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

312 LETTERS, TRACTS, yc. -bouring at a minute, partial, or Utopian fyftem, as ifit had been the only tiling worthy to be known ; andthat whenever ^he was fucceeded by another, his idolof a fyftem was no longer heard of. 'While he lived,it was a local morality, and circumfcribed within verynarrow bounds : And it was a temporary one tocx^for when he died, it died with him, and had notftrength to furvive him.Befides, the frequent changing from fyftem tofyftem is really dangerous. One is certain that moralityarifes from one thing ; another keenly affirmsthat it fprings from a ditFerent fource ; a third pretendsto prove that it comes from neither of theformer ; and half-thinking people are tempted tofufpecSt that there is no firm foundation of moralityat all.Remark 6. But in all your letter, nothing, at firflreading, appeared to me fo great a paradox as thatwhich you allege concerning fludents of divinity,namely, that there is no difcernable difference whetherthey have been the fcholars of a weak or learnedprofefTor. I was lliocked at this. I paufed, and consideredit again and again. I had the patience to examineinto fa(£ls, and began to fee, what I wonderedI did not fee at firfl, that you did not advance thiswithout very good foundation. But you will forgiveme to fay, that that part of your letter is fuperficial.The thought is only ftarted : It deferved to have beenkept in view, and purfued a little.I was myfelf a fort of.fludent for a very longtime before I applied to bufmefs ; and, for afleallthirty years pail, I have obferved the accomplifhmentsof moil of the fludents who have been licenfedin and about this city ; and to fpeak with the utmoflimpartiality, after having confidered the matter withferious attention, I cannot fay that the preachers ingeneral were remarkably either better or worfe whoeverwas the profefTor. Nay, when I compare the