Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1805-05-15
FOR THE VIRGINIA ARGUS.
SUMMARY or A WINTER EvEN1Nc's CON-
vERsArIoS.
DrAIosUs sErsEHs FRIEND 70 CHRIS IT.

ms snuff box, and looking with con,s mpt
on person, who had been speaking in
FAVOR OF religion-well, am surprised,
that any man Of your information, can be
an advocate, for what is at war, with ma.
lure and reason-in short, pregnant with
contradictions and absurdities.
2 &c. Then why my dear sir, attack with
so much ass;duity and ardor, what Is in H.
self SO Feeble!
>. There would indeed be no necessity.
rere It not Tor the extraneous support, II
!,as received. Priests have for centuries.
deemed II their interest to envelope il in
sophistry, and people have been either
bew''dered by their ingenuity, or too in
dolens o. pveiudiccd, to enquire fairly into
its rati,,ality.
+. I. Here think you are mistaken.
Many OF the most learned laymen that E.
yer existed, have implicitly believed the
authenticity of the christian system, and
written in defence of it, with as much cru
dItion and ability, as any men have ever
written against it.
>. But they also were blinded by pre-
JUDGE and error, which having been so
long nourished by superstition and fraud,
had taken too deep root to be then quick
ly removed. by the utmost power of hui
man inte.lect--Galileo (if my memory dc.
ceives me not was prosecuted for assert
ing, what snow universally believed, ,ha,
the earth moves. Only observe how chri-
stIanity has lost ground since reason has
risen above the horizon, aud illuminated
the world. The persons you aliude To, if
they formed correQ opinions, were in all
probability, induced to conceal them, BY
complaisance to, or dread of the ruling
powers.
r. Z. 1t seems very ungenerous 10 as
cribe prejudice and error, TO the friends of
christianity, and none to It's opponents, al.
though the former were as much addicted
to research, and as wen Informed as the
latter. There seems more prejudice than
justice in the assertion. The gigantic
minds of Newton and others, which made
such grand discoveries, and tore up by the
roots, the errors in several branches ofan-
tient philosophy. would Git may be said
with an appearance of truth) with equal
promptitIde and facility, have detected
and exposed the falsehoods and absurdi-
ties of this religion, had any existed. As
to complaisaucc and dread of power
Locke and others, who published such
bold and innoyating doctrines in govern
yaent, at a time when they were SO hos
Tile and obnoxious TO the lofty notions en-
tertainra of monarchical power, world
hard.f save been restrained by servili,y
or feat, from sincere declaration of their
sentiments on religious topics. AS to The
decay IF religion fronlthe influence orrea-
son, il y question, wh=ther if such de-
cay has taken place, it be not owing to a
deprsvity OF that noble quality, or an IN
due exercise of it--whcther those who
think with you on this subjee, have not
generally acted g. like partial Judges, by
hearing only one part OF the controversy"
The intrinsic and comparative value OF
every Innovation in religion Of morality,
ought properly 10 be estimated, not by lis
theorelic beauties, but by its utility by
its influence ON the manners and happi-
ness of society at large, and subject
therefore deserving ofenquiry is, whether,
since this boasted Illumination OF reason,
men are more lust, more benevolent, have
a greater command Of their passions, are
more capable OF bearing adversely and
prosperity with loryitude and equanlmiiy,
and are happier than before, when they
were more generally governed by the te-
nets of christianity; and it particularly
deserves enquiry, whether the phiioso-
piers who have so ably attacked that re.
ligion, were more virtuous, that is, more
moral, or more useful in their lives ADD
asfions to the world than the christian
writers. Other questions not unworthy
of the dsrassionate discussion OF the pc.
lilician, are, how far are the excesses OF a
late revolution attributable 10 the sudden
operation Of deisticai and atheiSi;cal prin-
ciples, upon ignorant as well as cultivated
minds (? Are there not strong reasons IN
support OF an opinion, that, had their re-
iIgion remaned upinpaired, they as wei
as humanity would not have to deplore
those excesses--and that the prospect oi
obtaining their Object, "a free constitution.
woald have been more Gathering! Is the
state of society in many countries, particu-
Iarly European, susceptible Of the sudden
innovations in religion, and in morality
contemplated by several reformers, with.
out well founded apprehensions, that they
,youldbe productive very great injuries!