each other, and yet all appear to have been confident. Let us not then mistake our own conviction that a thing is true for evidence of its truth. I would here also suggest, that orthodox divines would do well to abstain, somewhat more than many of them are disposed to do, from eager assertions of their own certainty that they are in the right. The enemy can speak thus as well as they; and indeed it not seldom happens that men are, as the poet Cowper has expressed it, "Most confident, when palpably most wrong. Let them proceed to the proof. I would likewise infer, from the passages which have been quoted, that laymen should be a little cautious of believing doctrines on the mere authority of those who teach them. Our instructors may not intend to mislead us: they may feel sure of what they say, and yet they may be in error; and that error may possibly be gross and dangerous. There is something extremely im posing in the preacher or writer who puts his hand as it were on his heart, and seems to pledge his own soul that he is urging what he assuredly knows to be the truth. Nor is a minister to be blamed for occasionally expressing his full belief of the doctrine which he deli vers. But let us not forget that scriptural admonition, “Prove all things: hold fast that which is good," General councils have erred, particular churches have erred, men of distinguished ortho doxy have erred, on particular points; and those in general have been the best and wisest of our race, who have for a time suspended many of their opinions, and have retained a feeling sense of their liability to err even to the last. Contemplate the character of the confident man: he passeswith the members of his own little sect for a person of exact orthodoxy and of strong faith. But he is sure, because he is sure; and he is as confident of many doubtful points, as he is of the had. of it in our fellow-creatures. I observed, that we ought to But is there "prove all things." no danger, it may be said, in doing this? May not we err in consequence of the presumption attending this very attempt? And, after all, how shall we know, amidst the endless diversity of judgments, whether we are of the happy number who are in possession of the truth? What is the security that we shall not be deceived? May not we, as so many others have done before us, embrace a cloud instead of a goddess; and, after dreaming through life that we are children of light, at length lie down in darkness? Is not, in short, the search after truth rendered discouraging, and almost hopeless, by the multitude of delusions in the world? I suspect, Mr. Editor, that there are some young persons, even in the bosom of religious families, who secretly reason in the sceptical man Der which I have just described. Their scepticism is not avowed, be cause they are afraid of offending some pions and respected relative, or of setting an example which is at lowed to be dangerous. Possibly some of these young persons may have heard the doctrines of the Gospel affirmed, rather than either explained or proved; and they may have a mind naturally more incredulous than that of many round them. They perhaps were inclined, when very young, to embrace the orthos dox doctrines, because they per ceived them to be believed by their parents; but they have now lived long enough to discover that numerous persons, no less sincere in their way, are of contrary sentiments. Now I would first say to all persons of this class, Be assured that there is such a thing as religious truth. What though many fail to attain it-what though some who possess it are injudicious in their mode of exhibiting it still the truth itself somewhere exists. Truth, it has been said, lies in a well; an expression which implies that it does not present itself to every passer-by, and that the diligent alone will defect it in its hidingplace, and draw it forth. "Bay the truth," says the Wise Man, "and sell it not; that is, count it so va luable as to be willing to pay the utmost price for it; and, when it is become your own, then do not part with it for any consideration upon earth. It is necessary to set out with such sentiments as these, in order ultimately to succeed in our search. Assuming the importance of religious truth to be well established in the mind, I shall proceed, in my next paper, to treat of the manner in which it ought to be pursued, and of the evidence which even fallible man may have of his being so happy as to obtain possession of it. Wishing, however, to accommodate my remarks to the case of the general readers of this miscellany, I shall consider myself as addressing only those who acknowledge the authority of the Holy Scriptures. S. P. MISCELLANEOUS. To the Editor of the Christian Observer. I is a melancholy reflection, yet almost every day affords some proof that the proverbial sarcasm, "English suicide," used throughout the world, is founded on fact. It is not my design at present to inquire into the cause or causes of this effect: but, through the medium of your publication, to suggest to the consideration of civilians, ecclesiastics, and members of the British legislatare; Whether any mode can be adopted to prevent or lessen so dreadful an evil, which so materially affects, not only families, but the nation at large? Our ancestors seem to have con sidered the crime of suicide with proper horror and detestation; and therefore affixed to it a peculiar stigma. They looked upon it as a species of the worst felony and so the term Felo de, se is defined to be "one who commits felony by murdering himself." No man has a right to take away his own