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the proper regulation of their conduct, while they remain in this world. It will be shown, that, by a proper combination of reason and revelation, mankind are enabled to acquire a knowledge of that beautiful, but simple plan upon which all nature is formed; of that system which the Creator established at the beginning, for the government of all his works; and of the law which he also established for the regulation of that government. From whence it will appear, that no art, or science, or invention, can be useful to man, if it is not constructed upon the same plan as that which the wisdom of the Creator devised, for the construction of nature itself. It will appear also, that the only natural and proper use of that language which the Creator has bestowed upon mankind, is, to convey a knowledge of truth from the mind of one man, to that of another; and that it must for this purpose, be constructed upon the same plan, as that upon which all nature is built; and that every man is bound to speak the truth unto his neighbour. Also, that it is only by our obedience to that simple rule which the Creator has given to man for the proper construction of his language, that we can possibly acquire any certain knowledge of truth. But it will al

so be shown, that this false and unnatural construction of language which so universally prevails amongst mankind at this time, and which consists in a heterogeneous mixture of truth, falsehood, and speculative opinions, has a direct tendency to darken the minds of men, to lead them into the paths of error, and to bring them into a state of bondage and slavery. It will appear from the revelations of God, that this false construction of language was the invention of that wicked spirit who was the original cause of all evil, and the father of lies. I propose to show, that the language in which Mr. Leslie's Inquiry into the Nature of Heat, and Mr. Malthus's book on Population is composed, are perfect copies of this base original. And I propose also to show, that both these books have a direct tendency to destroy the fear of God in the minds of men, and to overturn both the established religion and government of this kingdom.

It was before observed, that no art or science can be useful to man if it is not perfectly constructed upon that plan which the wisdom of the Creator devised, for the construction of nature itself.

That science which is properly termed Mathematics, is, it is well known, founded upon certain small obvious truths, which are conveyed to the mind by the organs of sense. These small truths are generally termed axioms; because being simple and self-evident, they neither require, nor can admit of any illustration.

In the progress of mathematical inquiry, it becomes the proper employment of those rational faculties which the Creator has bestowed upon mankind, to arrange, combine, and unite together, so many of these simple truths or axioms, which have been conveyed to the mind by the organs of sense, as are necessary to form one complete whole; and this complete whole, if it is properly formed, will demonstrate the existence of another and more important truth than any of those of which it is composed; the knowledge of which is thereby conveyed to the mind. This secondary or compound truth becomes then as truly an axiom, and is as obvious to the mind, as any of those simple truths of which it is composed. In this way we advance from stage to stage, in what is properly termed mathematical inquiry; succeeding combination of smaller truths forming, like the construction.

of nature itself, another still greater whole, or more important truth.

In the proposed Inquiry into the Origin of Government and Law, it will be shown, that every inquiry into the works of creation and providence, must necessarily be formed upon the same plan, and that every such inquiry is and must be founded upon a proper combination of those simple natural truths, that have been conveyed to the mind by the organs of sense, and of those simple revealed truths that are contained in the Scriptures; that it is only by a proper combination of reason and revelation, that any certain knowledge of truth can be obtained; and that to this gradual accumulation of the knowledge of truth by a proper combination of reason and revelation, there seems to be no end.

But the great enemy of mankind having been constantly labouring from the beginning, to darken that knowledge of truth which the Almighty had implanted in the mind of man, he has, it appears, been permitted to enable some of his auxiliaries amongst mankind, to invent a new system of mathematics, which has been properly termed speculative, and it is truly so: for this speculative system is not founded upon

any known truth; it has no existence in nature; and is only to be found in the vain imaginations of those men who pretend to teach it. In order to give some plausible appearance to this false system, they have been enabled to invent certain learned names which they have termed principles; and although these learned names are mere indefinite terms, and although the thing supposed to be signified by the name cannot be discovered to exist in any part of the natural world from the effects which it is said to produce, they endeavour to make us believe, that these pretended principles are real, active, intelligent beings, and are invested with power to regulate the different parts, both of the natural and moral world.

By mixing these speculative opinions with real mathematical truths, these speculative philosophers, find themselves enabled to give to their speculative opinions the semblance of truth; and when it serves their purpose, they are thereby enabled to change truth itself into the semblance of a lie.

Under that cloud of impenetrable darkness, in which these speculative deceivers by this means involve their speculative opinions, they make their deluded votaries believe the most im

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