most certain and efficient plans for improving their temporal condition. Christianity will not make men all equally rich, or equally exalted in station, any more than it will cause a perfect resemblance between them intellectually and physically, but it can and it will meliorate the evils which flow from this state of things, because these evils, after all, are not inherent in the circumstance of inequality of condition, but in the temper of mind with which men view it and submit to it. Now Christianity was designed expressly to operate upon this temper, to renew and to purify it, to give it spirituality, and to endow it with virtues for time, and with bright hopes and ample preparations for eternity.

In submitting the subject thus discussed to my distinguished and respected hearers, I have the satisfaction of believing, that there is no community in which the important principles it involves will be more readily understood and received. And may I not, in conclusion, be permitted to express my conviction that there is no portion of the habitable earth, that has heretofore more happily illustrated the benign operation of these principles, and to

offer up my fervent prayers, that they may never be

invaded or destroyed by misguided benevolence, unprincipled ambition, or the headstrong folly of political factions.

APPENDIX.

[A.]

WHY should not ministers of religion, as well as the other members of the community, take a lively interest in those studies that relate to civil society and unfold the principles upon which its advancement and happiness in temporal things mainly depend? But not to the physical condition of man, does the science of Political Economy, properly considered, have sole or chief reference; his moral and intellectual improvement is deeply involved in almost every discussion connected with it. Moreover Christianity is eminently the religion of civilized man, and will only consent to live and flourish in connexion with civilization. It sets in motion all the elements that improve the social condition, and reciprocally is itself advanced or retarded by the movements of the community into which it is introduced. To be convinced of this, one need/ only read the admirable arguments and illustrations, that the intelligent and philanthropic James Douglass of Cavers in Scotland, has brought forward; especially those contained in his little work, which cannot be too well known or too generally perused among Christians, "Hints on Missions." That Political Economy is a science in a high degree interesting and valuable to the philanthropist and the Christian, as well as to the politician, is now felt and acknowledged by some of the most pious and eminent divines. The distinguished Dr. Chalmers has given it his serious notice, and although we are greatly indebted to him for awakening attention to an important subject, and for valuable suggestions in his "Christian and Civic

Economy of large Towns," yet we cannot think that he has treated of Political Economy with his usual discrimination or intellectual power. In the established Church of the sister

nation, there is also a Divine, justly entitled to our gratitude, for the efficiency with which he has directed his powerful and sagacious mind to this field of intellectual labor. I refer to the present Archbishop of Dublin, Dr. Whately. His lectures on Political Economy while Professor of this department in the University of Oxford, are admirable, and well deserve to be more generally known in this country. So impressed was he with the importance of the subject, which he understood so well, and had written upon in so luminous a manner, that immediately after being placed at the head of the Irish Church, one of his first acts was, to establish in the University of Dublin, at his own charge, a Professorship of Political Economy. The first fruits of this act of truly enlarged and Christian benevolence, we have just received in the lectures of Professor Longfield.

In the preface to his lectures on Political Economy, Professor Whately avows, that his chief inducement to offer himself as a candidate for this chair in the University, and his first object in his course of introductory lectures, were to remove the prejudices against Political Economy, existing in the minds of some persons as being inimical to religion. "It has been my first object, says he, to combat the prevailing prejudices against the study; and especially those which represent it as unfavorable to religion. Convinced as I am, that the world, as it always in fact has been governed by political economists of some kind, must ultimately be under the guidance of such as have systematically applied themselves to the science, I could not but regard it as a point of primary importance, to remove the impression existing in the minds of many, both of the friends and the adversaries of Christianity, as to the hostility between that and the conclusions of Political Economy." This object in my humble opinion, he has accomplished in a

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most able and triumphant manner, and I most sincerely wish that some enterprising publisher, would confer a favor on the American public, by putting forth an edition of his interesting and instructive lectures. While suggesting this, two other works occur to my mind as having the same tendency, and as deserving far greater attention than they can receive, while only to be obtained in the few and expensive copies of the English editions, which have reached this country. I refer to the Progress of Society," by the late Professor Hamilton of Marischal College and University of Aberdeen. Although written in reference to a state of society very different from our own, yet the principles it discusses, and the information it gives in many points, are of universal application. The other work is "A treatise on the Records of the Creation, and on the moral attributes of the Creator, with particular reference to the Jewish History, and to the consistency of the principle of population with the wisdom and goodness of the Deity. By John Bird Sumner D. D., Lord Bishop of Chester, "-a learned, ingenious and eloquent treatise. I cannot doubt but that these works would repay the cost of their republication, and I feel assured that they would amply reward the attention given to them by those who are interested in the subjects of which they treat.

[B.]

I do not think that I overrate the value of this science, when I place it not least amongst the means by which the human race is to be made wiser, better and happier. The bettering the condition of man, is the very object to which it directs all its investigations, and if some of these appear at first view to be exclusively devoted to his temporal and perishing state of being, yet followed out into their legitimate connexions and dependencies, they will be found to bear closely upon his in