The Wheeling repository — Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.], 1807-05-07 00:00:00, page 2

the next according to the degree of their
virtue : and on the other hand, that those
who behave wickedly here, will under
go such punishment hereafter as is pro
portionate to the crimes they were guil
ty of. 1 his has been constantly and
invariably received and acknowledged
for a truth, through every successive
generation of our ancestors. It could
not, then, have taken its rise from a fa
ble; for human fiction, however artfu'ly
or plausibly contrived, can never gain
credit long amongst a people where free
inquiry is allowed, which never was de
nied by our ancestors, who, on the con
trary, thought it the sacred, inviolable,
natural right oi every man, to examine
and judge for himself. Therefoi , we
think it evident that our notion con
cerning future rewards St punishments,
was cither revealed immediately from
heaven to some of our fon fathers, and
from them descended to us , or that it
was implanted in each oi us at our cre
ation hv the Creator of all things. What
ever the method might have ' > en,where
by Clod has been pleased to make known
his will, and give us knowh elgc of our
duty, it is still, in our sense, a divine re
velation. Now we desire to propose to
him some questions. Docs he believe
‘hat cur forefathers, who were eminent
f;i their piety, constant and warm in
their pursuits of virtue, hoping thereby
to gain eternal happiness, were all
d mined ? Does he think that we, w ho
are their zealous imitators in good
works, and influenced by the same mo
tives as they were, earnestly endeavour- j
ing, with the greatest circumspection, to j
tread the paths of intcgi ity, are in a
state of damnation ? If these be his sen-1
timents, they are as impiou: as they are
bold and daring.
In the next place, v. e beg that lie
would explain himself more particularly
concerning the revelation lie talks of.
It he admits of no other than what is
contained in his written book, the con
trary is evident from what has been
shewn before. I5ut if he says that God
has revealed himself to us, but not suf
ficiently for our salvation ; then w e ask,
to what purpose should he have revealed
him sell to us in anywise V It is clear
that a revelation insufficient to save, can
not put us in a better condition than we
should be in without any at all. We
cannot suppose, that God would point
out to us the end we should aim at,
without opening to us away to airivc
wt ih-rt end. 15 at suppose our under
standings to be so far illuminated as to
know it to be our duty to please God,
who has yet left us under aw incapacity
of doing it, will this Missionary there
fore conclude that we shall be eternally
d tinned ? Will he take upon him to pro
nounce damnation against us, lor not
doing those things which he himself ac
knowledges were impossible by us to be
done ? It is our opinion, that every
man is possessed of sufficient know
ledge for his salvation. The Almighty,
lor aught we know, may have commu
nicated himself to different races of peo
ple in a different manner. Some say
they have the will of (kd in writing.
Be it so. Their revelation has no ad
vantage over ours, since both must be
equally sufficient to save, or the end of
the revelation would be frustrated. Be
sides, if they be both revelations, thev
must be the same in substance, and the
difference can only lie in the modes of
communication.
¥ f 1 1 1 •
in tens us mere ;irc nuinv precepts in
his written revelation, which we are en
tirely ignorant of. lint those written
commands could only he designed for
those who have the writing. They can
not possibly regard us. Had the Al
mighty thought so much knowledge ne
cessary for our salvation, his goodness
would not so long have deferred the
communication of it to us. And to say
that in a matter so necessary he could
not at one and the same time equally re
veal himself to all mankind, is nothing
less than an absolute denial of his om
nipotence. Without doubt he can make
his will manifest, without the help of a
ny book, or the assistance of any bookish
man whatever.
We shall in the next place consider
the argument which arises from a con
sideration of his Providence. If we he
the work of God, which we presume will
not he denied, it follows that we are un
der the care and protection «. f God ; for
it cannot he supposed that the Deitv
would abandon his own creatures, and
be utterly regardless of their welfare.
1 In n, to say that the Almighty would
permit us to remain in a fatal error
through so many ages, is to represent
him as a tyrant. How is it consistent
with his justice, to force a life on a race
ol mortals without their consent, and
then to damn them eternally without <■
ver opening to them a door of salvation?
Our conceptions of the gracious God
are more noble ; and we think that those
who Uach otherwise, do little less than
blaspheme. Again ; it is through the
care and goodness of the Almighty, chat
from the beginning of time, through ma- .
nv generations to this day,our nApie has
be sn preserved, unblotted out by ene
mies, unreduced to nothing, with the
necessary means of preserving our lives
Hut all these things are trifling, compar
ed w ith our salvation. Therefore, since
Cod has been so careful of us in matters
of so little consequence, it will be absurd
to affirm that he has neglected us in cases
ot the greatest importance. Admit that
he lias forsaken us, yet it could not have
been without a just cause. Let us sup
pose that some heinous crime was com
mitted by our ancestors, like to that
which w e ar* told happened among ano
thi r race of people. In such a case-,
Cod would certainly punisl/the crimi
nd, but would never involve us, who arc
innocent, in his guilt. 1’hose who think
oth rwisc, must make die Almighty a
v. ry w himsical, ill-natured being.
Cncc nore ; are the Christians more
V1*\ ,ou , or are tliey not much more
'icious, th ; i we are? It so, how comes
it to pass that they are the objects of
Cods beneficence, whilst we are ne
glect'd? Docs the Deity confer his
lavours without reason, and with so
much partiality? In a word, we find the
Christians much more depraved in their
morals than ourselves,—and w’e judge
of the ir doctrine by the badness of their
lives.
VARIETY.
^ lU'AUTY.
The shape alone let others prize.
The features of the lair,
1 look for spirit in her eyes,
And meaning in her air.
A damask chei k and ivory arm.
Shall n e’er my wishes win,
(jive me a i animated from,
(hat speaks a mind within. 4
A face where awful honor shines,
Where 1 nse and sweetness move,
An 1 amyl nnoctnce refines,
ill. Unde ness of love,
These an* the soul of beauties fram<^ *
Without whose vital aid,
Unfiid ,UM all her features seem,
And ad her roses d<
In St. John's Collegs, Oxford, they
have a very curious portrait cd Charles