Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1848-02-24
INFIDELITY ANSWERED.

ness, and adjourned.
INFIDELITY ANSWERED.
A. New York correspondent. of the Bali
more American gives the following brief
shetch Of one of Prof. WINEs's Lectures,
delivered in that city, upon the institutions
and Laws of Moses:
Prof. WINES delivered his sixth Lecture
at the chapel of the Theological Seminary
His object was to justify the wisdom AMI
benevolence of the Mosaic code against tn.
objections of infdels and freethinkers. The
erroneous notions in reference to these laws
had arisen he said from misunderstanding
of their special objects, that a prominent
object, in addition to all the ordinary ends
of government (such as the security of lie
liberty and the pursuit of happiness was tn.
prevention Of idolatry and superst!,ion.-
This was good and sufficient reason TO
those statutes, which seem at first view, .r
fling, and which infdels, without investigs'
ton, have ridiculed as unworthy the Deity,
such as eye shall not round the corners of
your heads: neither shalt thou mar the CIR
ner of your beard" This prohibition, with
has called forth only sneers from the ere
mics Of revelation, was really important, b.
ing designed to prevent foolish and wickd
superstition prevalent with certain idolates
who depended on this peculiar mode of GU
ting their hair and beard, for acceptance n
the worship Of their gods, sc.
s'sWsnss9 fes6, the re Reason appended IS IN
the express words: Eye shall not walk in
the manners of the nations which cast out
We shall therefo put difference between
clean beasts and unclean.' The religious
sentiment has ever been of controlling en-
ergy over mems practices. 1t cannot be
otherwise than that the gods they worship
should constitute a capital element in the
formation of their character. Like gods
like worshippers. The worshippers of a
Jupiter, Mars Bacchus, a Baal and a
Venus could hardly help being sanguinary
and licenlious.
After a graphic description Of the cruel
and polluling rites Of idoIatry, as it existed
even among the most refined nations OF
antiquity, the Professor said, it could no
be doubtless tina, il was entirely becoming
the wisdom, the justice, and the goodness O
the one true God, to check these spreading!
and direful evils, and TO bring men back from
their idolatrous follies 10 the belief and or
ship of himself
For this reason, also, temporal blessing
and punshments, which were common in
ducements to ldolatry, being made part q
the Hebrew code, became motives Of tru
religion, instead of announcements to poly
theism. 1t may be said with reverence tina
God was under sort of necessity to pro
coed in this manner, adapting his laws to lh
nature and circumstances of man.
The punishment for idolatry, moreove,
said the lecturer, was no expedIent to male
religious by arbitrary force-no infringement,
of their rights or their freedom of sentiment
They had uozuntarily chosen God for their
king, and entered into covenant with him
TO serve and worship him as the only true
God and their rightful sovereign. ldola,r,,
therefore, was treason against the govern
ment Of their own choice, and, as such, Wis
plainly punishable, being capital offen.e
against the State.
1T. Col. FREMoNr's SENrENcE-H HIS
Resignation ofhis Commissiom-The rece,l
Court Martial found Lieut. Col. Fremont
guilty Of all the charges preferred againt
him, viz. Muliny, disobedience of order,
and unbecoming conduct, for which he WIS
sentenced to be dismissed from the servie.
The sentence however, was waived by tie
in consideration Of Lieut. Coloml
Fremont's past services and heroic conduit,
and he was ordered to join the Rifle Reg
ment in Mexico; but Immediately on hea.-
ing the Presidents decision, on Saturday,
he resigned his commission in the Army
This affair is much to be regretted. 1t. Cd.
Fremont was brave and daring officer, aid
bid fair to win further distinction. Disc
pline and strict subordnation in the army.
however, must be maintained at all haz-
ards.