Vandalia Whig and Illinois intelligencer. [volume] (Vandalia, Ill.) 1832-183?, 1832-08-22


agree with regard to tieir passions; if there be
ANY difference among them, it is this; that the
more superstitious, they are always the more vi
cious; and the more tley believe, the less they
practice. This is Melancholy consideration to
a good mind, it is a firth, and certainly worth
while to inquire into. We will, therefore, probe
the wound and search . the bottom: we will lay
the axe to the root of tie tree, and shew you the
true reason why men 70 on in SHINING and re-
penting and SHINING gain through the whole
course of their lives, and the reason is, because
they have been laugh, most wickedly taught,
that religion and virtutare two things absolutely
distinct, that the deficiency of might be sup
piled by the deficiency of the other; and that
what you want in write you must make up in
religion But this religion, so dihonorable to God,
and so pernicous to MN, is worse than Atheism,
for Atheism, though ittakes away one great mo-
tive to support virtue in DISTRESS yet it furnishes
no man with arguments to be vicious, but super.
stition, or what the world means by religion, is
The greatest possible encouragement to vice, by
setting up something as religion which shall
atone and commute for the want Of virtue. This
is establishing iniqut, by law, the highest law
by authority, the highest authority, ha, Of God
himself. We complsin of the vices of theworid,
and of the wickednes of men, without searching
mo the true cause. 1t is not because they are
wicked by nature, for that is both false and imp
Gus; bat because to serve the purposes OF their
soul Sarers, they have been carefully
taught that they are wicked by nature, and can
not help continuing so. Il would have been ln'
possible for men to have been both religious AM
vicious, had religion been made to consist where
in alone it doth consist and had they been al
ways taught that true religion is the practice OF
irtue i'll obedience to the will OF God, who pre-
Vides over all things, and will finally make every
man happy who does lis duty.
THIS single opinion in religion, that all things
are so well made by the Deity, that virtue is Its
own reward, and tina, happiness will ever arse
from acting according to the reason of things, ii
that G I'D, ever wise and good, will provide some
happiness for those who suffer tor
virtues sake, is enough to support man under
all difficulties, too keep him steady to his duty
and to enable him to stand as firm as rock,
amidst all the charms 81 applause, profit and hon
Or. But this religion Of reason which all men
are capable of, has been neglected and condem-
ned, and another set up. The natural consequent
ces of which have puzze mems understandings
and debauched their morals, more than all the
LEVIED Poets and Athestical Philosophers that ey-
er infested the world; for Instead Of being taught
that religion consists in action, or obedience to
he eternal moral law of God, we have been most
gravely and venerably told that it consists IN the
belief certain opinions which we could form no
idea of, or which were contrary to the clear per-
ceptons of our minds, or witch had no tendency
to make US either wiser or better, or which is
much worse, had manifest tendency to make us
wicked and immoral! Aud this belief, this i'm
moral And this belief, this impiuus belief,
arising from imposition on one side. and from
want of examination ON the other, has been cali
ed by the game of religion, whereas real and
genuine religion consists in knowledge and obe-
lience. We know there is God, and we know
his will, which is. that we should do all the good
we can; and we are assured by his perfection,
that We shall find our own good in 50 doing. And
what should we have more? Are we after such
inquiry, and in an age full of liberty, children
still! and cannot we be quiet unless we have ho-
ly romances, sacred fables and Evolutionary tales
to amuse us in an idle hour, and 10 give rest 10
our souls, when our foies and vices will not sui
fer us TO rest? You have been taught, indeed,
the right of belief, for orthodoxy will, like char
lty, cover a multitude Of sins; but be not decelv
ed: belief of, or assent to the truth of PROPOSE
tons upon evidence, is not virtue, nor unbelet
a vice; faith Is not a Voluntary act, it does not
depend upon the will forevery man must believe
or disbeiieve, whether he will or not according
evidence appears 10 him.
If, therefore, men, however dignled or distin-
gushed, command US to believe, they are guilty
Of the highest folly and absurdlty, because IL Is
out OF our power; but if they command us to be-
lieve, and annex rewards to belief, and severe
penalties to unbelief, then they are most wicked
and immoral. because hey annex rewards ana
punishments to what is Involuntary, and, there's
fore, neither rewardablehor punishable. 1t APP
pears then, very plainly unreasonable and un-
Just to command us to bdieve any doctrine, good
or bad, wise or unwise; but, when command us
to believe opinions, which have not only no ten
dency to promote virtue, but which are allowed
10 commute or atone Tor the want u it, then are
they arrived to the utmost pitch of impiety-
then is their iniquity full: then have they inlsh-
ed The misery, and completed the destruction Of
poor mortal man; by betrayiug the interests of
virtue, they have undermined and sapped the
foundation of all human happiness, and how
treacherousy and dreadful have they betrayed
il! A gift, well applied, the chatering of some
sounds called creeds; an unielgn'
ed assent and consent to whatever the cbdrch
enjons, religious worship and consecrated leasts; ;
repenting on death bed pardons rigbdy sued
out ;and dissolution auhontatively gwen, have
done more towards making and continuing men
vicious, than ali the natural passions and lntlde-
lily out ;opether. for infdeitf can only take away