of this proposition is offered; and I should be justified by a merely opposite assertion, but I will attempt a brief settlement of the question, whether religion, (meaning thereby a belief in the existence of an omnipotent being and a state of future rewards and punishment at his disposal,) or, infidelity, (by which term we understand, a disbelief of such an existence and state,) be the most favourable to the growth of vice, by which word I mean that mode of conduct, which tends to produce the greatest misery to the individual, and consequently to society. Virtue, of course, will signify that which produces the greatest happiness. It will not, I presume, be denied, that every one invariably seeks his own happiness, it being his interest to do so, and whenever he fails in the attainment, he does so, from his ignorance of the means requisite for the purpose; and it consequently follows, that knowledge is the grand desideratum of mankind. He is the wisest man, who chooses the best ends, and the best means to secure those ends. In short "knowledge is power." So far then the believer and unbeliever are upon a level; but here the difference between them commences.- The unbeliever having no hopes or fears from any rewards or punishments after death, will model his actions so as to generate as much pleasurable sensation as possible; will be virtuous in proportion to his knowledge, as virtue is that which will make him happy, and vice that which will render him miserable. He will never be vicious, but when he is mistaken in the means conducive to happiness. What will be the conduct of the believer? We will first take the believer in the existence of a deity and a future state of rewards and punishments, unassisted by revelation, and afterwards constder the Christian believer.-From the appearances in nature the Theist cannot infer what actions will be pleasing or displeasing to the deity.-Pain and want are frequently the lot of men whose actions are, by us, regarded as beneficial to mankind, and wealth and pleasure are often bestowed upon men whose actions are injurious to multitudes, and whose passions involve whole nations in calamity. Excruciating agony afflicts the infant, which cannot have deserved the slightest misery, and the monster who lives on the spoil of the indigent, and jests at their woes, rolls in splendour and power.-From such appearances as these the Theist is placed in the greatest uncertainty, as to what actions will be regarded with approbation or displeasure by the omnipotent dispenser of future rewards and punishments. The very doubt which hangs upon his mind as to the beneficence of his deity, he is compelled to recoil from with terror, and he regards the slightest imputation upon his goodness as a crime of extraordinary magnitude.-He lauds the benevolence of the deity to the skies; while he trembles with the deepest apprehension, when he approaches the boundary between the present aud future. Were the unknown future always to operate upon his imagination in full force, it would be impossible for the Theist to retain his senses. All is dark, dreary, and unfathomable, replete with terror and apprehended torment. From what can the Theist infer that he shall be happy in the next world? From the mercy of the deity? Where are his grounds of reliance? Experience here is no clue to the dispensations of an incomprehensible almighty being, and the expectations we derive from the contemplation of one, whose actions are governed by principles inconceivable to us, and who possesses ubiquity and absolute and unlimited power, are fear and agonizing anxiety. - In order to serve this being most effectually the Theist will be able to invent no mode but unbounded devotion, utter prostration and humiliation of himself at his shrine; and as proofs of his firm attachment, he will be led to practise self-denial and bodily austerities, because these will be supposed to be the most disinterested marks of his regard, but the adoption of pleasurable actions though useful, would be open to the suspicion of being performed for the sake of the pleasure. He would also feel it his duty to regard with abhorrence the unbeliever as an object of the deity's displeasure, and persecution (if he had power) would be the next result of the Theist's religion. The motives of the Theist to actions detrimental, to the happiness of himself as well to that of mankind in general, and consequently favourable to vice, might be proved to be almost infinite, from the numerous sources of mischief which are the consequences of Natural Religion or Theism, but to those, who are desirous of seeing the subject handled in a clear and satisfactory manner, I recommend the " Analysis of the Influence of Natural Religion on the Temporal Happiness of Mankind" by Philip Beauchamp. It is a work, which comprises in 140 pages the most exquisite logical argument, and ought to be in the possession of every person who aspires to the reputation of a correct reasoner on theological subjects. I should be extremely happy to see an analysis of the influence of revealed religion on man's temporal happiness executed by the same masterly hand. To return to the subject. I will now investigate the motives which are likely to affect the Christian and for this purpose it will be necessary to examine some of the prominent precepts and examples contained in the Old and New Testament. Of the decalogue, the first four commandments direct the performauce of nothing that is useful to man, nor the abstaining from any thing that is hurtful to him; and the restraining precept, contained in the fourth, is not only useless, but in many cases mischievous, and in some if taken literally, is utterly impossible to be kept. The fifth is too vague and indeterminate for practice, for no man or woman ought to be honoured, whose conduct is vicious, in whatever relation he or she may stand to us. The four next precepts have a beneficial tendency, but they are so notoriously the growth of social relations even in a very rude state of society, that they are absurd as making part of a divine revelation. The tenth forbids the indulgence of a desire of my neighbour's wife or property, and if this precept could have been rendered efficient, the commands "thou shalt not commit adultery," and "thou shalt not steal," would have been nugatory. The whole of the decalogué is a collection of negative directions, and