The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-09-04
Communications.
FOR THE MADlsoNlAS.
REVIEW OF MR.. BROWNSONS DOC
TRINES. Concluded

TRINES.-Concllded
"There must be no class of men set apart, and au'
thorized either by law fashion to speak TO us In
the of God, to be Interpreters OF the word oil
God. "-Boston Quarterly Rerietc.
In this country, all the authorization which is given
by law to the ministry of the Gospel, is protection to
its ministers in the exercise of their functions and in
the right to receive their dues according to contract
OF these rights Mr. Brow nson would deprive both the
people and the minister Though the people may ear
nestly wish to employ minister, according to their
views to preach to them the glorious Gospel of the
blessed God and pay him for his services, they are
to be deprived of that right by law. Such are Mr..
Brownson's enlarged notions of religious liberty He
would deprive the whole community Of the right OF
exercising their modes of religious faith according
their conscientious opinions, and subject them
to the necessity of exercising it according to the no
tons which Orestes A. Brownson & Co. entertain on
that subject It is not sufficient that he may exercise
his rights in any way that he may deem fit all Others
must be compelled to exercise them according to the
same modes that he deems expedient He and his
unto to prescribe to this great nation of sixteen
millions of people, the forms in which they to
else their religious worship. "We object" says he,
ito every thing like an outward visible church," and
one or to preach in one In plain English he would
prohibit the assembling of all persons tor such purpose
and all persons, such termed Ministers of
the Gospel from appearing in pulpit there to speak
interpreters Of the word off God
This is stretch far beyond the first proceedings
of the French revoutonists in relation to ecclesias
cal matters They made provision for the clergy, but
not such provision the factious priests of bgoted
superstition accustomed to live in deness upon rich
salaries, willing to receive These priests
stirred up instruction and engaged in intrgues with
foreigners for this and other reasons The revou
tionsts then provoked to unjust and athelstca
measures. But Orestes A. Brownson & Co. have not
even this apology for wishing to Danish the clergy
from their pull pits and depnving the people of the
right of worship in their way. The clergy Of
this country have made complaints to him; and as
body to no one else, about their salaries have stir
red up no insurrecon; have asked for no pccuniary
aid from the State; have desired nothing but the pro-
lection of equal laws and the people have asked for
nothing but to be protected in the right OF worship
ping the everlasting God who made Them in the way
deemed by them most acceptable to him. They want
no dictation on this subject from OIestes A. Brown
son G. Co, or from any other quarter and he and his
abettors may rely upon it, that they will tolerate none
on this the sacred of their rights They want no
Mahomet or imitator of Mahomc with sword at
their throats to prescribe to them what tcnets they
shall believe, or what forms of alteration they shall
adopt whether they shall make contract to pay the
preacher, or not pay him. And they will suffer the
enactment Of no law which curtas them of these
rights.
For while atheists and dests seemed, body in
this country content with the right of worrhpPng or
not worshipping in their own way. But those who
know from the Bible and historical research the nature
of moral principles, knew long since that these men
would never tolerate the worship of Christians if pos
scssed Of the power to forbid it. The example OF
France showed what they meant by liberty and toe-
ration, when they had the power of law making on the
subject that they meant the shutting up of all church
es unfortunately; the worship as they phrased it. Of
reason alias of harlot gaudiy alfred and publicly
honorcd and venerated in the Pantheon; the inscrIp
ton on the tombs, by legislative enactment, that
death is an eternal sleep" and the legislative declare
ton proof of the excellence of their morals, that
there is nothing criminal in the promscuous com
merce of the sexes" The present sages at Boston
and elsewhere if they comld succeed in their hst de-
signs, would, | solemnly believe, not stop short OF
these horrors They the legitimate and inevitable
result of their principles, logically carried out and
practically enforced Could those men succeed they
would after slaughtcrng others soon attack one ano-
Their because their principles necessarily debase them
selves and steep their authors If once in power in the
worst criminal excesscs and il generally ascendant,
spread and invigorato general immortality Mr. Brown |