Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1852-10-30
ORIGINAL ARTICLES.

Observation-Disclosures
1 sll coMMuNicATED.
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, I.
As an element Of Human Happiness
~ NO. g.
9. That Religious Freedom pro
notes the knowledge and love Of the
Scriptures. is.'i'' '4.' Pr Y
We're we to review the ages anpt
lgive ear to the lessons Of history, w
could not fail 70 perceive that, in al
cases, when the moral influences thai
flow from the word Of God have found
individual character and moulded SO
ciety, there has been much rational
and elevated enjoyment. How could
it be otherwise? The Scriptures i'm,
part the most exaltediideas Of which
the human mind is in possession
They contain the lessons of heaven.
ly wisdom Gin the words that the Ho.
ly Spirit teacheth." They inculcate
the purest morality, enforced by the
most effective motives. Their in
structions are adapted alike to all or.
ders, ranks and stations, and are "pro,
ftable unto all things, having promise
Of the life that now is and Of. that
which is to come" They pour the
radiance Of a celestial illumination
upon the darkness Of our earthly pill
grimage. Theylift their beaconligh.s
along the. shores Of faturity. Faa j
When have the institutions Of SO.
ciety been most favorable tohappii,
ness : When the strongest tendency
to equal rightss When the best
methods adopted for the prevention
Of crime, and the reformation ofIthe
vicious Z When have been erected
the best hospitals for the SICK, places
Of refuge for strangers, and q homes hes
for sout,casts and 6orphansi When
have the deep lines of sorrowishat
furrow, the ibrowsof care been smooth.
ed, and the tears Of the heart'suntold
anguish wiped away When hen do man. ma
kind learn how 70 live and how 70 diel
y answer, when the Scriptures are
most freely and iwidelycirculated and
all can read q" in their own tongues,
the wonderful works Of God" y
Would you go among heather OF OF
into Mahometan or Papal countries
to feast your eyes upon thomost love-
ly developements of moral excellence
and social happiness' Would you
there expect to find, among the masses, 3
the best cultivated minds and purest
hearts? Would you there hope to
see human nature adorned with the
highest virtues and clothed in most
divine arrayi 93.l,i,s, .'...,i ia.
Where shall we look for the sublim.
est discoveries Of science and tho
proudest achievements Of 'art7 gsif
Where have the blind been taught
to see with their fingers and the
tongue Of the dumb to sing aloud,
through the g mystic magicipower Of
written words"l Where have iron
steeds with breath of fsmoke and heart
Of flame been taught to traverse whole
continents, trailing after them vast
congregations of people and hundreds
Of tons Of freight, and that with ease
Of a bird swimming the airl II 4.
Where shall we look for a Newton
to walk at leisure among the stars and
weigh the worlds in "a scale! Where
for a Franklin 10 arrest the lightnings
of the storm.cloud, or a Morse to
build an erial railway, along which
invisible messengers shall bear, with
the speed of thought, the whispers Of
love, the ,idings of trade, Or the thun-
ders Of war? =. ..,..,
Who needs the aid Of more infor-
nation to replyl Who does not know
that a land Of bible haters and bible
burners is a land Of chains and dun
geons and tortures, and deaths; where
the night of ages is the solace of the
ignorant, the covert Of the guilty and
the hope Of the tyrant; where dis.
covery is stunned as the harbinger Of
wo. and progress is strangled in the
birthl Who needs be told that a
land Of bible readers is land Of pro-
gress, of discovery, Of light, Of love,
Of hope aud Of joy'. And how can can
the Scriptures fulfil irhigh and boz
nevolent mission without religious