recommends the practice of no one virtue. The four last books of the Pentateuch abound with institutions and precepts; and among the vast number of both, it is remarkable how few are really calculated for the benefit of society. The aim of the legislator seems to have been to heap advantages on a small portion of the Jews, at the expense of the multitude. I shall not stop to particularize the absurdity and injustice of many of the laws laid down by Moses; but I think it must strike the most superficial reader, how much the penalties attached to their violation are almost invariably made to augment the wealth of the priesthood under the names of sin offerings trespass, offerings, &c. The end of an enlightened legislator (and who can surpass the deity in wisdom?) ought to be the greatest happiness and advantage of the greatest number of his people. But every one will readily perceive that the Jewish Lawgiver's attentions are ever turned with criminal partiality to the levitical priesthood, The immense mass of property said to be extracted from the people for the performance of the ceremonies of the worship of Jehovah, is incredible; but allowing the statement to be true, the privations of the bulk of the Jews in furnishing means for these institutions, and the support of one entirely unproductive tribe, must have been - extreme, and easily accounts for the various rebellions and commotions among them. I will pass on to the celebrated sermon on the mount as being supposed to comprise the substance of the morality and precepts taught by Jesus.Some of the precepts and exhortations are of an excellent nature, but others are impracticable and foolish as well as pernicious. It would extend this article to a much greater length than will be convenient, to enumerate more than a small part of the latter sort; but the following quotations will serve to bear me out in my assertion, "Resist not evil, but whoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." If any man will sue thee at law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also." "And whoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain." "Give to him that asketh of thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn thou not away." "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use and persecute you.' "Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. In one place Jesus is made to say "think not that I am come to send peace on earth; I came not to send peace but a sword; for I am come to set a man at variance against his father; and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household." And in another place, he declares, that unless a man hate his father and mother, wife and children and brothers and sisters he cannot be his disciple. If we are told that we are not to understand these sentences literally, by what rule are we to interpret them? It may be also objected to me, that I take no notice of those commands and injunctions that tend to benefit mankind. I answer, that whatever number of these there may be, it does not at all detract from the force of the proposition I am supporting, that religion is favourable to the growth of vice, for so long as useless pernicious and contradictory dogmas contribute so great a share in the general mass, the result of them must be uncertainty and debasement in the mind of the professing, and believing Christian. Besides, we must take into the account of Christianity the necessary and indispensable overwhelming coercion of mind implied in the sentence "he that believeth shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned;" thereby making it imperative on the poor hesitating proselyte, whatever appearances may suggest to him, to prostrate his facul ties, to the adoption of certain truth. Does he feel the least doubt, perdition is the necessary consequence. He is not allowed to use his reason, for that would probably ensure his damnation, by undermining his faith, Besides all this, the simple believer is not sure that bis belief will procure bis salvation, for in another part of the gospels he is told that if a man be not born again of water and the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God, so that without being made a new creature his belief, about which so much is said, and upon which so great a stress is laid, is of no use to him. How can a religion like this tend to produce any good, when the salvation of mankind is made to depend on an incomprehensible creed, and a feeling made up of passion and enthusiasm? We will now turn to the example exhihited by some of the men, who are represented in the scriptures as favourites of the deity of the Jews and Christians. What is there to admire in the conduct of Abraham, who was twice guilty of a deliberate falsehood and behaved in a most cruel manner to Hagar and Ishmael, the oue his concubine and the other his oldest son ? The great act, which is held up to us for our reverential admiration, is what no sane man would be foolish enough to imitate. He believed that the deity required a sacrifice of a beloved child, and, had he not been restrained, he would actually have cut Isaac's throat; and this was counted to him for righteousness. Can there be a stronger proof of the debasement of man, than that one could be found to attempt, and the votaries of religion to applaud, such an act? on a similar occasion, repeated the falsehood of Isaac his father, and his son Jacob, who was an especial favourite of the deity, was a liar to his father and a swindler to his brother. The task would be endless to mark with reprobation the actions of the select worthies mentioned in the sacred volWhat can be more revolting than the deeds of Moses who (instructed by a deity who hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and destroyed all the first born of the Egyptians in a single night for the sins of Pharaoh,) murdered so many thousands of men, women and children of different nations; because they did not worship a god of whom they knew nothing, but by his people's cruelties? Joshua's actions were worthy a pupil of the meek Moses. Samuel is a precious specimen of the priesthood, and David of pious kings. It would be difficult to point out one single praiseworthy deed, of this man after God's own heart," in the whole course of the history wherein he is mentioned, but many of them deserve the severest censure though none but his con. ume. |