James L. Drummond, M.D. President. John Stevelly, M. A. Vice Presidents. William Thompson, S James M'Adam, Corresponding Secretary. Robert S. M'Adam, Recording Secretary. William Webb, Treasurer. bers, form a council for the dispatch of CRITICAL NOTICES. The Testimony of Nature and Revelation, to the Being, Perfections, and Government, of God. By the Rev. Henry Fergus, Dumfernline, Author of the History of the United States of America, till the termination of the War of Independence, in Lardner's Cyclopedia. Edinburgh, Oliver and Boyd, and Simpkin and Marshall, London. 12mo. There is no subject which forces itself upon the attention of a reflecting man with more startling importunity than his possible responsibility to an omniscient and all-powerful Creator, and it must therefore ever be an object of the liveliest interest-of the most momentous importance to investigate the attributes of that Creator, to ascertain the extent and nature of our duties and liability, and to scrutinize with the full strength of that light which reason has set up within us, the code of obligations which are considered as emanating from the Divinity, as well as the proofs adduced of their being genuinely what they are represented. To be a Christian, we hold that a man must be so on conviction-that is to say, that he must weigh and examine for himself, de novo, the proofs which are fully within the reach of all endowed with reason, and, we confess, we feel but little respect for the faith of him who, taking his creed on hearsay, makes his religion an accident of soil or century, and is a Christian in Britain for the same reason that he would have been a Gheber in Persia because his father was so before him. The volume now be fore us we consider eminently adapted for the purposes of such investigation, and the train of philosophical arguments, and the whole structure and plan of proof adopted, is well calculated to the establishment and advance of true religion. The restrictions to which "a notice" necessarily subject us, render it impossible to do much more than give a sketch of this very excellent work, and, we deem it in such case, as it for the most part consists of one unbroken chain of argumen tation, our duty both in justice to the writer and to ourselves, to dwell as rarely as possible on the minute workmanship of any single link, since we are unable to scrutinize the rest with the same attention we far prefer to exhibit the whole chain in one uninterrupted glance, and so afford our readers the means of judging of the form, the polish, the beauty, and the effect of the entire. Mr. Fergus has entered upon a field where many sedulous and skilful labourers have gone before him-Paley, Derham, Ray, Butler, and Clarke, and while he avails himself frequently of the treasures which they have turned up, he has undoubtedly added to the mass some respectable contributions of his own acquiring, many excellent remarks and ingenious reasonings. The Author in consulting the only two records which God has given of himselfNature and Revelation, has divided his subjects into four books. In the first, which treats of the origin of the world, he notices the universally prevailing belicf of mankind in a pre-existing cause, forced upon them from the survey of external nature, and then proceeds to refute the wild absurdities which the denial of an ever-existing Deity must infallibly beget, namely, that the world is either itself eternal, or was originally the production of chance; and since the former of these phantoms cannot bear the light of examination, "and the hypothesis which ascribes the origin of the universe to a casual concurrence of atoms, is utterly unsatisfactory:" it must follow that the beautiful arrangement exhibited in the fabric of the world, is a plain indication of design and a designing intelligence. The second book proceeds to exhibit "the evidences of design in the fabric of nature, and for this purpose the whole material world, nay, the universe itself is sum moned to bear testimony, and in the rapid yet clear and convincing examination of so prodigious a mass, he has displayed talents of no mean order, as well as a most extensive acquaintance with the various subjects of natural philosophy. The structure, organization, habits, instincts, and perceptions, of all animal life; the nature, and properties, of vegetables; the air, the ocean, the earth, and the stars of heaven, are submitted to our consideration, each bearing some wondrous relation to the other, all conspiring in one harmonious whole, to proclaim trumpet-tongued to man the all-perfect design, consummate accomplishment, and infinite sapience, of the Creator. Putting the proper object and design of the work altogether out of the question, we consider it one possessing much valuable and highly interesting information, on almost every subject which comes within the consideration of him who makes nature his study. The chapters on "Instinct," "the Ocean," and "Vegetation," contain many curious anecdotes, and agreeable illustrations, and the latter exhibits in a concise form, and lucid arrangement, a history of the nature and structure of various vegetables' the principles of their germination and vegetation, the peculiar offices, capabilities, and form of their organs, together with an ingenious, yet rational analogy, traced between the animal and vegetable kingdoms, which, while it is perfectly comprehensible by the unskilful, will be read not altogether without advantage by the Botanical student. To return however, to the more legitimate subject under our consideration. Mr. Fergus comes to the investigation of the designs of the Deity's works, with that humble spirit of enquiry, and profound reverence, which so truly marks the disparity between the Christian philosopher, and him who approaches the subject with the presumption of the caviller; "to trace," he says, "the hand of the Almighty in the fabric of the universe, is a suitable exercise of the noble faculties with which