New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1849-01-15


Kew. Dtuicl " Illsou. tie prest ~ ~
Bshopoi Calcui,s. ia hls vslusbl work on the hsl
dsnces al Christianity. divides lulleis nsl tnIee
classes fr,'-thc literary aud scient.hc ss.'sl-
the uninlormed and uegi-e 20 aud. nfrf-the .o \
AMI profane. Though i 5 admitted that there sre
somo Of tie first class among the iuidels o. the
presen. day. yet 10 VIII hardly be denied ihat by
/ lar toe iar-sst number belong Oh the second AZ
third Anldiu- . such men. SAYS Bishop WI
son. 30 I ask not whst are their Arguments ! as
. What Is their obvious temper 10 ullt haFe
thew ever shown q single marx Of d9clllty and
candor Have they ever acquired any sound il
formation ou the subject oi rel gicn Have they
ever made themselves acquainted With the View
Testament Do they Know what the Christianity
/ u which they oprose AK their parents. their
friend. their ncichbors The case speaks ior 70
sell Their unbeliei = not the result o honest ana
la5orous inquiry bar Of the careless vanity and
Indifference ~ a mind Inflated ana corrupted b!
immoral pleasures. and wuich has never ssrlous' y
examined the subject They have s.ldcd into Jun
deIity by the lapse VI time and the current oi the
passions They are not properly speaking, nHot-
lprsrf They 20 not know euou-h OF the biolc'
Their vices sni pride have occasioned doubts
f indeed but they dare not trust to them their
ignorance adopted these doubts but they 90 not
understand them Their vanity boasts OF these
doubts but they are not able T. make them a
/ resource.
Aas. that this portrait has So many couuterParts
IN the multtudes oi idle and d.sso.ute youth who
take refuge from the stngs OF an accusing con
science. ln the temples Of lnideHty, AMI there
vanly waste their energies In attempting 70 des
troy a zion of which they are sA-ost en.rei
ignorant.
Tifrfiy. Another leading cause OF the preva-
/ lence of luhteity. IS the i1HaeHtlbe tSn0rarct
/ riIrh prsraiis or ne c-idshcss 5y rti-t te trfh
/ u Pie Bibic - esf7thstcf.
They who sre in a great de- gree igHoraRt OF the
contents OF the Bible are Of course ignorant OF the
internal cri3ences OF rs truth, because this class
OF evidence IS derived from the character and nves
/ " the writers. the language and style when IS
adopted. the pure and lofty morality when ; eve
| rvWhere incl.cGtei. the clrcumstantalness OK tue
nsrrat0rs the coincidence Of tho accounts which II
/ contains with the history OF the various times IN
which is authors lived and wrote. and the won
! fsriui harmony and intimate connection hlch sub
sists between al tie parts OF scriptures, though
written by men o. very different conditions 10 Me
and who lived at widely different times
/ Nor can 70 be possible that those who adopt Inn
del sentiments can have duly examined rs remark
able external any more tnan It's internal evidences.
