they have impofed falfe ideas on the credulity. of an inconfiderate multitude, they find it easy to feduce into a participation in their crimes, many a heart, in which had virtue been fupported by principle, it would have refifted every affault. But, how extenfive foever were the mischiefs which in former days proceeded from this fource, it might have been hoped that time would long fince have brought feme remedy for the evil. It was easy to deceive men whofe faculties were buried in that credulous ignorance which characterifed the darker ages; but now, when civilization has roufed us from our favage ftate, and when the glorious light of the Gospel of Truth has spread the beams of the pureft morality over our favoured hemisphere,-who could suppose it poffible that Falfhood fhould not only maintain, but extend her empire? Unhappily, as Our means of obtaining knowledge have increased, the fubtilty of our deceivers has increased also ; and it may be doubted whether the opinions of mankind respecting the true nature of virtue and vice, were ever more loft and confounded at any former period, than we now behold them in these latter latter days, among thofe who moft confidently boast the superior illumination of their minds. Our great progenitor, ADAM, could affert, of thofe objects of the vifible creation which appeared in review before him, “I nam'd them as they pass'd, and understood MILTON. but who, "of men fince born, his fons," can affirm that he understands the nature of any object in the moral world, if it be only known to him by the name affigned to it in the school of PHILOSOPHISM? The language of NIMROD himself would not be less intelligible to our ears, than the phrafeology introduced by thefe modern teachers is become to our fenfe; and the state of fociety was not more completely changed by the confufion of tongues in his age, than we have already seen it in our own, by that univerfal confufion of ideas which prevails on the neighbouring continent; where every species of tyranny and impiety "Vult libertas dici mera, veraque virtus," HOR. In this more fortunate country, indeed, whilst through the protection of a gracious Providence, the arts, by which, in other European kingdoms, they have fo fatally prevailed, it becomes the duty of every man, who is fenfible of the importance of thofe religious and political truths, which united form the great palladium of our ftate, to exert his utmost efforts in refifting the attacks, and expofing the wiles, of our arch-enemy, PHILOSOPHISM. -"Quanto ille magis formas fe vertet in omnes, "Tanto, nate, magis contende tenacia vincla VIRG. While, with the worst defigns, the name of every moral virtue is affigned to its oppofite vice, the unwary are led into danger, even by the goodness of their own intentions. Reflection on the arts thus used to impofe on their credulity, has fuggefted the idea of the following pages. Mr. JOHN BUNYAN is an author fo generally known, that it can fcarcely be neceffary to make any preliminary obfervations on the quaint alle-gory, which is taken as the ground-work of the prefent performance. The pilgrim CHRISTIAN, was the companion of our childhood, till the refinements of modern education banished him from our nurseries. He ftill retains his place on the fhelves of our grandmothers; from which high station the valour of our fleets and armies has repelled all open afilants from our fhores, maintaining us fill in the poffeffion of our independence and freedom, the machinations of thofe fecret and more dangerous enemies, who have fought to undermine our religion, have been refifted hitherto with equal firmnefs; and we ftill retain unshaken the Church and the Conftitution, tranfmitted to us by the wisdom of our ancestors. While other nations, therefore, vainly pride themselves in the fame they have acquired, by giving birth to those pernicious writers, who have diffeminated infidelity, and added new attractions to vice, let it be our more dignified boast, that, in this land, no foe to our holy faith has questioned the authority of any of her doctrines, which fome champion of fuperior strength has not arifen to defend; that. among us, the weight of talents is thrown into the fcale of truth. Conviction, however, will rarely reclaim the wilful promoters of error; though confuted, they are not filenced; though repulfed, they return with redoubled confidence to the affault; and while the teachers of falfe morality are employing in this island, to confound our principles, the fame arts, |