Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1817-10-28
TRACT SOCIE TIES.

one poNSllut cHbinS -
hands OF these Philosophers was, to discern
mate gratis, little tracts ofinfdelity amongst
the poor and iiliterate classes. Every man
was thus furnished with a ready made and
popular argument against the faith that nc
protested, at the expense of these Philoso
phers.-rhe consequences are manifest
they have been written on the pages OF that
vast folio of all crime and abomination de-
nominated the French Revolution, IN char
acters of blood. In the contemplation OF
such spectacle, We are almost induced to
re peat wish of DR.. Johnson's, that virtue
might call 6livion 10 her aid. Since that
period, christianity has undertaken to iigh,
infidelity with its own weapons. Tract So
cie,ies are now established in almost every
part of the civilized world, for the promul-
cation Of gospel truths, and their success
has been unparalleled. he silver trumpet
of Zion has been blowni the benighted re-
gions Of ido!atrous darkness. Thus has
Voltaire and his whole band OF Philosophers
contributed 10 the dissemination OF those
very religious truths which they laboured
SO increasingly TO overturn so truei shat
passage Of divine inspiration, that "the
wrath of man shall work the praise OF God,
and that the Remainder of that wrath he
will restrain" We cannot quit this sub
ject which we shall very shortly resume,
without noticing one circumstance. How
many christians, while they bet.eld
the successful exertions of Votlaire and OF
the other Philosophers, for the extinction OF
christianity, were led almost to doubt o.
the superintendent ola Divine Providence!
How many, when they beheld the abomi
nations Of the French Revolution, were in
duced to cas-, dcspAring eyes to heaven
Ye. what was the result! 1t was this
that this very engine, formed with such la
5our and skillfo the determination Of chris
tianity, has, more than all others, contribut
ed TO It's advancement. Voltaire may be
said therefore, without much violence OF
expression, 10 have blown The trumpet OF
salvation. He invented an engine for The
demolition OF christianity, which has proved
the downfall and destruction of his own in
fidelity. Were that Philosopher now liv.
ing, how would he lament that this engine
oil his own Invention should have fallen into
the hands of christianity how would he
lament that he had himself done SO much to
accelerate the downfall of his own infdelily.
Yet this is a-Resn-day fact that can be prov,
ed by the establishment of tract societies,
by the reports of the commissioners who
have attended the PRONUNCIATION and di.tri
button OF those works that have wrought so
surviving change amongst nations, both
civilized and savage. The angel who was
seen by the disciple John, in The Island of
Patmos, flying with the everlasting gospel
IN his hand, appears to be now upon the
wing. We are probably near the consuma-
ton of all things--near the period predicted
when all nations shall bow at the footslooI
ofthe Redeemer Of the Universe.
Federal Republican
lii the commotioas that have taken place in |
the world, we are but too liable TO believe !
that all these mighty changes are for the &C
complishment of human views, and for human
aggrandizement. Bonaparte, for instance,
when Europe was PROSTATE al bis feet, thought |
himself the founder of a new dynasty, and all
the effusion OF human blood occasoned by his !
elevation, he deemed was poured forth for his
sole and exclusive benefit. at such seasons
man is prone TO forget that he is but an hum
bic agent in the hand Of the Almighty-that
he is but accomplishing the purposes Of God
and fulfilling tho prophecies contained in the
holy scriptures. But it is to Ike remembered |
that every individual of the human race.
whether civilized or savage, whether learned |
or unlearned, whether bond or free, whether
monarch or subject, whether christian or In |
hdel, is but an instrument in the hand of bis |
Creator-he is but acting his part, and IN
consciously carrying on the purposes of his |
exIstence-Free agency is as much an in
s'rument in the hand of the Deity, as Pre-. |
destination. Voltaire was free agent, and |
all his exertions were directed to the extispa- |
ton OF the Christian religion--he left 90
means uninterrupted, no experiment .untried
TO effect what he deemed the purpose Of his
Yet this man, while so employed. |
more to the propagation of the
gospel truth than any other individual Of his
day. lie disseminated amongst the lower
orders of the people, little tracts
OF lnhdelity, by which the faith of thousands
was shaken, and he fondly believed that his |
object was accomplished. Bat what was the
result OF this ingenious arti6ce Christianity
took alarm at these daring nroads, and exer-
cIsed the same rneanc iSr fLo ,,~or,,,l...: r