Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1899-03-23
\ Tribute 10 the Bibls.

Hps. wno was contemporary OF
Tom Paine. bat outlived him. once
gave htterance in q speech to sbe
folIowing. sentiment:
81 must see better authority than
Fleet Street Temple before | FORE
60 the principles which at once
| guard and consecrste aud sweeten
social interes.nrse; shich give life,
happiness, death. hope. which con-
stitnte mans parity. his best pro-
49, o. Plznize ~ infeaf' ! ezndle
and the female conch under the ss-
cred shelter of national morality.
Neither Mr.. Paine nor Mr.. Palmer.
nor all the veaom breathing brood,
shall swindle from me the book
where ! have learned these precepts.
In spite of all their scoff and scorn
and menacing, say of the sacred
volume they would oblIterate, it Is
q book of facts, as well authentieat.
ed as any heather HISTORY; a book
OF miracles. incontestably avonched; !;
a book of prochecy, confirmed by
past as we'll as present fulfillment;
a book of poetry, pure and natural
and elevated even to inspiration; a
book of morals, such as human wis.
dom never framed for the perfec.
tion of human happiness.
"I will abide cy the precepts, ad-
mire the beauty, revere the mystic
ries. and as far as in me lies. prac-
tice the mandates of the sacred vol
ume; aud should the ridicule of
earth and the blasphemy of hell as
sail me, | shall console myself by
the contemplation of those blessed
spirits who, in the same blessed
cause. have toiled, and shone aud
suffered.
"In the 'goodly fellowship of the
saints in the noble army of mar
tyrs. in the society of the great and
wise Of every nation, if my sinful.
ness be not cleansed and my dark
ness illuminated. at least nv pre-.
| tensioniess submission NAV be ex
cused. II err with the uminaries
/ have chosen for my guide. con.
fess myself captivated by the love-
illness of their alterations; il they
err, it is in a heavenly region; il
they wander, it is in the fields of
light; il they aspire, it is, at all
events, u glorious daring; and rath-
er than sink with infid-lity into the
dust, | am content to cheat myself
with their vision of eternity.
cit NAV, indeed, be nothing but
a drlusion. but then I err with the
disciples of philosophy and virtue;
with men who have drunk deep a.
the fountain Of human knowedge.
but who dissolved not the pearl "f
their salvation in the draught. !
err with B,con, the grea. con fidant
of nature, fraught with all the learn
ing of the past. and almost pres
cient of the future; yet too wise not
to know his weakness. and too
philosophic not to feel his lgnor-
ance.
s'I ear with Locke, whose pure
philosophy taught him to adore its
source; whose warm love Of GEM
inc liberty never chilled into rebel
lion against it's author. / err With
Milton. rising on an angels wing
to heaven, and like the bird Of
morn, soaring out OF sight amidst
the music of bis grateful piety. ]
err with NrwtOn, whose star-lii
spirit shot across the dark ness of
the sphere too soon To re asteI {"
the home OF ais nativity. With
men like these ! shall remain in or.
ror; nor shall ! desert these errors
for tie drunken bed of Paine, or
the deiirous war whooD of the sur
viving friends who would erect his
altar upon the ruins of srciety. In
my opinion it is difficult to say
whether their tenets are mnr- In
dicrous or more detestablt. Thes
vail not obey the king. the prince.
the parliament nor the constitution;
but they will obey anarchy. They
will not believe in the prophets. in
Moses, in the apostles. in Christ;
but they believe in Tom Paine"
have been afflicted with rheumstism
for fourteen years and nothing seemed
tn rive anv relief I WAS able In he