The daily gazette., 1881-05-24
THEOLOGICAL DOGMATIzING.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM JUDGE
HoPKINsoN, OF PHILADELPHIA, TO
A GENTLEMAN IN ENGLAND, PUB-
LIsHED IN THE LONDON MORNING
CHRONICLE, OF THE 10TH OCTOBER,
1899.
"You will please excuse my making
no reply 10 that part of our letter
which treats of religious concerns. !
have avoided suoh topics all my life,
and shall continue to do 80. have
seldom seen man able to embark in
such discussions and studies, without
becoming an enthusiast or bigot, and
pursuing them to the ruin or injury Of
his practical social duties. ] have
never seen one become q better or o
sounder man, and more amiable Chris
tian by involving himself In the i'm.
passible maxes Of theological contro-
versy, or the unintelligible jargen of
doctrinal points and questions which
have no termination, no compromise,
no rational evidence or conviction on
either side ; which have been undecid-
ed for thousands Of years, and will for
ever remain 80 and which, happily,
it ia entirely unimportant when or
how they are decided. / have seen
sensible and enlightened men, by de-
voting themselves to such investiga-
tions, distract and cloud their UNDER
standing, fill themselves with the vain
conceit that 1t is given to them to un-
derstand mysteries far beyond the
fathom of human intellect, and which
they find it impossible to explain to
any plain and unsophisticated mind
clear proof that they really do not
understand them themselves. The
life of man was intended to be employ
ed in useful and active pursuits-in the
fulfillment of duties requiring the
practice of his moral and physical en-
ergies and talents--and not to be con-
sumed In metaphysical disquisitiens
which lead to no one practical or useful
result to the individual, his family, his
friends or society. Men VINO employ
their talents and their time in such in
conclusive speculations, become un-
comfortable to themselves, and often
uncharitable to others they are less
amiable as husbands, fathers and mas
ters and neglect their social and do
mestic duties in the indulgence Of the
pride and vanity Of expert polemlcs.
They mistake new and obscure COL
lection of ao0rds for knowledge, and
unintelligible phrases for wisdom, and
believe they are displaying the testi-
monies of truth, when they are only
repeating sentences Of (which they can
not give any possible explanation.
The truths which the wise and Just
creator of man intended to be his
guides to virtue and happiness, cannot
be wrapped mp In libraries Of follos,
accessible to but one man In a million;
nor to be found only by poring over
thousands of pages OF what is miscall-
cd learned criticism upon O He6rsso
root or o Greek particle. The preoepts
of good and acceptable life are acs
cessible to all the human race, a. the
air they breathe in common, the sun
which shines on them all alike, and
the food and water which refresh them
Has God given to all nssn whatever is
necessary for the support and health
of their perishable bodies, and with
held almost from all, that which is in
dispensable for their eternal welfare :
This Is the impious conceit Of the few
who persuade themselves that they
have the saving secret, the immortal
panacea
aMr. c., Of whom you speak, was
n man of distinguished learning IN tho
profession OF the law, and also ofgeneral
knowledge and scholarship, with most
acute and penetrating mind. He woHld
have been at the head of the bar, with
wealth, reputation, and ali the good he
could bave desired; but about fifteen
wears or more since he became devotee
to the doctrines Of Swedenborg, From
that moment everything was neglected
or Abandoned for these studies, his law
books laid aside, his clients unattended
to, and his days and nights given to
Hebrew bibles, Latin folios, and learn
ing criticisms and commentaries. He
was soon involved IN The embarrassment
OF debts, and after most miserable ex-
| istence died a few months since Of bro
ken and mortified spirit, leaving q wife
and children destitute. And to what did
| he sacrifice himself and familyf What
discovery has he made? What truth
elucidated or established that 10 worth
one farthing TO anybody
"This fondness for plaguing ourselves