Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1858-03-27

what we're left standing after the shafts 0
his pitiless ridicule had passed over them
were effectually demolished by what we be
lieve to be intelligent Misrepresentation
He showed according to his own "pprehen
son that those legislators who have frame,
laws that the exgencies of human societ,
have rendered necessary are wiser than tn
bible or its divi ne author because they hav'
not used the exact language of those record
ed in the sacred pages, known rs the Levid
cal. lie seems impressed with the belle
that human laws in general concerning edu
cation, divorce, and many other things are
great improvement upon the bible. Whil'
he occasionally INDUCES in sensible obser
va,i ion, yet his statements generally have
neither the merit of reason, fairness, truth
or good manners, nay more, scarcely the neg
ative quality ochone>ty SO far as christianit,
il concerned. The very elements OF chris
tian faith and truth, he scornfully tosses un.
der his contenptuous heel and tramples
them in the dust. Gifted with perseverine
audacity, as we'll as ready language tor illus.
trating his views, he frequently gained the
applause of the audience when their moral
sense was shocked at the fagi tiousnesss OF
his doctrines. 1t is amusing to see him take
a verse of the bible and hold it in the blaze
of his ridicule until in his own estimation
it is absolutely consumed. .....-. .F
This superfciality is objectionable in hand
ling things SO momentous; things which
should awaken the most serious thoughts
concerning life and a preparation for future
state. In the element of religious feeling
we regard him as being entirely deficient
armed with malignant spleen against all be-
liefs in the divine origin of the bible; against
all institutions founded upon faith and piety,
he would expend his life and his talent in
endaavoring to involve them in one common
destruction. He brings before us the most
discordant errors in faith and practice; and
points out those ways by which the chris
tians intend to ge: to Heaven in directions
exactly opposite to each other regards the
churches of the world as SO many 'ssoul
PRISONS" that ought to be abolished, or con
verted into museums Of natural history for
the benefit of the rising generation; declares
that the bible teaches the worst system of
despotism and it's opposite; that it is right
to commit murder and its opposite; that it
is the great source of error and corruption,
of illiberality and bigotry, of persecution
aud cruelty.
With vigorous blows he would demolish
the whole framework of society, and de-
stroy a just sense of responsibility to the
Divine Being, and even if his teachings were
able to plunge people into the abyss of
skepticism, he offers no system for the mora
and civil government Of mankind; no plan
that can. engage tie thouglts of men in any
wise or beneficial direction; to answer such
q necessity is to him no source of anxiety
OF concern. In treating the bible with un
mixed contempt, he seems to forget that the
noblest province of the critic is to detect
and analyze beauties, not to render abhor-
rent to minds Of deIicacy and feeling book
that the universal Judgment of enlightened
christendon has declared the very best that
has yet been produced in this world /; he
forgets that while he declares the bible so
bad as to be destitute of any clai ns to COM
mendation, that he is degrading his own
powers and disgracing his dignity as a man,
in STOPPING so low as to dignity so silly, so
foolish a book as the bible, with his disin.
genuous criticism.
1t is not departing from the truth to say
that his criticism of the Bible is dishonest,
else he would avoid putting the most false
and ridiculous construction upon the IAN
guage of the writer's OF the new testament
lie presents them in their worst possible
light, and then hurls his venom against the
productions of his own fancy. When he is
able to produce better system than that
embraced in the teachings of Christ; when
he can produce purer doctrines than those
embraced in the sermon on the mount; when
he can invent something better than the
Lords prayer; ; or indeed, can furnish any
human system that is superior t, those
founded upon the requirements of the gos.
pei, we shall be happy to hear him.