Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1843-01-10

| The mos, mis- rabe dca Of the nature Of the Cos
pol they profess to b,licve their ouly notion too
often consists IN n confused general impression Of
= certain sncrdn'ss IN Scripture, which produces
lItlr eiirc, beyond tho, OF making them af,aId To
enter us precincts and search its rccrssrs for them
selves and W; more rariu les, It's sanctiy should
BE- invaded by others And their dread of openly
,ncouniering any contradictions md their anxious
desire 10 shelter thrmstlvcs under even the most
! frivolous explanations II II does not bcray lnrk
ing disirnsl Of The proper evidences of their faith
a, least evinccsthc lowest and most unworthy con
cep'ions Of the spirit and mcaning Of the Bible
and an almost total absence of due DISSECTION be-
tween the design and application OF the several
portions Of which II is made up
"Wnh others agiin the sincere but las we
must consider it) misguided spirit Of religions "a
j nalacsln. produces similar rtficis Blinded 70 AL
but the internal Ugh, of his spiritual impressions,
the enthusiast will always entertain deeply cot
ed and voted hostility against any such diStinc-
tons as those here advocated Maintaining the
literal application Of every sentence every svIla-
! bic olihc Divine word be rejects rs impious the
slightest departure from it Human reason along
with all science which is its offspring, is at best
carnal and nnsancti6cd and should any Of its
conclusions be advanced in contradiction to the
letter OF a scrpural text this completely seals its
condemnation as absolutely sinful and equivalent
to a rejection of revelation altogether
| "ln such cases we may most readily make eve.
~ allowance due to sincerity, however mistaken
But there are other instances in which unfortunate
lv.lnte claim TO such indulgence can be found
There are some who join most frequently in the
cry against science in general and geology in par
tcuIar, as dangerous TO religion, upom tie grounds
| If TcIigi0uS conriction.
"Thcir adoption OF a certain form of faith is die.
tatod by motives of erpcdiencg and the mere val.
ne of its practical effects on society Not them
selves recognising its claims rs founded in trpib.
they uphold the established creed. rs well as all
received errors popularity cngrah,d upon it, MS
convenient and oacctua instrument for securing
the Influence of practical restraints on the multi
tude Hence they condemn all inquiries which
may come in collision with any portion Of the
popular belief and against the agitation Of any
question which may shake established prcindcos
or suggest any distinctions in the application Of
Scripture, there is an immediate and indiscrimi-
nate cry raised that they unse,tlc mems minds
and are hercice doctrines of most dangerous
tendency; and such MS will weaken and eface al
sense Of religious and moral obligation
"But even among the best men and most sincere
believers, there exists too often n sort of dread oi
meeting such questions IN strictly honest frame
OF mlnd Those who have the most conscientious
tluln III every tnlUr else, seem 10 tllDk
1t dispensed with in supporting the cause of relg
ion; and while they earnestly condemn those who
in former ages could Justify the pous frauds in,
troduced in support of the received faith, are vet
themselves Influenced by the very same spirit. on
~ IN different form. in spreading the dssemina
ton OF knowledge, if even imagined to be Mt var
ance with established religious belief The one
party seeking to support religion by the propaga
ton Of falsehood the other by the suppression oil
truth both agree in treating truth as if it were
fllschood, and tins give its enemies the flires
ground to think it so
Fortified by this authority may venture TO rs
ser that legislative articles Of faith and endowed
churches trammcl und wholesome activity Of III,
superior faculties Of the human mind; and thus
far serve as impcdmenls to the advancement o
civilisation.
am far, however from affirming that the he
redary peeragc and established churches are frl
by every British subject as obstacles to his onioy
mcnt; or that hundreds ofthousands of intelligent
good, and sincerely Christian men Of all ranks
are not reared under their SWAY The Austrian
government, civil and ecclesiastical has mouldc,
] the opinion Of the people into harmony with irscl
and common minds in that country are happy un
I der it, and desire no change In Britain also In
institutions the state have communicated thci
s own forms 10 opinion; and millions Of BritisI
r subjects admire ana honor the hereditary peeragc
8 while their souls rejoice under the wings Of rec
V tors bishops, and arch-bshops But it may ney
$ ertheless be true that the British Institutions ik
r the Austrian, msdircct the minds even of hos
s who are comparatively happy and certainly con
4 tented, under them. The British clergy will re-
T cognse the truth Of this proposition when apple
e to the Austrian people, and concede that ihci
bnn1. tnouyn wIiung, suplccuon 10 popcrv is al
. obstacle to their advance in civlisation bu, the
Y will probably deny that a blind although volunta
V ~, subsection to Cavanism produces any MUIR
Gus effects on the public mind II appears to me-
S however that IN Britain, as in Austria these inst
o tutions operate as weights REFRESHING free mcn,n
action; and that the more upright. searching. an
Q in1epen1ent the moral sentiments and intellectual
powers ofany Individual are the more severed
;, do they check his pursuit ofhappincss disvow
y however, every desire to see them 1brogated b
: force, or prcmaiurely abolished by TEMPORARY
f and uncnllghtcned excitement public feeling -
4 reason and moral suasion are the only weapon
: By which they can be ovenhrown without prolu
i cling evils much greater than themselves
I First Annual Report Of the New England Sill
Convention.
COnitaBed
EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS
1 In regard 10 the letters received the Commit