which was not finished in less than a course of 30 years-which was signalized by 12 pitched battles which opened a scene of extraordinary fierceness and cruelty-is computed to have cost the lives of 80 princes of the blood, and almost entirely anni hilated the ancient nobility of England. The strong attachment which at that time men of the same kindred bore to each other, and the vindictive spirit which was considered a point of honor, rendered the great families implacable in their resentments." When this writer had given the history of our ancestors to the close of the usurpation of Richard III. be observes, "Thus have we pursued the history of England through a series of barbarous ages, till we have at last reached the dawn of civility and science." The reign of Henry VII. commenced 1485, and continued to 1509. In his time there were several insurrections and many sanguinary scenes; but the state of society was less perilous and distressing than in former years. He was a man of considerable energy and vigor, and he happened to be successful in quelling tumults and insurrections. Until this reign a great, and perhaps the greater portion of our ancestors were slaves. In former ages, "every one that was not noble was a slave; the peasants were sold along with the land; the few inhabitants of cities were not in a better condition: even the gentry themselves were subjected to a long train of subordination under the great barons or chief vassals of the crown." Hist. Eng. Vol 111. p. 316-17. While speaking on the subject of slavery Mr. Hume observes, "The latest laws which we find in England for enforcing or regulating this species of servitude, were enacted in the reign of Henry VII. And though the ancient statutes on this subject remain still unrepealed by parliament, it appears that before the end of Elizabeth, the distinetion between villain (slave) and freeman was totally, though insensibly abolished, and that no person remained in the state to which the former laws could be applied." p. 318-19. When the subject of the African slave trade was before the British parliament, Mr. Wilberforce, in a speech in favor of its abolition, stated as a fact, that "the people of Bristol, in the reign of Henry VII, had a regular market for children, which were sold to the Irish. Hist. of Abolition, Vol. 11. p. 53. The fact that a great portion of our ancestors were slaves, and that the custom of selling children as slaves existed so lately as the reign of Henry VII. may be regarded as full proof of a barbarous and uncultivated state of society. Perhaps there is not one to twenty of English descent in the United States, whose ancestors of the fifteenth century were not slaves. It will not be denied, that in the preceding ages there were some virtuous and enlightened individuals; but it is evideut-that the mass of population in Great Britain had but little claim to the character of a civilized people. It is also evident, that a great portion of the leading characters in the nation were, from age to age, ferocious, vindictive, and bloody-minded men, possess ing little of Christianity except the name. The records of the three last centuries remain to be examined; and in them, if any where, we must find those virtuous ances. tors, in whose praise so much has been said in our day, and in comparison with whom the present inhabitants of Great Britain and the United States are said to be a degenerate ruce. ON THE FORMATION OF JUDGMENT AND CONSCIENCE. In every respect man is allied to other animals in his earthly or mortal nature, he has all his senses in common with them, supports his existence as theirs is supported, and resigns it or dies as they die. So that in this relation we may say to the worm, "Thou art my mother and my sister," and ask the question with the wise man, "Wherein is a man better than a beast ?" On the other side, man is allied to celestial beings, he is in one sense immortal, since his soul will never cease to exist. Nothing can exceed the beautiful simplicity of the account that Moses has given of the creation of man-"And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul." Considered then as he came into the world, man is possessed of a living soul, without judg ment and without conscience, but is endowed with a capacity to acquire them. Judgment is first produced when the soul is capable to reason upon and to understand a simple subject that is proposed to it. It involuntarily examines and decides upon this subject; and that decision, whether true or false, forms the beginning of its judgment. When the same subject is again proposed, its judgment in the case is present; it is understood in like manner as before, but now without examination; and it never afterwards will examine, until the foundation of the judgment is shaken, so as to excite an apprehension, that its conclusion was erroneous. Reason is this capacity to examine and to draw conclusions. In the exercise of this faculty we begin with something known or admitted. A creature then, who cannot know or admit a principle, can never reason. But children are early taught to know some things, and to admit many principles to be correct. These instructions form the basis of their reasonings, and have the effect to produce true or false conclusions. In other words, they effect the formation of the judgment; and hence the great variety of judgments: they are 138 On the formation of Judgment and Conscience. Having considered the formation of judgment, and observed the agency of reason in producing it; having seen too that judgments are different and contradictory to one another, yet on both sides held by sincere men, let us extend the inquiry, and examine what Conscience is. This too is acquired. Men are born without conscience as certainly as they are born with out judgment. In the subjects upon which we reason or that are examined by the opening capacities of the mind, many are of a moral nature, and relate to our conduct, our duties, &c. That judgment therefore that is formed from conclusions, drawn