THE

CHART AND D SCALE

O F

TRUT H,

BY WHICH

TO FIND THE CAUSE

O F

ERRO R.

T

Of the Logic of THEOLOGY.

O this general Chart of Truth, Speculative, Practical, and Poetical, I come now to add another and farther province a province fuperior in its origin, more univerfal in its comprehenfion, and more important in its ufe; in which the INTELLECT, VOL. II. B

the

the WILL, and the IMAGINATION, have all the fulleft and fublimeft exercise.

In this province, truth does not fpring from any Material fubject in the compass of the univerfe, or from the Mind of man in its operations and effects, as in thofe which have been difcuffed; but from another and much higher fource, the Mind or Will of God, more immediately and directly dispensed, than by the ordinary adminiftration of his providence: And, as it is derived from the divineft origin, it has in view the nobleft endthe immortal happiness of man".

This is a field of knowledge productive of a fpecies of truth which, logically confidered, is more different from the kinds that have been analyzed and arranged in the preceding volume, than any .of them are from each other, conftituting the fcience of a THEOLOGY, with which Ariftotle was entirely unacquainted: but, as Reafon is more directly or indirectly concerned with all truth that relates to man, this fpecies, however fuperior

* See p. 126, 217, 268, of the first volume.

and

and divine, has a LOGIC appropriated to itself, as well as the other fciences; which comes now to be analyzed and arranged, according to the Rule laid down in the fifth chapter of the former volume.

To give a philofophical delineation of this other Logic, by distinguishing its Principle, by illuftrating its proper Method of Reasoning, and by afcertaining the particular nature and genius of the Truth refulting from the whole, is the main object of my prefent undertaking. For the fake of difplaying more clearly and adequately to view the province of Theology, this general Chart of the different kinds of learning was first projected, and the parallel drawn between the logic appropriated to each; in the humble but fanguine hope, that, from fuch an enlarged and comparative estimate, it may receive the ftrongeft and diftinctest light, that its ftudy may be facilitated if not improved, that its truths, being weighed in an equal and impartial Scale, may have their full and proper value, and that its fuperior excellence may be more evidently ascertained: which plan, if executed with fuccefs, pro

1

1

mises to lay the deepest and broadeft bottom, on which to ground and establish the Chriftian Faith b.

The departments of learning, which have been the fubject of the preceding lectures, are properly human: this which comes now to be difcuffed and illuftrated by a comparifon with them, is properly divine. From a logical and comprehenfive knowledge of the different branches of human learning, the ftudent will bring a ftrength and cultivation of mind, and a clearnefs of comprehenfion, to his theology, which will abridge his labour and ensure his fuccefs, in every part of his fublime profeffion. Inftead of being perplexed by a mixture and confufion of different ftudies, the bane of all proficiency in good learning; he will know how to adapt and improve them to his advantage. Instead of being embarraffed by an intrufion of fubjects from other parts of knowledge, which defeat his reafoning or disconcert his train of thinking; from a logical acquaintance with all, he will fee

See p. 76, of firft volume.

where