The Virginia gazette — Williamsburg [Va.], 1779-09-18 00:00:00, page 1

SEPTEMBER 18, 1779. T H E ct NUMBEB 33.
ssssVIRGINIA GAZETTE
WILL1AMSBURG: PRlNTED BY DlXON &? NlCOLSQNM
siss -- sisi _________+—-=ct===ctssi
To 'rnz PUBLICK.
[Couh'nud from us last.]
ROSE who deem the eternal coucerm ofuur immortal soul: of no
_ mon contbquence th-m phyieks or geomuuy, may think ous
ppiniom on each l like indifferent, with such ] do not mem to season.
' " To coin I a man to pay for propogssning "opinions he dishcltevcu and
" abhors i: msul and tytam'iccti." , ct
This is drawn up with the covert appearance of nttzckiug the old
,eflablilsshment of a particular church or mode of Clu'iliian wurship iu
tence to other;. and in that view is raising : ghoti to (lighten us
si-iiht lt it a well known fact, that even the member: of th]! church in
,the legiln'u cheerfully relinq—Mhed thin panial diliinction in their
favour. and [do not with to recall it, as ] ever thought it unjulk; ] dsssit'u'e
" thenfori once for all that in any thing 't have said or may tity on this
. ,occlstqn, ! may not be misunderliood or Illisl'epl'rscnltti as shvousing
any diliinctions amongst the uriuus dcnomincttions of Chtilhsiuu, which
] senounce as nctnow, ilhbusial and unmanly, and only msh to clhblish
chrittianity at large, upon a luppusitnon thar not onlya m.:jutsitty, tut
the bulk of this coinmunity ate Christians; and it there he a few who are
]ewa, Muhomcdans, Atheists or Dritls amougll m. though l—wuuhj not
with to torture or pessccuxe than on account of their opinions, yet to
cxclude such from our ubhek'offices, is prudent and ]an ; to restrain them
from publishlng their Kngular opinion: to the dilhntsi'nancc ofsocitty, is
quliy sound pnlisiy and .: necessary caution to promote the general good;
; ,not is it. sinful or tyt'annieal to compel them to pay towards the support
,, us religion! uotshi . though they do not join in it, sincetf it be true thrtl
"'ss ;lhjlsi regulation on us me-t motequsiet, better mcml—eis of l'ociety, which
;, I think experience proves, these few will receive :: benefit in the quiet
k sicnjoyment of tth iim and fortunes cquivalent to their contuhuton;
or is they think cthsi-r-mt'e, may retire from the suciety. But to keep tlp
! du unalugy between c-vil and resiiginus renuiatiuns lash Why you compcl
p ! man to pay [or the suppen qtsi yuur gowsissrnment, and restrain him from
L'! ,publllhing hit opinions in favour of another forth he believes to be
{usuahlc} Why do you Ct-mpJ men to contribute to the salariel of
your judges and other utfieers for the adminitiratiou of justicss', although
she, never hnu suit in court. and othms you oblige to pay, and subn-tt.
in" their will:, to the decision: vf the judges? You mttR answer
3 " these ngnln'wnl are for the general good and therefore individual
ss " m] maiden Thin answer it to me rstctly satisfactotys, and the
;si * fatomenof th'u bill muQ'psiid'ksiethat it dot not equally apply to religious
si zest-lution, judged by : mnjority to be for the general good. Again,
L :! to one of the first purpose: of entering into society, to unite the ltrength
Of the whole for rowlling invltlets; hence arises I duty uponctath
individual nblc to be.:r arms. t-r of: them in the case of an inlauon5 but
Qsiuken and Menolxlsil hold it l'n-t'ul to perform this duty; will you
therefore excuse them an d throw thcir lhme of thin bmsithen upon other
members! Common justice ;tnd equalitv sothitl it; you may indeed
_ lccomodlte the matter to them by accqning In equivdent tor personal
, service (Which should alvays be dom: wht-t'c W'olhfl is ready to pc-tfnrm
silht ton! of duty fut' thsstt cquwaleut) but not discharge them :tltngcthcr.
lnnumenhlc other it-flancu might he si-ucn whctc point: it'ttetcil um]
Opinion ne compelled in tssocit-ty to yit-M to the pubjc'x good, but ]lcthstps
! hm lltndy said mote thsitn was ncusstr) on so obvious a position.
;, Tic bill I on. " Even sprctr-c- : man to lhpport & porticuhr
" tenchzr t- his own ye-surtsirssn, :: Jepriving him ofthe cmntsitssrtctble
!' liberty of Wine hit court: ihutimu'to thg pztttcular pastm— whose monds
" be'ottId tmitlte and whose puwcrs he tcsils pt-tt'uaswc lu fightequsmt'a,
si! end withhuiding hom Minntns tltotbcttunpsi-nl reward: which an: un
L' lncitement to ca-nen labour."