respecting these duties, has relation to and is inseparable from Conscience. In the first instance of our lives that we have decided any thing is our duty, that decision becomes our judgment; and as it is of a moral nature, so it is the beginning of the formation of conscience in us. The recollection of this conclusion is always present with us, whenever the subject is again proposed. We are satisfied with ourselves when we act according to this judgment (whether true or false) and always are sensible of conviction when we do the contrary. It is an index, or present view of the state of our judgment in the case, and conscience and judgment are thus inseparable companions. In the same way, then, and from the same cause that men's judgments are some. times correct, and sometimes erroneous, so conscience in some men condemns them for doing, what conscience in other men would condemn for not doing. And conscience is therefore no test of truth or error, for the same reason that men's judg ments are no test. The premises admitted by some men, leads them, and necessarily leads them to the conclusion, that it is right to defend themselves. The inference is natural, and their reasoning is correct; but the conclusion is erroneous, be cause the premises are erroneous; and the doctrine is known to be anti-christian by those who examine the foundation of the argument, see its fallacy, and draw their conclusions from the example, the precepts and the doctrines of Jesus Christ. One half of the evil prejudi ces, much of the error, and all the bigotry in the world arise from our admitting to be true what is not true. For we reason from what we have taken for granted, as though it were a selfevident truth, and our conclusions are commonly erroneous when our premises are erroneous. To examine ourselves is a profitable exercise; I believe-Why do I believe? let me examine the reason or cause why I believe, and if I find the cause is in something that I have admitted, taken for granted, or considered self-evident from my childhood, I will examine it the more closely. But profitable as this examination of ourselves may be, it is seldom done thoroughly; for self-love shrinks when we are thrown back upon first principles. "He that thinketh that he knoweth any thing, knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know;" and it is thus we can understand that saying, "If any man will be wise, let him first become a fool, that he may be wise " The foundation of all true knowledge and wisdom is God, If we were to begin our structures on this foundation, they would stand. "To know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent, this is life eternal;" and as "what is to be known of God is manifest in man," and as "in him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge," the exhortation is unspeakably interesting, "Acquaint thyself with God, and be at peace" Thus our judgments would be correct, our consciences pure, and the same mind would be in us that was in Christ Jesus." The meekness, gentleness, and purity of our holy religion would be conspicuous; and all anger, malice, revenge, all wars, fighting, and bloodshed would cease among the professors of the Christian name. Then we might with boldness hold forth the Apostolic doctrine, "If any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his."* REVIEW OF AN EXTRACT FROM DR. BUCHANAN'S RESEARCHES. IN the late Dr. Buchanan's Asiatic Researches we have the following passage: "In every age of the church of Rome there have been individuals of an enlightened piety, who derived their religion not from the commandments of men,' but from the doctrines of the Bible. There are at this day, in India and in England, members of that com-" munion, who deserve the affection and respect of all good men; and whose cultivated minds will arraign the corruptions of their own religion, which the author is We ought perhaps to state, that this communication is from the Friend, an extract of whose letter to the author of the Friend of Peace was inserted in the No. for February, and which was not intended by the writer for publication. This communication was designed to give a more full and perspicuous view of the subject; and we hope it will lead our readers to some useful reflections, If church, which they themselves about to describe, more severely "This exclusive character prevents concord and intimacy between Protestant and Catholic families. On the principles of infidelity they can associate very easily; but on the principles of religion, the Protestant must ever be on the defensive; for the Romish church excommunicates him; and although he must hope that some individuals do not maintain the tenet, yet his uncertainty as to the fact, prevents that cordiality which he desires. Many excellent Catholics suffer unjustly in their intercourse with Protestants, from the ancient and exclusive articles of their own REMARKS. It is pleasing to see in a clergyman of the Episcopal church such candor and charity towards some who are of the Roman Catholic communion. Although we dissent, both from the church of Rome and the church of England, we are willing to believe that there have been many excellent men of both descriptions. This may be admitted without the least approbation of what is erroneous in either. The popish principle, "That there is no salvation out of the pale of the Romish church," is unquestionably a great obstacle to fellowship and Christian intercourse between the papists and every sect of protestant christians. Every discerning protestant feels that the principle thus assumed by the papists is both arrogant and injurious. And it is to be wished, that in view of this papal principle, every protestant should see the danger of equal arrogance on his own part. When a protestant of any sect whatever makes a belief in his own peculiar tenets, essential to the Christian character, or a term of Christian fellowship,-in what respect is his conduct less arrogaut, or less injurious, than the conduct of the members of the |