.When any of ourfelves takes the pulpit, he will havemore fenfe and delicacy than to deliver any oftenfivedefcriptions ; aiid when any young man preaches^ h«