Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1823-02-01

tins doctrine was half so much incucated as it
was in that seminary. And the very paper to
" hioh MIR. p. refers in this matter, states ex-
pressly, that they were pious young men who
were educatedi which, however, Mr.. p care
fully avoids mentioning. AS evidence OF the
atore mentioned facts, would refer those who
wish to ascertain the certainty of this matter,
to any person who has ever been i'll one OF
those seninaries, or to the laws OF that semi
nary. formed by the general assembly OF the
pre- vtcrian church. which may be got from
| most persons who have ever been there.
This t:dsehood (ior know not how to call IT
by softer name, IS FIRST imposed on the pub
lie, that he may with more FEASIBILITY CRY
down all theological semnares as nurseries OF
vice and deceit. Bun tins being not true, his
foundation falls, and consequently all the SUI
perstlucture totters. For il only plous young
men, or men processing pety be admitted IN
those senlinalies, which IS the fact, as Mr.. pol
lard has fairly stated then the only fair ground
ne can take against learned clergy is, that 1t
destroys the religion which they had before
they got in those dangerous seminarles
| which needs no refutatlon, IT never yet having
| bcen proved: and if this cannot be proved,
then II follows either tllat learning is not IN
furious to the preacher or that is nconsist-
ent with religion, and therefore destroys the
/
| is not much wonder that men who so dogmatl-
caI!y forbid printers to publish any thing in IA
yor of learned CLERGY, should fear the general
diffusion Of knowledge. The gentleman Says,
that to keep the people in ignorance is an aw-
tiIl crror, and leads directly 10 Popciy; that
they ought to hear both sides Of the question
But no sooner is Il pious young man pat IN a
seminary that he may hear both sides of many
contested questions, and thereby have ali OPP
portunity to find out what is truth, that he may
declare it to the people, than he becomes \
: hypocrite and deceyer But the people are
to be told the truth-and what are they told
by MIR. p. why that Mr.. Poar, has philoso-
ply in his paper, and thai in seminaries they
require no religion TO make preachers, &c.
For the truth of these assertions refer you to
his own letter. Is this truth Is this telling
the people both sides OF the question Is this
telling them what can be SAID for and against
theological seIninarics'
| When We want man to teach our shldren,
5 we want one who knows more than they dc.
When we want legislators we want the Wise
men. When we want a physician, we want
: one who is skilled in physic. But when We
want a preacher, the most important calling,
admitted by all, and where error is the most
fatal, away with all learning. If You want to
find the truth, only go to . man who can tell
You ia apositve tone, that he is called of God
to preach, and there is no danger of error.
But what's the fact | am an honest inquire
after truth: go to Baptist, who processes to
be SO called he tells me the scriptures mean
: one thing go to Methodist, he tells me they
mean another: go to Quaker, he tells me
} another: to Shaker, he tells NE another to
a New-lght, he tells me another: to a Cum
) berland, he tells me another: to Sweden
borgion, he tells me another to Dunk ard,
he tells me another: to a Libertine, he tells
me another to 4 Lanpetion, he tells me an
other: TO Dominic, he tells me another: to 4
Qneretst, he tells me another: to i Farno-
Wan, he tells me another: nor do the Baptist
all tell me the same thing and yet all profess
to be called to preach, and that in pretty posi-
tive terms too, and all equally positive that
they are right. And might swell this cata-
logue to twenty different sects more, all pro-
Tossing to hold the truth US taught in the Bible,
and yet all differing. Now how am | to ascer-
tain what is truth, among so many different
opinions' Am | to suppose that the man who
cannot read is the best judge ofwhat is taught
in the scriptures, and rest in his opinion in a
matter in which NV eternal interest is concern
ed or is it no matter what man believes
Here it Will no doubt be said that learned
l0en also differ. This is true. But when diff
terences of o,,;niou arise about orhar th;pos or
about othcr ,rr;t;no,s ybo 10 mon on,ersl,,
su,,,,oS,, ara ,h. W =. ,';u
is right, the wise or the unwise--the learned
or the unlearned Win any man say that the
less man knows about the law the better
Judge he is in court of Justice, and the more
| likely he is to decide according to law? Here
again it may be said, that in matters of rel; eion
and taurht of ~ n'tIosi 49, 80 " wi ~,
,boee ubo n,lla thosa 80 81, -.
| N''O ~ .'"N ei'S'N i'o'i'i'S ao'ei 'i"ii' -