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Leader (1850-1860), 4th December 1852, Edition Country of 2, Page 19

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      Correspondence On Butler. "We Have Now T...

      superstitions , well and good ; but if you would refute Christianity itself , you should meet it as maintained by its thinking defenders , not by its ignorant old women . « Take your child with the jam-pot , and state the case thus : —The father exposes the child not only to the temptation of his own . appetite , but also to those of the artful boy , because it is only by successful resistance to both kinds of temptation that a really manly'character can be formed : kept out of temptation , he would be at best an innocent and happy animal . Yet , though the father purposely withdraws his own presence , which would at once nullify the temptation , he leaves the child ' s elder brother , who has already successfully resisted the same temptation , in order that he may by example and advice influence , though nob forcibly control , the younger child ; and may thus help him against the counter-persuasions of the artful bad boy .

      « If the elder brother succeeds in helping the younger , he is an effectual mediator between the child ' s weakness and the father ' s law of family order ; and he brings the father and child together according to the original design of the father , which was that the child should be ( so far ) educated , and taught to live by reason and not by appetite . " But the child yields to the temptation , and takes the jam ; and you say that the father then turns the child out of doors in a rage . But the New' Testament says that , on the contrary , the father and the elder brother never give up the weak and erring child ; that though he may so habitually yield to one temptation after another , that in spite of all entreaties he will leave the father ' s house , because its rational order is intolerable to his sensual temper , yet that they never cease to seek him however far he may wander ; and that , in the end , he will be recovered . * As in Adam all die , even so in Christ shall all be made alive . Then cometh the end , when He shall have delivered up the ' kingdom to God , even the Father . ' " I am , & c . « E . D . W . "

      It is not for us to designate the " ignorant old women" who are the defenders of " superstition , " but we suggest to E . D . " W . that in Eden there was no Elder Brother helping the infirm Younger Brother with advice ; according to the plain , uncommented text of Scripture , this Elder Brother did not mediateuntU . some four thousand years afterwards . The illustration , therefore , cannot be admitted . It is rejected by the documents : it is rejected also by Reason , which says—That father who allows his child to be tempted , knowing before hand that the child will fall , and inflicts on him a punishment wholly disproportionate to the offence—an infinite punishment for a slight ( and inevitable ) offence—is neither just nor

      reasonable . What E . D . " W . says about a really manly character being only possible through resisted temptation , is admissible m a human but not in a divine sense of tlie formation of character . It is perfectly gratuitous to assert that God could not have created a manly character other wise than by placing men amidst temptation . If manliness were the object , why was it not effected in some better and more certain way ? " We must not presume to scrutinize the motives of our Creator ; we cannot say why he chose this method ! " That is the ready answer . We reply , " Truly , we cannot say why ; we can say nothing on the subject ; we cannot even say that this is the method chosen . "

      Kept out of temptation , man would be , " at best , an innocent and happy animal . Well , what then P "We see no harm in that . Is innocence nothing , is happiness nothing , that Virtue ( by which is meant resistance of one part of a God-given nature to another part of the same nature ) should be everything P What are the angels , in whom E . D . W \ believes ? or have they also their little temptations ? The fourth letter opens a subject which cannot be discussed in the few lines we can give it : — " In your paper of the 30 th October , I have read , with intense interest and gratification , the article on Butler ' s Analogy : it gives a , lucid expression to sentiments , the justice of which I have long acknowledged , and has enabled me to form a more distinct ideu of the subject of free will than I had ever before been able to

      accomplish . You say in that article , as you have said in previous articles , that you believe in a future state of existence—not a state of rewards and punishments—a belief not founded on revelation . I should like very much to know the grounds of your belief , for I have such faith in your clear-sightedness and honesty , that I cannot help doubting the soundness of my own views and conclusions regarding u future state of existence , when I find them differ from yours . Do you-believe in a soul capable of existence apart from and independent of the body , or in the resurrection of the body by a miracle of ( Joel ? 1 sou no reason to regard man in any other light than as an animal of superior organization . It seems to ine , therefore , that ii belief of his existence in u future state is not borne out by analogy , unless the existence of other animals in a future state bo likewiso admitted . I am , { Sir , a subscriber and sincere admirer of the Leader , "C . C . Turi'KK . "

      Ah a reader of this journal , our correspondent must bo aware thai- on questions which transcend human logic , we neither oiler nor accept tho arguments of logic ;; but , as we often insist , tho Soul of man is larger than logic , and that soul in conversant , with certain transcendental Ideas , such m God , Love , Life , Immortality , which logic can neither Hhako nor support . We believe in God as wo believe in Love and in Life , without being able to rondor any " definition "—without pretending to any " demonstration ; " in a similar way we believe in Jmrnortsility , though we think tho " urgumenlV usually futile ; and we pretend to no knowledge whatever of the prooe . HH by which it is to lalro place , either as a " miracle " <> r uh a continuance of present existenco . With the most serene repose we triiHt in the ( Jreutor' . s disposal of ( . ho future , without knowing , or caring to know , what that future will be . It is known to all metaphysicians that you cannot prove even the existence of an external world ; but our faith j H not limited within the npliere oi'demonHtration .

