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Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: civil enactments and penal laws, to skulk from the fair field of debate behind the magisterial chair, and contend with its thousand foes by incarceration and fine, instead of by calm and deliberate inquiry. The deistical controversy of the last century was a signal benefit to the cause which was assailed; it has euriched our theology, illustrated the resources we command, shown the strength of those foundations upon which our hopes repose, and unveiled Christianity to the confusion of the sceptic, exhibiting the majesty of truth and reflecting the benignity of heaven. The next work that comes under our notice is entitled The Doctrine of the Passions explained and improved; or, a brief and comprehensive scheme of the natural affections of mankind, and an account of their names, nature, appearances, effects, and different uses in human life. The character of the treatise may be gathered from this full and descriptive title?the writer investigates the nature of the menial affections? their general design and use? the circumstances that most powerfully influence them; as, natural constitution, climate, season, employment, health or sickness ? and some admirable rules for their government and regulation are proposed at the close. Descartes divides the primary passions into six ? admiration, love, hatred, desire, joy, and sorrow ? by no means an accurate distribution: Dr. Watts, who has evidently well studied his treatise, divides them into three ? admiration, love, and hatred?minutely examining their several modifications and derivatives. The subject has a most important practical bearing upon man in his social, civil, and personal relations; and the work in question deserves the serious and attentive perusal of every one anxious to perform his part aright upon the great theatre ...