Weekly North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1858, 1857-03-04
Infdelitv in Massachusetts,.

thing On Monday il voted, by 27 majority, in "a vor
of allowing nfdels to testify. The yeas and nays
were then ordered on the question of recommitting
the subject to the Judiciary Committee, with in.
structIons to report bill expressive Of the sense OF
the House, and it was thought that the majority
would dwinde away like the late snow. But quite
the contrary was the On Tuesday, the re-
commitment was ordered by vote of 2Os to 95, the
most decisive vote ever had on the question
The instructions are in substance, to report bill
providing substantially that person shall be
deemed an incompetent witness because of his opin-
ions religion, but that evidence may be given of
atheistc opinions test Of credibility, and athe.
lists be admitted to testify, subject to the pains and
penalties of perjury This is not quite so lberal as
it should be, but it is probably as much as could be
carried through at this time. The opposition to
liberal ideas docs not come from the clergy from
religious men of any standing, but from lawyers who
have found their account in excluding ree-thinkeIs
from the witnessbox."
Atheists and infidels, then, are to be allowed to
give testimony in the courts of Massachusetts,
Bible and its sacred teachings to be set aside
and witnesses. if they swear falsely, to incur
merely human punishment. No appeal is to be taken
to Almighty God, the omniscient witness of truth
and avenger OF falsehood but property and life
to be rendered dependent the word of Goddess !
and Christess creature, governed by his own inter-
ests and deferred from perjury only by the punish
mcnt which may he inflicted on him by creatures
dcpraved as himself! "This is not quite so liberal
it should be-" says this writer, but he evidently
lives in hope that the day is not distant when the
Bible itself will be considered fable and treated
accordingly in purtanical, anti slavery Massachu-
sets. "The opposition we also coolly inform
ed, docs not come from the clergy, or from any
ligous men of any standing. but from the lawyers"
We knew that majority of the people of Massa-
chusetts were very far gone in this respect, but
confess we were not prepared for this. Judging by
the large vote in the House in favor of the insruc
tions referred to- and by what all know of the
character of many of her clergy it is apparent that
the poison of iufdelity is in all the arteries and
limbs of that once vrtuous, Christian State. And
yet Massachusetts is dotted all over with school
houses and Churches. The great business of her peo
pie appears to be to get and spread knowledge and to
their souls; and having made, as they think,
much progress in this business they can even find
time and means to devote to the work of cnlghten-
ing reforming, and saving others. Truly, the
sect of the Pharisees will exist always-with this
difference, however, that the Pharisees of old,
though possessed of much inferior means of enligh-
tenment, were better every way than these canting,
snivelling, three cent Massachusetts, Pharsees.-
Why, We saw it stated, the other day, that con.
gregation in a Church in Taunton contributed to
some specific purpose, and when the money
counted out it found to be in dep reciated Span
ish quarters and ninepences-thus revealing the
fact that every who had contributed had cheat
ed the Church out of five twn-and-a-half cents
EACH No wonder that the Theodore Parkcrs and
buttons are ministers of the Gospel, and the Bur-
lngames and Summers members of Congress
among such people,
striking evidence Of the decay of Christianity
in Massachusetts is to be seen in the disregard by
the authorities of that State of the federal Consttu
ton, which they have sworn to support. They have
not merely neglected to comply with tho Constitu.
ton, and the requirements of act of Congress in
relation to fugitives from their masters passed in
pursuance of that instrument, but they have delib
eratey nulified the law and made it penal offence
in any of their officers to aid in enforcing it. They
have thus broken their faith, saemnly pledged by
their ancestors and have tarnishcd their own honor
before all the world And yet their schoolhouses are
thronged with children, their Churches are crowded
with worshippers, and vehicles of intelligence
| books, pamphlets, newspapcrs-are circulated by
| the million. Their atheism and infidelity are re.
fined and graceful n-thcir aspecs,-he head of the
serpent is hid, and the glitter of his folds is only
seen through the flowers that surround him. 1t twas
| so in Greece and Rome, and it was so in France
when Reason was enthroned as the object most wor-
thy of human alteration. Learning, refinement of
manners, and luxury in all its varied forms, lent
their enchantment to the picture-but God was not
there!
One prolific cause of the tendency to infdelity in
the free States, and especially in Massachusetts,, is
the secularization of the clergy. Inadequatey paid
as they are for their abors they look about in all
directions for employment by which to add decent
y 20 their income. Hence they fall to lecturing, to
editing, to writing for the magazines, and thus in
volve themselves in strifes and worldliness They
start and stir necessarily isms of all kinds,-they
| lecture to mixed audiences for a few dollars per
evenng-thcy get into politics, and then into their
| State Legislatures and into Congress, where they
are known only for their bigotry and intolerance
Where the leaders of the people in divine things
thus 60 astray, it cannot be we'll with the people
| themselves.
Let us not, however, be misunderstood. There is
much yet in Massachusetts, of the stern virtue of
former days. A large minority of her people are
still true to the teachings of Holy Writ to the re.
gion of their ancestors and to their obligations
good and loyal citizens. But the canker Of evil
doctrines is spreading, and no one can tell if or
where, it will be arrested. Know. Nothingsm we
verify believe, has aggravated the social and moral