The Scottish Philosophy [236]
for the secondary laws of Brown. Some of these resolutions seem to me over subtle, but they are worthy of consideration by those who would sound the depths of the subject.
He treats at length of the voluntary principle, and offers many judicious remarks. He criticises Stewart's doctrine of power, according to which " the author of nature has bestowed on matter no powers at all, of course never preserves its powers in being, nor even employs them in accomplishing his purposes, as there are no powers to be exercised. In the second volume (Part I 1.), he treats of moral law, of right, jurisprudence, and politics, somewhat after the manner of Stewart, with considerable sweep of style, but no great power of metaphysical analysis. {393}
LIII. -- THOMAS CHALMERS.[98] H/ITHERTO\ there has been a severance, at times an opposition, if not avowed yet felt, between the Scottish philosophy and the Scottish theology. The one had magnified human nature, and tended to produce a legal, self-righteous spirit; whereas the other humbled man and exalted God, enjoining such graces as faith, humility, and penitence. But there never was any real opposition between the facts gathered by the one and the truths taken out of God's Word by the other. The metaphysicians had shown that there is such a faculty in man as the conscience; and the conscience proclaims that man is a sinner, while the Bible provides a forgiveness for the sinner in a way which honors the moral law. The reconciliation between the philosophy and the religion was effected by Thomas Chalmers, who has had greater influence in moulding the religious be lief and character of his countrymen than any one since the greatest Scotchman, John Knox.
He was born at Anstruther, in the "East Neuk" of Fife, and was the son of a reputable merchant there. In his boyish days he had to suffer not a little from a nurse and from a teacher who ruled by the rod; but he was " joyous, vigorous, and humorous." He manifested his natural character from an early age, being eager and impetuous in pursuing his favorite ends. He was not a very diligent pupil, but was a leader in fun and frolic. At the age of twelve he entered the University of St. Andrews, which about that time had such pupils as John (afterwards Sir John) Leslie, James Mylne, and John (afterwards Chief justice) Campbell. He is described as " enthusiastic and persevering in every thing he undertook, giving his whole mind to it, and often pursuing some favorite and even, as we thought, some foolish idea, whilst we were talking around him and perhaps laughing at his abstraction, or breaking in upon his cogitations and pronouncing him the next thing to mad;[99] and then he would good-naturedly join in the merriment with {394} his common affectionate expression 'very well, my good lads.'" It was in 1793 that he was awakened intellectually, and became excited with and absorbed in geometry, for which he had a strong taste and talent.
"St. Andrews," he tells us in after years, "was at this time overrun with moderatism, under the chilling influence of which we inhaled not a distaste only, but a positive contempt, for all that is properly and peculiarly gospel; insomuch that our confidence was nearly as entire in the sufficiency of natural theology as in the sufficiency of natural science." He has left it on record that he profited by the debating societies of the college. At this time he studied Godwin's "Political Justice," and was staggered by Mirabaud's "System of Nature." His friend, Professor Duncan, tells us that , he studied Edwards on Free Will with such ardor that he seemed to regard nothing else, could scarcely talk of any thing else, and one was almost afraid of his mind losing its balance." His favorite study, however, continued to be mathematics, towards which, as the science of quantity, he had a strong predilection, as shown in his propensity to count his steps as he walked. Still, even at this time, he had aspirations after something higher. One common expression
He treats at length of the voluntary principle, and offers many judicious remarks. He criticises Stewart's doctrine of power, according to which " the author of nature has bestowed on matter no powers at all, of course never preserves its powers in being, nor even employs them in accomplishing his purposes, as there are no powers to be exercised. In the second volume (Part I 1.), he treats of moral law, of right, jurisprudence, and politics, somewhat after the manner of Stewart, with considerable sweep of style, but no great power of metaphysical analysis. {393}
LIII. -- THOMAS CHALMERS.[98] H/ITHERTO\ there has been a severance, at times an opposition, if not avowed yet felt, between the Scottish philosophy and the Scottish theology. The one had magnified human nature, and tended to produce a legal, self-righteous spirit; whereas the other humbled man and exalted God, enjoining such graces as faith, humility, and penitence. But there never was any real opposition between the facts gathered by the one and the truths taken out of God's Word by the other. The metaphysicians had shown that there is such a faculty in man as the conscience; and the conscience proclaims that man is a sinner, while the Bible provides a forgiveness for the sinner in a way which honors the moral law. The reconciliation between the philosophy and the religion was effected by Thomas Chalmers, who has had greater influence in moulding the religious be lief and character of his countrymen than any one since the greatest Scotchman, John Knox.
He was born at Anstruther, in the "East Neuk" of Fife, and was the son of a reputable merchant there. In his boyish days he had to suffer not a little from a nurse and from a teacher who ruled by the rod; but he was " joyous, vigorous, and humorous." He manifested his natural character from an early age, being eager and impetuous in pursuing his favorite ends. He was not a very diligent pupil, but was a leader in fun and frolic. At the age of twelve he entered the University of St. Andrews, which about that time had such pupils as John (afterwards Sir John) Leslie, James Mylne, and John (afterwards Chief justice) Campbell. He is described as " enthusiastic and persevering in every thing he undertook, giving his whole mind to it, and often pursuing some favorite and even, as we thought, some foolish idea, whilst we were talking around him and perhaps laughing at his abstraction, or breaking in upon his cogitations and pronouncing him the next thing to mad;[99] and then he would good-naturedly join in the merriment with {394} his common affectionate expression 'very well, my good lads.'" It was in 1793 that he was awakened intellectually, and became excited with and absorbed in geometry, for which he had a strong taste and talent.
"St. Andrews," he tells us in after years, "was at this time overrun with moderatism, under the chilling influence of which we inhaled not a distaste only, but a positive contempt, for all that is properly and peculiarly gospel; insomuch that our confidence was nearly as entire in the sufficiency of natural theology as in the sufficiency of natural science." He has left it on record that he profited by the debating societies of the college. At this time he studied Godwin's "Political Justice," and was staggered by Mirabaud's "System of Nature." His friend, Professor Duncan, tells us that , he studied Edwards on Free Will with such ardor that he seemed to regard nothing else, could scarcely talk of any thing else, and one was almost afraid of his mind losing its balance." His favorite study, however, continued to be mathematics, towards which, as the science of quantity, he had a strong predilection, as shown in his propensity to count his steps as he walked. Still, even at this time, he had aspirations after something higher. One common expression