Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-01-22

/ kind, than all other causes inipSlling liu.
man affairs put together, Is by this Ian
forever cut asunder. For 1T will be Oh
| served, that however wild, however fana.
TIC, however lntolerant, however blood,
may ltave been or may becoue the Secta.
ran zeal, II Is puwerless and harmless, ii
| deprived OF the strong arm ut temporal
power: but the mind sliudders with hor-
| ror, III reviewing the long catalogue oil
the calamiiies and miseries OF mankind,
! when the arm ct temporal power has been
guided by the piirenzy OF scciarian zeal. g
Its thought, that OF all the benefits which
have accrue,; or shall accrue 10 mankind,
| By The American revolution in The de,e-
| lopement OF new political principles; the
| greatest will arise from demonstrating 10
| the world, tina, governments may exist,
and all the political rights of man be Sc
| cure, wIthOutiiie annexation ot church 10
| stale: That government Is able 10 afford
ample security 10 his person and his pro-
perry and yet his conscience ;nas BE- his
own. But by the annexation OF church 10
state, his conscience, the most precious
gilt of God 10 mau, must either he given
up TO his sovereign or to his soverelyn's
priest, or he must suffer Tor his cdn-
science sake. Ii then, every Virginian
may proudly boast, that whist under his
present government, his liberty and his
property are safe, his conscience is his
own; faithful himself 10 his own keeping,
not rlsking II 10 the holy, but perhaps
ireacherous keeping of the priest ought
not amy innovation that would even la
card these blessings, TO he we'll examined
al, 1 perfectly understood, before IL is sane
toned by the authority of law And
might not man be happy with this liberty
and this security, with his conscience in
his own breast undisturbed, without
searching out schemes, which may en-
danger or destroy aly Yet man will
not always nor indeed long be satisfied.
lie viii reach after perfection absolute
and unqualified" Docs not this system
of public education afford an example in
point of this restlessness and Impotence?
May 1T not hazard, If moi destroy all the
happiness now possessed III The VAIN
search for that, which cannot be attained
That this is Que of the probable conse-
quences, will appear from even d cursory
| examination of the powers aud relations
of these affiliated corporations. The
board of public instruction, has power
amongst others, TO examine, appoint
and regulate the compensation of the Sc
veral professors OF the university; to APP
point the trustees of the several colleges
,
instruction and discipline Of the university,
colleges, academies and pvtnia,y schools -
The trustees OF the colleges and acade-
mics, may recommend TO the board Of
public instruction, any person to be pro-
lessor or teacher therein, aOho II approved
after examination an some mode to be proUided
by the board, shat Hencetorth be regarded as
professor or teacher If such college or acade-
my," &c. &c. The trustees of the prima-
ry schools, shall have authority " TO pre-
| scribe such rules and regulations, relative
| TO the instruction and discipline of their
| schools, as may seem To them exp, dent:
| propided, they he not Inconsistent, sc. with
such general rules as tile board Of public in
St'uctioa may prescribe, an relation to the
| go0ei7tment Of tie primary schools IF the
commemorate" How will the board of
| public instruction execute the power of
appointment 1t is admitted, that this
! Will depend In material degree, upon
/ tile description of persons who shall con-
stIiute that board. Ii they should be phi
iosophers, looking with an eye Of perfect
indifference upon all religious sectaries,
and soaring above all the indictments of
human passions they might not be in
huehced III their choice, by any religious
impulses but is there any security, is
there the remOtest probability, that the
board of public Instruction., will always
be composed of philosophers, and not of
4 men! Ii it should be composed of men
aud OF religious men, what would he the
| FIRST qualification required by the board
Tor amy appointment within Its gift?-
| lie obvious answer would be, =" con-
formiiy i'll religion" Suppose The board
| TO consist of presbyterians, and the can
dIdates for appointments TO consist of
| presbyterians and of all other religious
| sects; without ascribing 10 them any un-
usual portion of iliberaIity, or Other hu-
man irailiies, who would he most likely
10 be appointed Will not every man an
Swer al once, presbyterians Could a
| greater temptation be offered 10 the love
of power, urged by religious zeal and is
But the mind shudders with horror, in re-
viewing the long catalogue OF the caiamities
and miseries ot mankind when tile arm OF
| temporal power, has been guided by the phren-
| ~ OF sectarIan zeal Ii is true that the Roman
| EmpeforS from the time OF Nero, to the union
| OF the empire under Constantine, which hap
| pened "A. ID. 32i, did occasionally persecuie'
| tile Christians, and endeayor TO extirpate the
| sect but their prosecutions, restrained by
| tie careless indifference OF Polytheism, scarce
| iy deserved To be mentioned, when compared
| with the prosecutions, and sufieTings of Chris
| tians, by the sectarian zeal of Christians. The
| prosecutions of the EInperOrs, were excited
| against the Christians, more as body, or a
sect, than as individual hereticks. Tie Ro-
mans cared very little about their faith or the
| ceremonlals of their worsllip but were alarm
ed at their associations, and in fact self incOr-
porations.
All associations of individuals, were dislik-
| ed, or dreaded by the Roman Emperors and
| corporations were very sparingly granted
even for private and useful purposes; aud it
is said that TIajan extended his jealouses
| against them so far, as TO refuse to incorporate
! $50 persons as fire company for the City of
| NIcomeda. 1t is computed that the whole
| number of Christians executed ia the whole