Thus, then, viewing that dispensation of the Almighty which has doomed all mankind to death, merely as a measure of the divine government, and unconnected with our particular feelings, it cannot but appear per fectly consistent with propriety and wisdom. It is use ful for bringing a change of actors on the stage of hu man life, that old vices may be forgotten, that inveterate habits of wickedness may be destroyed, and that new improvements may be introduced in morals, politics, and religion; or that a fresh generation may admire and re vere the fabric reared by the wisdom of their forefa thers, or bequeathed to them by the bounty of heaven.
Could we view death as unconcerned spectators, we have little doubt that the conclusions which we have stated above, would appear convincing. But we cannot regard this grand consummation with feelings of indif ference : it appears as a formidable evil and a terrible catastrophe to every one who values the blessings of life, or prizes the endearments of social intercourse ; for all these must be surrendered ; and to remain entirely un affected under such prospects, would bespeak more in sensibility than sound philosophy.
But this overpowering evil has a compensation in the hopes of immortality, which the light of nature taught the more virtuous among the heathen to cherish, and which Christianity has unfolded with the most com manding influence. The doctrine of the soul's immor tality is second only to the notions which we entertain respecting the attributes of God, in its influence on the conduct of moral agents. It is made subsidiary to the laws in every state; and we have never known any na tion under a regularly organized system of laws desti tute of a belief of a future state. Warburton affirms, that the Jewish theocracy is an exception ; and because the rewards of virtue, and the punishment of vice, under the Mosaic economy, are all of a visible and temporal kind, he infers that there must have been an immediate divine interference to encourage the righteous, and keep in awe the wicked. The argument may not hold in the lull extent to which he carries it ; but we have always thought it entitled to more attention than it generally re ceives, and to be deserving of other praise besides that of ingenuity and profound learning.
We conclude our speculations on the existence of evil, in the words of an American writer,* whose views on this subject coincide with our own. " It is difficult
to handle the necessity of evil in such a manner as not to stumble such as are not above being alarmed at pro positions which have an uncommon sound. But if phi losophers will but reflect calmly on the matter, they will find, that, consistently with the unlimited power of the Supreme Cause, it may be said, that, in the best ordered system, evils most have a place." " If the Author and Governor of all things be infinitely perfect, then whatever is, is right. Of all possible systems, he bath chosen the best ; and consequently there is no ab solute evil in the universe. This being the case, all the seeming imperfections or evils in it, are such only in a partial view ; and, with respect to the whale system, they are goods." " For if there be any evil in the sys tem that is not good with respect to the who/c, then is the whole not good, but evil, or at best very imperfect ; and an author must be as his workmanship is; as is the effect, such is the cause. But the solution of this diffi culty is at hand, that there is no evil in the universe. What ! Are there no pains, no imperfections ? Is there no misery, no vice, in the world ? Or are not these evils? Evils indeed they are ; that is, those of one sort are hurt ful, and those of the other sort are equally hurtful and abominable ; but they are not evil or mischievous with respect to the whole." It forms a natural part in every regular discussion on moral science, to examine the foundation on which the important doctrine of the soul's immortality rests, with a view to ascertain its influence on human conduct.
With regard to the origin of this doctrine, it seems to stand much on the same footing as our belief in the being of a God ; and the two together constitute the whole of natural theology. We suspect, however, that the doc trine of the soul's immortality is, in most cases, where it has not been expressly revealed, the result of traditional information, ratiser than the offspring of reason. It is true, indeed, that when once the doctrine is known, a thousand arguments may be adduced, both from the na ture of God, and the moral constitution of man, to estab lish and confirm it ; but whether the natural reason of man would have discovered it, is a question that cannot possibly be solved, unless we can find a nation cut off from all intercourse of knowledge, both with its contem poraries and predecessors.