Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1801-1806, 1802-09-18


thofc VITO found l;t their inteseit 20 deceive The
noI'isOde, ITO whom our Saviour preaehel) can
We wonder that they combined in a fs1s,aia1S.
eia,ios TO destroy the efficacy of his cots.iass.
deprecia,e tbs reputation, and reprcient him q
hn folIowe" as " turning the world up6de
down" Can we fuppoie that any co,dial,ty
could ever exif between Him, who told the
People (who,n they had betoc held in .ubisc.
,ion and dresd) thai they were deceivers and
apoaaies No, tor il came 10 pafs issmrdYatrly
after he bad hoiihed all sb,,s Jqymg,. that the
Cbi.f PriSj5 as9 Scnbrs silembled in the palace
of the Hsb Puyfs. and coniul,ed how they
might take him by fz6tisfy and kill him
they ia,d, not on the icsa day, lea there be an
uproaf aasag :" fbs Psepk." In all ,hi, divine
aorys shsIe Teens to be two parties. tie fsepk
in favor. AVID the Cbisf PrisRs, &c. 10 oppoh-
toin; ill Al length, by the hateil prattices of
bribery and periecusion, las in the inaance oi
thrutsing ont the man cured OF his bhndneis)
they excited the fean of the populsce, crying
oui that Religion was in danger, rha, his ioi.
lowers were not C~ja,'s j,isnd,, and tina, he was
peftlent fsilow. by inch inHammaiory de-
clarasions, they 70 far ,periaaded ,hc People TO
content 20 his crucihxion, "A even 10 demand
the rclcate OF Barsbbss, rather than our Saviour.
The reign OF terror" that iine, muil have
been Of the mott vinditiivc nstotc for ihofe
who had cxperencsd the efficacy OF his miracles,
were in general afraid to ipesk in hl, vinaica-
ton. Nicodemus tiho' rucr) dare not make
his Wits bot in the mof iecrct hours OF the
night: Joieph was cautious how far he sc-
knowledged Fin openly, and not ,ill after the
highcf manifestations OF his diyiniiy. did he
dare to beg the body, to be placed in his iepui-
chre.
Under this prciIure Of Clerical and Civil
infcrelt, we cannot be furprized that III. mulu-
tuic at lengih became the reviIcs OF Him and
his Apoales. The Clergy OF that day, no doubt,
rseached fernons 10 influence the public mind
the multi,uie were told. thai he meant TO fub-
yrn Al Religion tha, he wss defpiier of or
diosnees saAs 10 aSuied shc .ssbel< Ss1y Of the
Clergy and thar all property, all the churches,
aud every ve&igc Of pie,y and morality would
be amihiiated. On all public occaGons, il 10
probable, the :" lawyer who tempted him."
wesld be declaiming that the courts of juiiice
would be aboliihed, and thai he bad denounced
the whole ianhedrim Of judges as hypocri,es and
dcyoures of widows houles. When He and
his Apoaes preached up peace on earth and
good will towards men, the fycophanis of the
Clerical party coofoonded evsry APPEAL to COM
mon ieois, by crying out. Gres, is Diana of the
EpheGsns. Such was their Influence in cxcit-
ing the public odium, thar even Pau, and silss
were mob'd in Theaalonica, ss men nyn;rr
tbe qrvyH xeEde dsqos." The enen,ies Of the
Apoaies had 70 far be.ildefod the People, that
the charge over-turning Religion, was blended
with fhe political hereby, thar they did +" CON-
fsav 10 fbe dSe,<ss Of C.s/ar." All the benef-
cent Actions Of the A2ottles were filled "furn-
ing the world upGde down. fbei, exhorta-
tions were modern philofophy," or 10 other
words defroying thofe 's Acady habits" long
imbibcd under the difciplinc of pretended Or,bs-
dsr eRsblifhments. To raifc IN oproGrion 20
men thus ciscumaaneed, was not diflcnlt buE-
nsfs TO be accomplished by their advefiaries a
combination of fuch characters, all poiTeiline an
cxtenfiye perfonzl influence, ailiacd with the
electrical watch-word, that fbe CbNnb 4vG, ia
danSfr, was an onies too powerful to be With
food by fpch weak mlEorayi1 Without purfe
or fciip| as Paul and Silas.
The foregoing obfcvations are drawn from
facts N the Bible. which cannot be controycft-
ed sscy sre mentioned to fhow the effetis of
combination Of men, vhen united in oppofition
TO any meafure, however beneficial to the senc-
raj insereh of mankind Especially If they have
a tepdencyt 20 weaken their inancncc, counter.
set their defgns, or Iefen their peconiary emo
lumenu. BY creating conAant irritation ia
the public mind, they will prejudice the wen
difpoied, and ofsertimes the veil informed, cit
izens, againa their beft friends. They will per-
fuade many, that thofe who are attempting to
relieve the burdens of mankind, are 81 fsysisg
bs seNid ssd<s deS0s e or, in other words.
that keeping the People .p,igbf, in defence OF
their national rights, issfjfiTsg them. They
will. by continual Glamour, excite fafpicions
againa mes whole moral character css In no In
asnce be inpeaebed, and Whole political fend-
ments are il unifon with the fundamental prin-
ciples Of the Conaiiusion.
Ifsheh eyents took place snder the mild
miniarstion Of the Chfiaizn fyaen IL il was
pofIible to rooie the vengeance of the people
sgsinf the cottrines which inculcstcd peace on
earth aad good will towards men can We be