The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1857-12-24
a.. 4. IirOtsnsOp.

A writer in the New York Obse,te, gives
the following curious account Of the career
Of the somewhat celebrated and certainly
talented individual whose name prccedes this
article:
This eccentric individual has published a
sort OF autobiography, in which he traces
the process Of his wunderings, from Calvin
ism down, first through the mazcs OF Uni
versali,m to blank infdeli'y and then back
ward 10 the contrary extreme of Popery.--
To one accustomed to the operations Of the
human mind, this process is in no way sur
prising, according to his own showing. lie
was early instructed in the Calvinistic for
mulas, nnd at the age Of nineteen, became u
member OF the Presbyterian church. But
il is evident, from his own showing, that his
heart was not subduod by the grace Of God
" THE system of restraint and espionage to
which he was subject did not sui, his mini"
he denied the authority Of any church to
. dictate in matters Of faith and conscience,
and fcll back upon ,heScrip,arcs, as interpret
ed by private Judgment. At the same time
no did not admit the supremacy of the Scrip
tnrc> over reason. but made reason rule
for them instead Of taking them as rule
for reason - Thus. he rejected the Protest
ant rule Of faith, which he must have pro
fcSsed when he united with the Presbyterian
church II is evident. then, that he never
had submit,ed his heart 90 tod as supreme
II he hal, he would not have act up his own
reason above the word of God.
No mack and humble Christian will ever
find the discipline OF the Presbyterian church
AN irksomc restraint. II restraints lis mem
bcrs only within the bonds of Scripture truth
and sound morality. And any one who
find, himself FESTIVE and disconnected under
IT, gives the strongest evidence Of an unrc-
ncwed heart. And let an uncouyerted per
sou make pgSesslon OF religion. and apes.
,atize from ii. and cut loose from his reli
gious associations. and no course that can
b. imagined Is too crratic for him 10 follow.
The round which Mr. Brownson has gone is
only chapter in natural history. or rather
in Psychology. II explains Itself. and no
person ct COMMON sense viii be lel astray
by it.
! Such career ia pi,iablc ccrtainly, and
there can be in our imagination no ban
worse for man to live under than that Of
+ Reuben; unstable as water thou shalt no,
excel, yet We cannot agree with the >omewha,
sell sufficient writer in the D,eyr>r. whC
makes out man Ia he sangeuera,e, Simply
because he has once joined the Presbyterian
Church aud then len ii Tor another. Hi
dogma also. OF blindly submitting reason
10 the Scriptures initiates against any f,S
viii or exer,lon on the part Of the individu
al TO thoroughly scrutiniko anil ties, the solid
ity OF tina, foundation on which all his hcys
for the future are based. As fnr the asser
ton that no meek or humble Christian
ever found the discipline al the Presbyterian
Church restraint or indced the disciplin,
Of any church for that matter is a mere A.
srtion. that sounds for more Of doyma,iSu
than humility. When men Of sucl, glori
oas iu;ellccts and such pur lives As Locke
Milton, Newton. and a,tsrly Chanuins
could not submi, themselves 20 the govern
men, Of any particular denomination. xbils
their eontidencs in the scc,lnss and ius,i,'
OF their Cra,or only hscame stronger, W,
may doub, whether leading strings, although
held by church. ar applicable TO thos,
who. ~ far Is human beings can 90 nav b,
permitted 20 walk un,ethcrei