      An men , however , are ho fond of arguments— " () ye of bttlo faith ! ' — Rome of them may not bo sorry if we give them one which at leant has novelty . We do not like to arguo this question of Immortality , because we fool that Logic i . s not competent , ; but ; wIumi we do argue , it is houiowlml in this sense . Tho one emphatic ; lenson taught uh in the wtudy of Mature in , that allmovoH towards life , and that nothing is destroyed ; tmch ft lact aw waste in not known to uh . IT , therefore , thin onormoun amount of moral and intellectual life in to vanish when wo vanish from tho acono

      —if it is to be wasted , thrown away , like the evanescent bubbles floating on a stream—if this moral life is not to pass into other forms as the materials of our bodies pass into other forms , then we say it is an exception to the whole teaching of Nature ! We know no Death , we only know Transformation ; if death is always new birth in the physical , why should it not be new-birth in the moral world ?

      December 4, 1852.] The Leader. 1167

      December 4 , 1852 . ] THE LEADER . 1167

      Books On Our Table. Short Short Hand. By...

      BOOKS ON OUR TABLE . Short Short Hand . By Laming Warren Tear . Whittater and Co . The author says : " It is true it requires more practice than any other ; but the great advantage to be derived therefrom is surely worth the extra trouble necessary for its acquirement . " We have carefully examined this little work , and admit it to be very ingenious ; but we cannot discern many advantages in it over other systems of short hand extant . Its main principle is in using paper ruled with a great number of lines intersecting each other , and using the interstices between these lines as positions for vowel places , for the auxiliary verbs , for signs for the numerous words in ordinary use , and for the most useful combinations of letters , thus enabling the writer to express hundreds of words simply by a dot or dash of the pen . The positions for combinations of letters are thus used : to write the word minister the pen is placed in the position for mn , and the affix , str , is written ; for the word suspected the pen would be placed in the position s , and the characters for spctd written . This is the principle upon which short short hand is carried out , and it undoubtedly saves labour , ensures legibility , and the facility of note reading . For manuscripts , then , it may have some advantages over other systems of stenography , but we cannot recommend it as adapted to practical reporting , where speed is of primary importance , for the reasons , that we do not think the eye-sight could bear the presence of such a strange checkered surface as the ruled paper presents without suffering injury , and when the lines are abolished the characters are thus necessarily so increased in number , that as a system it becomes far inferior to some others ; and , either with or without lines , it is very far removed from the principal advantage of all good systems of short hand , that of having the characters so simple in themselves and k in their combinations as to permit the hand to travel as much as possible in a line , as if we were writing running hand .

      Protection to all Intending Emigrants—An Abstract of" The Passengers' Act , 1852 . " By J . T . Judge . - VV " . Strange , jun . This salutary Act of Parliament , passed during the last session , and which came into operation on the 1 st of last month ( repealing all other Acts relating to the carrying of Passengers by steam or sailing vessels ) , will prove of utility to intending emigrants of all classes , who may now proceed to their destination , " satisfied , under ordinary circumstances , that their safety and welfare are secured as much at sea as if they were ashore . " This edition of the Act points out ( amongst many other important matters ) the number of Passengers a Vessel may carry , according to its registered tonnage , for the purpose of preventing Emigrant Ships from being over-crowded—The number of superficial feet required on deck , in proportion to

      each Passenger—The height between decks—The dimensions of the Berths—The arrangements to be ma . de on board for Light and Ventilation—The quantity of Boats to be carried , according to the tonnage of the Vessel , and the number of Passengers—The Dietary Scale ; supply of Provisions and Water—The mode of proceeding against the Owner , Charterer , or Master ( or their Agents ) , if the sailing of the Vessel be delayed ; and the amount of compensation to be recovered by the Passengers—How to proceed summarily , on arrival at the Port of destination , against the Captain , for any impropriety on his part , or dereliction of duty , during any part of the Voyage—and numerous other highly important and salutary Provisions for the Safety , Protection , Health , and Well-being of every one on linnrfl .

