erms, to obtain salvation from the wrath of heaven, from the direful flames of hell, and from the cruel tortures which their devil is desirous of inficting. This is, in very deed, a strange and horrible thing. How should it happen that the people should believe that their ministers of religion are more merciful than the divine Being? How happens it that rational beings should believe that their maker and preserver is such a tyrant, as to make a hell and a devil to torment his own offspring, and yet believe that he has sent these merciful ministers to effect their deliverance from all this designed mischief? The answer is found in the chapter which contains our text. "Hear now this, O fool ish people, and without understanding: which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not ;" Of what use are our faculties to us, if others, whose trade is to delude us, have the control of them? Of what use are our eyes, if we do not see? or our ears, if we do not hear? That the clergy in our country are determined to gain an ascendency over the people, even far beyond what they now exercise, is abundantly evident from the unwearied exertions which they are making to add to all their other means of influence, that of monied institutions. No scheme which clerical ingenuity and deceit have been able to invent and cause to act, has been omitted. At our doors stand their runners and beggars; in our parlours they solicit money of our wives and daughters; in our kitchens they wring from the female hand of labour its penny, its last farthing. With hearts harder than flint, and colder than marble, they will plead, in the most persuasive manner, with little children to relinquish the grateful sweets which the God of nature adapted to their taste, that the unnatural sacrifice may be turned into money to be used in saving souls. And such is the mania of deluded parents, that, in many instances, such degrading folly is indulged, while the clergy, in room of being ashamed of conduct so derogatory to humanity and good sense, boldly publish to the world their success in deception, and endeavour to excite others to become equally stupid. This order of men study human nature, with avidity of application, to find out every possible avenue to the weakness of mankind; and they have discovered that a blind enthusiasm, regarding religion, will drive people fastest and farthest of any spirit by which they can be moved. In order to elude detection, they place their objects all in a future world, to which region the eye cannot extend. On these subjects they dwell with boldness and pathos, describing the misery of the damned in the most lively and moving manner, insisting at the same time, on the strict eternity of its duration; and directing the attention of their hearers to the destitute condition of the heathen, who have not the blessed sound of their gospel of endless torments; they assure them that nothing can save those millions of rational beings from such torments in the future, eternal world, but the labours of missionaries. And now comes the cry for money. Money is wanted to carry salvation to heathen lands; money is wanted to present bibles for heathen to read; and many are so stupid as to think if the heathen had our bible to read, it would be the means of saving them from divine wrath; not reflecting that if the heathen had enough of our bibles to serve them for fuel, they could not read a word in them. But all this deception is carried on for the purpose of obtaining the people's money. Money, they know is power. By it they are persuaded that they can control the concerns and affairs of state. Their bible societies are schemes deeply concerted to spunge money from those whom they have rendered blindly superstitious; and such has been the astonishing success of this system of deceit and fraud, that heir funds are immense. They can print bibles and sell them at cost of paper, and still be growing rich; for the public furnish all the funds. Sabbath School societies are designed to further the same system of deception, and monopoly of influence and rule. At Sabbath Schools children have the blasphemous sentiments instilled into their tender minds, by which they are taught to hate their Maker and love their ministers. This prepares them for the right kind of servitude when they come to mature years; and this scheme too requires money; and by it they are accumulating, by means of tracts and other artful inventions, and adding to their funds. By means of the immen se revenues which are constantly flowing into the hands of the clergy, they are able to exert an influence in society, which to the apprehension of the sober, enlightened politician, is truly alarming. Already are they able to build meeting houses at the expense of their funds, taking care, at the same time, that they secure those houses for ever to the interest of their superstition. In country towns, where the light of reason and common sense has been so far exercised as to cause this clerical influence to decline, and the people are weary of paying money for that which is disgusting, they are told if they will pay but a part of the minister's salary, the rest will be made up out of the mission fund. And it is a fact that much money from those funds, is drawn annually for the support of preaching, in our country towns, where there is no want of wealth, and where but few will attend meeting excepting women and children. The applications which are made to our state legislatures for the incorporation of ministerial funds, for the support of a certain designated sect, show very plainly, that the design is to engage legislation in support of priestcraft. What now will be the efforts of the clergy in towns and parishes to influence elections in favour of those who will be devoted to their cause! Let the people of these states keep their eyes shut and their ears closed a little longer; let these clerical funds grow but a little more enormous, and they may fancy themselves freemen, and go to the polls with the boast of freedom and independence, but the clergy will control their franchise as they please, and no man will be held up for office, but such as will go all lengths with them. What shall we think of these men, who thus endeavour to enslave their fellow creatures? It is hard to judge them, and say they are dishonest; that they are designing, crafty men; and yet we must say this, or, what they would as little like, that they are not possessed of common sense. Can they possibly believe that money is wanted to save the souls of men from the wrath of our Creator? This is what they pretend; and they cry, money, money, as if they were in distress. Scarcely do we hear a word from their lips concerning the redeeming favour of our heavenly Father, which is so richly communicated in the gospel of his beloved Son, who gave himself a ransom for the whole world. Not to save us from the wrath of God; but from priestcraft, and its degrading oppressions. The clergy would cause us to fear falling into the hands of God; but, my friends, I think the danger is of falling into the hands of the clergy. If the blessed Saviour of the world had been the author of such a scheme of amassing money, as appears to engage the skill and craft of the clergy of our times, his directions to his apostles would have read materially different from what we find them in the New Testament. When he sent them out to preach, he would have said, "And as ye preach, say money, money, for the kingdom of priestcraft is at hand; and go ye into all the world and beg money of every creature; he that giveth, and giveth all he hath, shall be saved; but he that giveth not shall be damned." But he who had not where to lay his head, who forbade his apostles to take with them either purse or scrip, was never the author of this craft, which is evidently reaching after the reins of government in our country. Thanks be to heaven, there are hopes of redemption yet; and if the people will open their eyes they will in season see their danger and avert it. But a little longer continuance of that apathy, which has already put the ministers of religion in possession of their present means of influence, will involve our country in slavery, and render our present free government, with all its blessings, a something to be remembered, a something that has been, but gone for ever.. Awake, then from this lethargy, and, if these beggars of money appear at your doors, dismiss them with the deserved reproof. They now have the audacity to contend, that we ought to devote all our property to their cause; and it is true that not a cent less will ever satisfy their thirst. "A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so and what will ye do in the end thereof ?" GREAT GOD! if nature, weak and frail, On thy compassion I rely: Let not thy frowns my faults reprove; |