f p kingston hinile bcventtcn shillings and sixpence per annum if sent by mail ttcenty shillings vol 13 no 28 nec kege nec populo sed utroque pulilwlird eyer satunury hy janus maefartane at liii office in ftoiuaireil k iigston j c saturday january 7 1831 far the chroniele philosophical mr chronicle there is a sage axiom which says where mystery begins religion ends this 1 suppose means to say that we should believe nothing that we do not perfectly comprehend in all its modes as well as its es sence whether this profound maxim has des cended to us from the wise men of greece i know not but it is probably as old as the sage of malmosbuiy and 1 find burke using it in his frirical imitation of lord bolingbroke which indicates that it has been long regarded with respect by the moral philosophers i was this morning musing on some of the philosophic speculations concerning light and it occurred to mc that by above sage maxim we might establish a complete system ofphiloso- phic ignorance for the benefit of ibis age of knowledge and claim the demolition and exter mination of every thing liable to abuse or subject to the cavils of party sophistry for this pur pose i would gic new versions of the ohove axi om thus where mystery begins knowledge ends where there is room for abuse utility ends the last should be especially applicable to all institutions upheld by government and e- ven to government itself bui as it is not my intention at this time to apply the axiom in this respect i will proceed as i proposed where mystery begins knowledge ends this form of the axiom i consider as correct philoso phically as the other is theologically man is the original contriver of neither the moral nor physical word nor of the laws on which they are built and by which they are governed it is quite as rational therefore for him to reject in na ture what he does not understand and to deny lhl various have been the speculations upon tha useful and cheap commodity called light some have thought it a material substance and some not some even who are not the disciples of the eccentric berkeley that denier of the existence of matter for my own part i am a material ist experience of the positive power of matter to molest my body corporate is by far more con- incingto my mind than all the negative specu lations of pkantasrmc philosophy some think that light is actually a substance and subject to the common law of gravity and that in passing from the sun near a planet its course i3 more or less altered by the force of the earths attraction in support pf its substance and gravity may be adduced the following con siderations 1 it is visible or perceivable by the material organs of sight and can injure them by its action 2 it moves at a known velocity and in direct lines 3- like other matter in mo- lion it may he made to change its direction by the intervention of other bodies 4 it contains in its composition the seven primary colors which are capable of being separated by mechanical means 5 its action on other substances is ca pable of developing latent heat and kindlingin- tense flame now these considerations argue strongly that light is a ponderous body weighty and capable by the power of friction of producing effects si milar to the effects of other bodies if it were wholly destitute of weight i cannot conceive that its ictus could in the least disturb other bo dies or fret the most delicate sensitive organ we mav figure to ourselves a substance having density but destitute of gravity stlou a ftttb- stancc might be subject to motionbut it could not by its ictus produce the slightest effect on a foreign body because the slightest gravity is su- 1 perior to none at all i doubt if it could even react on itself so as to rebound if it should strike another substance it could neither be felt by it nor tend to displace it it could only show resistance by its density when pressed between other bodies and this inclines me to disbelieve the conjecture of the encyclopedia britannica that alpiospheric air loses its gravity above a certain height or rather that it has none but that its weight is caused by the elastic vapors that rise in it from the earth if it had no gra vity the earth might fly away from it aa then at traction would have no hold of it but give to light gravity in common with o- ther matter and we ought to look for the follow ing results when it strikes another substance its effect must be similar in degree to the effects of all falling bodies it must have a tendency to displace and communicate motion to the bodies on which it falls the hemisphere of the earth next the sun being continually exposed to a flood of streaming light the earth should be dri ven continually away from the sun by its opposition to and diminution of the power of gravity between the sun and earth which would cause her to recede gradually from him in an as cending series of spiral revolutions continually approximating towards a right line for acting only in opposition to the law or force of gravity it could not interfere either with the earths ro tary or projectile motion or diminish its mean velocity- ifitmetand retarded the advancing half of the earths enlightened hemisphere in its diurnal motion it would in the same degree fol low after and accelerate the retreating half the annusl revolutions ot the earth would be continu ally lengthened and each year number more days than the preceding these are difficulties that i cannot unravel on the ground that light possesses gravityor