Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-10-12

/ chose the subject OF lnnuellty, OIL WhlIh W.
/ livered an elaborate discourse. But the iatai
crisis was at hand At the end OF year; from
the preaching Of this sermon-the confession is
painful, indeed, yet due to religion ITSELF was
bordering on atheism"
Iwould merely ask Bishop Kemp in this
place, what he thinks of Mr.. Whites credible
twin his assertion Of purity Of conscience! or,
| if his conscience did not reproach him, what
SORT of conscience must he have had? Again,
shall object to his evidence being received In
respect to the feelings of others, whilst am
occupied in showing that he is not worthy OF
credit in testifying his own. In his letters, p.
2e7, he writes
"The involuntary train, however, both ofieel-
ing and of thought, which was to make me
break out into complete rebellion, had long been
sappi,g the foundations of my faith, without my
being aware that the whole structure nodded 10
its ruin"
In the same page he gives us as full evidence
that not only was his faith during long time in
danger, but that it was actually destroyed.
envy heart sinks within me at the view ofthe
intermnable list of offences, every one ofwhch
may finally plunge me into the everlasting
flames Everlasting! and why so? Can there
be revenge or cruelty in the Almighty? Such
were the harrassing thoughts with which
wrested day and night PROSTATE upon my
knees, daily prayed for deliverance; but my
prayers were not heard. / tried 20 strengthen
my faith, by reading Berger, and some of the
encnapologists for Christianity. But what
can they avail doubling Catholic? His system
of faith is indivisible; whatever proves it all,
( M; viii q
Catholic is to encourage and hasten his deser-
ton. Chateaubriand has perfectly understood
the nature of his task, and, by engaging the
feelings and imagination in defence of his creed,
has given it the fairest chance against the dry
and tasteless philosophy of his countrymen.
His book propped up my faith for a while
With what feelings can the Right Rev. and
Rev. gentlemen exhibit as peculiarly worthy Of
belief man who so frequently and palpaby
contradicts himself?
Here is then the only proper explanation OF
his state Of belief from under his own hand.
What is the doubt which tortures him? Pur-
gatory? No-Hell! And the Roman Catholic
Church is not so compiaisant as to be satisfied
with Purgatory alone. Will Bishop Kemp al
low Mr.. White TO strike out such doctrines as
do not suit his taste? Will the Presbyterian. and
Methodist patrons of this "Book of Evidence"
give up their doctrine of He'll? The Roman Ca
tholic Church taught this amongst other a6sur-
dities, and her faith was indivisibie. Mr. White
had long been prepared for this change, his con-
science still recollected the clips OF superior
softness,'' and all those desires 10 crafty which
he "could have died." that conscience recolecl-
ed those "crimes" and that "remorse" the "mi-
sery that embittered YOUTH and why should
God be cruel? Yet the Catholic Church could
not give up one title. Is this witness 10 be
credited when he asserts that this inhdelity
was not the result of troubled conscience?
After the exhibition which he has made of
himself, how could he assert as he does 90.
Evidence, "When | examine the state Of my
mind previous to my rejecting the Christi an
faith. cannot recollect any thing in it but what
is in perfect accordance with that form OF re-
ligion in which was educated" In how ma
ny palpable contradictions has he not been de-
tected? And yet this man is 10 be a witness a.
ganst the Roman Catholic world! Nay, he is
to testify against others also. Observe how
kindly he treats his old Catholic friends when
compared with some of his. American patrons.
Letters of Doblado, p. 80.
"Enthusiasm-that bastard of religious liber-
|
not thrive under the jealousy of infallible au-
thority. Catholicism, ii is true, has in few
instances, produced sort of splendid madness;
but its visions and frances partake largely OF
the tameness of mind, previously exhausted
by fears and agonies meekly borne under the
authority Of a priest. The throes of the new
birth, harrow up the mind of the Methodist,
and give it all that phrenzed energy OF des-
pair, which often settles into the all-hoping,
all daring raptures Of the enthusiast"
What say his Methodist patrons to this?
shall now close this letter with statement of
our progress. This redoubtable witness, in his
account of himself in his evidence against
Catholics" exhibits for himself, to us the pic
ture of a well disposed, pure, ingenious, reli-
gious youth, led through the path Of virtue and
learning to the altar, but becoming an inhdel
because of the absurdites Of Catholicism. "Ih
DoblaGo's letters he exhibits himself the vic
tim of infdelity and a gross criminal, totally
disqualified in moral, religious, and literary
point of view, for the state of life which he en-
braces the prohigate companion Of prohigate
in60els, yet not totally bereft of all leaning to
faith until about year after his ordination.
Already his character as witness against the
Catholic Church is lower than despicable; 5ut
as yet we do not see him as low as he must ap-