66 therefore, an act of wilful disobedience, in its most aggravated form. It was giving GoD the lie, who had clearly informed him of the consequences; but he yielded on the very first suggestion of "a lying spirit." The dictates of conscience were despised, and reason trampled on by an evil heart of unbelief." This seems the simple portraiture of an historical event, and as such we mean to consider it, while we think every unsophisticated mind will yield acquiescence. We are aware that it will be attempted to attenuate the delinquency, by shifting part of the blame from the tempted to the tempter; but this proxy plea will not avail-it would be scouted in a court of justice. Had there been no temptation, there could have been no fall-no test of obedience-no proof of free agency nor of the nature of man's relation to GoD-no accountability. There could have been no palpable test of man's belief or faith, and of the proof of man's constant dependance on the strength of an omnipotent arm. The absolute necessity, therefore, of the test of man's obedience, must seem sufficiently obvious. The only objection that can be made by the most obdurate infidel, in full defiance of an inductive philosophy, is, that we should suffer in the fall of our prototype. Right reason must, at once perceive, however, that if we are branches of a common root, and if that root be tainted either with physical or moral disease; we, as connected branches, must suffer, as naturally as cause and effect succeed each other. act of rebellion, the frightful magnitude of which we have adverted to, would leave a permanent impress and record of its virulence, both on the moral powers, and physical frame, as connected with it, and, which would, therefore, suffer in consequence. The mark of An punishment would remain a living legend of the act of transgression. And, alas! "the whole head is sick, and the whole heart is faint." Conscience, and the record of observation, attest the truth, that all is not right with humanity, and that some terrible catastrophe has befallen it-it is not with it as in times past. The authority of every age, and the testimony of a world, proclaim these tidings to the ear of reason; and reason admits an attestation so universal. Even the heathen world is heard to say, "Video meliora proboque, While Paul, who embodies this admission in a more full and palpable form, only reflects a truth, which it requires an unusual share of infidelity to oppose. "The good which I would, I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do." There are some who will say any thing; but, it requires more than an ordinary share of fool-hardiness to array the mind in opposition to a fact which is as evident as the fact of existence,—that the offspring does suffer the penalty of the parents' crime, in disease entailed, or a debilitated constitution; and shall we dare, in this case "to charge GoD foolishly?" GOD IS GREAT, and he his merciful. Here is a demonstrable fact, which proves the postulate. Unless some dreadful evil has befallen our race, how shall we account, on the principles of either the mercy or justice of GOD, for the agony and the death of children; since these are innocent victims, as far as actual personal guilt is involved. The fact is notorious, and common as the visitations of pain and death. Here is evidence founded on 66 experience," as Hume calls it, and which lays even his sophistry in the dust. The reality of pain and death would even dissolve the airy idealism of Berkeley, and reduce it to its invisible elements. We, however, as firmly believe that the "fulness of time" will develope a more splendid monument to the Divine goodness than if man had never sinned. Let, on the other hand, the important motive which was altogether set at nought in this melancholy defection, and desertion from the standard of good, weigh with man in the intromissions of life and intercourse of society, namely, "that no man liveth for himself, and no man dieth for himself;" that he is not at liberty to do evil, and "he is not his own;" that he lives not for himself alone, but for others; the operation of that motive would completely change the aspect of the moral world. In Eden it would have saved him from ruin, and the consequence of the most flagrant turpitude that ever stained the annals of crime. We shall next proceed to inquire what further evidence we have within ourselves, independent of the monitor conscience, and the amount of testimony from other sources of attestation Among the fictions of the poets, and the fables of the East, we cannot fail to discern the fatal truth so clearly and unequivocally pourtrayed in the Sacred Records. The golden age, 66 que vindice nullo, Sponte suâ sine lege fidem, rectumque colebat ;" that happy period, when "righteousness and peace embraced each other." We read of a man formed of clay, animated by a spark from heaven; of a female adorned by the graces and gifted with all the charms of beauty; and of a fatal casket, which, being opened by her, sent forth over the face of the world a direful train of evils; but amid these calamities, was a reservation of hope, that a time would come when all would be well again, and man restored to the blessings