weight for that such arc not its effects on the earth and planets is established beyond dispute it docs not drive them farther from the sun which we should judge it certainly would do by counteract ing the mutual attraction of the sun and planets and allowing them to come more under the in fluence of centrifugal force but there ar other difficulties connected witfe the subject of the gravity of light were we to judge of it by other substances every smooth surface should reflect it alike which would give them all uniformity of color and destroy that a- greeable variety we see but a mirror reflects it perfectly while a jetty polish scarcely reflects it at all it should excite an equal degree of heat upon every surface on which it fall which it is known not to do it should eitlur not penetrate christallinc bodies or they should lessen itsve- locity while it passes thro them hut we do not know that its velocity can be diminished in the least without a total suspension ofitsmo- tion but also if its motion were suspended our sight would be suspended with it for it is not other objects that we actually see with our eyes but the light that is reflected from them and where no reflection takes place there is no thing visible a totally black thing is therefore totally invisible to the human eye because it re flects no light hence color is actually no qua lity in bodies it is their capabilities of reflecting light variously compounded of the primary colors furthermore if light possesses gravity and weight it should be projected by the body which emits it by mechanical force and produce a re action proportionate with its gravity and the ter rific vclocityofits motion in this case it could not be projected by a thin impalpable flame it would require a firmer foothold like a man going to leap it would be continually retarded by the force of gravity in its ascent from the sun and finally fall back into his body like a stone thrown upward in its return it would fall upon the dark side of the earth and produce an indistinct glimmering vl broken ugut and iu subjection to the law of gravity would i much fear prohi bit the light of those inconceivably distant stars from ever reaching this remote nook of creation and telling us thatthey exist gravity would al so hinder the auns light from being reflected by the planets i am aware that it may be said that light pro duces heat in the bodies on which it falls by che mical affinity or gome such thing but this i think encumbered with difficulties also chemi cal heat is mot probably evolved by friction tho this friction may not be occasioned hy gravity all chemical combinations or actions do not c- volve heat while light invariably produces it when brought to bear on solid substances and we do not know that tight can have any effect at all when in a state of rest and mere contact but suppose light to be projected not as afore said but by the mutual repulsion of its particles- this however could not mend the matter in the least j for it would derange the whole system of optics it would interfere with its rectilineal motion when passing through a dark cavity hy means of a small inlet as the contiguous parti cles when freed from the lateral pressure of re pulsion would repel and scatter each other in all directions it would interfere with reflection refraction focal collections of light the prisma tic colors and finally destroy all correctness of visual and scenic representation by means of glasses and even render the eye a useless or gan for the accuracy of vision depends on the perfect rectilineal motion of the rays of light in their passage to the retina now sir by force of the sage axiom with mub it autucd xu 4utf mjtkiiortk dkuoeflftw sunbeams i deny the existence of light its theory is encumbered with too many contradic tions for a wise man to digest and contradic tions in an assumed truth infallibly demonstrate its falsehood truth cannot contradict itself jt cannot assume every protean form light is full of darkness inconsistencies and contradic tions therefore light is total darkness 1 ours blindly and obstinately one of the people r revmr ryersons answer to sir john cotborne reply to the petition of the episcopal methodists york december 15 1831 sir when t as chairman of a committee of the methodist conference had the honour of presenting an address from that body to his excellency the lt governor a few days ago requesting the transmission of certain documents to his majestys govern ment his excellency was pleased to ex press a ready willingness to receive any communications which i might think pro per to make on the several matters embra ced in his answer to that address be- lieving jhat his excellency laboured uoder very erroneous impressions in regard to the motive conduct aod character of the methodist connexion in this country aod that his remarks were of the most pari prompted by strong prejudices aud excited feelings aud that in consequence of this the methodists may sustain material injury both in this province and at the colonial department in england as it respects their reputation rights and privileges i feel it important to avail myself of his excellen cys condescension aod submit through out a few observations for his considera tion i hope i am awaro in some degree of the arduous responsibility involved iu the exercise of his excellencys high od hon ourable trust and of the difficulty ofhold- iog at all times the eveu balance of impar tiality amidst confirming opinions and inte rests