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OPINION PIECE

For the CUMBERLAND PACQUET.

Many speculative men (amongst whom I doubt not may be some of your Readers) having lately been engaged in a controversy concerning BERKLEY's opinion of a material world, I shall, with your leave, take the liberty of pointing out, through the channel of your paper, an extraordinary and most egregious mistake, which almost every one I have seen write or heard speak on the subject seems to have fallen into, concerning the sentiments of that most ingenious author.

According to the general opinion and representation of it, BERKLEY's scheme is the most wild and extravagant one that ever entered into the mind of man.  It is represented as being the very extreme of Scepticism, as depriving us of all certainty with regard to the things we daily see and feel, nay as denying their very existence.

In this view it seems to be considered by almost every author who makes the least mention of it, and is as constantly treated with ridicule and contempt.  Amongst others, LORD CHESTERFIELD, in his celebrated Letters to his Son, tells him, that he has seen the Doctor's book, but that, notwithstanding all the arguments therein advanced, he is still determined to take every precaution in his power, to preserve in good health that Body which BERKLEY would persuade him "has no existence".

The late POPE CLEMENT, also, in his equally admired Letters, calls the Doctor "an illustrious madman", and some Scotch writers, whose works are now in much seeming high repute, go still farther.  They are so much out of patience with the Doctor's scheme that they declare he deserves not to be argued with;  nay fame of them more than hint that the propagators of such opinions ought not to escape without punishment.  If you will believe them, were such a scheme once universally adopted, there would soon be an end of every thing.

We should distrust all our senses, and run headlong into ruin.  We should have no incitement to the preservation of our bodies, should disregard the calls of hunger and thirst, and run into the fire or the ocean, or over the brink of a precipice, without the smallest cause for fear, or apprehension of danger.

In short, every blockhead you meet with thinks himself capable of refuting the unfortunate BISHOP OF CLOYNE, and will assure you that if they had an opportunity of knocking his head against a wall, they would soon convince him of the Absurdity of his fine spun Hypothesis;  and we are not unfrequently reminded of these Lines of DR. BROWN's:

 

No more shalt Reason boast her power divine.

Her base eternal shook by Folly's mine !

Truth's sacred sort th'exploded laugh shall win;

And coxcombs vanquish BERKLEY by a grin.

 From such representations as we have been speaking of, so often repeated, and that too by men of known sense and learning, one would be apt to imagine this BERKLEY was one of the most wrongheaded Enthusiasts that ever pretended to Literature;  and that his writings could only serve to obscure the plainest subjects, and to fill the world with Sceptics and Paradoxes.  And yet nothing can be more remote from truth than such a supposition.

His amiable character and exemplary life must convince every one that, whatever were his principles or opinions, they were far from being inconfident with the most useful and active virtues, or a rational, manly, and exalted Piety.

And whoever is acquainted with his writings cannot but know that they are equally remarkable for elegance of stile and solidity of argument;  and this book in particular, against which so much has been said, is so far from aiming at making men Sceptics, or leading them into a distrust of their senses, or any doubts concerning the existance of things;  that it was intended to strike at the very root of Scepticism, to assert the authority of the senses against the commonly received principles of Philosophy, and to shew that the existance of things is made most clearly evident to the mind, on those very principles which lead, or I might rather:  say "force" every man of plain Common Sense into a belief and firm persuasian of such existence.

"Is it not, says he, a sufficient evidence "to me of the Existence of any external thing (or my Glove "for example) that I see, and feel, and swear it."  And what other evidence does any man of Common Sense require, or can any Philosopher boast, of their certainty of the existence of any external object whatever, or how is it more refined or unintelligible than the reason which DR. BEATTIE himself would give in this case,  "I believe it, because I must believe it, and cannot doubt of it."

How BERKLEY's opinions on this subject have come to be so grossly and universally misrepresented, must be matter of surprize to all who have read his book with any tolerable degree of attention.

That he denies the existence of a 'Material Substratum" is indeed true, but whoever understands what he means by that term, just know that he does not therefore deny the existence of Things, but the existence of a Philosophical Chimera.

He was sufficiently sensible that the principal prejudices against his opinions arose from mistaking the question, and from a supposition that in denying the existence of matter, he deny'd the existence of sensible things;  and he laments that in explaining his notions, he is sometimes obliged to use some "Ambages and ways of speech, not common", that might render him liable to be misunderstood, which, however, one would imagine he could not be, by an intelligent and attentive reader, after having explained himself on this head so fully as he has done.

And whatever excuse we may admit for the generality, who are often rather curious to know what is said than what is true, and who dwell more on the 'sound' than on the 'sense' of what they hear, it is surely much beneath the dignity of those who assume the character of Philosophers, to content themselves with such imperfect views of the subjects they treat of.

For after all the virulence and ridicule with which some men have treated this ingenious and enlightened author, could they but be persuaded to peruse his works with candour and attention, I think they would find reasons to suspect that they have not been railing at his opinions, but at the ridiculous creatures of "their own" imaginations.

Carlisle                                                                     HIERO.

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ADVERTISEMENT.

MOLINEAUX SMELLING MEDICINE.

FOR the CURE of the SCURVY,  ITCH,  Pimpled Faces,  Scald Heads, Films in Children,  Rheumaic Pains, all cutaneous Eruptions (by smelling only) it is also of the utmost service to the Female Sex, either coming of age, or the decline of it (which often proves very fatal) at Spring and Fall, without bleeding, bathing, taking physic, anointing the body, changing the bed clothes, or wearing apparel.

