The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1860-11-14

the gospel acts gently, but yet i never aban.
dons the field by reason ofopposition.. =. over
comes evil by good, and hence dIsnountenances
ecclesiastical incivilities, in place Of the gospel
for these do not act gently, for they are not
| good. They are Of their Father the Devil
Do not the preachers of this church abandon
the field of opposition? Do they not refuse
/ to wait on human opposition ?--refuse tosde-
fer their hopes Of success in ameliorating the
states in life until che gospel shall alone oper-
aie2 They retire from the conflict and at
a great distance from the field Of strife and
christian warfare. like dogs in the manager,
neither enjoy the fruits Of gospel victories
themselves, not yet suffer others to do it,
without large outlay of intolerant viterpera-
ton and ecclesiastical interdictions. The car
dinal teachings of Voltaire and David Hume
and other distinguished philanthropists Of the
school Of naturalism, proceeded on the ground
assumed inithe Discipline of the Methodist
Church that the eyiis Of life can be extirpaied
by natural agencies.
The argument of Hume is to this effect: If
the evils Of life arise from our departure from
the observance of the laws Of nature, then it
follows concIusively that zoe can getrid Of them
LIN other Nords-lerti,pate them by "a ne
turn to the observance of the law Of nature
Now as the gospel is not natural-as its laws
are supernatural ani appeal to them, in the
view Of Hume, was the poorest and most
stupid logcin the world. So it is, on his pre-
mises.
legHume's argument is unanswerable Hfyop
admit the possibility Of the ezti,Pqtion oserilss
ola moral character The evils Of life car.
only be beyond extirpation upon the suppose
ton that they are the judgments Of God, con-
sequent on the fall Of man. Hence you yir-
tually deny the fall Of man when you say
that the evils of life can be .cxtepated, and
hence since this Methodist church sags the
evils ofiife Gun be exterpated they virtually
deny the fall of mar, and are in that regaF,
the practical adherent Of Tom. Paine. Thsre
is no mistake that can perceive. in this chin
of reasoning.
Why are preachers Of this church intder-
ant of the gospel ?
s. Because it is two slow in its operation |
Hence they make SO muca parade owe the
influence that they expect to result fromtheir !
dogmatism in a book eallateral to the scrip |
ture. The harder that cuts the flesl, the |
sweeter their selfgratulation. The more
gall they can infiise into that the moe does |
it harmonic with their intolerance of the |
evils of slavery. Is this not proof positive, of |
impatence at the slow and tolerant action Of |
the Holy Ghost Is il not in the teeth Of
the lesson. to overcome evil with gWdis We're |
they disposed to be delivered fron the evils |
of this relation, by the power of tie gospel in
accordance with the prayer ai taught by
Christ, would they not abstain f'om practical
ly illustrating the religion of tle Pharisee
Their argument is to this effect--ceTtain
supposed bad men---Ssuthernslaveho for
example--arc entirely too lard heudedi to |
listen to the anere force Of truth, and the
opertion, Of the Holy Ghst. The gospel
alone as scriptuaiIy presentd, has no percep-
tible influence on their rehllious dispositions.
Now we must resort to ssne other agency -
We must in our Book Of Discipline make
them feel very badly SC. All this is the
rankest infidelity.
There were few men in our country more
than Robert Owen. He
was not christina admit, but like WILDER
force and David Hume he was irreproachablc
ID the relations Of social life, and exceedingly
iesirous oflesSening -Or rather ofexterpating,
Inc evils Of the social relations
Now what was his principle ? I can read
I in the Discipline of this Northern church.
lie regarded the evils of life--nOt as the
Judgments Of God consequent on the fall OF
nan in the persons Of common prOgenitors
nd therefore uniform, permanent, consistent
nd utterly beyond the expurgatfng power Of