' ' ,sjtdtkht hue been ndded or mthcr st-httitttted, that this dvy—rEt-cs : man
the comfortable liberty of kcq-ny htsi tm-ney and leaving thes: unwit
o
? Ehou'u'l Go snk their reward in :t turtuc flute, of smm others h-ss-rt: more
'belal and just. ! coustder thin" p."! of the bill sits drtermining (is this
"si '
'Kld lissed) the verv important qucsh. n. in my opi- iun too long
sit
sUQ'yen-le , whether publid' ewams-ir [bull be (stablL'pct-zl am! rrsstsulaud and
?
7 Po-m'jm made ]W' _/ir}:,horling Cbrjiiun !mrl'ct-n am! plan; ql fwor/txp. ly
(
, [giveth] and (qual s'rflimul. -;u'!h ll'fr!) in slu- prujfr lo uslfl'apl'lsias:
* bin quot- lo fu'batmer fisimi-uttm ay tct'l'rg/hsi-zm l't rlwctsn to Irrjot'md qvctsitb,
w
_ pf tuum to religton, rve-rt out lhmtl or in: to du Whu n> nsiht in his 0wn
fct-ct-r'ss ,si-sssvsi -
. QOP, For the fi-lt nltfrnutitc l mo:.tn to be an advocate, [)Hsi'ntlsillg that
) thctenn cshlhllshmm ! me;." thztt of chilfinnity, am! by t'cguhtwns
].an only such an ne neccllZu—y m tsiccure thr: pear: t—s tbci-hct, lcavivg
Wl denominntion at full hbesty .ut to their modec os worship and the
_ government of their church! ] have before rn-h-avomed to shew
' th: miority at every lssocuty hctve in the statute tzs things, the tinue
?;
m to make reiigious. :: what are c.."cd ctvit t'rsiulzttions for then
jetting}. tshc queflinn hete i—x tsit l-e prudent and plupcs to exercise
u wum the case undrr considcmion; and this, 'ikr all others, must
.] up'on the n'udmcy of me measure to promote the public]: good.
I! the cum. .
nlishngm and the legiflsitture in diwcting, and we in assemblinz at
Pluto os hlick worship, there nl'crihing- our glorinus success lgrirtlt :
WFW-m the Gutt of bmtlcs, without whoso uttervemton we
.,sis—v—F
len I sacrifice, were not all gtfiltv of impi- us mocken y. it would
sin.: iCM-IM would prove Publick worship to be out shrill'dutv
Mhunn biti- UsiiN mention lomc other arguments. A number of
X. asi'mllling Together 43an . week, joining m prnyer lnd purse: to
IN Athens Muste, blunt; the great work of untvetsd love mdud
expounded, and having friendly_eonversatidn'_si\*ltp"_em other, ( __ . I
kind of uhi'tm o'f souls, ninntsidnizes their usitanneri, Mwent. s nay,
but it you have none other publick meetirgisi eflispfsi'the njdverwy one
os litigants in the courts ot" ;uttice, or the dixguffinponcl 9! the lpfliu,
none but the irascihle pefiiotis will be told med, and the wenden
your societ ever dis used to: walhre within itself. Butthie in not'lk
the mind o man is : ire ard must be emplo 'ed, and if the legiflntdxj
not direct ihlm to us:ht! modes of pefflng hectfi \on Sand: ., wlflch
long habit hal tau ht tlu to tie confidet le : day or (I from then- ordinrssy
labour; they wi]? repair to tipling and semictttlsshousel where every
spzrk of religion :tnd moral iinue wsu soon Fcemnnigted spun ibeu'
n-inds, in] it thev do not, like the lsnteltn in did tbsenee of loss on
Mss-unt Sinai, set up ttrange God. to worship, they wilfmbabiy in
imitation of the same pen le, when deer the denh Us joli}: ( ill II.
government in ll'rael, ka I into the praaice tis all Mhet ofdeban'elm'y
and dishpaticn, in uniuch thztt for every Levite lb lake- hte eonenhine,
and she t-- play the- whose against him, will become of shall consideration
in the son of crimes: Is " then of no consequence to lodety to ndapt I
method which in czdlculated to euitivate virtue and avoid this general lien
tiou- Icmpch dun!) it is, t'otsi after we have called every volume in the
Univerl'c upon the various ful'ml of government, fitted and refined npod
them ttntil we fancy we hlve at the best, it is virtue that mufl cenlm
'sucieties under any form, whill vice has a dispelling, dissnlvin quality,
that will make them a tope off (and and soon effct theird inn.
