Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1816-10-01
AONiIORI4L.
ros rAS rosTh.sn ctsPr1E.
CHRISTIAN CONSISTENCY.
MaJoRA oAKAMus

Let rs speak Ct more important things.
Every man ought to rscollecs the character he
snsiains BY this means alone will he act worthy
OF himseif We expect Of him who is placed in Of
fce.s conduct corresponding with his s,ntion.
When this reasonable expestation is not answered
sc are shocked at the incongruiy. A Domi,ian
catching flies is most contemplate figure, but de
&c ioquitur' we every where, the same absurd
sondnct. Domitian was Roman Emperour, and
occupied himself in this childish amusement. Tits
not difficult to prove that most men more IRA.
tionay than Domitias. There is one respect in
ahich this emperour has the adv sntage of the ,rf
iers to whom alluJc. Ii is related that his pre-
ecsssors and violent pc rsecutos of
the Christians, but he was too much employed in
his importan! occupations to think of the Affairs Of
his empire. and consequently he did not contract
the guilt of persecuting the followers OF Christ.
The who trie with religion do aot by this folly
avoid any crime and they justly deserve the name
OF fools and madn.sn. They who idly waste their
time, who think of the concerns of an immor-
tai soul merit not softer appeiation. A passage
the frivoIiy which charac tcrizes the conversation
of many men, and even Of christians. Virgil had
sung of nocks and herds, but weary Of these low
subjects, he begins new song on the religion OF
his country. The words which are quoted above,
are part Of the invocation and then he proceeds
with that sublime ecloguc of which the /" Messiah"
of Pope is an imitation. The religion taught us 10
the scriptures is armor egr and than the mythology
of virgil's age, yet little is said in our common
conversation about it. The largest portion of the
inhabitants Of christian countries receive it as true
or at least, they do not openly attack it; and this
Is all The great body Of nominal christians il they
possess the bible do not enquire into its contents.
They have some general and vague notions of its
doctrines and this they suppose is enough 1t
just enables them to dispute freely with those who
are wellversed in the scriptures, and hold opinions.
which are peculiar to themselves aud are learned
only from this source. There is scarcely any other
occasion on which this important subject is discus
sed by that class Of msn, to whom we have alluded
They do not converse upon it among their friends,
nor 10 their families no, not even on that day
which 10 eonsecrated to religion. Indeed IL these
men did not sClen.nIy declare and profess their be-
lief in the Immortality Of the soul, no one would
suspect that they received this dostrne. II there
10 little in their conversation, there 10 nothing in
their conduct which inlimstes their belief Of it. On
the contrary there 10 reason to conclude that they
do not assent to it. II 10 one truth OF their religion
that out of the abundance Of the heart, the mouth
speaketh-ana another, that by our words we shall
be justified and by our words condemned. Now
by the FIRST rule these men must 10 judged to have
not an +" abundance" Of religion in their hearts.
and they will be Of course, condemned by the Soc
ond rule. If religion is quite forgotten by nominal
christians, It is not sommon subject OF CONVEX
saton among real christians as it should be- Even