no one feels less desire than i do to increase the difficulties of that responsi bility or a ttrooger inclination to lessen them but i am persuaded that this is not required to he done hy the- sacrifice of in- ooctoce truth private and public charac ter u his excellencys representations of the methodist clergy to his majestys government correspond with those contain ed ii his answer to their address their resfectful and courteous address they mud undoubtedly he viewed by a sover eign whose good opinion it is their high amotion to deserve aud enjoy as the verv ruvrrseofthe ministers of rightoousocssond perao and their expressions of attachment t4i ds majestys royal person aod govern ment must appear but the deceitful vapour ing of interested hypocrisy indeed it apjoarsto mc ihata careful perusal of the whle of his excellencys remarks must proluce the impression iu an uninformed mitd that the methodist clergy as a bo dy are a company of ignorant political de- nrtiogue alike divested of religious prin- cijlb and public character for though his kvjellency at the commencement admits the possibility aud eveu probability that the mditudist clergy have bceo misrepresen ted yet throughout the whole of hisan- iwqti his excellency assumes the correct- nee of every material slauder wheh has beta circulated agaiost them tfis excelleucy states that an unfa vorable impression has been mode from not end of the province to the other as retards ao imputed secular interference on the part of the methodist preachers tbl attempts frequent attempts eveu by the heads and clergy of the episcopal church have been made to create such ao jflprwaioil from ooe cud to the other is adoted but the assumption that it pre- v from one cud of the prnvtnco to the othr is i think successfully opposed hy exming facta for if so how is it that the cmcrgations of the methodist clergy are generally larger oow ilian at any former period how i it that the moral influence i of their labours and increase of their tocie- i ties have beeo ercater during the last than during any previous year so much so j that their growing and unexampled success has frequeully been referred to by their ad versaries a a matter worthy of serious a temiou also a copy of tho report of a select committee of the provincial parlia ment was put into his excellencys hands only a week before his remarks were com posed iioiiy other ropies of papers 10 be transmitted in his majestys government that report whs called forth by a petition partly mi the subject of secular interfe rence on the part 4f certain descriptions ofcurgy it was drawn up orul prrscutci to hin a few months ago and hy persons wholnve shown themselves not a litlledi- poseil to suspect ami search wfter m secular interfcreuro u the part of methodist prea chers yet that report does not even intimate the existence of such a secular interference the conduct of the metho dist clergy io connexion with others was put through tho ordeal of a similar but much more critical exatniuation between two and three years ago and the result was alike honourable to themselves and to their sa cred profession- 1 submit to his excellen cy whether such facts do not furnish as sa tisfactory evidence uod are not derived from its respectable sources as the ribaldry of confessedly scurrilous prims i have rea son to know that it has for some years past been the deliberate and concerted policy of a certain interest to prompt its advocates aod demagogues to abuse methodist prea chers for secular interference not be cause they believo it for i have known ovic il preachers aroused even iu the public papers of holding political caucus mee at places which said preachers had visited fur months but in order toep jealousy against the methodist clergy which had justly ben awakened again leaders of another body and to divtff ihc public mind from subjects of vast importance to the religious ami civil inte- rests pftha province until iuteresteel mo- oopril secure themselves iu tho pos- sessls ami enjoyment of undeserved and imptf political wealth and prerogatives- wherein have the methodist clergy mani fested a desire to possess themselves of any polilh ac whatever in contradis- tincw o a other class of their fellow subject i am certain that no part of their conduct will warrant such an insinua tion i contrary they have used the raosf effectual means to place all peculiar pqljtjpal advantages for ever beyond their reacfr l0 possess no other power than at which personal worth bestows and fr eujuy no other wealth than the vo- luotrffy contributions of their faithfully io- itraofin flocks tje next subject with which his excel- ency m thought proper to interfere is the r e wesleyan missionaries to this the ooly wish uf wblcr am awarc which rt has been gt- vtraifh ex h on this point is the effusft ree or four political newspa pers jooither of which is edited hy a metho- jj ff any description or by persons who have t regard in faith or practice to the ri practices of wesleyan metho- dism hie excellencys notions of the m lv of the provioce arc formed bv in sucn fi they may he a favourable io regard to his majes tys ycscnt government as they are respec ting melodist onnexiou in canada for o or l0rc f these same newspapers whicp expressed general a wish for r- return of the wesleyan missiouaries to ih province have at sundry times spo ken d groy unprinci pled henry brougham- aod lying code- rich t and it is a circumstance uut uu worthy f notice that the very journals u h hnvo teemed