Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1805-11-09

: liberty. and il is true, that liberal educa-
lion u favorable To liberty, and Ignorance
alone can submit to slavery; bu, it is too
melancholy q truth TO be concealed, that
/ teduca,ion and even a very extensive de.
( gree OF erudition, has often beenreDdcred
subseryient to the views OF tyran's. Tc
tors, professors and orators have bribld,
by the promise OF expectation Of placesof
- fit, pensions and honors---and too many
men of learning finding that' anirss ti,ey
sold the product Of their literary lal,ors 10
the Prince and his mobiles or in an aristo-
lcracy or any other form of government, to
the government, they must abandon their
favorite studies, and sell perhaps the pro
ductions Of their bodily labor to casual
| purchasers, for mere subsistence, have
become the powerful supporters of even
the worst form of government that could
be described. Uahappily too, men in ease
and ashuence, who have bewi'dered their
minds, by an irregular e Imperfect course
| OF study, by metaphysical rsubdeties, and
| a fruitless pursuit after knowledge beyond
the reach of man, have, through an ex.
cess OF pride and vanity bro't themselves
TO believe, that there is no Cod because
they could not comprehend the nature and
mode OF existencco of the Supreme Being
and have let men Loose from the saIutary
restraints of religion, ana driven them 10
snatch at every Thing ,hatcap CRAFTY their
various appetites, and TO live like beasts
as they are to perish like them. These
have rendered several laws and power.
fol executive authority necessary, and
have furnished a fair rretext for The low
ers of property to establish oppressive go
vernmen,s and 10 strengthen them by the
aid ofpious frauds. .- *
But you mus, not suppose from all this.
tha, lam an enemy to learning far from
It'll admire and almost adore some BRAN
ches. of science, such as, arithmetic, Al
zebra, fluxions, plain and spcrical trigo.
nometfy, the higher geometry, optics and
astronomy put within our reach by the aid
of these. For there is so much of truth
ia these sciences, and such display of
the astonis hing progress of the human
mind, rightly applied, in pursuit of
what is Of real Impotence to the happi-
ness humankind, tina, am at a loss to ex-
4 press What l feel aud think respecting
these branches Of science. I lrave tlso't
that the great Creator had himself inspir.
ed man with knowledge of hem, and to
! teach them humility, and little d,ffrience
in human wisdom, had wonderfully check
ed and limited their powers when in pur-
suit OF knowledge which seemed more
~iihin their reach, but which was certain.
ly not as necessary as these for their ac-
commoda,ion and happiness. The study
of natural philosophy, 10 itsvsricus BRAN
chcs, pneumatics, hydrostatics, hydraulics,
natural history, botany, chemistry, mag
neiism and electricity, has il's charms, aud
each cfthsse, as well as anatomy and the
theory and practice of physic have their
due credit with me, for their real ulility
to naakind. And l.believe that no one who
is well acquainted with even part oil
these sciences, can be. an atheist, or even
free from an habiiual sense of religious
awe, and adispositicn 20 reverence and a.
, dore the great Author of the astonishing
, objects which surround him, and of him.
sell, more astonishing OBJ set than any
: which he ever contemplated. No, I am
not an enemy 10 useful learning, but / alb.
hor the abuse Of IT,; and despiGe superb
5 cisi conceited Metsphysiciaas, who, Wills,
: they think th:y are reasoning according
. 10 the rules OF logic, are confounding rea
son, obscnrius the truth, and leading ma.
ny. into inextricable labyrinths of doubts
, and errors. Some have labored to CON
vince mankind, with an Affected humility
that human reascn is incapable ofarriyine
at any certainty, and that therefore, tbey
ought TO doubt the truth Of every thine
: which has been, or can be asserted and
yet,these very philosophers, as they would
have us call them. deny that human rea.
son reqni;es any assistance from divine
revelation, even on subjects Of the last i'm.
portance to mankind, and which from the
confession Of all, are absolutely beyond
the reach of human discovery. Oilers
again, boldly undertake to demonstra {
the Being and nature OF God, and define
ate a religion Of nature for man. Willis,
others deny The necessity of any religion,
deriding the idea OF any efficacy 10 pray.
ers; and although they acknowledge a
Deity, deny bis attention TO the affairs OF
man and affirm that pleasure ought 10
be the only objea of the human race.
Whilst others have contepded that both
prayers and sacrifices are grateful to the
Gods, for these philosophers affirm tina,
there are many Gods, and that some OF