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

242 LETTERS, TRACTS, L^r.of tliem made fucli harmlefs Aides, and can make candidallowances for them in others. The gentlenefslliown to delinquents in our chapel will appear amiable; other minifters and congregations will followour example ; and a great alteration in opinion aboutfcandalous matters will, as we hope, be infenfiblybrought about.6. For we liave a mofc extenfive and generous aimto be efl'e£lur.ted by means of our chapel : We wantby degrees to controul the public opinion with refpedt '*to fcandal ; we want to divert the refentment whichmen have againft the matters for which penance isnow done, and to turn it againft thofe things whichreally deferve cenfure. What is it for which men.'*ought to be rebuked It is ignorance and contemptof philofophy, depreciating logic, metaphyfics, and^,moral theories, flighting of learned men, putting themoff with niggardly payments, feeking money fromthem, complaining of their rigour in exadling theirteinds, or laying them under abominable reftraints.The faults for which m.en appear before a congregationare really no faults at all ; inftead of being rebukedthey Ihould be commended for them. When*a man is at a bottle over night, and happens to be ^overtaken a little, and is put in good humour, he isbut a6ling the focial part ; he obeys the dictates ofphilofophy : If he fliould reel and ftumble on theItreet, he can rife again j if in a cheerful mood hebreaks a few windows, he can pay the damage. Why.''need he be rebuked Marriage•not always convenient : Ais expenfive, andphiiofopher who cafts hiseyes on a perfonable girl, and takes her alide, doesher a kind thing, and raifes up a child who may beufeful to the public. Thefe are all or moll: of thethings that are commonly cenfured. A phiiofopherdifcerns, with one glance of his eye, that none ofthem merits cenfure, nor ought to be cenfured. It isthe bufmefs of philofophers, and it is left to tliem to