stowing it. To what purpose, then, do we entreat him to do what He certainly will do without any solicitation or importunity?' To this it may be answered, That, as it is not the design of prayer to give information to our Creator of things he was not acquainted with before; so neither is it the design of it to move his affections, as good speakers move the hearts of their hearers, by the pathetic arts of oratory; nor to raise his pity, as beggars, by their importunities and tears, work upon the compassion of the bystanders. God is not subject to those sudden passions and emotions of mind which we feel; nor to any change of his measures and conduct by their influence; he is not wrought upon and changed by our prayers; for with Him there is no variableness nor shadow of turning. Prayer only works its effect upon us, as it contributes to change the temper of our minds, to beget or improve right dispositions in them, to lay them open to the impressions of spiritual objects, and thus qualify us for receiving the favor and approbation of our Maker, and all those assistances which He has promised to those who call upon Him in sincerity and in truth. The efficacy of prayer does not lie in the mere asking; but in its being the means of producing that frame of mind which qualifies us to receive.'*

Dr. Leechman was prosecuted for the alleged heresy of these doctrines before the Presbytery of Glasgow, in February, 1744.

The opinion of the Presbytery was unfavorable; but the question was appealed to the Synod, which 'found no reason to charge the said Professor with any unsoundness in the faith, expressed in the passages of the şermon complained of." The case was afterwards carried by appeal to the General Assembly. That court,' says Dr. Wodrow, in his Life of Dr. Leechman, préfixed to the Sermons, when the cause came before them, wisely referred it to a select committee, and adopted their judg ment without a vote. They found, "That the Synod of Glasgow and Ayr had sufficient reason to take into their

*Dr. Leechman's Sermons, Lond. 1789, Serm. iii. p. 192.

own hands the cognizance of the inquiry touching the sermon." They confirmed the judgment passed by that Synod, and "prohibited the Presbytery of Glasgow to commence or carry on any further or other proceedings against the Professor, on account of that sermon.

Since this decision, the views delivered by Professor Leechman have been unhesitatingly taught by Scotch. divines. Dr. Blair, in his sermon 'On the Unchangeableness of the Divine Nature,' observes: 'It will be proper to begin this head of discourse by removing an objection which the doctrine I have illustrated may appear to form against religious services, and, in particular, against the duty of prayer. To what purpose, it may be urged, is aomage addressed to a Being whose purpose is unalterably fixed; to whom our righteousness extendeth not; whom by no arguments we can persuade, and by no supplications we can molify? The objection would have weight, if our religious addresses were designed to work any alteration on God; either by giving Him information of what He did not know, or by exciting affections which He did not possess; or by inducing Him to change measures which He had previously formed. But they are only crude and imperfect notions of religion which can suggest such ideas. The change which our devotions are intended to make, is upon ourselves, not upon the Almighty. Their chief efficacy is derived from the good dispositions which they raise and cherish in the human soul. By pouring out pious sentiments and desires before God, by adoring his perfection and confessing our own unworthiness, by expressing our dependence on his aid, our gratitude for his past favors, our submission to his present will, our trust in his future mercy we cultivate such affections as suit our place and station in the universe, and are thereby prepared for becoming objects of the divine grace.'-Vol. ii.

The same views were taught by the philosophers of the last century. 'The Being that made the world,' says Lord Kames, governs it by laws that are inflexible, be

cause they are the best; and to imagine that He can be moved by prayers, oblations, or sacrifices, to vary his plan of government, is an impious thought, degrading the Deity to a level with ourselves.' His Lordship's opinion relative to the advantage of public worship, shows that he did not conceive the foregoing view of prayer to be in the least inconsistent with its reasonableness and utility. 'The principle of devotion,' he says, like most of our other principles, partakes of the imperfection of our nature; yet, howeyer faint originally, it is capable of being greatly invigorated by cultivation and exercise. Private exercise is not sufficient. Nature, and consequently the God of Nature,require public exercise or public worship; for devotion is communicative, like joy or grief; and, by mutual communication in a numerous assembly, is greatly invigorated. A regular habit of expressing publicly our gratitude and resignation never fails to purify the mind, tending to wean it from every unlawful pursuit. This is the true motive of public worship; not what is commonly inculcated -that it is required from us as a testimony to our Maker of our obedience to his laws: God, who knows the heart, needs no such testimony.' *

In closing this chapter, I may observe, that many excellent and sincere Christians, to whom I am most anxious to avoid giving offence, labor under great disadvantages in judging of the truth and importance of several of the views stated in this Work, in consequence of their entire ignorance of the functions of the brain, and the laws of its activity. Many of them have been educated in the belief, that human nature is entirely corrupt and wicked; and when, in consequence of private or public devotion, they become conscious of vivid love to God and benevolence to men, and of aspirations after general purity and excellence, springing up in their minds, they ascribe these emotions exclusively to the direct influence of the Divine Spirit,without being in the least aware of the extent to which a

* Sketches, B Hi. Sk. 3. Ch. iii. § 1

large development of the moral organs, combined with an active temperament, contributes to this effect. The phrenologist, in contemplating these organs operating in excess, or in a state of disease, obtains light on this subject which other persons cannot reach. Mere excess in size and activity leads to fanaticism and a persuasion of inspiration, such as occurred in Bunyan, Swedenborg, and the late Edward Irving. I examined the head of the Rev. Edward Irving before he had become known to the public, and noted the organs of Imitation, Wonder, Ideality, Veneration, Self-Esteem, Conscientiousness, and Firmness as large: Wonder, Self-Esteem, and Firmness predominated; and these appear to have attained almost to diseased activity in the latter years of his life. Diseased activity produces belief in actual communication with Heaven. Christianity cannot fail to be benefited by the light which Phrenology is shedding on the organs in health as well as in disease.*

*See on this subject Dr. Andrew Combe's Observations on Mental Derangement, pp. 184-189; System of Phrenology, section on Wonder; Remarks on Demonology and Witchcraft, in the Phren. Jour. vi. 504; and, in the 44th and 45th Numbers of the same Journal, Observations on Religious Fanaticism, illustrated by a Comparison of the Belief and Conduct of noted Religious Enthusiasts with those of Patients in the Montrose Lunatic Asylum By W. A. F Browne, Esq. Medical Superintendent of that Institution.'

32*

CONCLUSION.

THE question has frequently been asked, What is the practical use of Phrenology, even supposing it to be true? A few observations will enable us to answer this inquiry, and, at the same time, to present a brief summary of the doctrine of the preceding work.

Prior to the age of Copernicus, the earth and sun presented to the eye phenomena exactly similar to those which they now exhibit; but their motions appeared in a very different light to the understanding.

Before the age of Newton, the revolutions of the planets were known as matter of fact; but mankind was ignorant of the principle of their motions.

Previously to the dawn of modern chemistry, many of the qualities of physical substances were ascertained by observation; but their ultimate principles and relations were not understood.

Knowledge, as I observed in the Introduction, may be made beneficial in two ways- either by rendering the substance discovered directly subservient to human enjoyment; or, where this is impossible, by modifying human conduct in harmony with its qualities. While knowledge of any department of nature remains imperfect and empirical, the unknown qualities of the objects comprehended in it may render our efforts either to apply or to act in accordance with those which are known, altogether abortive. Hence it is only after ultimate principles have been discovered, their relations ascertained, and this knowledge systematized, that science can attain its full character of utility. The merits of Copernicus and Newton consist in having rendered this service to astronomy.

Before the appearance of Drs. Gall and Spurzheim, man