Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1850-01-05
ID. w. STANTON.
Garrisonian Infidclity a Humbug.
UNIoNrILLr. Dcc. 00. M

KNOXVILLE, Dec. %, 1873.
The Oberlin Evangelist, of Dec. Goth,
calls tile attention of its readers to guard
against the Infdelity of Garrison, Henry c.
Wright, and others. They long supposed
Mr.. Garrison an Infdcl, and now they find
in the Liberator of Nov. 4th, the information
which they sought. The idea that they con-
dcmn, is, that the affirmation of mans own
intelligence is superior to and must test all
external information--nnd further that the
Bible is not the only rule of filth and prac-
tice. Now l wish to show, in few words,
that these are the very ideas that they teach
at OberlD, and that all their students arc
required to study them as fundamental
ideas. 1t is an admitted truth, by them, that
we have two revelations from God, the inter-
nal and the external, and that the internal is
superior TO the external
will here quote from Mahan upon the
Doctrine of the villa sclool-book at
oberlin-thc following passage, PIP. 81, SIS.
As the words of God (sce Romans l-I9, 20)
are as real revelations from Him, as the BIZ
bic, so are the necessary aflirmaions of our
own intelligence. Suppose that in the ex-
tcrnal revelation of the scriptures the fact is
revealed and affirmed that we are not free,
but necessary agents. Has not God affirmed
in one revelation what he has denied in an
other? Ofwhat use can the internal rove
lution be but to make us necessarily scepti-
cal in respect to the internal Has the
! Most High given two such contradictory
revelations ?"
The idea is not that God has not given
two revelations, but that he has not given
two contradictory revelations, and that every
revelation that conlradicts the necessary af
firmation of the intelligence cannot be of di.
vine origin. And if there can be two reve-
lations from God that contradict eaeh other
we are nccessitated 10 fall in with the inter-
nal TO the exclusion of the external-that is,
we are necessarily sceptical; and if necessari-
! ly sceptical, or infidel, no blame can possibly
attach to it, as blame is the result of choice
only. As matter of fact all the move
mcnts the intelligence are necessary, and
/ therefore not intidcl, because infidclity can
not be based upon the affirmation of the in
telligence, but upon the noncompliance OF
/ the will to carry out the affirmation of the
intelligence.
That human reason is to sit in judgment
OH revelation, aud test its validity, is evident
from the writing of the Apostle when he
says, "The Gospel of Jesus Christ COM
mends itself TO every mans conscience
and that the whole Bible is not the Gospel oI
Jesus Christ and does not commend itself Ia
every mans conscience is evident from the
Apostles argument with the Hebrews, viz
If that first covenat had been faultess then
should no place have been sought for the
sccond.-Again, if perfection were by the
Levitical priesthood, what need was there
that another priest should arise after the or
der of Melcbisedec, and not after the order o
Aaron?
The Priesthood being changed, there is O
necessity, also, n change Of the law. Mahan
by asserting that the afiirmatons of intelli
the Scriptures, and that the intelligence i
necessarily sceptical if it affirms against tl,
scriptures, does as really assert the suprem
acy of human reason as the reforming Inf
dels' against whom they declaim. Ifthe at
firmations Of the intelligence are u revela
ton of God, to submit ourselves TO God an,
resist the Devil is to submit ourselves TO hu
man reason and reject absurdities. As faiiI
is the necessary result Of intelligent affiirma
ton, it is impossible that there should b.
such a thing as infdelity in faith, but infidel
ity consists in refusing to be governed b.
faith; that is, intelligent affirmation. As al
the nffirmations ofthe intelligence are invol
untary II is impossible that infdelity shoul,
arise from this quarter, because choice and
choice in opposition to the intelligence is tn
necessary element of finfdelity-and it is al
a humbug to imagine infdelity can aris
from any other source. believe the Ober
lin Professors cannot dissent from this con
clusion, although they accuse the moder
reformers ofbeing infde in faith, while the
) admit that they are logical in practice.
the above conclusions are legitimate it ma
DO seen at once that fidelity in practice i
/ fulfilling tho law. s. ID. Cochran says il