/ They surely must be ignorant OF the wonderful
fuifment OF It's Droufecies relating % the rise and
fall OF empires % the fate of the most celebrated
cities OF antiquity, % the past history ana present
/ condition 0i different particularly oi tne
nation OF the Jews and 20 the birth, lie suierinss
/ and death of our Lord Jesus Christ. They surely
csu never have examined the evidences g. De de
rived irom the wonderful miracles by which the
wonderful. truth Of divine revelation has been AZ
/ tested-mracles requiring the eXertlons OF ON
/ impotence and performed not IN secret but before
mutltudes OF people. with every facility ior de
tecting imposture, had Il existed and especlaiiy,
the most wonderful miracle of ALL the resurrection
Of Christ-a fact confirmed by a more overwhelm-
ing amount OF evidence than any other historical
! event OF equal antiquity. They surely must be IN
/ acquainted with the numerous and collateral test
monies % the truth OF the principal facts related
/ IN the Old Testament, derived from the appearance
OF the Earth surface, the i0ssilzed remains OF
/ the animals OF q former world, the universal ira
dtion OF a deluge the plain illusions Of ancient
| civil history aud mythology to that remarkable
/ event and macy other of the prominent facts re
/ ated IN the Old Testament aud particularly the
| evidence derived from the undersigned testimony
~ the truth of the facts recorded IN the New Iesta
meut found in the writings Of Tacitus, P0rphyry
CELSIUS Julian, and other proane historians or
early lnhdel opposers Of Christianity and from the
wonderful and early spread OF Christianity IN the
world, in spite OF persecution, obloquy and re-
| prOach None, ! Will venture % a-irm, can have
carefully studied the Bible, and candidly examined
and ghed the evidences Of Is truth % be de-
rived from these and many other sOurces-calmly
caudidly and lmpartlally-and then be, ln the iul-
est sense of the word. an lutdeL All. am per
suaded, v DO have thus studied the Bible, and the
evidences of its truth. will accord with the opinion
| of Count Struensee, before alluded t0. After
having carefully examined the evidences OF Chris
tanIty he exclsims, Like a man aNakcd from a
| dream, ! never imagined that Christianity was
founded upon such strong evidences, or that they
would have thus convinced me. After a calm cx-
animation. ! have found them 20 be unexception-
able aud none, u they only taxi proper time, and
are not avcnse TO the trouble OF meditatrg, can
ever examine II without being convinced Of It's
truth" Yes my brethren the fact IS uudenisble
81 at.
are ignorant OF its contents and because they have
never studied the evidences which prove It's origin
20 BE- divine
Fonfhiy Another cause Of the prevalence OF
lntdehty is doubtless % be found la the craving
Disregard ~ the SGJbafh among the multitudes OF
the young men of our land. Released on that day
from their week day ayocations an opportunity Is
afforded oi ass0ciatIng with others who remember
not the Sabbath Day % keep It holy, and many d
whom are jealous Ia the medication Of Iuhde
sentiments, either by leading the uuwary and I'M
experienced youth to places OF public resort,
where the Bible is made the theme of sport and
rdcule or else by more secretly lnsnuatlng their
corrupt and bsneiul principles into the young and
unsuspectng mind
The change referred to in my Introduction WI ich
has taken place IN the intellectual habits OF Chris
tendon, within the last few years, has produced
! certain independence of action well of
tbOught-UhlCh Is by no means confined 20 the
adult population. Boys, as well as men, are de
tsrmined 10 be independent and % think and act
for themselves, almost soon they can think
aud act at al. Consequently ia ALL except few
OF the best regulated families, the youth OF four
teen Or sixteen concludes that his Sabbaths 40
least are his OWL, and resolves % spend them as
best suits bis inclination Glad OF his release from
the employ the week he uultes " i'm other
young men IA spending the sacred hours Of the
sabbath IA what he at first persuades himself is
only innocent recreation; and without susQcctIng
that he j. rapidly descending a steep declIyity
which wal soon land him on the stagnant marshes
OF luhdety be proceeds step by step m his career
Of Sabbath breaking, TIL az length, % quiet his
conscience, he endeay0rs % persuade himself that
there 5 no God 10 punish the wicked, and finally
takes bis seat with the J)dest ia the chair Of the
sooner. Would that the p.ture that have
drawn were mere creation Of the imagination.
Alas alas that there 80 many Instances ali
around Is IN this great City which prove that it
s true 70 the life.
III. But 10 Is true that we proceed In the third
place % show that the Sabbath School IS a most
efectual sntidote 10 the causes Of intdelity which
have been named, and consequently the great
barrier % rs increase. IL should be cause o.
devout gratitude 70 God, that before the wasting
torrent Of luhdelity which swept over unhappy
France. and which showed is legitimate fruits IN
the horrible en0rmities which accompanied the
aHaH.t 4