Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1830-08-06
REFLECTIONS.
such M meliorate the heart,
Compose the passions and exalt the mind -

Compose the passions and cxait the mind -
In order that Religion should Weld
Its full and best fruits, one thing is ne
cessaty; and the times require that
should state it with great distinctness.
II is necessary that religion should be
held and protested III liberai spirit.
Just as lar as 1t assumes an intolerant,
exclusive, sectarian form, 1t subverts
instead OF strengthening the souls free
dom and becomes the heaviest and most
CALLING yoke which is laid on the intel
lect and conscience. Religion must
be viewed, not as monopoly ofpriests,
ministers, or sects, not as comforting on
any man a right To dictate to his fellow
beings, not as an instrument by which
the few may awe the many, not as be.
slowing on one prerogative which is
not employed by all bu, as the property
al every human being, and as the great
subject of every human mind. 1t must
be regarded as the revelation of com
mon Father TO whom all have equal
access, who invites all to the like iu-
mediate communion, who has no iavo
rites, who has no intallible expounCers
OF ms Will, who opens his works and
word to every eye, and calls upon all
to read for themselves, aud to follow
featlesSly the best convictions Of their
own understanding. Let religion be
seized on by individuals or secrs, as
their special province; let them cl the |
themselves with Gods prerogatve of
judgment; let them succeed in enfor-
cling their creed by penalties OF law, or
penalties Of opinion let them succeed
IN fixing a brand on vriuous men
whose only crime is free investigation
and religion becomes the most blight
ing tyranny which can establish itself
over the mind. You have all heard off
the outward evils, which religion, when
thus turned into tyranny, has inflicted
how 1t has dug dreary dungeons, kim
died fires of the martyr, and in
vented instruments Of exquisite torture.
But to me all tins is less fearful than it's
influence over the mind. When Sc e
the superstItions which it has fastened |
on the conscience, the spiritual terlors
the ignorant and susceptible, the dark
appalling views of God which it has
spread far and wide, the dread of i'll
quiry which it has struck into superior
understandings, and the ssrvllity Of spi-
rIt which it has made to pass for pieiy,
when L see all this, the fire, the seal
told, aud the outward inquisltion, terri
bic as they are, seem To me inferior
evils. l look with a solemn Joy on the
heroic spirits, who have met freely and
fearlessly pain and death in the cause
OF truth and human rights. But there
are other victims OF Intolerance, on
whom | look with unmixed sorrow.
They are those, who spell bound by
early prejudice or intimiations FROM
the pulpit and the press, dire not think
who anxionsly stIfle every doubt or
misgIvlng in regard to their opinions,
as II to doubt werea crime; who shrink
from the seekers after truth as from in
lection. who deny all virtue that does
not wear the livery of their own sect
who, surrenGerng to others their best
powers, receive INTERESTINGLY teach
ing which wars against reason and
conscience and who think it merit
10 impose on such as live within their
influence, the grievous bondage, which
they hear themselves. How much TO
be deplored is it, that religion, the very
principle which is designed to raise
men above the jugdment and power oil
man, should become the chief instru-
ment OF usurpaiion over the soul.
Ii is said. that in this country. where
the rights Of private judgment and of|
speaking and writing according to our
convictions, are guaranteed with every
solemnity by institutions and laws, re-
ligion Can never degenerate into tyrap-
ny; that here its whole influence mus,
conspire 10 the liberation and dignity
Of the mind. | answer, we discover
little knowledge OF human nature, i'll
we ascribe to constitutions the power
OF charming to sleep the spirit of intoJ-
erance and exclusion. Almost eye1y
Other bad passion may sooner be put to
rest; and for this plain reason. that in
tolerance always shelters itself under
the name and garb Of religious zeal.
Because we live in country where
the goes, outward, visible chain is bro |
ken, we must not conclude that we are
necessarily free. There are chains not
made Of iron, which eat more deeply
into the soul. An espionage Of JIgotry
may as eHectualy close our lips and
chill our hearts, as an armed and hun