life: that belongs to Him who gave it. Our body, as well as our soul, is his property; and is entrusted to us to be used for that end for which he gave it. I desire to have a true definition of madness or insanity. A madman frequently attempts to kill other persons who come in his way; but I doubt if any case can be produced, where C-2 he attempted to kill himself. Some men will sit down coolly, and write a note or letter to a friend, or leave it for the information of their family, intimating what they intend; and shortly after blow out their brains, or take away their life in some other way: and then it is said that they were insane, or deranged in mind. I grant that every sin wilfully com mitted against God, our neighbour, or ourselves, is an abuse of our mental powers, or, if you please, a derangement of mind. But, when a man can sit down (as before observed) and write a letter with grammatical accuracy, or according to common orthography, I apprehend that he has the use of his mental faculties; and therefore I wish to see the term insanity defined more properly and accurately in law. Two cases have lately occurred, which I beg leave to mention for the serious consideration of your readers; and hope that some of them will enter into a calm and unprejudiced discussion of the subject, and communicate their thoughts to the public through the medium of your excellent publication A man some months ago took a quantity of laudanum to destroy himself; but medical assistance being called in, and an emetic used, he recovered. Some time since, he and his wife separated, and lately he drowned himself in the New River. An inquest was called, and the verdict was brought in accidental death!-Are not such inquests awfully Judicrous, or an insult upon common sense? Another man, who had bought a ship in some part of the North, and sailed up in her to London, began to zhink that he had made a bad bargain; and, during the passage, was heard to use words to that effect; but after he had arrived in the river, one night he cut his own throat in his cabin. The mate, who had been asleep, hearing some noise or a groan, arose, and, getting a light, found him dead. The coroner sum moned a jury, as usual; and directed them to give a verdict of lunacy or insanity (according to the modera mode of our day): and though a few witnesses were called, yet he put the questions to them iu such a way, as to suggest the answers which they should make. Two of the jury, indeed, had courage and honesty enough to expos➡ tulate with him, and to dissent: but he said the case was " only the effect of a coloured fancy,' and then put the question to a vote; to be determined by a shew of hands, and carried it by a majority.. Now, I ask, is it not necessary that the jury should be unanimous in this case, as well as in other courts of judicature, where they are called to give in their decision upon oath? Is not every jury man bound, by the law of conscience, and by the law of the land, to investigate every question that comes before him, and most scrupulously to interrogate witnesses; and then to judge according to the best light he has, and the evidence produced? Has any coroner, or indeed any judge, a right to brow-beat a jury; or will he presume to over-rule their conscience? Where is the use of administering an oath to men, if they are directed to act contrary to that oath? Are there no spirited men to be found at this day, who will rise up for the honour of England, and use their best endeavours to prevent, or at least to lessen, the contagion which is diffused more and more throughout our land, lest we become a bye-word among the nations ? But, alas! I fear that Sadducean principles have been so generally imbibed, that few men will endeavour to invent or prescribe a remedy for a disease, which operates upona thousands on every little disap-pointment in life. When a man commits a crime against the state, or any individual of the community at large, he is liable to be punished according to the existing laws: but what-pu aishment can be inflicted here upon bun, who has already taken away his own life? Though we can inflict no farther pain or punishment upon him, yet perhaps some mark of infamy might be attached to his memory, which, though not immediately felt by him, might be a mean of deterring others from perpetrating a like horrid deed, or of impeding, in some measure at least, the torrent which is sweeping the face of our gloomy land! Men are often influenced by a principle of pride, even when they pay no regard to morality or religion. A gambler will pay what he terms " debt of honour," when he shamefully refuses to discharge what has been long and justly due to an howest and industrious tradesman. Many instances of this kind frequently occur, and might be mentioned. a It seems that some greater mark of disgrace and abhorrence should be attached to a self-murderer, than what is usually assigned by law to the act of Felo de se: and it should be expressed in the strongest and most opprobrious terms that human language can afford, or the wisest of meu can suggest. A traitor to his king and country is justly stigmatized with every sign of detestation; and if he had any title of honour or nobility, he is degraded, and his coat of arms broken even before his execution. In like manner, a military officer or general, who turns poltroon or betrays an army, is degraded with such marks of infamy as the king, or the courtmartial by which he is tried, shall think fit. But what term of reproach or epithet shall we affix to a self-murderer; one who dishoBours God, and turns a very cow and