The Democratic sentinel and Harrison County farmer. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1851-1852, 1852-11-24
Fnrthe Sentinel
IoE tlt '>thuLel.
81 A BRIEF REVIEW r.
OF o. S. FOFLERS EirE on Religion IN
ADTSCOURSE,
Delivered al Asbury Chapel, Harrison Co,
q OctOber goth, 1882
nv J. G. WELLS.
nv J. c. WELLS.
(coSTIxrRD.)

~ ,. g WELLS.
(coSTNuRD.)
PAGR y. Speaking of tbe inclination O.
mankind in the present age to exercise in.
dependence of thought, be says hen
desire 10 t.iHk for henaselyss. Ihey are euer
deterH ned to think for hemselrss. BIT then
hare no data-nO stgadiag poiats-no base
Hhe--Ro FRED d settled frst l1riaciples al
which 10 commence, and ,eih w&iok to contpqre.
These first principles are 10 be found in The
aatar0t theology, and tie natural reliqio. OF
PhreRology"
The bible then contains no data for indie
pendent thought! 1t deals not in first prin-
ciples! In what then does it deal! OF
what does it consist! So it is not a first
principle that God exists, or that lie is Be
ing OF Wisdom and Justice, of Goodness and
Truth! 1t is not a starting point that we
should love Him supremely, and our ueigh-
Dor as ourselves; Notwithstanding Christ
himself has declared this principle Of love to
be the foundation of all our duties! NJ lthew
NAlI, 40.) 1t is not starting point that
sin will be punished and righteousness re-
warded! And with reference to the atone
ment, it is not first principle that "without
shedding of blood there can be no remission
of sin!' The principles of the Gospel form
no base line" for the guidance of the iudg-
ment in morals; nor do its precepts furnish
the first principles of action! Peace, love
and JOY in the Holy Ghost, are not first
principles of conduct and character, though
IN Phrenology, Intellect, and Memory, Be
nevolencc and Veneration are! The doc
trnes of Scriptures afford no data for tho'l
Therefore they teach nothing.
But in preference to the testimony of the
inhdel propagator of Phrenology, l am in
clined to take that of St. Paul, who says, in
writing to Timothy: ''From a child thou hast
known the holy scriptures, RE- WHICH
ARE ABLE TO MAKE THEE WISE unto
salvation, through faith which is in Christ Je-
sus. All scripture is given by inspiration of
God, and Is PROFITABLE for doctrine, for re-
PROOF, for correction, FOR INSTRUCTION in
THAT TIE MAN OF COP MAY DE
PERFECT, THOROUGHLY FURNISHED unto all
good works" III Timothy, III, Is, &c.
On the same page, Fowler has the fol-
lowing: Rid any mind Of preconceived pre-
JHdsceS, and an one gear, tW the t,uth of
PArenology Moronghtyre renorate Mat mi d and
purify tie t.fe." lnasmuch as it takes Phre-
nolo9y year, after all former preiudiccs
are removed, to convert ou, while the
scriptures oiler present salvation, Savipg,
NOW Is the accepted time, and now is the
day of salvation" the latter is surely pre-
terable. What if, in undergoing Phrano-
logical process Of purifcation, we should die
within the twelve months requisite for its
accomplishment? Doubtless We wou!d be
plunged into hopeless misery forever. For
nothing unholy or unclean shall ever inherit
the happiness Of heaven, or soil its purify
None but those who are washed from their
sins, and are registered in the book of life,
shall be permitted to enter there On the
same page, also, the author INDUCES in
staggering, bombastc boast, with refer
ence TO the work, as follows: "Requ;rng
some minor qualifications, but tendble in
every material position, as well as unanswer-
able in every leading argument 1t asks
Eo favor but invests igation--it yields nothing
10 the religions that be. It's pathway is
philosophy. Its goa! is ctcrna, right
Strewed behind it in all its course, are the
nauseating careasses of hydra headed error,
in all its. forms. 1t stands high on the hill
of science. 1tsroots run deep into the ma
ture Of man. It's branches yield all manner
Of delicious fruits for the healing of the na-
TONS" (sce Rev xii, {, '.and the reno
Vation Of mankind. Is moral truths are
food to the hungry, cooling beverage to
the thirsty soul, a foundation to those whom
the tides of error are sweeping onward to
destruction, and a feast of reason, with
flow OF soul to all--siSht to the blind, feet
to the lame, health to the invalid, vitality to
the dying, and life 10 the deadp' Circulate
the work, friend of humanity! No need Of
the Gospel to introduce the millennium
think however, the sage has the bump of
self-esteem prominently developed. ....e
Page 6. "1he great danger is, not Aqt
manh nd can euer become irreligious. for that
is impossible; but Ma' h S religious faculties
s0% stu continue to combine, as they ARRAYS
hare combined, NTH his predominant 1aropen
sites, instead Of NTH his teeblsr int lect'
1t would be more satisfactory to me, if
Fowler would define he word religion. lie
seems to use it in vague indefinite sense.
lie declares that it is impossible for man to
become lrreligious, and St. John declared,
that in his day, "the whole world was lying
in wickedness, - and if wicked man is not
irreligious, in the name of reason ask, what
is irrehglon? If natural religion includes
all manner of sin, every species of deprayi-
ty, as well as holiness, purity and benevo-
lence, then there is no definite meaning at
tached to the term: and Fowlers attempts to
show the correspondence between it and the
religion Of the Bible, is worse than useless.
They are as distinct as light and darkness.
To be religious, in The scriptmal sense, is
to be conformed 10 the will of God--to be
holy. And ST. James says: ''lf any man
seems to be religious. and bridleth not his
tongue, that mans religion is vain Al,
You recollect that Fowler has previously
affirmed that when the religion of Phrenolo-
gy shall become the religion of man, misery
and vice will be banished from the carth.--
But if includes both good and bad actions,
SO that man cannot become irreligious, then
verify it is now the religion of man, and the
world is not and cannot be benefited there
by. --a .e
lie says that the religious faculties have
always, combined with the propensities,
thereby producing deprayity. If they hare
Arrays thus combined, it is right that they
should. For mans nature was originally
perfect, and then the natural action Of the