The Weekly comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1853-1855, 1855-05-27
COM M UNICA TED.
Is Chrlstlanlty :!

and supporting C'll'S''ahy, you sal"
in your lecture on Skepticism-was
this: =" Christianity o"qM to be true,
eren III is not, - (No one, | hope,
will say that this is a =" misrepresenta-
ton or that your language was misun-
derytood) This position ofyours is, to
my mind, extremely prcgnablc and
insccurc-a ! shall proceed to show,
unless | am totally mstak up as to
what christianity is.
Christianity IS not the cultivation
of our moral naiovc Although chris
tians, advocate and practice to some
extent a certain system Of morals
which is very limited and inadequate to
mans nature and wants-yct this NOR
atty is not what is essentially requisite,
to constitute christian. All the relig-
ions of the earth inculcate the devcl-
opemcnt Of the moral faculties, there
fore this cannot be claimed as a pc
culiarity Of the christian religion
Nor, indeed, is it; for the christian
clergy assert from their pulpits empha-
tically and explicitly that morality ~iN
not take Us posSessor e Hecrc''. They
recommend the cultivation of moral
qualities. -T'ruth-.Ju Justice aud chart
ty-Love, Goodness and Mercy.
temperance, Forgiveness, Brothcrlv
and Ncighborly Love, Patience, HUI
mility. Meehncss g.. But let no one
imagine that these features are the
essential constituents of the system.
These are bu: the adornD2cnts of chris
tianity as they are also of all the re-
ligions of the world. A Mahomcdan,
Pagan, jew, Mormon. Indian,
Chinses. or any other religion under
heaven, or of an inhdel to all systems,
any of these may cultivate these moral
faculties to there highest point of
attainment. and yet be as far from
being christian as the east from the
west. What then is christianity
What are It's 1NndamcMalprinci z
Its distinguishing characteristics? The
correct answer to thr-e questions will
enable US to discover ;ictinately what
that 9, at desidarntum is, which you
aver "o1qht to be true, whether it be
so or not.
Christianity, then, as distinguished
from other systems, is certain Faith,
q peculiar Faith or Be1ict: Beliefin
what 4 Faith o. BctiGf M the
positire reolity and truth Of certain
things alleged to hare occurred IN The
history Of the h"mon rta5. We will
glance at only the cardinal points of
the Christian FaitlR-for the 4..inutia
are almost without end. Christianity
then, asserts that the first human cou-
pie (Dby the way very natural and ap
parent y innocent act ofeatingt'u'ttel
rom primal state Of blessedncss
and innocence, to one of everlasting
and irretreveablc disgrace and sin
and wretchedncss. No christian, |
presume will deny this. The "FaN
Of man. is certainly the very foun-
dalton stone in the Faith, !" for with
out this all the successive portions
would be superhuous. This then, is
a Fundamental principle in the chris
tian faith. And shall | understand
you, sir, to assert that this I" ought to
have been So even if it had not
What but the fall of man " have
Christendom been lamenting and be-
wailing these thousand OF years for
The whole human world has $50 says
thetaith) been sunkcn in depravty from
its very infancy. and the infection of
the " Original Sin - will reach to the
end Of time, and yet the promulgators
of this dogma cody assert in this en-
lighened age that it fought to be So
or sought to hare been if 1t IS not.
If voor language has any definite
meaning It must be this, as one item,
Of faith. Igain. All this dire dis
aster-this world-wi and dreadful
wreck of the human family, was pro-
Jected and contaminated by an evil and
potent parsonage styled the "DEv1L.
Is not this the orthodox creed? Does
any christian deny the claims of the
Deril to a very CONSPICUOUS niche
in the temple Of their theological |
fame? His existence and exploits,
therefore form a t,LuInann11tnI ,1a.i.11c;