The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1832-08-22
FOR THE M4ssAcHusETTs spy.
TRUTH.


where more common than in speaking of he Gov
eminent of God. Every one who admits tina; the
/ Deity has established laws over the natural world
must 1t the time admit that the violation of
those laws incurs penalty. These laws and the
| penalties which result from a violation of them
have 4 uniform and unchaneing relation to each
other. The same penalty which followed the
lation of law one thousand years ago, follows the
violation Of the same law under the same crcum-
stances at the present day, and VIII cOntlnne to fol-
low it whilst the present order OF things remains
The Creator has constituted the universe in JUS
! tice and wisdom. He has ordained and establish
cd laws which, if Obeyed, will promote the happi-
. ness Of the creatures subject To their influence
/ and if disobeyed will result in their misery; and
these results are always the same under the same
circumstances. The farmer who Thousand years
| ago could raise good crop, Will now, under SINH
lar circumstances, raise as good crop and no bet.
/ ter. Animals and vegetables have the same hab-
its now that under similar circumstances they have
had from the remotest periods OF antiquity. Our
moral and intellectual faculties the same now
that they were in the earliest periods OF history.
One OF the first and most important Of the laws
of nature is order. Every thing in the natural
world is subject to this law. The motions of the
heavenly bodies are so completely controlled BY it,
that their places and relative positions with all the
changes consequent upon them, can be calculated
with the utmost exactness for ages to come. So
well assured we of the unchangeableness OF
tins law, that when its application has been once
discovered we rest entirely satisfied that it will
remain the same for ever, and conduct ourselves
accordingly. The laws of nature are definite and
never vary. Physical laws as they usually
Called although there is, strictly speaking no good
reason Tor the distinction for our moral and intel
lectual Faculties are much the result of organ,-
ZatOn, as any Of our other vital functions are
! never made use of to produce moral or inteliec-
tual effect and vice versa. If man obeys thephys-
ica laws he will succeed in producing the effect in
tended by those laws, although he may utterly dis.
regard the moral laws. The husbandman who ut.
terly dsregards the moral laws but obeys the laws
applicable TO husbandry, is as sure of good crop
as he is who devotes himself unerrngly to the du-
ties of religion and morality. The vessel which
bears crew Of pirates, whose only aim is plumber
and boodshed, sails with the same security as it
would if its crew were all pious and moral men,
provided both ews are equally skilful nayigators
But these immoral and rreligious deprive
! themselves Of all the blessings which religion and
morality are calculated to impart. These are facts
| of every day occurrence, and who will take
the trouble to observe the OF events will
deny it. He who violates the laws of our moral
nature brings upon himself mora punishment.
The man who utters fasehood, brings upon him
self the guilt of having offended his Maker. and
consciousness of his own self degradation. The
application Of these penalties comes under the
general law OF order, and any deviation from it
| must be miracle.
People, in general, who are much in the hab of
ascribing natural events to natural causes. when
about to judge Of the nature Of phenomenon
select these causes which, according 70 their
knowledge of the laws of nature, appear the most
likely TO be the true ones. Whenever phenome =
non presents itself to their minds and they un-
able 10 assign definite cause, they examine all
the circumstances attending the phenomenon. and
from these Judge of the cause. This is rational,
and Is the only method by which we can ever hope
to improve ourselves in the natural Sciences
There are, however. but few people who reason ia
| llu hn,,a
lar trait or bent in their character mode Of think
ing, which they act upon standard by which
TO judge other things without any discrimination at
all. No matter whether the subject be physical
moral, intellectual, it is all the same. People
, who are not much in the habit of tracing events
through their causes up to the Deity, ascrbe all
events to the particular act of God, without
once gIancing at the intermediate causes. If a
, person suffers a calamity, it is punishment which
God has sent upon him for some sin he has com.
m'tted. II man commits theft and afterwards
has his dwelling burned the calamity is attributed
to God as a punishment for the theft. But this
could not happen except as an act OF revenge by
some one acquainted with the theft. If man
makes his hay on the Pabbath and the next winter
his cattle die the loss is said to be the penalty oil
having transgressed the Sabbath. But :he Sabbath i;
religious institution, and the violation oil its obi
a., cations incurs penalties of a very different kind
. from such as would follow feeding cattle on I'M
wholesome food. We often hear al the present
day, from those engaged in soliciting charity fol
religious purposes anecdotes related 10 prove that
, IT person will give literally of money they will
De rewarded two-fold or more in property OF some
kind; the farmer with crops, the mechanic with
prosperous business. the LAWYER and the doctor
with unexpected calls, &c. But it is not in &C.
eordance with the character of God, 10 do injury
to one that another may be benefited. He has
created man in such manner as TO receive a nigh
er and more exalted reward for cherishing benev.
client and icharltabe feelings, and Of altogether
different character from those which result from
gratifying love of money: if not, the deed in one
case is just as commendable in the other, what
ever may be the necessity of performing it. 1t is
common with many at the present time, to say
that the attack of our troops which have been or
defed to the west to protect the whites from the
depredatlons of the Indians. with the cholera, is a
punishment sent by God for the wckedness of our
government towards them. But what rejecting
man will pretend to say that the detachment OF
troops ordered to Illinois by the way ofChicago
would have been less likely to have sickened
with the cholera, than they would have been un-
DER the same circumstances, if ordered to garrison
the forts at Mackinaw and Green Bay; or than
they would have been, had the been no dstuIban-
ces with the Indians Such events could rot fol-
low such causes without the aid OF miracle. II
our government has not treated the Indians we'll
the punishment which will naturally follow and
which does follow, is the depredatlOns Of the ma
tives upon our settlements and the dlscord which
follows IN our community and general government
such doctrines as these are calculated to lead
people away from the truth and give them errone-
Gus ideas OF the character Of God, especially when
they come from those, from whom we are accus-
toned to look for correct views on the subject.
| Enlightened persons will look upon such reason
ing. or rather such language, for 1t cannot he call
ed reasoning, as erroneous and deluslve, and cal
cnlated to convey wrong notions of the Divine
| character. 1t IS not calculated to enlighten, but
rather obscure our pathway to knowledge Of the
Deity. D.
Coon ADVICE. In one Of the courts in New
York, blacksmith who had git of STAN.
mcring to perfection, was called into court as a
witness between two journeymon OF his, in a
law suit; the amount in question being about
70 cents. The judge, after hearing his testi.
mony, asked him why he had not advised his
workmen to settle; the cost being FIVE times
the amount Of the disputed sum. In reply, the
witness observed" t.t.t-t.od the ioo.o OILS to
sci tic. | s-s.said tho con constable, would
take ihor co'o-oatV, the lawyers their sh shirts,
and by JJing Hthey got into yonr Hon. llonoTs
court, you'd SIX six SIX skin EN-"
| An Antwerp Journal contains the following
amusing account oil II recent duel in that neich
borhood. On arriving at the ground The
| two principals, who we're 10 fight with pistols.
entered into a parley. Come said une OF
| them, nothing remains but to measure the
distance will fight at any distance YOU
please, replied his adversary, but if either OF
us is ounded there will be an end TO the af
fair, and we may declare ourselves mutually
! satisfied Never said the first, zone of MS
! met ihn