with abuse against the mothf connexion have on different manifested a like hostility to occa unu the w british government nur do i think it requires any extraordinary saga- city to discover whether the expression of la u general wish under these circumstan ces for the return of the wesle van mission aries to this province arises vom a desire to promote wesleyan methodism or from a general wish to divide and destroy its influence and to erect high church aod political toryisni on its ruins i hope i may not he mistaken on this point more than one third of jhc metho dist travelling preachers in upper canada have boeo horn aod educated iu crcat britain and ireland aud may fairly be con- sidered as entertaining a partiality for their countrymen than otherwise methodist i ministers from any part of the united king- dodl are received hy the methodist connex- 1 ion iu canada with feeliugs of high satis- faction and they are heartily welcomed i as fellow hihorirersin the great aod good work which divine providence has beeu pleased to carry no in this provioce through the instrumentality of the methodist minis try but i believe that no sincere and un prejudiced friend to wesleyan methodism wishrswesleyan missionaries to come to this province in the capacity aod character of opponents aud enemies to tho methodist connexion in canada or to use the words of the rev mr knowtao- the senior wesleyan missionary io lower caoada in a letter lately published iu the provin cial papers as the object of our brethren in upper canada is the same with our own namely the conversion aud salva tion of our fellow siuners and as we are both wesleyans i trust that such measures will bo mutually adopted as will enable us j to pursue that object with one head one heart and one united effort the uext insinuation of his excellency i against the methodist conference which i j beg to notice is their offering absurd ad- tw to the indtatrt winn his exertion- j cy terms absurd advice oflcied to the in dians by methodist missionaries is left to conjecture as alsowhen where and hy whom it was offered i mum think it no more than jnst that the mctbodist confe rence or the general supeaotendatit of missions should have been made acquain ted with the conduct of their mission arises aud have no opportunity of making expla nations before the conference as a body before the missionaries individually can be justly condemned for oriring ahsurd advice which in all probahlfty if all the circumstances were known wis uever gi ven- i trust it ill be admlited nn all hands i that the methodist cnnferouc have given j pretty strong proof of a sincre desire to ameliorate the condition of the ludinn tribes unless their zeal in this as in ther respects must be viewed as the result of a desire m increase thtir own sect rather than the number of christians others have more recently professed a f strong desire to promote the sune ohject hut not in accurdaoce with tin methodist missionaries ur in a method of ordinary courtesy with them or their ihbors and on more than one occasion hae the metho- dist missionaries been involved iu serious cmbarrassmeots by being left in total ig- uoranceof any of his exceljeocvs plaus for improving the subjects of their pastoral core and byjabourers aud others being sent amoug them uhose example is little better thau amoral pestilence who blas pheme sods holy name drink to intoxi cation and prufaoe the sacrtd sabbath examples of this kind i understand may now be found at lake simcoe mission his excellency or his ageutsare uoder no obligations to commuoicate aoy of their designs for twuriujj the iltwh qjfmlft indians to methodist mission but a cautious and studied reserve ubdercircum- stauces like those just alluded to has its signification and more so when teachers professedly employed by the sad of his excellency have manifested a disposi tion to persuade the indians and their chil dren from under the instructigb of the me- 1 thodists- i am persuaded tbgt the metho dist missionaries would eocntg t ffj dians in any plans of iroprovfemeut which they conceive would not eudafg the mor al principles aod pracice of these infant christians and especially such as might be proposod by his excellency the insinuation of his exg that the preachers wheher they are brought from the united states or from aoy otberbreign country will experience while they act honestly and respect stilish institu tions the same protection iht a ameri cans enjoy cannot be misunderstood aod can i conceive hardly be accounted for except from the influence of string prejudice or the party spirit of the hur for in ooe of the documents put iota his excel lencys possession several days before his remarks were penned it was shown that the methodist preachers ty a body are british born subjects the statements in this document correspoud with those which are stated in evidence before a belect com mittee of the provincial parliament in 1823 the document itself formed a part of the journals of the last session of parliament it has been puklished in several of tho pro vincial newspapers where the persons named are known and in no ooe single instance has the correctness of any of its statements been called in question his excrllency intimates that the metho dist conference have a dutike to that particular form of christianity dtuomioated the church of england than such a supposition nothingcan he more erroneous though it is a chargo which ha often been preferred against them by theii oppnueuts and enemies