he has endowed us: it is a tribute of homage to him who made us ; and must be the means of much improvement and happiness to ourselves ;" and, in accordance with that spirit, he has modestly, and we think wisely declined entering into the investigation of those embarrassing and perhaps unsolid speculations, which have baffled, if indeed they have not misled, men of the most soaring genius, and comprehensive mind. The argument a priori for the existence of an eternal and immense being, which Dr. Clarke seems to have adopted, from a suggestion of Newton, is one whose establishment appears by no means of vital importance to the belief in the Deity, and the failure of such great talents when applied to the question, may serve to shew us, that it is not within the scope of human intelligence, to measure and scan the being and attributes of him, around whose throne are clouds and darkness. We will add one word more ere we close our remarks on this portion of the work. The author throughout the 1st and 2nd Books, appears to have directed his reasonings, where even reason itself would be totally inefficacious, namely, to the refutation of a dogma, which for the honor of the human intellect, we cannot constrain ourselves to believe in this age of the world possesses many-nay, one single, solitary disciple-in a word, Atheism. The phantasy---we would blush to honour with the name of doctrine, that which has its rise in the negation of every principle of reasoning--the phantasy of Atheism and its inevitable concomitant Chance, we hold to be the most stupid, disgusting, and monstrous, that ever insulted man, or disfigured the pages of literature; and though some high names of antiquity have, it would seem, been arrayed in its support, and even so late as in the 17th century, France beheld the infamous Lucilio Vanani, seal with his blood upon the scaffold the blasphemous creed; still we assert that it never was, and never could have been, the offspring of reflection.--The savage who worships the sun and the stars of heaven disproves it--The child in its nurse's arms who dashes to the earth its bauble watch, has, even in that first glimmering of soul, enough of reason to reject so absurd a notion, and perceiving an effect will seek for the cause---No---it is the child of blind pride and perverted genius which, in the arrogance of his own fancied powers, rashly plunges into unfathomable speculations, and, like a lusty swimmer, who, in the confidence of gaining some dimly-descried shore, trusts himself to the sea-he flounders in an overwhelming ocean-his strength fails, and so far from reaching the point of his ambition, he is unable to keep his place, or return whence he set out. "It is genius" says Reid "and not the want of it that perplexes philosophy, and fills it with error and false theory: so Atheism is not the result of reason, but the despairing abandonment of it; the act of one, who gaz. ing too intently on the sun, voluntarily rushes into darkness to relieve the aching of his overwrought eyeballs. Lord Bacon has well observed, that "though a smattering of philosophy may lead a man into Atheism, a deep draught of it will certainly bring him back again to the belief of a God and Providence." We are sincerely impressed with the truth of the remark; and, for our own part, hold in the utmost contempt the dangerous and evil deference which the world pays to perverted genius, and consider the title of philosopher prostituted when applied to the champion of Atheism. But to our task-for, in the violence of our feelings, we have been seduced to raise up an adversary which, as we have already said, we do not believe to exist, and have spilt much ink in the encounter, as the redoubtable knight of La Mancha slew the wine bags of mine host in doing battle against the giant of his imagination. Having in the first and second books proved (and we think he has fully done so) both from animate and inanimate nature, the fact of design and contrivance, and, of necessity, the existence of some intelligent cause to produce them, the author proceeds in the third book to examine and ascertain the nature and attributes of this supreme intelligence, so far as they are discoverable by the operation of the primary revelation of reason, exercised upon the works of creation. And first he deduces the unity of the Deity from the fundamental rule in philosophy, "not to suppose more causes than are needful to produce the effect," aided by the argument drawn from the manifest uniformity of plan, pervading the whole system of creation, and indicating a unity of counsel at least in its formation. The views taken of this latter part of the proof, are, in some degree, novel and ingenious, and though not giving the full length of demonstrative evidence, certainly afford as cogent and conclusive grounds of strong probability (we would almost say necessity) as can well be obtained in speculative science next "the power of the Deity" is established, as manifested in the creation as well as the preservation of the universe. Thirdly, the wisdom," and fourthly, "the goodness of the Deity" are considered and both these attributes are supported by much the same train of reasoning, and in which our author avails himself chiefly of the arguments of Dr. Paley. The fifth chapter is appropriated to the investigation of "the character and state of man," and, we confess, we are somewhat at a loss to understand the exact value of this subject when found in the portion of the work treating of the perfections of the Deity, unless it be to prove his goodness and wisdom. The immortality of the soul is discussed, and the proofs adduced, though differing in arrangement and occasionally in dress, are to be found in Burlemaqui, Paley, and Butler. The author concludes his train of reasoning on this head, with the remark, that "if the evidence of the immortality of the soul be not so clear and decisive as some might desire, it may be remarked, that a certain degree of obscurity is