Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1830-07-29
CONSEQUENCES OF ATHEISM.
Bu DR.. Chanting,

By OT. Cn0Mnsng.
Few men suspect, perhaps no man COM
prehends, the extent Of the supports given
by religion to every virtue. No man pre-
haps is aware, how much our moral and So
cial sentiments are fed from this fountain !; +
how powerless conscience would become
without the belief Of God how palsied
would be human benevolence, to quicken
and sustain it; how suddenly the whole
social fabric would quake, and with what a
fearful crash it would sink into hopeless
ruin, wero the ideas of Supreme Being,
of accountableness and Of a future life to
be utterly erased from every mind. Once
let men thoroughly believe that they are
the work and sport Of chance that no SUI
perior intelligence concerns itself with hui
man affairs; that all Stheir improvements
perish forever at death that the weak
have no guardian, and the injured no a
venger; that there is no recompence for
sacrifices to uprightness and the public
good; that an oath is unheard in heaven
that secret crimes have no witness but the
perpetrator that human existence has no
purpose, and human virtue no unfailing
friend that this. brief life is every thing to
~
once let them thoroughly abandon rel-
gion, and who can conceive, or describe
the extent Of the desolation which would
follow. 4. VA
We hope, perhaps, that human laws and
natural sympathy -.wonld hold society to-
gether. As reasonably might we believe,
that, were the sun quenched in the heav-
ems, ear torches could illuminate, and oar
fires quicken, and feftilize creation.--
What is there in human nature to awaken
respect aud tenderness. if man is the UNI
protected insect Of a day ? and what is he
more, if Atheism be true Erase ALL
thought and fear of God from commune
ty, and sel6shness, and sensuality would
absolve the whole man. Appetite, know
ing no restraint, and poverty and suffer-
ing, having no solace or hope. would tram
pie in scorn on the restraint of humans
laws. Virtue, duty, principle, would b
Knocked and spurned as unmeaning sounds.
A sOrdid self interest would supplant eve-
ry other feeling, and man would become in
fact, what the theory Of Atheism declares
him 10 be, . companion for brutes /
80.
Look Alofi.-The following anecdote
vas related to one of his friends by the late
Dr.. Goldman, Of philadelphia: In q voyage
. sea in early life, he had seen a lad who
lad just begun to be sailor, going out to
ome protective part of the rigging. His
lrms were supported by spar, and he was
ooking below him for rope which ran a.
ross, on which his feet should be-. The
ope fev from side to side, and il was evil
lent that the poor fellow was becoming
iizzy. and in danger Of falling, when the
nate shouted to him with all his force,
Look alofts! you sneaking lubber !" ByIi
has turning away his eyes from the danger,
he dizziness was prevented, and he found
lis footing. And this Incident, the Doctor
'aid, often required TO, his mind in after life,
yhen his troubles grew heavy upon him,
md he hardly could find ground whereonl
oetread. Atsuch time he heard the mates
hout in his ears, and turned his eyes /" a.
OFT, ITO the prize upon which he had fast
'ned his hopes. We cannot part with this
seautitpl illustration, without asking each
u our Feaders to apply il to a still nobler
purposes to steady themselves in all the
leMpests Of adversely by looking towards
hat life in which there is rest and peace
svarm0re; and when our flesh and heart
shall fail US, and we can find no support
under our feet, to seek ii by " looking a.
ofts"t him, = who is the strength of our
hearts. 3. and cur portion forever. !" I'll.
Pert Folio.
A. respectful hint may be suggested ia
persons employed in soliciting subscrip-
lions for books and periodical works. III
would be perhaps unjust to denounce en-
lirely the practice Of waiting upon citizens
i their dwellings, for this purpose, hut il
nay be intimated that there is peculiar
all upon their showing the utmost propri-
~ and modesfy upon such occasions.--
Instead Of dra4 - persons -sometime fe-
male menabers 0f she family--sffom their
occupations, without sending word Of their
usinsss, and OBTAINING them By long and
'artinacious exhibitions and commenda-
Ions Of the works tor which they. plead,
hey should remember that there is some
in the frst instance, that there
,re, they should upon one refusal with
raw. They should also in every case | {