The safey and efficacy of this Medicine being so well known in all parts of England, Scotland, and Wales, renders it needless to add any encomiums to its established character, and it is not recommended by any extravagant price, vain glory, or pretended quality:  It may be used by young children and women far advanced in their pregnancy.  And as the in****ble, number of well attended certificates of cures, performed by this Medicine, would swell the paper, MR. MOLINEAUX has for the satisfaction of the public, left with the above J. WARE & SON catalogues of the best attested certificates of the most remarkable cures ever performed by any one Medicine yet exposed to the public, wherein many eminent gentlemen of the faculty have failed;  and will pay the postage of letter or letters, to and from the places where the cures have been performed, for the satisfaction of the incredulous, and assures them that he does not follow the practice of many, to have his certificates signed at such a distance, as to be out of the patient's intelligence.

Those who are afflicted with any of the above cases that are herein mentioned;......MR. MOLINEAUX earnestly requests them to apply, with all convenient speed, that he may give some evident proofs of his practice, as he leaves the rest to his agents as that is done.

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TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY's POSTS From the LONDON GAZETTE.

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BALTIMORE, JAN. 30

The following is an extract of a letter from GENERAL WASHINGTON to the Congress, dated Jan. 22, 1777.

" My Last was on the 20th inst. since that I have the pleasure to inform you, that GENERAL DICKINSON, with about 400 militia, had defeated a foraging part of the enemy of an equal number, and has taken forty waggons, and upwards of 100 horses, most of them of the English draught breed, and a number of sheep and cattle which they had collected.

The enemy retreated with so much precipitation, that GENERAL DICKINSON had only an opportunity of making 9 prisoners;  they were obliged to carry off a great many dead and wounded in light waggons.

The action happened near Somerset Court house on Milltson river.  GENERAL DICKINSON's behaviour reflects the highest honour upon him, for though his troops were all raw, he led them through the river, middle deep, and gave the enemy so severe a charge, that although supported by three field pieces, they gave way, and left their convoy.

 Published by order of the Congress.

C. THOMPSON, Secretary "

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HERTFORD, FEB. 10. - Last Thursday an express came to town  from GENERAL WASHINGTON's Headquarters in New Jersey, who informs that on Saturday the 1st instant, a party of our men, about 700 in number, fell in with a body of the enemy, said to be about 1000, with three field pieces, at Piscatagua, about 4 miles from Brunswick, when an engagement commenced, which lasted some time, but the enemy were at length obliged to retreat, leaving about 60 of those men dead on the field.

However, being joined by a confederate reinforcement from their main body, with three additional field pieces, they returned and renewed the attack when our people, being overpowered by numbers, were obliged to retreat;  in both actions we had nine men killed and fourteen wounded.  The Enemy were at the above place procuring forage for their horses.

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PHILADELPHIA, FEB. 13....The express, who arrived here yesterday from Head quarters, gives the following intelligence, viz.  That when he came off with the dispatches from GENERAL WASHINGTON,   GENERAL GREEN brought in the following account, that 300 of our troops were stationed at Quibble town, under the command of COL. SCOTT, that 3000 of the enemy from Brunswick attacked them, which obliged COL. SCOTT to retreat about a mile and a half, that being reinforced by part of LORD STERLINGS"s army, with four pieces of cannon, they renewed the engatement, obliged the enemy to retreat with the loss of three hundred left dead on the field, and 100 taken prisoners, and were in pursuit of them when GENERAL GREEN came away.

BRICE the American Admiral, was the 19th ******February last spoke with at sea, about 96 *********Nantucket, with six ships of force under his command, viz., one of 50 guns, one of 38, and the other 18 to 24 guns each;  whither he was ******** would not tell

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ADVERTISEMENT

To the NOBILITY, GENTRY, &c.

THE famous MRS. BERNARD (from BERLIN in BRANDENBURGH) is possessed of an infallible secret for cleansing the teeth, and rendering them as white as alabaster, notwithstanding they may be as black as coal;  remarkably done without the use of instrument;  also fastens teeth by virtue of water, and causes the gums to grow up to the teeth, through ever so much decayed;  likewise prevents teeth from rotting.

She infalibbly eases the scurvy, and in a short time removes the most offensive breath;  the toothach cured in half a minute, without damaging the teeth.

MRS. BERNARD begs leave to mention a truth but too well known, that the frequent use of instruments and powders, particularly brushes, as the infection remains in the brush, entirely **** the teeth, whereas her liquid cleans them by using it only three times a week.

The public may be satisfied of the efficacy of her remedies by most of the Nobility and Gentry, that use the German Sea,  Bath,  Bristol,  Scarborough,  and in much of the principal towns in Great Britain.  She offers her assistance to those who may require it, and desires no pay except the cure proves to the satisfaction of her patients.

~~~To prevent counterfits, every bottle is sealed with her name.  The way to use it;  Put a teaspoonful in a cap, dip a cloth in it, and rub your teeth with it ~~~

By her appointment, her remedies are sold in bottles of 5s 3d and 10s 6d each by the Printers of this Paper, of whom may be had  Celeivald's Bible, recommended by the Society for propagating Christian knowledge.  Large folio 1 l. 5s on fine paper, with the Apocrypha:  1L. 1s second paper with the Apocrypha.

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