not unsuitable to a system of moral agency, where we are called upon to act on probable and reasonable grounds, without expecting such degree of evidence as will irresistibly force conviction; for if we suppose conviction to be irresistible, and also that such conviction irresistibly regulates conduct, what is this but necessity?" We can not go with Mr. Fergus the full length that he requires in his hypothesis; for, though we readily admit that conviction is irresistible ---that is to say, that we cannot resist being convinced, which we take to be the whole extent of the author's assertion from the context of the sentence---yet our own every day experience---the number of practical Atheists, men who live without God in the world, bear us out in denying "that conviction irresistibly regulates conduct," and therefore we take it that the argument ad impossible drawn from necessity,' falls to the ground. In discussing the accountability of man “ as a subject of moral government," is involved a dogma which has awakened the doubts and exercised the talents of the greatest philosophers, we mean the doctrine of Necessity, and we confess we felt disappointed at the summary manner in which Mr. Fergus dispatches, with a quotation from Milton, a question which Hobbes and Collins, Hume, Leibnitz, Lord Kames, Hartley, Edwards, and Priestley---we may, perhaps, be justified even in adding Locke---supported against Clarke, King, Law, Reid, Butler, Price, Bryant, Wollaston, Horsley, Beattie and Gregory. We ourselves, nevertheless---and we trust we are not singular in our opinion--range ourselves upon the side which Mr. Fergus has chosen, no doubt upon weightier and more numerous reasons than he has thought expedient or perhaps necessary to communicate in this work, and we fully agree with him, that "Necessary agency and moral government are altogether incompatible," that "the one naturally excludes the other." The two following chapters, being the last ones of this book, are devoted to a topic which has been familiar to the speculative mind from the very infancy of philosophical enquiry, and in his consideration of it, our author has followed the arrangement adopted by Dr. Clarke, in his celebrated "discourse concerning the beings and attributes of God," by dividing EVIL into---evils of imperfection--moral evil and natural evil, all of which, and more particularly the last, Mr. Fergus has discussed at great length and with considerable ability. It would be incompatible with the design and limits of "a notice"---much as our own wishes incline us to such an excursion--to follow him through these discussions; but we cannot close our remarks on this subject without expressing the great respect which we feel for the good sense and judgment that Mr. Fergus has evinced in avoiding that most perplexing and dangerous, as well as most unnecessary of all speculations--the origin of Evil.' He has, instead of plunging into those meditations to which, as it has been truly remarked, humanity is unequal, wisely directed the energies of his mind to demonstrate, that the exist ence of evil is fully reconcilable to the wisdom, the justice, and the goodness of God. Here, then, ends our view of the testimony afforded by nature to the being, perfections, and government of God, and with what ability Mr. Fergus has so far acquitted himself, it has been our endeavour, in the preceding pages, to shew. We will now attend him in his last undertaking, the investigation of the Gospel. If upon the examination of the objections that have been raised against Revelation itself as well as the general scheme which is inculcated by Christianity, we find that they are futile and insupportable-If we find the same difficulties that enthral the revelation of the Gospel are also found in the same degree to render the scheme of Nature incomprehensible-If still farther, we find Reason and Nature when applied as a test to Revelation, not confusing but explaining, not contradicting but corroborating it, then, and then only, may we feel assured that the Christian has built his faith upon the rock of ages. With this view Mr. Fergus proceeds to establish from external and internal evidences the truth and authenticity of the Gospel as a message from God, and to refute the many objections which have ever been from the earliest promulgation of Christianity urged against it. There is one objection to which, at first sight, it must be confessed has always appeared the most formidable and insurmountable, namely, the inconsistency and impossibility of suppposing that the God of Nature could so far contradict himself by such infringement and subversion of his own laws as is necessarily implied in miracles, and so by deceiving and perplexing the creature with two conflicting evidences of the Creator, cause him to doubt the reality of both. It does not seem to us that this objection has either been as fully stated or as satisfactorily combated as it might have been, especially as when there are such powerful aids as Campbell and Butler, to sustain the contest. The coincidence and harmony exhibited between Nature and Revelation is minutely and ably detailed, and the conclusions to which we arrived in our reasonings from natural Religion 66 a the attributes of God, the duties and obligations of man-(all of which we have previously noticed) are again displayed to us as expressly laid down and positively enjoined in the religion of Christ. In the words of our author, "The Gospel is called, not as a witness to the being of God, for that it assumes-but to bear testimony concerning his attributes and government, his will, and our duty. The representation of his perfections given in the Scriptures agrees with the draught exhibited in the creation, and fills up the picture of the divine portrait consistently with the grand outline sketched by the pencil of Nature." Such a coincidence when fully established, affords a most valuable argument for the truth of revealed light, and must, as has been remarked by a celebrated Ethical writer, dispose us to have an infinite esteem for revelation which converts moral philosophy into a religious and popular doctrine." Having thus briefly considered the design of this excellent work before us, and the skill and talents which Mr. F. has displayed in the atchievement of so capacious and difficult a task, it only remains for us to say a few words on a subject, certainly of minor importance.