Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-09-02
For the Yorkville Enquirer.
FATAL ERRORS cCoRREcTnD.


tofore given, as may be sreeollected, claims and
asserts an eternal difference between right and
wrong. his,has for its basis the natural end
moral attributes Of an insorutable Jshov.hi' in
finite in every conceivable perfection. This prin-
cipls is consded in as sure oundation-ooumen.
surate in length and breadth and heighth and depth
with the Divine Mind. God is ell we know OF an
eternity past. "Thou, even thou, art Lord alone"
the "A,pha" and 1'Holy Ons'' The Eternal
God" My other propositions are believed to be
either corollaries or necessary deductions from
ibis fundamental principle, orrest clearly and d.
rec,Iyon scriptural authority. 1t is founded on
q rock" -.....-.
Fur different, however, is the fundamental prin-
ciple Of e. A. cREssHAw. The natural and moral
attributes Of God and the irreconcilabls Disagree
ment between virtue and vice, holiness and sin,
form no part Of its basis. What is his principle
the foundation.stone Of his religious structure!
Hearit: "For there can be no moral night, nor
rrong. .oithout rule :" and all his declarations
and reasoniugs imply that he means Drittsarule.
"No moralrgd nor Urong, 'oithout ,erittss rule. =.
There stands bis elemental principle Of faith and
practice--his "wood, hay, and stubble" foundn-
ton. To tels Christian that this principle rests
on the being of the Christians God-thst 1t can
be deduced from the inherent attributes Of the
Holy One-or can ever be made, by Christian doc
trine and living faith, to connect and harnonize
with a Holy God is simply absurd. Reason, COM
mon sense, and conscience iutuiively reject the
unscriptural doctrine. A rule implies government
-, superior, and ON interiors; ruler, and sub
ject. God Was before all xorlds-before every
created thing L.: a..r So. I'D
"Thou from the first .-.. ...,... 4
Was present, and with mighty wings outspread,
Dove.Iike sat'st brooding on the vast abyss"
Was He not s:the same IN the beginning. as
now-as glorious in holiness before any subject or
creature was, as after He breathed into man the
breath Of life? Let no one be nnisled by an err
roneous construction of Pauls declaration to wit:
"For where no law is, thers'is no transgression."
By using this language, Paul does not intend to
assert, thst there ever was or will be man In
any place not under law. Hsspeaks suppositi.
tiously. The Commentators give this as his mean
inn. and it must manifestly be tho correct con-
structiop, otherwise the Scriptures would be in
consistent, when they declare the Heatheh to be
"without excuse" Is it not strange, remarkably
inconsiderate, and incompatible with duty in Z.
A. CREasHAw, when he processes 50 great regard
for the precepts and examples Of the Bible, that
he should found and build Q superstrueture Of
fifth and practice On an elemental principle not
based on Scripture truth, but dismetricay in dis
regard Of it's teachings principle, in warp and
woof manufactured in the laboratory Of his own,
not.properly exercised reason when be holds that
reason must have 'rule to exercise it 6y"-a prin-
ciple, which We have no guaranty his conscience
approves: for he may in its PRONUNCIATION have
acted only "for good policy in the eause;" or even
II atssaascience approve the principls he assures
us that Conscience in man. when unenlightened BY
a moral rule, vsriously decides on duty in given
case" Having no Scripture for authority, he in
structs US that his reason and conscience should
be none to Us.
As all truth and its legitimate issues ere one
and concordant; 30 too error and Its streams
must ever run on sccumulating pollution in their
flow, whilst the fountain endures. From the un-
scriptural and no1ious fountain, we have been an
alyziug the principle very naturally issues, that
"duty implies written rule TO constitute it such
and gathering error in Its course, We reach the
pestilenuy consistent dogma, that the moral lag
demands obedience not because il Is right in ITSELF
but because it is commanded. Lot Us test this
doctrinal notion. We have heretofore given the
declaration Of DR.. Alexander, that s'This noble
faculty, (reason) was certainly given to nsn to be
guide in religion" when properly exercised.
The moral law must, beyond all manner Of
Christian controversy, have existed in comtempla-
ton Of God from eternity past. Thssum Of the law
is love; and love Is the fulalling Of the law and
God is love. Love to God and man is the law Of
Heaven; and must forever be the law of God in
sll worlds within his empire, where the relations
Of the law exist, among rational and happy or
probstioual creatures. Reason establishes this
truth; the understanding cannot resist its force
and conscience sanctions its validity.
When webase our obedience Of the moral law
on the mere fact ofits being commanded, We msn-
ifestly e1sft and magnify the. omnipotenee and
sovereignty of God at the expense and BY deterio-
rating OF his moral sttributes-his holiness, JUS
tice, goodness, and truth. These attributes OF
His nature ere equally commensurate and illim'
table with bis infinite power. The latter is no
moro essential to the nature Of God, than the
former. Infinite purity and rectitude can never
do wrong, or do otherwise than right. Their
commands must ever be right in themselves, and
merit our obedience from the principleo of sincere
love, rather than from servile fear. We always
fear mere power: for power may change its pur'
pose, and degenerate into tyranny and oppression.
We lone holiness, justice, goodness and truth
Love will eyer make better Christian than fear.
"Theres no fear in love- but perfect love easteth
cut feaE." agr.r ~ .or.r',.>s &
All admit that the moral law is noxt perfect"
II the command, and the command alone make i
right, it necessarily follows, II God were to COM
mand law varying in single title or minutest
degree from the law as it now exists, the
amended or altered law becomes ipso taeto right.
If capable Of being altered in single degree, may
not the law be altered to any degree or extent;
and, under the principle of E. A. CREssHAw, the
law must still be right, and obligatory on the
conscience. 1t then inevitably follows, if it so
please God to command, thatsthe moral Law might