Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1843-10-04

OF men. Or rather, in my own view of the
matter, il establishes itself in the ignorance
OF men, by going on from what men are, aud
creating TO itself ideal gods like unto them
Edmund Quincy, think it is, has said Thar
men will not be better themselves than thew
make their gods to be. 1t is nv own opin-
ION that the character Of their gods will quite
as much depend oh their own character. as
| their own character OF the character of their
! gods. believe the real has more to do in
forming the 1dedb than the ideal in forming
the real. Il is not inconsistent with this
view TO allow that men may, in forming TO
themselves - or rather from themselves
their gods, carry their imag,nations of di-
vine character beyond the reality with them
selves for goodness as well as for badness.
But the facts will show that in this imaoin
airy work they have not any more transcend
ed human goodness on the one aand than
they have human badness on the other.-
While on the one hand they sing of mercy
and love, In their deties, transcending their
own, on the other they portray in them wrath
and terrible vengetulness, quite as much ex-
ceedlng the worst thing ever exhibited in hu-
man character. Think of drowning one
world of inhabitants, burning up another,
and then turning both, and thousand times
more, into lake of fire and birthstone To-
burn and agonize with increasing torment
eternally! The religionists who have con-
, jured TO themselves such theory, tell US
f their deity is Interchangeable in all his aitri-
: butes. All this it is not possible to put to-
gether in the exercise Of reason. That love,
and revenge should dwell together in one
being, at one and the same time, is as i'm
possible as for light and darkness at the
same time TO occupy the same space.
To these views think the Editor of the
Investigator will subscribe. But has he not
fallen into a measure and part Of the same
absurdity and Inconsistency, when he pro-
tests against viaadictiDenessn and "DuniSh-
ments," and yet holds to '.t7ogging," as in
his former article? If fiogging will be right
under some circumstances, imprisonment
will be right under others, hanging under
others, and so on, to the full measure of ven
geance. 1t is worse than idle and vain for
one man to pretend to say he has hogged
another or can do it, without being in the
exercise of retributiVe, punitive, vindictive
r feelings. Whoever undertakes to say that
any such thing is possible, should at once
cease TO reproach bigoted, dementaied relg-
ionists, for holding to similar things in The.
dolngs OF their deites. The truth is, no
= doubt, the attributing of such things 10 The
Source Of Goodness, comes from their exist
> ence among men. | commend to the Editor
of the Investigator an investigation of the
d case for himself, TO know how much modern
It church and state religion has had to do in
d giving shape to his present views and esIabs
n fishing him in his present position, touching
e the point under consideration. This is not
id meant merely as argumentum al hominem.
: He is not here brought in proximity with a
49, detestable system for the sake of bringing
odium upon him or his cause, In his own eyes
=. or the eyes Of others. But think he can
- not object TO looking into mirror.
Il Let US now look at the idea of re.
err straining laws" amounting to " rewards
as and punishment" no further than " TO be
'm awarded as encouragenents 10 virtue and
ad Heterogeneous TO vice, rather than as
ere infections of what is called retributive
niS Justice" In what are such laws to con
vi sist? What are they TO be The Edit
.'c or of the investigator has not defined no
20 specifed-unlessh his former Aogging cas-
no is to be taken as an indication. of his views
his That has just been under examination
of sufficiently perhaps for the present
ing Whether that is TO be taken as an indca
be, ton Of what be would have for g restrain
EN- ing laws, or not, think he will be in di fl
cd Guilty whenever be undertakes TO define
'ue Statutes and commands without penatie
=. are worse than mockery and nullity
on. They can only disease without power L
ing cure. They can only deprave withou
on any means to- renovate. H must be ut
this terly wanting ia experience and observe
GU ton who does not know that threatenin!
red. without execution is worse than useless
'eet But if penalties are TO be annexed an;
used, then they must be proportloned an
suited in kind and degree. to the crime
D. gainst which they are TO be restraint
;ga. A frivolous penalty attached to an enor
ish- nous crime, brings the whole proceedin,