Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-11-03
LETTER vi.

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against US asa witness of extraordinary guam
cations We have seen that ne had not the
proper theological knowledge TO mt HIM Tor De-
ing sufficient Judge OF doctrine. we ha'e
seen that he was immoral IN ms conuuCt' ue
ceitful in his youth; an early hinder; connr'hee
and steady hypocrite: pretending 10 nave d.
fect;on in order TO excite sympathy; and falsely
calling God TO witness that he hlled places,
WHICH il was legally and morally impossible
for him 10 hold; and the solemn secrets oil which
&c he did hold them, he had sacrilegiously be-
traved. I now ask the Right Rev. Doctor
Kemn. and his associates, whether this is the
witness upon whose testimony they ask the PEG,
ME Of America to condemn the great church OF
Christendom, and to despise its members: ask
whether the testimony OF this man "ou.u oe
taken as ofvalue, in any case OF momeh'' !" any
court? Whether his simple assertion Is eSi'
dence?--I shall be told, that Mr. w hne chaf-
acter is not the true question - nat 'he uuT
question is the character of our church Yes.
Rp,sMr White is the witness who defames our
chn,cb and the value of the defamation de-
nends nnon the competency Of the witness; and
therefore il was, that delayed so long IN ex-
aiming his competency, and took up so much
ofyour time in shelving, that as regarded
witness Therefore whatever is supported on
" bv his festimonu is 10 be dsreg arded. shall
examine all his charges, separating what rests
only upon his testimony, from that which has 9th
or support, and thus, by this apparently useless
examination Of his character, we shall lind our
work greatly abridged. Butt cannot consent
as vet 10 close my inquiry into the, history OF
the gentleman himself. To use his own words,
believe it very useful since he is one OF class
which presents moral phenomenon "to pro-
coed with his moral dissection however IN
pleasant the task may be.
recommence his evidence, p. 90
.When examine the state OF my mind pre-
yious to my rejecting the christian ialth, can
not recollec, any thing IN 1t but ~hatwas IN per-
feet accordance with that form OF religion III
which / was educated | revered the Scrip
lures as the word Of God; but was also persuad-
ed that without "a living infaillble interpreter
the bible was dead letter, whlcn coniu ho'
convey its meaning with any CERTAINLY Srounu-
ed therefore my christian faith upon the ih'aiii-
Billy Of the church. No Roman cathohC pre-
tends to a better foundation II believe "ha..
ever the holy mother church holds oelieSeS'
is the compendious creed OF every MEMBER OF
the Roman communion. Hao my oou''S
affected any particular doctrine, shouia nave
chung 10 the decisions OF acharch whien Claims
exemption from error; but my nrst oono's at
lacked the very basis Of Catholicism. believe
that the re asoning which SHOOK my iai'h 10 no'
ns,y IN the vast field of theological controversy.
But protest that it such be the case, the com
r;dsncr adds weight to the argument, for am
perfectly certain that 1t was the spontaneous
sp,,agestion Of nv own mind / thought with
IN mvself that the certainty ofthe Roman cath
ol;c faith had no better ground than fallacy OF
that kind which is called arguing in circle; |
believed the infallibility Of the church, because
the scripture said she was infallible; whilst
had no better proof of that the scripture said so
than the assertion Of the church that she could
no, mistake the scripture. In vain did ! en-
deayour TO evade the force OF this argument;
;ndeedI still believe it unanswerable. WAS,
then, christianity nothing but a groundless fab
rio. the world supported by an elephant, the E.
lephant standing on tortoise? Such was the
conclusion 10 which | was led by a system
which impresses the mind with the obscurity &
insufficiency of the written word Of God Why
should consult the scriptures? My only choice
was between revelation explained by the church
of Rome and no revelation. Catholics who
live in Protestant countries may, in spite OF the
direct tendency Of their system, practically per
ceive the unreal nature of this dilemma: But
wherever the religion of Rome reigns absolute
ly there is but one step between 1t and inhdeii-
ty."
Before proceed farther, allow me to note
the ialsehoods ofthis passage
No.Is Previous to his rejecting the christian
faith. he canno, recollect any thing in his mind
tina, was no, in perfect accordance With the
form ofrelieion in which he had been educat-
ed!!!
Should you now recolect his avOwals, multi
piled and repeated during years, and deliber-
a,elv written in direct contradiction TO this:
look back TO my second, and third letters.
No. 2. "Had my doubts affected any particu-
lar doctrine. should have cluag 10 the decls-
ions of church which claims exemption from
error. but nv first doubts attacked the very ba'
sis Of Catholicism
Thar this is fasehood we have abundant
evidence. In the first place, in his evidence
& p. 30, he writes,
AS my rejection of revealed religion had
been the effect, NOT not Of direct objection to ats
Audiences, but of weighing tenets against then
which they were not intended to support; TIT