Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1843-08-02
IL. For the Vermont Telegraph.
Mystery and Supers:ition.
WooDSToCK, July 24th, I84

WooDsToCK, July 24th, l843.
Brotber Murray y our favorable uo-
tee OF The lame production Of my pen, has
emboldeneG me to try again. The effort
may be unsuccessful; but duty calls, and
must be obeycd. The thought has often
occurred to me 'of late, that one Of the
great errors of the religious world
= one which Causes, perhaps, more
superstition, and misery, than any other
lis, the mysticism which is constant
ly thrown around The idea of God
What is God is the natural inquiry or
OF every human mind. Let young low
er Of truth ask this question of one who is
called a good, pious, exemplary christian,
-one who would on no consideration be
guilty Of practicing any manner Of decep-
uon, III the popular ,accepta,on oflhe word,
and What will he his answer? FRS,
he will say, God is spirit, everywhere
present. - And the very next moment, in
speaking Of his greatness. goodness, and
power, he Will point 10 high throne, on
which he SITS with crown 0! pure gold
upon his head, AMI surrounded by angels,
who are constantly chanting his praises,
from Instruments Of fine gold. Thus
IIkening an omnipNtent spirit to atempor-
al king, surrounded by sIaUes, AID adorn-
ed with filthy lucre - mammon. Does
not the young mind Immediately see that
it is an absurtity TO speak of a spirit as
seated in form, in place, and surrounded
BY other .tofms? Nest assuredIy, the in
consistency will be perceived, and express
ed too. And what are the replies, which
are daily made 20 such artless express
ions? Are they mol, in substance, like
The following ? These are mysteries
which must not be examined. Finite
creatures cannot understand the mysteries
Of inGaity. We must not reason on these
things. but build our hopes on faith, trust
ing all shall be revealed in due tine
Or something equally indefinite, and IN
satisfactory 2 Then we are exhorted to
" Worship God, with all our migh mind,
and strength" Aud what, in the name
of sense, can be found in all this iargon,
TO worship? Can the immortal MUD Of
MN reverence a thing 50 utterly void Of
all true Relations within i:seIG2 Ii is alb
so!utely impossible. 1t is a base libel on
human nature 10 suppose any such thing
Why not say that God is Trath, or Mind,
or something Of which it is possible to
form some conception For myself
would notaobjecl TO calling The universe OF
mind, God But no. this will not do.
Everybody can understand something Of
MUD. Taere is not enough of mystery
about IL, to keep the people ia solemn, ig-
norant ave. By the help of bag bear
God, AMI hum-bug Deyil, The learned,
arfa lew are enabled TO ride, rou3h .shol,
over the necks Of The ignorant, artIess and
comparatively innocent many. Can those !
who see these enormigles by the light of
universal truth, be silent and yet sin not
Is not silent acquiescence, in this case,
gate as much wrong as clamorous par
tlcipatlon2 Shall The stronger members
of our great family, thus destroy the mar
hood Of the weaker? God forbid. 1t IS
time for those who do already see. to strip
the thick scales from the eyes of their
brethren, that seeing. all my rejoice in
the truth, which makelh free unto saliva
tioa from present damnation. We have
all been cropping in tho thick darkness of
error. for something in the future, long
enough. Let us now come into the light,
throw down the false partitions, which op. |