no dislike tn either the doctrines or forms of the churth of en gland has ever been manifested by the me thodist conference or as far at i know by any individual momher of it but on the contrary it has been repeatedly said by those member uf thomethodiiiconfereucc who liavo written anything on the bubject of a church establishment in canada that the church of england as an establish ment would hepreferohte to aoy other e- ven to the methodist church his excellency admits the small num ber of the church of eogland well would it have been for the honor of the sa cred ministry and perhaps for the tranquil ity of the provioce had the honorable and venerable archdeacon of york made the same frank admission when he stated to hi majestys government that the church of england in upper canada was very large and that the tendency of the whole population was towards that church his excellency appears to iotimate that the small number of the church of england is owing to the orgauizattoo of the min istry i hive not been able to discover aoy thing iu the organization of the church of england ministry not adapted to the present state of caoada except its poll- that organization which iscertaioly oppo sed to the views and circumstances of the people and excludes that important and powerful incitemeot to active vigilant and enlarged exertions which a mutual depen dence between the pastor aod his flock pro duces and maintains the lord bishop of quebec admits that thcepiscopal church in the neighbouring state of new york are and have been but few lights in com parison to the biack spots in the ministry of the established church aud the labors of dissenters who have never cost the na tion a sixpence iu defence of moral aud religious truth are no less learued exten sive and useful than those of the establish ment as to dictating know not that the methodist society ever maoifested a de sire to 4 dictate to his majestys govern ment the constitution admits and i trust his majesty is willing that any portion of his faithful aud loyal subjects should in a respectful maoner express their senti ments on any matters that concern their own or the ioterestsof the commonwealth if the methodist conference have referred to tho m numerical streuth of the differ ent christian denominations in this coun try they have not done so fur their own individual gain or uggrandizement as did the hon aod venerable archdeacon of york iu a letter to lord viscount goderich in 1827 aod as did the episcopal clergy iu a report to his majestys goverumeot in 1823 his excellency seems to anticipate a great change in public opinion in this pro vince on the subject of a church esta blishment hy the iofl ix of emigration similar iu the ecclesiastical organization of but his excellency does not appear to be aware that nine tenths of the european po pulation are decidedly favourable to the principles of civil and religious liberty its ministry to that of the episcopal church in upper canada is flourishing in a re markable degree how cau the acknow ledged difference between the progress aod blatfl of the episcopal church in the state of new york aod in this couury be ac counted for if not from the difference in its political relation to the government aod the people hut if it be so that the orga nization of tho church of englaud minis try is not adapted to the population of ca nada it is clearly evident that the church mu m lint n t fcttvlmvyt uiihmtt ventti of the provitice in regard to accounts of disgraceful contentions c- i admit that the ac counts of the disgraceful contentions be tween the methodist episcopal church aod its scparists are disgusting and so are all false and slanderous accounts of any individual or body of men if persons w ho secede or are expelled from aoy reli gious community choose to make a war- inoneostve ohj nnimnsity aod bitterness to be accused with being guilty of m disgraceful contentions- annthersnureeof disglht to the sober- minded of the province mentioned by his excellency is recriminating memo rials and the warfare of one church upon another the methodist couferouce have adopted but one memorial that to the kings most excelleot majesty it must therefore be to this that his excelleucy n- for it has beeo said by a learned divine and celebrated poet to recriminate is just if this apothegm is admissable iu any case i think it is in the ooe in question the methodist conference have been cri minated both iu this country aod in eng land by the headsof representatives of the iberty ad vocated iu the memorial of the methodist conference to jthe king uor have i any reason to believe that the recent emigra tions from great britain are an excepuon to this remark as it appears quite uolike- ly that a system can ever become popular io thiscouutryt which has already hecotno burdensome and odious tu avmajority of tho people of great britaiu aud lrelaud thought proper to taunt the methodist cler gy with their supposed ignorance with haviog neither experience nor judgemeut to appreciate the value aod advantages of a liberal education to the advantage of a university education the methodist cior gy may not make pretensions nor may many of the episcopal clergy nor many hundreds of other ministers of the gospel who have shown hy their works that they essen ce id n college halls no ministry in the pro vince is more successful than that of the methodists nor are any congregations larger and more numerous or more intelli gent at least one fourth of the population have