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PRELIMINARY PRINCIPLES
even by name only to antiquaries ; in the advancing cause ofChristianity, which promises in the fulness of time to bring allnations within its benign pale ; — I say, when we thus reflect
on THE DESIGN OF THE SAVIOUR, THE MEANS USED BY HIMTO ACCOMPLISH HIS DESIGN, THE PERSONAL VIRTUES DIS-PLAYED BY HIM, AND THE EFFECTS OF CHRISTIANITY WHICH.HAVE BEEN ACCOMPLISHED AND WHICH WE MAY ANTICIPATE,
— we cannot fail to be satisfied of the immeasurable superiorityof our Saviour’s moral character, not only over all the real per-sonages who have adorned the annals of mankind, but over theimaginary model drawn after the rich and fruitful imaginationof the greatest of the Roman writers, orators, and moralists.
Such, to wit, the law of the land, the estimate of consequences,and above all the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, in-cluding our Saviour’s moral character, presented as it is for ourimitation, are the chief sources by which the consciences ofmen are to be enlightened and guided.
It seems proper, in this connexion, to anticipate and disposeof a plausible objection, which has sometimes been urged againstthe science of moral philosophy.
It has been supposed by many good men, whose opinions areentitled to much respect, that as the New Testament must com-prise a complete system of Christian morals, there can be noplace for moral philosophy ; and, consequently, that this sciencehas been so superseded as to be useless. To this objection itmay be replied, 1. That the New Testament is rather the basisof a system of Christian morals than the system itself. It con-tains the root from which the system must grow up ; it is themine, which, although full of the richest ore, still needs working.
2. The morals of the New Testament are taught, for themost part, incidentally ; its precepts are thrown out occasion-ally as they were suggested by circumstances and occasions. Itis the province of moral philosophy to collect those which relate tothe same subject, to classify, illustrate, and apply them. This