Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1801-1806, 1803-04-09


,Abhe minifer oi God hieh commapts us
Sto pray fos ali thar are in authority "---so
=. render honor 10 whom honor is due and
~ be iuhjeei 70 the cooit,,uIed au,ho,i,rs "not
te& ior ~1ash, hat alio Tor sconlciencs fske."
3st( do not hchtase 20 lay, than this cosdutt
a~ dots mee injury TO the cauis Of our Re-
d,fasr-Shsn The ho'dr,cis and ridicuie. and blaE
phsny which You dipisy in men6un'rg his
osn'e. his eoipeI and the Office Of bis miniaen.
" Thou 0nalt not revile the Gods" is the
mn part of the vesfe which you qao,e. On
shis you fay. g 'ir makes no part OF my
; fSrig'use. ! believe 10 bot one God"
an fuie you will NOT efeem re uncpudid
wien fay that you win BY this 20 iniinva,e
;aas the fc,ipsurcs admit plurality OF Gods.
sid TO rontraa this folly ~i,h thc siidom Of
ismsli'y which sckao~legcs bot ovs. Long,
III, did the world experience the utmoR eforis
cFaatcraI resirnin invettiss,ine the nature and
persetlions Of deity. And y hat we're the effects
eGsho!e effort, Every temple even OF ephshs.
eaed Rome and phiioiophic Greece was crouded
sikh Gods sod ,he proud phiipiophrr AZ veil
q, ae humble peafant. bowed in humble sdera-
tisn TO departed poAips,es and hsrloss. 70 bulls,
10 csigcs and 10 reptiles. Ard can you imagine
thHi. il you had been Contemporary With the
tsees u antiqouy, yoor proi6upder rsfearches
sunld have corrected this pfedoniusnt error
YOU 9ouid have hsuifbed from The minds OF
PsEo. AtiHote. oicero, SC. their doubs ref
pctilng The natu'e, uun,ber and perietlIons Of
The Gods. and OF The foc.'s immortality mo
hs. Yoor modeay rereh with Indignation,
fhc imputstin OF pscieu6on 70 Arrogant. la
tsofc pure ayes YOU would probsbly have herded
vih the wo,ihippcrs oi f'ehcd's thirty thuufsnd
eals' /; aod like me rs4iohal and venerable
s,eratc. ia The momsnt Of dca,h, the gratitude
o. your heart would have inclined YOU piouny
10 offef cock to Etcplap,u,
Whence then. iet ne ak. DO you derive
s,hcie fublime conceptions OF The deity for which
Svou hy. you are ccmpkriested by the biihop e
" -adsf ! From thefe sciy tcr,prufss which
ycn dsfpiic, aud which you here charge with
'achirg the dosfine of picrslity' of cbds..-
"Thou fhat NOT reyile the eods." L. IL IN
known 60 you that in all languages. many
woTds are ated NOT only in q literal, but alfo
in fgoraiivc ienie In a fgorative ienft the
iuipird writings often apply The term god. or
gods 20 oeka'sl angels TO men al psinc,s.
joltIcss, or judges /; 10 fs'sn who is cslled {" the
god Of this world" And The learned spoA,e
Paul ipeaking Of fome enemies OF the crof, Of
Cafia, fsys thar rhcir bsi5 il their god" do
not adduee this lar example 60 iniinnMe thar
this is the " 7m god" which you exeludvely ac-
knowledge. Such fo,Pieion u preciuded by the
exemplary temperance with which you proftfs
20 " "pou,ih yoot health." Aud IL knovlcdec
| OF the b,bh had made part sf the (" ab6ndance"
with which, you tell Us, you fhrniih your
4" mind" fhoold have been favcd from ,hc
nectfity of informing you that we need Only
opcn thar book to fce ,be oniry god inculested
and idolatry ppnifhed Tolfarn that, I" sm
God and there is none elf, the Lord our Gcd 10
one Lcrt' we've the voice and rsfponfc which
pcsvaced the camp. The tabernacle fhe temple
and nation of the Jt'vs:--r, read that faint
Paul, in preiercc of rhe fopiems coort Of Athens
boldly maintained the onity oi C',dss sysinfi the
learned phdoiopbers cf thar ci,y is0d. by
iayins I" they be no gods ~hieh ste made with
hands" routed the petietu,iag p,wrs ofEthefus,
city devoted 10 the woifhip" Of the great
gbddefs Diana and the image which fen down
from Joritef." tn sla- &
h intended 20 Rave glanced st fome lea i'm.
poriant tentimentsin in yours TO M. Adssns. Bot
have already exhauaed your psticnce, and
rsnfegeGed the limin which Ihad pscfchhed to
this letter. cannon. however, conclude with
| out exprefhog my regrct that (aifhoogh chrif.
tianity has nothing TO lear from your talents or
intsay Iyour nobility 20 Il may render fon,e
pios rtpoblicsos more esffly deceived by shose
hypocrisicsl fedesai;as who conciosiy coHnses
,ht idsss Of repoblisAoifm sod infidcli,y- sad
affirm thar the obrd OF qsstobi;csns IL the exi
sirpa,ion OF ths ecfpsl. = Ne religion of lefus,
neither in lie origin nor j" Psotsei'. hsd ever
been indcbted, for iss glory, to the elevation or
worldIr greasnefs of iis patrons. Tocoontesset
,hi. bsifsoi tendency Of yoer esu'ity sgsinfi il
fhaii neverheieis.. cmbsace- the opportunity
Of compunica,ing. 20 shote, piQos repablicsns.
,hrocgh r'e ardiufn ofthis le,terto you, ,,ont Of
the fublimeA e0logiSIps that etet ~ss expreEcd
on ,he resfcnableott Of the Chiiaisn religion.
II fhaIi give il IN the vesy wcrds oF ,tSsbh
eos.' rith whole ihtsiieahsl sfessnefs your
dif6denee would bIpih 20 be eompsred--~
influence u unfiyslcd and ~ho cts this day. At
the head Of the ffeeA. hsppieR. aud noa saligh..
eAed Rovernmeot 80 tic world.
- ef- gII&sj J,6nJSs.