Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1850-03-25
NQ;UMBER 43
flprtaee 5flltiitrl.

zy 81 payabls after sexpiratien, ass 2,5Q
Sapapsrs ediscon,tinued until lsll Ar.
eSss Ars PAID, except at the option of the
sdl6ilisy u spifatuaf Kaprings
there be my one trait in hurlan char,
/ rcser more amusing thap another, i. is. the
caprice ofpen's faith 10 things marvellous.
TIE same head often holds the, mast TN.
doubling beliefan the most increaible won.
defs, without particle ofrational evidence
ior them, and rejects facts capable OF proof
on Personal examination, and. atlesled' by
The best Of witnesses, merely because they
are extraordinary. The same class of
marveis IS often tenaciously believed in,
if:senIy came from the Past supported by
an obscure tradition; and .derided with ex-
treme scorn when witnessed by the, living
Sogreat is human Inconsistency in matters
pf faith, that if not very common. it might
we'll pass for miraculous. The Indian
hing thought The Dutch trader was a liar,
when Informed by him that in Holland
wafer sometimes became so hard thai an
elephant mightwalk nit. His skepticism
Mns not unreasonable, for he had never
seen ice, and bis witness lie knew; could
drive good bargain .s..,.s.s.s sst.s.r.s-.,
Toa CANDID Mahome,an, again, it might
MT seem mincredible.sth that men should con-
verse ins,antaneously, while hundreds. ol
miles apart, BY means ofo wire. To q
witness of such. a fact, he might say-sThis
Is very strnngelt that 4yon tell ,'me,e Of men
consersing at a distance, bnt believing as /
a.. tsiai good and evil genii pass in an in
slant over any distance in space, ! am in
cliped TO believe il. Besides, it is vel.
known 10 every, gaed Mussnlman: that the
coffin ofahe Prophet, blessed be Allah! was
carried into md-heaven, and is. SUSPENDED
there 10 7lta;s day. But Sill, for this fact
spus testify to, 1 should like little more
evidence Another mishtsay-'fhis s,o-
fy of yours is the idiest ofall possible tales,
Talk TO me Of cony ersing over space Of
hundreds Of miles by wires! Do,you think
inc fool! You might as well attempt to
apsrsuade. me of The lfn,h Of that other sto-
rysof yours, that iron cars run from end to
cad of syeurs country, driven by fire and
waller. The suspension Of Mahomet's cof-
6n is = fact; but what am 10 think Of such
lales as yours ! believe 10 rlarvels but
those ai,nts the Koran sanctions. OF these
supposed followers OF hiahontet, the former
Is Doubtless The; most reasonable. Both be-
lieys absurd traditions, But the eandor Of
the ono gives him some trulhs besides be-
sidefo belieye 10, while the stupid incre.
daIisy ofahe other shuts him up 10 false
Hoods. sss g s'ss s. go -.
Ii is no mark of wisdom 10 believe oil The
wonders which Religious Tradition has
brought down from the Past, and turn a
deaf ear 10 eli;atfested facts oflike char
actsr, which are. transpiring in. our own
day Il is also unwise3t to reject all the
marvel. which Religious Tradiaisn haseon.
-sscrn,ed. and believe only in those %which
modern Pharisaisn, sneers at. A candid
thinker win give credence 70 just 50 many
wonders sffem the Past. as in his opinion
Hhe lAws Of bsing viii allew-provided al
ways, asthey are well-attested as facts.
The same rule will govern him in his be.
lief of facts nl:ested by contemporary wit
nesses. He will not admit all the wonders
islalsd Ia his Bible, simply because they
afs tie Bibte. He wiat weigh 81 the = eHi
dsnce OF each separate class of twouders
there related. on lis soae,s grounds. Are
Ahey intrinsically possislea9 . Are they
snshsnicatsd by actual eye-and.ear wit
nzssesf il probable, or Otherwise
thss. these Witnesses were not dece ived'
These ere questions which a candid mind
je6onssd to ask itself, before it can be sale
20 have rational faith even in Bible won
ders. A rational believer in any of those
wonders, cannot without shameful incon'
sisiency -sneer at the testimony Of cotem
fpraries. when similar facts are declared t.
hare taken place in his own. day, and il
his own country.asFor no man has righ
4ols1ys previous to experience, that his ow'
ssens6s n,uy not attest while living, NOR
.sban int i an earlier period Of life he woul
dare belisve. sssss6ses4assII . .;s.zs.7ssss.
These ihoughtssare suggested by secon
asaision of Mr.. eapron's History and Ez
planation Of the Mysterious Noises" hear
IN Western New orks as well as by occ'
ssfonalarsicles on the subject appearing
-shs public prints. In.hework above'met
sl0nsd, the hypothesis to account for II
malt rapping which hel1sIra has been heal Z
IA the State for two wears past-namei.