of the golden age, which had, in a fatal moment, been forfeited. These adumbrate the great event which we have been considering. The classic will also remember, The Garden of the Hesperides, and the Golden Apple ;-The Vale of Tempe;-The Paradise of Phaneas, and the Пapadeloos of Strabo. The Brahmins believe and teach, that man is a fallen being. The same fact is admitted by the entire pagan world, both in times past and present; while the universality of sacrifices is a palpable attestation to the truth of the position; they can on no account be otherwise explained, and are a proof that the fact is fully acknowledged, and by universal consent. The same thing is conceded in the necessity of intercession-in the Genii averranci of the Egyptian mythology, and the Penates, or Dii intercessores, of Rome and Greece :— all of which are connected with the same belief that made Micah cling to his teraphim or telesms; and when they were stolen, to raise the bitter cry,-“Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and what have I more?" We are by no means disposed to go to the full extent to which phrenologists have proceeded; and, while we are decidedly of opinion, that there is some truth in the case, we cannot but believe, that the minute nomes or districts into which they have mapped the head, (and which too, in many instances, seem gratuitous and fanciful,) expose their views to ridicule and question. This, however, is an abuse not legitimately chargeable on the question itself, which seems to be based in truth as far as our observations have been carried. Truth may suffer very materially by injudicious opposition to what may, in due time, be established on the surest inductive grounds. Phrenology may, or may not fall ;if it be true it never can. The Bible, being THE Truth, must remain intact by the whimsical inductions which may be laid to the charge of phrenology;-but if there be truth in phrenology, we are quite sure that this truth will only be another ray of evidence. We are surprised that Mr. Godwin, in his recent work, entitled Thoughts on Man," &c. should have reiterated some charges which we had considered altogether obsolete, and which seemed to have been completely answered long ago. We advert to the charges of materialism and fatalism: but, if phrenology involved either the one or the other, we should not hesitate on its instant rejection. Mr. Godwin seems to consider it a modification or extension of Lavater's physiognomy; and to be estimated in a similar relative value with chiromancy, augury, and astrology: and truly, if it belongs to the same class as these, the sooner "the quackery," as he calls it, is got rid of the better: but if it be true, the author of "Caleb Williams," will not find it an easy task to overturn it. The advice of Gamaliel was excellent-we recommend the consideration of it to Mr. Godwin: "if this counsel or this work be of men it will come to nought; but if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it." Truth is mighty and will prevail. "It is all a system of fatalism," says our author; but we may safely cause his own language to recoil on himself, in reference to this chargeit is" founded upon arbitrary assumptions and confident assertion." Certainly," says Mr. Godwin, many of Gall's organs are a libel upon our common nature." We have already quoted Paul, (no mean authority in this matter,) as admitting the existence of principles acting in opposition to his better reason—“ "a law in his members warring against the law of his mind." A legiti mate phrenology says no more, in our opinion, than the Scriptures have already taught us, and what every man must feel,-namely, that there do exist evil propensities; but, amid the ruin of fallen nature, there is still sufficient evidence in the existence of better principles -intellectual faculties, which are living legends that incontestibly prove, "GOD made man upright, though he has sought out for himself many inventions :"-that though "the gold has become dim," there seems to have been a period in his history when he walked with GoD amid the garden of creation, enjoyed his favour, and held converse with his great Benefactor. What do these propensities prove, but that "when we would do good, evil is present with us." Had there been no manifestations of better principles of action, which, (when suffered by the will to operate,) were sufficient to counteract these adverse and evil propensities, there might have been some pretence for the charge of fatalism; as the case, however, stands, there is none whatever. In the manifestations called veneration, benevolence, firmness, and the like, we perceive that "GOD has not left himself without a witness," that "he made man upright.' We, therefore, see no danger whatever in the truth being known; but we do see serious danger arising from its inhibition. We are not called on to wage war with the abuse of principles, but with the legitimate exercise of reason on the deductions of truth; and when any conceit is brought forward that might impugn the Volume of Revelation, we cannot do better than apply the observation of Dr. Johnson on Brydone's commentary on the Canon Ricupero's notice of the stratification of the lava : |