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

LETTERS, TRACTS, Is'r."^93the Icaft doubtful. There kith been In this city agreat and viiible dcchne cf reHgion, and forne allegethat this is owing to our increafnig opulence j butthere are other places as 'opulent where a reverencefor religion is retained. Irreligion hardly ever gainsground, except v^^hen it is fupported by wild fpecula-*tive tenets, or dry metaphyfical theories j theories,which, in our times, have been employed to underminenatural and revealed religion, and to ijitroducematerialifm.—To be convinced, gentlemen, thatthis metaphyfical fophiflry, and not the increafe ofwealth, is tiie caufe why religion is difregarded, you.need only confider the Itate of religion where this fophiilryflouriilies moft, and that is within the preciii6l3of the college. Can any man fay, that thelearned gentlemen are morejuft and generous, moremeek and humble, than the opulent merchants of thecity ? V/as it owing to opulence that public prayerswere difuled in the college ? Was it owing to opulence,that many years ago, 'all the mafters difcontinuedthe religious inilruclicns which irfed to begiven on Sunday evenings ? Is it owing to opulence,that profeilbrs, who have formerly been minifbers,take it as an affront to be dehred to fay prayers in a.private family in the country, or in a charitable corporationin the city r And if any licentious principleshave been imbibed by the ftudents, isnot this owingnot to opulence, but to the (loth of the mailers,to their metaphyfical inquiries, and recommendingdangerous books to the youth, or not cautioning themagainll them .? Believe me, that neither opulence, norpride, nor that indolence which is fomehow naturalto men of learning, is fuflicient to acQOunt for allthis. It is that metaphyfical and fatal fcepticifm,v/hifpered and communicated from one profeHbr toanother, and from them derived to the unhappy Undents,which is the caufe of all that irreligion and infideiitywc complain of. The ftudent againll whortx