Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-10-07

every moral restraint relaxed or severed, ever y
noble sentiment extinct every vicious pro-
pensity rioting in the GpencsS Of day-nothlnG
wretcbed but innoccncc-evcry tie that binds
man to man. sundercd-every principle OF
Justice dsr"garicd-every cry Tor mercy sti-
ied-eyerv temple Of piety, vio!ated-every
defence oil purity, tora down and tFampled
under foot, and every sanctuary oil the al
fcc,ions invaded and dcscclated. Such we
NAV conceive 70 be the faintly-shadowed but
shocking scene of moral desolaton, OF brutal
degradation which any civilized people would
exhibit, if its religion were aDolsheu anu us
intelligence were retained and raised 10 Tue
highest point Of attainment. The greater tteir
intelligence, the more hopeless ana aoali'
doncd would he their wretchedness
every blessing Of civilization WOULD DC
transformed into curse. Every IN
strumen. that improves and adornS society,"
would become a weapon to pierce lis Vita!S.-
The truti, of the matter, as obvious TO reason
under the guiding light OF revelation, and as
demonstrated BY history. is precisely the re-
verse CT tic popular idea. knowledge has
never preceded virtue, and it has never survived
it; and whenever the pure principle OF virtue
has ceased to be mingled with the OIL .! intc''
!igcncc, the lamp has expired in the corrupt
atmosphere which its own foul eiiiuvlum
had created. knowledge will vanish away,
but virtue or charity never iaileth. lie who
cuGg;ses knowledge As the corrective 0rprcrcn'
tive OF mora: abuses, is guilty o the same folly
with the insane philosopher who proposed to
cool the torrd zone by means Of ice.hcrgS float.
cd from the poles AS ice would he converted
into vapors, and increase instead OF abating the
tropcai heats, 50 the materials Of knowledge
conveyed 10 the fires of evil passions become
fuel for their unhallowcd burnings
have dwclt the longer on this matter, be.
cause the error have attempted TO expose is Il
prevalent and dangerous onc--ot whose results,
unless very soon checked. this nation will III a
few years BE- made lamcntably, mournfully and
wofuily sensible. II is advocated sometimes
explicitly and often implicitly, By men who are
set as watchrncn for the defence o! society from
the incurSoas of moral and religious eyil-and
vet il virtually admits the claims of inldct,v.
1t is precisely the principle which was preached
BIZ sccpticS Of the last century, and was in truth,
the fruitful parent Of that dirc!u progeny of evils
which the world witnessed. in the excuses and
horrors Of the French Revolution. Let the
claims Of secular knowledge be advanced on
their proper grounds. There is room enough
for zeal and motive enough for cxcrtion IN
that cause. without ceya,ng intelligence to
the post which religion alone is adequate Ia
maintain: without supp!anting the wisdom OF
Christ who teaches US that we must become
rs little children in order 10 enter his King
dom, for that knowledge Of the world which
puGS up and nouriShcs pride instead of hnmil.
ity; without substituting the light of reason
for the dictates Of conscience; without COM
mending the diffusion Of intelligence ms some
thing more important to the Interests OF society
and individual happiness than the cultivation
OF charity and the fear Of God. That healthy
moral sentiment, which as 4 perennial fountain
sends forth fcrtiliz;ng streams through all the
fields Of human action, and impar.s Tlsor to
every enterprise Of bcncyolence, springs from
faith in God which works by love, puriiics
the heart and overcomes the world. The &c.
NAL warmth which spreads its vivily!ng and
fructilying influences over the whole scene OF
Christian efforts, extending now
"Fron Grcenland ley mountains to Indas coral strand
From AIcs sunny fountains to China, teening land
is an emanation from the bright Sun Of Right
eousncSs," and not from the glInmernS taper
of this worlds wisdom. In a word, the Bible
is the text Book Of the science Of the heart
and the lessons OF wisdom which it ilnparts are
of more value, 90 rot hesitate to affirm, than
all the secular knowledge gained by the people
of this powerful Coniedcracy Of States, in the
many thousands Of scruinaries throughout the
land, and from which its teachings are excluded
six days in every week.
But vast as are the moral and social be-
rcfits Of early religious culture, they con-
stitute not the chief motive to encourage
mcnt in the work Of training the young
Children have souls TO be saved, as well
as duties to perform 10 society. To those
whose thoughts are exercised seriously about
the things of another life, the chief and ell.
crossing subject of anxiety is not how children
may be made respectable and prosperous du-
rim. their abode OH earth, but how they may
become fclow.c;tizcns of the Saints, and fitted
for the society OF Heaven And, however their
right of baptism may be questioned, the ground
is fearlesgly assumed that if all the conditions
of the Covenant are faithfully met and dscharg-
ed by those who have the care Of them, We
may as certainly and as confidently look for a
blessing on efforts Tor their spiritual improve
mcnt, as for the full Development Of their facul-
ties and powers in other things. To the labor
Of Christian education, in this highest view,
We have TIE most animat!ts encouragement.
The conviction Of success, il is true. is an cX-
crci,c Of our faith, and not part Of our know
ledsc-the responsibility for their own souls
will ultimately devolve upon the children them
selves. and God only knows how they will srls-
tain it. Our present efforts ard prayers will
not be alone eiTcctual; but. that microscopy
prayer and Christian education are means
through which the gifts Of the Spirit are very
freely bestowed, and that the faithful use
Of these means affords the strongest cnc0ur
agclnent for expecting it, is what no Christian
can reasonably doubt We must not forget,
indeed. that the whole work Of religion, is not
performed w the incu!cat,on o; truth and the
culture Of moral sensihility. We know and
lament l.at there are TOO many to be found,
whose minds have been enlightened by the
truth, softened By the Spirit, and cmbciiShed
BY the ornaments of Christianity, and who yet
have never received the GoSpc! as the princi-
pie of ncw and holy lie; and it will be found
further, that this pcrous and unhappy state Is
owing simply to an obstinate refusal Of the
means of grace and the resistance they make
to the Author of all grace. Still while we
perform orr duty in conveying religious III
Struction to the mind OF the child, we know
that his heart will be much better prepared here
after TO receive and profit by the influences OF
the Spirit Of God.
Truths instillcl in childhood live forever in
the memory. They are interviewer with all
the scnsbilitics Of the soul. They are the for
tress Of the conscience. not impregnab!e, but
indcSructiblc They furnish the mind with
chords which never cease TO vihrate to the
touch OF faithful expostuiation. They are an
iacxtnguishabe spark which, after being seem
ingly smothcred under = mas, ii corruption,
are often revived by provdemiial circumstances
to pure flame OF picty. We cannot pluck
up the riots of cTii. bu; we may prune and
rep:css its Developments W. may soften the
soil in which Heavenly seed must terminate and
make it pervious to the !cws of Divine grace.
The work is nob!c-,hc hopes are strong and
scriptural-ihc duty is imperative ard the ma
chincry to he employed is al! Of heavenly TEN
per and divine appointment.
FROM the days of the Apostles downward,
the Churchs care Of little children has been