shown a preference for the ministra tions of those on whose capaeity his ex cellency has eeo fit to reflect if exer tions to exteod the advantages of a liber al education indicate a m judgement to appreciate them thu methodist clergy are at this very hour employing their utmost energies for the promotion of that great object among the youth of the provioce the only opiuiou expressed by the metho dist conference io regard to a system of education is that it might he such as tho episcopal chvrch for the lastj five years i local knowledge of the provincial legisla- 1 turo in respect to the circumstances of tho province might dictate no objection that i am aware of has ever been made to classical masters from english universities but when seminaries are established and placed under the solo direction of the clergy of one church with out eveo consulting tbe popular branch of the colonial legislature i enooot see how and upwards their accusers have char ged them with being hostile to the british government aud disseminating opinions which are dangerous to the interests of the province the methodist conference like paul before felix at length step forward oot to m recriminate but to answer for themselves to show that they are not the pestilent fellows the movers of sedili- on re fi interests of this country and to the king government in their memorial to the king the methodist conference have gone no further than this yet they are charged with disgusting recriminatiou the un answered and unjust accusations of the episcopal clergy it appears might an swer a very good purpose and might pro that their doctrine opinions aud labors con or patronage of free puwtc iusti are such as will cootrihutealike to the best 0 the next insinuation of his excellency against the methodist clergy is for pub lishing political journal an insinuation for which i conceive there is as little rea son as for others which i have already no ticed that there are very important questions peoding in this provioce which perly form a a impomiupartoftha ample idv0 bolh p rel idfbrmation laid before his majestys go- j d0 will dspute aod lhat veromeol oo the bu of a church esta- jjrejbe r2lrjse blishment in caoada but aloudly-callcd- foraod moderate defence on the part of the methodist clergy and an avowal of senti ment on a measure in which they in com mon with the people of the province have a deep interest and which they had been falsely accused with a desire to turn to their own personal advantage and political exaltation is declared to be disgusting to the soberminded of the provioce as to m warfare of one church upon an other i submit from the very nature of the case and the representations aod me morials seot home to his majestys go vernment against what church this war fare has been made aod carried ou aud who are the aggressors i presume that no one will question the correctness of ihis excellencys remark lhat m the utility of an establishment de pends entirely otj the piety assiduity and devoted zeal of its ministers aud on their abstaining from secular interference which may invnlve them in political disputes- but iliis remark appears to accord fully with the fact that clergymen even bish ops have recently been recommeoded to seats in one branch of the legislature aod there to take an active part in all politi cal disputes of the day nor does there appearto he much ground to hope that his excellency expectation of the uti lity of ao establishment will ever he re alized tvheo experience has so clearly proved that the very system of a politico- religious establishment is very unfavorable if uot inherently opposed to piety assi duity and devoted zeal io its mioisters much advantage is undoubtedly derived from the writings of ministers aod mem- bor of the established cbuich but there and discussed by clergymen and ecclesia tical bodies is evident not only from their very nature but from the examples of tho most learned moat holy aud most success ful minister of jesus christ of all denomi nations and in every age the questions of a church establishment and general education iu canada are confessedly of great importance in both a political and re ligions point of view and it makes no dif ference whether the discussion of them ia introduced iuto honks pamphlets quarter ly monthly or weekly journals into tho discussion of these questions the episcopal clergy have largely entered both individu ally and collectively they have evenii sued a weekly journal under the avowed m patronage of the lord bishopofqiebec mainly for this purpose edited by a cler gyman this publication has however receurly failed these questions deserve the most serious consideration ofeverymi- nister christian aod patriot aod their most zealous private and public exertion for the proper adjustment of them in no way perhaps can the public mind be more fully and extensively enlightened on these and all other matters affecting their religi ous moral and civil iutcrests than through the medium ofa weekly journal nor have the most distinguished ministers of the pres byterian episcopal baptist and method ist churches thought it iuconsiteut with their sacred oflice to conduct such journal- to desist from the performance of any good work because it may call forth the at tacks of adversaries recoguizes a princi ple which would lead to tho annihilation of all govern men land all religion aud per haps not eveu a minister could be more usefully employed thau in hearing and telling new thiogs provided they wero