Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-03-23

\ pressing q willingness 10 Srdnt ar ''a'
| Mr.. Sergeant had in view, did himself
move for any communications e'at'Ve to
the occup patton Of Amelia Island and Gal'
yeston-which was carried.
The people here are all elated at the
| prospect Of war with Spain II is re-
psrted here that the chevalier Onis is pre-
par,ng to depart and ] have heard it
whi.pe' ed that troops of the U. States
have been ordered to enter and take pos
session Of the Floridas.
Nh. SSowDEN,
As your correspondent has evinced
| such friendly disposition in his criti-
cism Of an opinion expressed by me in a
former article, it would be unpardonably
rade in me to pass over his polite re-
marks without a proper reply. l thank
him for the benevolent attempt to rectify
anv mistaken impression" which |
might possibly labor under with regard
to Socrates /; but have seen nothing in
his remarks to alter M in my belief that
the knowledge of God from his work, as
exempfified in his ca,c. and, reasoning
from the analogy of things, that also the
SOUS immortality, the government OF
Divine Providence, and iature state OF
rewards and purishments, are all legitI.
mate subjects for natural reason, without
the Intervention OF spiritual illumination.
That the mind Of Socrates was not H.
Illuminated by divine grace, or that that
LIZ t which proceeds from above. spoken
OF IN the references made by your pious
correspondent, we think is evident to any
one acquainted with his latter end; and
vet. that the above subject matter was
the result of his philosophical enquiries
is matter Of equal notoriety to all. II
your correspondent will only take the
trouble to compare the end OF Socrates
with the comparatively triumphant death
Of the psalmst, we are persuaded he
would soon discover his error, and be
forced to admit that they were not guild
Ell by the same counsel. 1t is not for US
10 say tha, they acere nor both received in
to glory We believe thus far with your
correspondent-that heathens trho perish
u,thout the ls,u, as the ho, apostle tells
US, ,ciH be Judged rithOut the lcw.
We are wiling to give this renowned
heather due praise; but TO T. beyond a
certain restriction, and acknowledge him
a circumcised lsraelite in heart, we can
not.
Widely different indeed were the
deaths of the Patriarchs, of Moses, Of the
prophets, OF the psalmist, and OF Paul,
from the end of Socrates. Their g'ori-
Gus departures out of this world into the
next and a better, demonstrated the d.
yinity of their faith and the heavenly orr
gin of their hope But can we say this
of Socrates, who died calling to Critic,
Critic, ace owe cock to .Fscuiaptus 4; dis
charge that rop for me, and Pray do not
forget it! Ii he had the " same spiritual
guide as the psaImist," how will your
correspondent avoid charging him with
treachery here, in deserving Socrates in
the valley OF the shadow OF death, where
his conduct most OF all wa. needed
But NIT is sufficiently plain ti.at his
understanding wa not enlightened by
the holy spirit. the author OF Illumination,
from this dying expression OF his. a
mind filed with heavenly ght could me-
yer have committed such srCss error OF
Judgment. But still, notwithstanding
this, he died in The belief Of the abnye
particulars. The inference then which
necessarily presses itself upon US Is thai
he attained to the knowledge OF these
things. &" assisted only by the 'sh OF na-
ture reflected f. ON her works and MS own
reason"