The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1822-09-10
I.yNcuaUR6, SEPTEMBER 10, ioae


narims on1 observations phieh appear
81 an flf Jrd ,Hinber Of the tug'ntdn.
The observations On persecution are, m
the main. correct. the exceptions are, n.
thsr may perseculn his child, a husband hia
wifi. a master n,s sers ants, aud an inlluen-
tai indn dual may prosecute lhose supJ'e'
a. his Influence and any OF those per s"ns
lacks only an opportunity 10 do II On Tar
ger scale.
The '',aliment'' of fanaticsu is admit
rably described, though the delneatien oil
the monster himself is, think, too sdlnma-
~ and indefinite, and placed at too great
remove, in point Of classification, nom en-
thnsiasm | grant that zeal winch Is ae-
rordng TO knotpieagt, may welled 10 en-
thnsiastic ardour and may hoe the most
noble principles for lis impulse ! believe,
al the same time, that tins qnalliy, like all
others OF = moral kind, has its opposite
Destitute of knowledge, or IN opposition To
right knowledge, II may be viewed III The
different grades of zeal, enthusiasm, ianall-
cism, and madness. Add power IN these,
aud YOU have The character complete.
/ lam ofopirion ihatihe timld Melanethon,
and the erudite and penetrating CALVIN, al
frlnot the happiest illustrations on tn sub
Jet. A man OF Nclancibon's modesty
could not be truly said 10 be an enthusiast +;
and had Calvin been fanatic, possessing
the civil influence be did, he would have
deuged tho streets OF Geneva with blood !
where's, We have but cqulyocal testimony
that he ever gave his full consent to one act
OF saDgulnary persecution.
Epictetus's perplexily resulted from lis
own blunders IN attempting to subject those
things to the test OF reason, winch ara too
vast for the widest range evon OF imagine
ton. man may very innocently imagine
that there are pebble stones on the noun
tans OF the moon, or on the spntsin the sun
bat II he pretended TO bring Their dimensions
or quality under the ordinary rules OF lnves-
tigation, all sober minded men Would turn
him over to the society Of C3pt Symmes.
Had 1" the celebrated stoie philosophers" as
well "a OF minds addicted 70 abstrnse
enquiry, b en- acquainted with the method
of dUciion said to be pfaclsedby Aristo-
tie, aud elucidatcd and brp'l 10 use by the
immortal Bacon, they would have confined,
and would still conhne, Their enquiries with
ln the bounds ailoi cd To the lim,ed capaei-
~ of man. SO much IN general way on
what the maxms' term profound ar
guments drawn from the depths o. pIaloao-
ply But intend 10 be more particular.
The idea of an eternal inmulable God--an
eternal universe and This same eternal i'm
nut tble God WIN cannot do any thing (ac-
cordlng TO the "maNims. without IMPLY
ins cnange, and destroying his lnmutabi-
-hly, assigning laws for the government
oi the universe an universe too, he never
made, isas old as himself, and OF course IN
dependent Of him, art Things winch were
never dug from the mines of trpc phlloso-
ply, Thcyarc some OF the mlsts thai have
been emitted from the Babel oi mulaplysi-
cal paradoNes of former times but which
the light ol true science is fast dispclling
from christtndum.
Mercy, according to the "maXims,' is an
essential attribute oi the Deity yet, accor
ding 10 the same" maXims, if he exercise
that mercy,on any particular object, at any
particular Time, las thai would imply Il
change,1 he would undeiiN himself
Is an opinion iaNoured by the "max-
ms that amen cannot lac completely free
agent, eacdusc be was not consulted before
he was born, at 10 his Willingness 10 become
under the restrictions of the moral law -
think ma, venture Ia pass this idea to
the credit of the "maXinss,n as being quite
Nhatwould we think of "a child who.
when tsiather was corr es ting him for fault
would look IA his face aud say, father,
think yen al very unfair and cruel with
me Why because was never CON
suited bel' g existed whether would con-
sent 10 submit 10 Your authority :" 1t is
pretty evident 10 me that, if the novelty of
tins plea did moi derange the whole btlsi-
ness, the child would draw upon himself
lew additional stripes Tor his impertinence
Why ehouldit h, sad in the " magims."
mat " cA'&suan euntroy crsdlists have made
as iitle progress IN clearing up difficulties,
as the Greek aud Roman philosophers ~
grant that when christian centtoycrsialists
nave been wiling 10 follow the heather
Philosophers into the misses of their crude
absurdlues, they have come out with results
squally unsatisfactory but 20 such persons
IN igh, Of revelation h : been Of but little
use ; their reward, therefore. has been pro-
porhoned TO their folly, VIZ. doubt. scenti-
cisn, a1d gloomy forebodng of an uncer-
tain hereafter That philosophy which
blends its radiance with the sunbeams al
divine revelation, leads 10 a very different
Result The first prIleiPle Of this philoso-
ply IS, that To every thing there must be a
cause, that nothing can subsist without il.
except the uncaus . cause Of all thingsAyho
must possess all the attributes OF God
his princlple, at which We arrive by intui-
tlon or common sehse, IS ahundantly con.
h.hed by scrlpiural testimony.
The masms" speak of laws for the 20.
Yernment OF the physical & Norci universe
scripture, aDdcomnon sousc combine tbei,
testimony TO the same effect. Every ma.
chine must nave general law to,reguiate il,
motions TO an intended result: such law
has always governed the physical uniyers,
by the appointment Of its great creator