The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-01-17
ScEPTICISM AND SUPERSTITION

From the Ne,cdrk AdreHiser.
A perfectly true remark, and one
worthy of being elaborated into volume,
was made by a clergyman of Newark
yesterday morning in Christmas dis
course: it was this, that superstition was
preferable !, scepticism. There is no re-
ligious faith whatever outside of pagan
ism, which cannot be called a religion,
does not present to a believer something
higher than himself, something attaina-
BILE better than he at present enjoys, and
that does not throw around him the
guardianship of moral principles and
duties. That men do break through all
the teachings and restraints of Christian
ity is no argument against the system for
they set at defiance, also, all the pains and
penalties of law, and run the risks of loss
| Of reputation, personal liberty, and even
| life for some momentary selfish gratitica-
ton. The question is not whether men
are bad inside Of Christianity, but wheth-
er they would not be worse outside of it;
whether a negation is better than an
affirmation and visionary and specula-
tive philosophy preferable to belief,
which. though a believer grores in dark
ness with it here. has an electric light at
the end of the road.
1t may weigh as an argument i'll favor
| of the modcr-.s--+-=ar--7 -
s1-sss<.'n doubters-
n "a"s,1 Of them-that virtue i IL there are
reward; that the main' 'ae Is not its own
nst o Something %n than the d psDpis re-
perlormt. The love of mo- TO lead them to
All work 'e < quality ofthe human reward p'ia1
miserable $ al. an aim, and it won1d % nm
public schoott id without it. All oe
ciple Of rewa re conducted on tha our
first in gain, all labor has it's p pnh i
comfort gain ind in the leisure anu a
this contracted bring and if bevo ana
ton finds another'ar of life imasiua. W
be attained by priitely super;or ~ W
excellent, neither this in themse,,o,
can be complained 0or the mean, If
people to desire to rise is right fo, the
are, either here OF herea, than the, sin
them to be even superis well f,,
faith if it leads them to or, in thai :
in harmony with the highesl. H,oa
OF morality and active usefuln Law, s.
T.. turning point of time, at that st th.
a., all by an instructive movements
however far the contemplation "t
tend. one fact must be allowed tt 'nu
steady, onward march of all races go g
from darkness to light have been in ,-B
;, proportion to their adhesion to liHa:
Christian principles, to religion basq,
4 upon freedom of conscience. There is Is
|, example on record of any advance i'll civil
: liberty unaccompanied by religion, an'
q much as Christianity may have yet to dc
nothing great has been accomplished il
nearly 1000 years without it.
:, The scepticism of the present day
:. wide spread and dangerous, for it assume
-, higher ground than was ever occupie
= before. 1t is learned, polite, and insinus
ting. In the day of old, it operate
= through such aggressionists as Paine.
-, was coarse, sarcastic, vulgar, and profan'
j, Now it comes with the profound logic (
- Stuart Mill and the science of Herbel
e Spencer. 1t walks into the drawng-rool
~ and takes possession of the lecture pla
+ form, it proves that black is white an
. looks with bcnignant compassion on tho
= who are SO blinded by superstition TIL
they cannot see it. 1t reaches out int
: space and finds nothing but immensi
filled with incandescent orbs and froz'
;S satellites, and seeing no God there
,o triumphantly asserts that there is none
ly Against this kind of science it must
it. confessed there is hardly more to of
re than simple faith, or as it is common
sc. express it. superstition. A great ma
IT. beautiful theories are offered; there
he much in nature and more in the yeal
W. ings. of men for immortality to lead the
gs to believe in future stat" after
I'm this. after the circle we col
ST. back to TIE end