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A Summary of Mr. Hume's Doctrines, Metaphysical and Moral.

OF THE SOUL.

That the soul of man is not the same this moment, that it was the last; that we know not what it is; that it is not one, but many things, and that it is nothing at all.

That in this soul is the agency of all the causes that operate throughout the sensible creation; and yet that in this soul there is neither power nor agency, nor any idea of either.

That matter and motion may often be regarded as the cause of thought.

OF THE UNIVERSE.

That the external world does not exist, or at least, that its existence may reasonably be doubted.

That the universe exists in the mind, and that the mind does not exist.

That the universe is nothing but a heap of perceptions, without a substance.

That though a man could bring himself to believe, yea, and have reason to believe, that every thing in the universe proceeds from some cause; yet it would be unreasonable for him to believe, that the universe itself proceeds from

a cause.

OF HUMAN KNOWLEDGE.

That the perfection of human knowledge is to doubt.

That we ought to doubt of every thing, yea, of our doubts themselves, and therefore, the utmost that philosophy can do, is to give us a doubtful solution of doubtful doubts.

That the human understanding, acting alone, does entirely subvert itself, and prove by argument, that by argument nothing can be proved.

That man, in all his perceptions, actions, and volitions, is a mere passive machine, and has no separate existence of his own, being entirely made up of other things, of the existence of which he is by no means certain: and yet, that the nature of all things depend so much upon man, that two and two could not be equal to four, nor fire produce heat, nor the sun light, without an act of the human understanding.

OF GOD.

That it is unreasonable to believe God to be infinitely wise and good, while there is any evil or disorder in the

universe.

That we have no good reason to think the universe proceeds from a cause.

That as the existence of the external world is questionable, we are at a loss to find arguments by which we may prove the existence of the Supreme Being, or any of his attributes.

That when we speak of power, as an attribute of any being, God himself not excepted, we use words without meaning.

That we can form no idea of power, nor of any being

• The fourth section of Mr. Hume's Essays on the Human Understanding, is called Sceptical doubts concerning the operations of the human understanding; and the fifth section bears this title, Sceptical solution of those doubts.

endued with power, much less of one endued with infinite power; and that we can never have reason to believe, that any object, or quality of any object exists, of which we cannot form an idea?.

OF THE MORALITY OF HUMAN ACTIONS.

That every human action is necessary, and could not have been different from what it is.

That moral, intellectual, and corporeal virtues, are nearly of the same kind-In other words, that to want honesty, and to want understanding, and to want a leg, are equally the objects of moral disapprobation.

That adultery must be practised, if men would obtain all the advantages of life; that, if generally practised, it would in time cease to be scandalous; and that, if practised secretly and frequently, it would by degrees come to be thought no crime at all.

Lastly, as the soul of man, according to Mr. Hume, becomes every moment a different being, the consequence must be, that the crimes committed by him at one time, cannot be imputable to him at another".

I believe, Dr. Smith, the reader is now fully prepared to enter into the spirit of your concluding sentence, which therefore shall be mine.

P The poor prodigal Gentile, in the parable, was hardly reduced to feed upon such HUSKS as these. How good and how joyful a thing must it be, for one, that has been so reduced, to return to the house of his heavenly Father, where there is bread enough and to spare-to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent!

"My Inquiry concerning the Principles of Morals is of all my "writings, historical, philosophical, or literary, incomparably "the BEST." Life, p.

16.

"I have always considered Mr. Hume, both in his life"time, and since his death, as approaching as nearly to the "idea of a PERFECTLY WISE AND VIRTUOUS MAN, as perhaps "the nature of human frailty will permit."

PREFACE.

LET no reader take offence, though the subjects debated in the following pages be of a serious nature, if the ideas and images employed should sometimes border upon the ludicrous. The contest between Elijah and the votaries of Baal was a very serious one, and heaven itself interposed in its decision. Yet, strong and pointed is the irony of the prophet: "Cry aloud, for he is a God; either he is talk“ing, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradven"ture he sleepeth, and must be awakeda !" Impiety provokes a frown; absurdity occasions a smile; and many who glory in the imputation of the former cannot but feel when they are convicted of the latter. Some opinions and arguments become risible, on being stated. A portrait is sufficient; a caricature needless; perhaps impossible. Where such is not the case, nothing, it is hoped, has met with this treatment, unless proved to deserve it. Ridicule is not the test of truth, because truth must always be the test of ridicule; and he, who laughs in the wrong place, exposes no character, except his own. But, as the learned and ingenious Dr. Ogilvie has well observed,

a 1 Kings, xviii. 27.

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