in the cause of reason and religion, at a time when he ought to tand forth as a valiant soldier, and play the man? I have somewhere heard, or read, that, at a certain period, many of the women of Sparta murdered them selves. A law was then made, that the body of every woman who killed herself, should be exposed naked in the streets; which immediately put a stop to the phrensy. And some persons, adverting to this, bave thought, if a law were made, and rigorously executed, that the body of every self-murderer, whe ther lord or peasant, shall be hanged in chains, that the English mania would soon cease.. Perhaps another. idea may be suggested, which, however ludicrous it may appear, would certainly have a wonderful effect. I have seen the skin of a malefactor stuffed and preserved in the anatomical lecture-room in a college. Let the bodies of self-murderers be flayed, and the skins stuffed and hung up in a large exhibitionroom, with the names and titles under each. As this age is famous for exhibitions, if any person would make a collection of this kind (and a large one might easily be made in a few months), he would. find it much more lucrative than that at Exeter 'Change, or even at Somerset-House. But, to be serious:-The writer of this paper merely throws out these few hints, entreating the thinking part of your readers to turn the subject in their mind with attention, and try if any better regulations, can be adopted, in giving a verdict at a coroner's inquest, than what we usually find upon such occasions at the present day: for the modern mode, instead of lessening or preventing the evil, manifestly tends to increase it. There will, doubtless, be various and opposite opinions upon the subject; but from the result of the whole, some tolerable decision may be formed, which may tend to alleviate the sufferings of humanity. England has often produced great and philosophic men, who enacted many wise and salutary laws: and shall not some be found at this time, who will combine their efforts to do something, in the case before us, that those, who before had only bare subsistence, are reduced to live on what is insufficient for their sup port. The remedy for this evil to which recourse is commonly had a Contribution for purchasing bread and distributing it at reduced prices To the Editor of the Christian Observer.though right in conjunction with ALTHOUGH the apprehension, which was entertained in the course of the last autumn, of an approaching scarcity, may be considered as removed, you will probably not deem it unseasonable to insert à few observations on the means of diminishing the sufferings which must always necessarily attend such a calamity. In this country, a scarcity may arise either from the failure of foreign supplies, or from a deficiency in our own crop, or from both these causes combined. This year, from all the inquiries which I have made, I am led to conclude, that we have no deficiency in our own produce, taking the whole country to gether; and the scarcity, therefore, which we were led to expect, would have been wholly, or at least chiefly, the result of that situation of things which it was apprehended would put a stop to the importation of foreign grain and flour. But though our fears on this point have happily proved groundless, it may still be of use to consider in what way a scarcity, so produced, will operate, and how its pressure may be relieved. The corn brought to market being inadequate to the demand, a competition will take place among the purchasers, till the price is so far raised as either wholly or partially to exclude from the market those who are unable to pay that price. The advance of price will not, as in articles of luxury, produce retrenchment among the consumers in general: those who are able, will purchase to the same extent as formerly (that is, unless they limit their consumption from conscientious motives); those who cannot give the advanced price, will be excluded. The consequence which follows is, another measure which I am about to recommend, is injurious, or at best nugatory, if singly adopted. It introduces into the market a new set of purchasers; it increases the demand, without augmenting the supply; and thus produces one of two effects: either a larger quantity is bought and consumed, and thus the dearth converted into a famine ; or the price is raised, the consumption remains as before, and, instead of the most poor, those who are raised one step above them, and who might, but for this interference, have been able to purchase for their ne cessary consumption, suffer in their turn total or partial exclusion. Thus misery, if not increased, will only be transferred; while no one, but the holders of corn, will feel any real benefit. From these observations I would draw this conclusion: that every measure for the relief of the poor, in times of scarcity produced by the loss of imported supplies, should be accompanied with a retrenchment of all unnecessary consumption. Where the supply is inadequate to the de mands both of necessity and of luxury, the calls of necessity can in no other manner be answered than by denying those of luxury. The ingenuity of different persons will suggest to them different means of retrenchment: among the more obvious are the sacrifice of pastry, and the use of rice and potatoes, in various shapes, as substitutes for pastry, or in part for bread. But, I appre hend, the most extensive saving would be effected by the adoption of household bread, or of bread partly consisting of rye or potatoes, in lieu of wheaton bread. The adoption of this system would have |