--The style is, for the most part, argumentative, equable and unimpassioned; seldom inflamed by the exciting topics of discussion--never soaring to sublimity--never sinking to feebleness---always intelligible, and often eminently happy; and though we are never embarrassed by a sentence cumbrous in its structure or confused from its length, yet we frequently find some that are, we would almost say, distressingly short. On the whole, we feel strongly impressed in favour of this work as one of more than ordinary merit, and, whatever be its failings in point of style, we have read the volume with an awakened and increasing interest, and we now close it with the conviction, that it is the production of a Scholar and a Christian---of one, who, while he is possessed of genuine tastes and extensive knowledge, has applied them to their only true and estimable uses, his own honour and the happiness of others---the advancement of religion, and the glory of God. Select Orations of M. T. Cicero, from the text of Orellius, with notes, critical and explanatory, by the Rev. Maurice M'Kay, M. A.— Master of the Kinsale Endowed School. Dub. lin: W. F. Wakeman, and Simpkin and Mar. shall, and R. Groombridge, London. We alluded in terms of approbation to the above-named edition of the Select Orations of Cicero while in progress towards publication, and we feel now no hesitation in congratulating the Students of both Schools and Colleges, upon the appearance of a work, the want of which, to use the Editor's own words, has, indeed, been long felt and acknowledged. It is strange, but nevertheless strictly true, that amongst the manifold editions of the various classic writers of antiquity, none was so indifferently attended to as that very one which would appear to demand the closest study, and the most elaborate accuracy in the commentator. No scholar can deny the fact, that Cicero's extensive works, as a whole, have been almost the worst edited classic which he has met with throughout the whole course of his experience. Separate portions have, indeed, been taken up and ably treated by different annotators ;but, at the same time, a most essential, if not actually the most important part was comparatively neglected. Those splendid and imperishable memorials of eloquence, which placed the gifted Roman for ever beyond the reach of a competitor in after ages, appear to have possessed but slight attraction for the ancient scholiasts; notes they supplied, no doubt, and of no ordinary length and dulness, as we are convinced Mr. M'Kay could testify; but their ingenious or satisfactory solutions of difficult and doubtful passages, or instances of learned acumen in the correction of mistaken texts, or in fine, their proofs of their being at all sensible to the beauty and dignity of their author's style and composition, are, if to be found at all, only at intervals, few and far between. It would appear from the Editor's preface to the volume before us, that he only intended to enter the lists with the Delphin Edition, and to renovate its very bad text, and improve its much worse annotations. This would have been a task of no ordinary enterprise, but our present Editor has performed an infinitely more signal service than his modesty would lead us, if we took the matter upon his own shewing, to suppose.He has not presented to us an old friend with a new face; there is no trace of the past existence of the Delphin, to which we are delighted for the sake of our own, as well as succeeding generations, to bid an "Eternum vale," and to hail Mr. M Kay's work, not as a new prop to a tottering fabric, but as a new structure in itself, which must stand or fall according to the degree of ability which was exerted to raise it. We do not speak unadvisedly when we give it as our deliberate opinion, that the edition just published, contains, in addition to the most approved text, as efficient a body of notes as ever illustrated a popular classic. It requires no ordinary time, and no common patience; the most laborious research; taste in selecting; tact in condensing, as well as talent in understanding an author, to enable his commentator to do him ample justice :all these qualifications Mr. McKay has brought to bear upon the execution of his successful task-we say successful, because we cannot anticipate its failure. It has been a matter of surprise to us, as well as regret, that the Orations of Cicero should be so carefully excluded, as they appear to be, from the course of study in our schools-Class after Class in the best of our Public Academies, are exercised to and fro in the Entrance Course usque ad nauseam;" they are made up to pass muster at a necessarily hurried examination; and few, if any, will be found to evince in after life, that taste for the exquisite beauties of classical literature, which, if cultivated wisely, and properly attended to during the pupil's early years, would have subsequently induced him to pursue as a pleasure, what, as it is, he feels inclined to shun with disgust. Such abuses ought to be looked to; nor should Cicero and Demosthenes be kept out of the young student's way until he is sick and tired of the respective languages, by the wearisome repetition of other less interesting and less important authors. To return to our Editor-He has given copious and valuable introductions to the several orations, which, we may as well mention here, are in the English language, as well as his notes; Mr. M'Kay having judiciously avoided the "obscurum per obscurius" principle, which seems to have influenced not a few |