      Mr . Judge has appended to his useful edition of this Act of Parliament ( m addition to a copious index for facility of reference ) several calculations as io the ; number of cubic feet contained in various sized boxes , &< :. This information will be found useful to all Emigrants ; as packages , containing' more than ii certain number of cubic : feet , are not allowed to \ w , taken on board , unless paid for , extra , as Freight . Emigrants , by attending to these calculations , will thus bo enabled to have their boxes and sea-chests so constructed as to avoid exevss , on the one hand , and to ascertain , ait once , what space ; ( according to nieiiHurcinent ) any extra luggage would occupy , on tho other . Memoirs of Dr . lilenkimop . 2 Void . Kicliard Kontloy . Thought * on Man in hi * Relation * to Clod and to Extcrnul jVufurr ; with JITi / ior forma . William Pickering . limpedocle * on lit mi , and other Poem * . '' - r ^ llowi'H . The Autobiography of William Jerdan . Vol . H . Arthur Jlitll . Virtim and Co . The Jiritit < h ' Journal . Aylotl nml Jono * . Wellinqton Lyrics . lly Mi'H . 'I ? . l <\ Hinitli . Klrmtfliaiu WiIhoii . Uncle Tom ' * Companion *! . By J . J ' . KdwiirdH . Kdwiirdn and Co . The Pronunciation ( if ( Ireek . lty . 1 . H . Itlu . liic . Sitnpl ^ iii , 'Marshall and Co . Claenical . Literature in it . i delation to the Nineteenth Century anil Scott in / I University Jitlucation . l ! y . 1 . H . lilnuUit ' . Shnpkin , Murnlmll and < . !»> . Macphait ' * lidinfmn / h Iu-elesiatitical Journal . Niinpkin , AliirHliull and Co . The Poet '« Voice , ami other J ' oem * . liy , 1 . Powell . . James I ' owoll . Poeum . lly li . H . 1 ' nrkoH . John ( Minimum . It ' cllim / foii , from a Wrench Point of View . J . W . Parl . i'i- and Son . Lowry ' n Tattle Atlas ; with an Index . Cliiipinim and Hull . North llritiiih M'eiiiew . Hamilton , AditniH mid Co . . Kimj Charles in the hie of Wight , lty ( Jcorfjo Ilillier . Uirliurd Hrntlcy . The ' Revealed Kconomy of lle . a ' iie . n and Kurth . Tliomim llomvorlli . The Unimoner . ' WiiInoii . Jlohn ' s Antiquarian Librurg—Matthew I'aris ' s Em / Huh lli . il . ory . Hy Uov . . J . A . Gilo . i . Vol . I . II . (> . Holm . Jlohn ' i Classical Library—The , Oli / nthiac , ami other Public Oration * of J ) emo * thenr » . liy C . It . Kennedy . ' ' If . < J . Holm . llohn ' a Philological Libran / An Analysis anil Sit minor i / of Jlerodotii * . Hy ¦ ' '' '• Whcoltw . J ' \\ . ( i . Holm . llohn ' t Scientific Library---The Earth , Plant * , and M « n . lly -I . h \ Hchoiivv . H . <>¦ Holm . Jlohn ' * Standard Library—Bacon * Eutayn tnul Historical Work * . " « ¦ Holm . Milton liarenaut : a . ' Palo <\ f ' the . Times we Lire in . lty J . Itandinel . . ' ! VoIm . Hiiii |> Iuii , Marshall and Co . Household Chemistry ; or , Uudimcnts of tho Science App lied to Every-lhiy Life . lty A . H . Homily * . ' Miinipion Low , Hon ivnd Co . The Silent Revolution , lty M . A Ganvy W . und K . Ciinh . The . llhtiin / of an Adopted Child . lty ii . V . . JnwHl . iiry . Uiunt , and drilUUi . TheVhiloHop ) ,, i ,, ftheSe . i \* es . lty If .. H . Wylil . ( Mivor and Moyd . Australia an it i * .- it * Settlements , l <'< , rmn , and ( laid J'Wili . Uy K . Lnnui'loM ; . U vo ! n . Colhurn and Co . The J ' arloitr Library Remembrances itf a Monthly JSurac . My Mm . Jl . Downing . HminiH and IM'Int . yro . History in Ruin * . Uy Ue ortf" ( iodwin . Clnipman and Uull . The Fortune ! if Francis On ft . 3 volti . Clmpmuu and Hall .

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 4, 1852, page 19, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_04121852/page/19/