' Tnking it for provtd then that publiek worship i: not on], : duty but
very bencficial to the flute, the next question thzt occur! is whether it it
belt to' have the teachrr and hie eongre tion fixed, or lene thie worship
to the accidentnl eomi ssg of some travel ing preachest Every lrgument in
swour of the elhblillunem of mbliek worship, oyente- powetsully for
fixing the Minilter and his hearen, since otherwise you leave this
impmtant matter to mete chance; but this is not al], when un itenennt
prencher comen, the novelty will inde draw mlny m flhel', lnd if [19 bl
: powcrzul orator, some hatty penurbzttione of the p.ss -nd will be rodue-si
ed, which subside: as soon its he is one: But is, " lt lbmetimn'sippene
he nppecttrs ndiculous lo all but : ew who are tesolved to be plulcted with
him, the Assembly is turned into : suree, end if no worse eonleqd'ene
Ittend it, the seed: of discord among nei hhoun; are the on] smite
this mit: Wherea: when : number o men in a certain ibifl put
thunsclves under : fixed tesinch'er. an affection gtode hetveen them,
continually duixing them together at [hind Periodl to give aninceivc
inltruetion; he is the conflznt watehman of theu- moral " well " religion
conduct, and his eztample si." both will have: youersulsiinfltunce upon
them; how : man it to imitate the enmple as I travellerl know'n!
u-silct's he travcls wuh hitns" That these teache" ought to be puld for
their inhour is not only proved from senpture and ranson, but, vhich
some may thh-k of more turce. it admitted 'm thil hill; utd thn thil
seu'ald, as well as -.h.—.t of all ciwil puhlick officer- ought to he find in]
'ctsittain, will apps't' fr m the fohowing amongfl many other consider.
atiaus. ult. [quality require: it, !hn the support may he' drawn shut
the Whult in proportion to- their property, whenn left to themffl'el, the
nvsiritintts wisi] pay nothing, :nd the llbcsll too much to the injury ostheh'
famiiics; this wrll he ;- source.- os contention amongst them, inemsed h
every repeated application, which tn itself i! I tmhksolne disigrehb
business; whereas the :mnual collsi Man of a fixed sum from each, in easy,
llld hung an nncient whom thI be cheersnllyfuhmitted to. dd._A
certain pcnnznent provisiun veil} induce parent! to'educm their son'o for
theMinish'y, and :o : competent knowlzdge of the sermru. endznour
to add : sober moral conduct suittd to the fiend sun !] but poral!
will not so dispole uf thcir childlen, is the subsilk'nco in lbi. entploymenk
is let! to depend, not on their am] labour!, but the "him lnd dpfld
at" others; our teacheu will be such " nLe it up when othu oc'eupnfbltp
sat] them, who will indeed consult and ntnck cut Mnt, bin vsighlt
to ufox m our vices, m- serve the prencher't intenflrkt expel _
thc spit it of the statute of mortmlin determine, which '9 he it '
thzn :!S on the one hmd the salniu of prt achen thou :! be fitted for (hid
ln-ncsit, so on the other it should he so, to remain them from grisph'g
nitlch by means of their weruver ment consciencet. 'gd. Altpo '
men.!hould he left to the ree exercise of their own ju'd lit in m
es thith, )et they ought to be inflruacd in the scnptum, and .
knowlt—dge necessary to furm a right 'udgmenh The rich indud m
atta-n tins knowledge, they can pure le book: not! find leistm to us
them, and tht ir cducations will enablelhm toundeflbnd them) but th.
'uOK have not this admntage; they cannot sl-Ist bon thesrtn'u of the}
:Rbt ur tn rutchnt'e books. nor time from in inch! ellbh read dish
nor are they able alone to support a touches; in the send of:
:sifli-tlinent o! property, the tenthe!" in su ned Mkyftbe rich, d
the poor. have equal is not sttpcriam' helle : from hissm; & plkha ' bctn
one of the greatest benesm the- poorreuive smn socidty; _
to constdsir very ssi rioully. hesote the)- conknt !onlenfi In!!!
at the same time ] am pusundcd the fine abound- wkh den es
who do not with (hil release, but "will cheersully put with so in -' -
necessary for this desilsiahle purpose] and if thou be I M whosi' ' '
wilh to withhold their mony, or who mild laudem
mankind hop: ignorlnt nnd irreligiom thlt the In, a, .. . '
inllmmmn of thir ambitionf es viassirfime m" '— -
t-o nion ought not tn-bchupdd sithsifikd'
she mote it seems up rent th'! publick worshifl-m
stated tum, to our PMIIML" [Ult'flhhm ' '
preache: an: mogngadob nkH-iu me ss