Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-07-17

low and that The wheat deepest is best protect
cd from the effect OF frost in winter. no small advan-
tase IN clay SOILS
Resolution Of Tie Episcopal Conrontion.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE ENQUIRER
SIR-Philo Marcus having condescenJed to
notice my humble effort 10 viEdicate the Reso
luton OF The late WINCHESTER Convention, [ am
sure you will furnish me with AN opportunity
OF returning hinf my compliments for great
idvor.-l shall be rs brief possible for I
think that discussions Of a polemic kind are
more becoming any where else, than in the co
iumns OF a newspaper; aud you may be assured
That nothing shall induce me 10 do further vo-
iencS TO tins conviction. / cannot persuade
myselfindeed, that the cause of Religion or of
the Episcopal Church can he much benefited
by the reIy feeble lCe0pons, which am ab!o to
employ; but truth is its own defence, and the
strength of the cause will supply the weakness
OF the advocate.-More fortunate are the vota.
rieS OF pleasure they have found champion
d6ie and willing to defend them, and disposed
when weary OF acting on the defensive, TO be-
come the assailant in his turn, with all the skill
or an adrot tactcan, aud the flerceness of an
enraged adversary. In truth i will do Phlo
Marcus the justice to say, that he weids his
pen with considerable energy-that his periods
are weii-turned and harmoniOus-and that lie
is neither deficient in copiouSness of 'thonght
force OF expression, nor eloquence 0flnycctive.
So far as his style is concerned, he is entitled
to respect; but when lie deserts the field Of
rhetoric, and treads upon hdliotrcd ground =
when lie undertakes to be our guide 10 saliva
ton and the expounder of the doctrines of
Eternal Life, j, for one, take leave 10 enter my
solemn protest against his authority prefer
the plain truth as il shines i'll the volume OF i'll
spiration, to that crude system of error, which
is compounded of few sleanings from chris
tian morality, and the corrupt maXimS of the
world. Bat here, know l shall encounter the
charges of fanatic, enthusiast and bigOtl-Pbilo
Marcus deals abnndantly in these harsh names,
Il III. -
Both Jew and Gentle bestowed the same lam
gnage upon the Rcdeemer himself, and his dis
cples, and there has been no age of the world
from the christian 8ra to the present time, in
whlGh every attempt at evangelical reforma-
ton, has not been branded as fana.ical and
visionary. In the primitive times, the chris
tians at Rome, were considered as most
wretched and infatuated race, because they
preferred private assemblies iordevOtion, to the
Theatre and Circns-and the millions who have
suffered martyrdorn, attest that II has been 10
uncommon thing IN the world TO he ptrsecEted
tOr Righteousness sake.-Wbat does PhilO Mar
cEs think of Martin Luther, the great founder
OF Professionalism Ne Methodist ! am sure,
ever possessed greater sapctity of manners, or
carried on the work of reformation, with more
auSterity and zeal. And yet, was that great
aud good man, who emancipated Europe from
Papal despotlsGa, wild fanatic WAS that
"pure intelligence" Sir Robert Boyle, cant
ing rhapsodiSt Yet he was devOut, that he
never named the name of jehovah. withost IA
solemn padsc!-Was Sir Matthew Hale, mad
man and enthusiast? Yet we are told, IL
his invarabe practice, to retire to his closet
frequently during the day, and hold commune
on with his God wv no were among the refor-
mers of the 18th century? The seraphic Her
Vey, the beniga Fletcher, and those burning
and shining lights" Whitfield and Wesley
Add 10 these our own Incompatible Davies and
JaTrattl These were men of great learning an:
piety, and faithful witnesses against the vain
amusements and fashions of the world. They
pilnh fnp lipif off
and rejected the base alloy by which its purity
had been corTupted.-Yet if the language of
PhIlo Marcus be iDteligibie-theSe men were
raving enthusiasts, and disteMPeyed madmen.
| mention the names of these celebrated He.
raids OF Grace, not because il is necessary TO
my purpose, but because it is meeting Philo
Marcus or his own grOund-for he still insists
the weight of hannah authority, as support
ing the construction he has given TO the divine
preceptS, and the principles of The Church.
lie still adhefes TO Robertson and Blair john
son and Addison, in preference TO Paul. or
Melaucthen, Luther, or IiiIotSOu. As this is
not the first time, the names of these great men
have been pressed ato the service, il may not
be a,niss to examine a little, their pretcuSions
OF johnson, It is notorious that he was a man
of imperons, aud malignant tcmper-that his
mind was never completely settled on the sub.
Ject of religion, and that though lie was spe-
culatiye believer, lac never eDIOyed any of the
cOnsOlatOnsOf christianity. His passions were
so fierce aud vindclive and so mike the meek.
ness Ot christianity, that lie IS known to have
declared on the commencement Of the Ameri-
can Revolution, that every man, WOman, and
child, in this country, ought TO have been burned
alive. OF Robertson, il has been strongly sus.
peCted, that he was at heart an infidel, aud
knOw have seen II some where stated that he
disclosed such sentiments In private letter to
VOliaire.-Had Blair lived in the age of Plato.
he would have passed for sound mOraIist aud
philosopher; and Addison, was unquestionabIy
a good man but he lived in an are of luxury
and voluptuOusness when the English nation
had not emerged from the moral degeneracy
of preceding years. Ii is uo wonder then that
hc should have yielded from necessity some
compliance with the maxims and habits Of the
age which he adorned
II is due TO caudOr TO state, that believe il
is extremely difficult. If not iInpracticable. TO
prove by mere argument that amusements which
are sanctioned by the habits, tastes and ore.
JUDGES OF men, are either immoral or impro-
per.-We exercise great deal of logic in alb
stract matters, where our darling inclinatious.
and delights are ~ no wise interested but no.
thing is more diSicult than to COMPREHEND
truth which IS at war with the beloved propen-
stiles OF our nature. IL we do not feel that par
ticnlar amuscneDts are unlawful, aud impure
no logic can convince us. If the light of divine
truth, has not pierced the veil of natures dan k
ness, il old things have not passed away, and
all things become new" II is idle to reason and
impossible to persuade against the force of Iva.
bit, prejudice, aud education. Hence though
you qHOie scripture until dOOmsday, and en-.
force its denunciations against any fayorite
and delicious Indulgence, there is always at
HlHa fnrrnrg unfc a