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

38^3- LETTERS, TRACTS, b'c.pious Eneas and the.difinterefted Don Quixote;^the fon of Sophronifcus and the fon of Mary, triumphedin adverfity." On another occafion, wlienit had been alleged by fome gentlemen that the prefentmethods of teaching morality were defective, and.by others, that that defe£l was fupplied by ferm.onsfrom the pulpit, he faid, " that morality would bebetter taught at a well regulated theatre" (fuch as wasdefcribed in a petition'givcn in by the magiftrates ofClutha, and a very perfect one indeed it was) " thanby fermons in which morality was fo feldom infiftcdon, and fo much was faid on the trite do£lrines orfubje(5ls of faith and repentance." He alfo alleged,that " the inhabitants of Clutha were, in confequenceof com.merce, fordidly avaricious ', and that the ladiesof Clutha needed the amufements of the theatre, be—caufe, having no fuch diverfion, they lived reclufely.and fat up too late playing at cards, by which they^lofl their bloom, and brought difeafes on themfelves,.which occafioned their death." And, lailily, he Ischarged with having faid, " tlxat the youth would be.better in{lru6led or entertained at the the^atre than in-,the drowfy fliops cf logic and metaphyfics,"Chap. 8. The Vvhole expreiTions judged by the pro—feflbrs of Clutha to be iliocking or impious, are faithfullyfet down in the former chapter of this hiftory ;And, according to all accounts, they v/ere utteredfome time in the winter or fpring inmicdiateiy precedingthis remarkable trial : And that it may appear^thatthough in the geography or topography of CluthaI am not perfe&ly inllructed, yet, in point of;chronology, I am accurate even to a day ; I. can affuiethe reader, that one of the fpeeclies was deliveredjull five weeks and five days before the colkge.'began to take the precognition: And it is evident^,from the depofitions of a cloud of witnefles, that, duringall that time, there was in the city of Clutha nocomplaint of the fpeech, nor any fault found witli fa