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sion cannot, in any conceivable manner, apply itself to the subject of infinite wisdom, admitting such wis dom to exist. Nor is it possible for mankind to acquire any definite idea of the existence of any other intelligence, affection, or propensity, than that which is displayed by living animals. Thus, are men stigmatized, as infidels and atheists, because they see and own their ignorance of all beyond the pale of time and things, and humbly yield, to God or Nature, the sole direction of superhuman incidents-Meanwhile, the human egotist, who assumes to be familjar with the privacies of God, and with the undeveloped circumstances of, perhaps, a ficticious future state of being; and who, both night and morning, impudently asks his God, to shape His providence, to his own immediate, particular occasions; or, at least reminds Him of the duty of looking carefully to His own affairs, is eulogized as a model of humanity; and as a very pink of piety and wisdom. Nor are vanity, and impudence the only faults, that reason charges upon such pharisaic holiness. She hears them confidently reiterate the purest Gospel-precepts, as though they were themselves the Logos, whence they came; and, meanwhile, hourly contradict them by their base examples. She also hears their daily, formal prayers, in which they ask their God to be a benefactor to the poor-to feed the hungry and clothe the naked; nor ever dream that God has made them stewards of a bounty, He intended should be thus appropriated: And hence she tells her yotaries, that there is something wrong, or rotten, in the system of theology.

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THEOLOGICAL CRITICISMS.

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Jaysenager alde ziɔɔnga B 14 And for this, she and they are slandered and condemned as miscreants, and fearful agents of the adversary, in the diabolical project of both temporal and eternal ruin: Nor has she ever ventured a con- P ment upon its absurdities, even those, which itself has subsequently discarded, in shame for their very* ugliness, but that superstition has, forthwith, perse-" cuted her from Dan to Beersheba and back again;" nor relaxed in her severitees, until by tortures, and oaths of extermination, the exhausted and disheartened heritic has been made to utter a heartless recanta" tion.

Nor has the cry of heresy, blasphemy, infidelity and atheism, ever failed to be raised against the vota-1^ ries of Reason, who have dared to inculcate her sug-I gestions of the deformities of Popery, and even of Judaism itself; nor have its echoes ceased, wherever" Superstition has set its cloven hoof, since Seth and Enos, lucklessly, mistook causation for a God: But even here, in this focus of discordant spiritualism, or;" as discourtesy might say, this menagere of biped ani mals, where precept and example are hot at logger. heads, and vociferously bandying the lie, in each other's teeth, Superstition is already getting hoarse with brawling of its danger and its infallibility.

Thus you see I have thrown the gauntlet to Judaism, and the superstitions of Christianity; nor intend ever to resume it, whilst I retain the power to wield either tongue or pen, in what I deem a most holy, contest-a contest of Reason and Truth and Amity, against Lunacy, Error and murderous Dissension.

But lest I should be mistaken for a disorganizer

a civil and moral nuisance-an abettor of crime, and an advocate of licentiousness, I must beg your attention to the following avowal.

I hold to equal, and mutual rights, privileges, and responsibilities, among all persons, of all countries, and of all colors; and that it is the especial duty of each individual in every community, to act conscientiously, or in accordance with the suggestions of reason, uninfluenced by personal considerations, by prejudice or partiality-or by the fear of consequences, to persons or characters; and, meanwhile, aim to make the greatest possible contributions to the common stock of human happiness. { } t

I hold that the moral precepts of the New Testament should be adopted, as the standard of rectitude among mankind, until an unquestionably better system shall have been obtained. And that the Gospel can never become seriously objectionable, until its precepts shall have been surpassed by the excellence of human conduct; of which disparagement, it app pears in no immediate dangers smere won 15 7jf vat

I hold, that Legislation should seek to elevate the character and promote the welfare of its subjects, with the least possible infringement of the principle of reciprocity; being itself obedient to those institu-1 tions of Nature, that regard the production, preservation, usefulness and happiness of the human race.

And were there a power, that I could successfully invoke, I would become a wrestling Jacob, until Id were blessed with the happy consciousness, of having fully exemplified the purity of the Gospel, in my own daily practices.

INFIDELITY AND RELIGIOUS FAITH CRITICALLY

EXAMINED, AND COMPARED.

Infidelity, or unbelief, in its religious acceptation," is a disbelief of the supernatural inspiration of the Scriptures, or of the superhuman origin of Christian ity, whilst the opposite should, of course, be received as the definition of religious faith.

Since Nature is entirely barren of testimony in fas vor of theology, and further than the inductive conviction, she enforces, of the existence of an ultimate cause, which we have considered, heretofore, as identical with God, the creator, mankind have found it convenient to introduce, upon this question, the testimony of a reputed divine revelation. And, upon this, I believe the utmost reliance is almost universally placed. If, therefore, it should fail to sustain itself, under the severest scrutiny, Theology will be inevitably exposed in its naked decrepitude; and abhorred for its digusting deformities: But, on the other hand, if it is marked with the consistency and infallibility of the laws of Nature, it will grow brighter by:

collision, and more and more conspicuous by the tests

to which it is submitted. And were I a disciple of revealed religion, I would solicit, and even provoke, discussion upon the question of supernatural revelation, until the infidel shall have relinquished the last hook, upon which to hang even the shadow of an objection; glorying, meanwhile, in my increasing confidence of the truth, as my adversary shall have retreated from the field of contest..

When have men fallen to loggerheads, about the permanency of the laws of Nature? Or whether they were in danger of being obstructed or perverted by the fallacy of human opinion? Have they not proceeded with the same regularity and results, whatever opinion mankind have maintained of them? And, were 'Theology of a similar character, would it surrender its dominion over the opinions of men, sooner than gravitation over his physical corporality?

Revelation is, nevertheless, believed to be, in technical phrase, a noli me tangere, or touch me not→→a sanctum sanctorum, or holy of holies, wherein the profanity of human reason is, peremptorily, forbidden to enter, lest it should corrupt the savor of holiness, or be itself extinguished, for its sacrilegious temerity. But then again, the laws of Nature, which Theology admits to be the institutions of God, are, in no wise, impaired by the closest examination; and wherefore revelation should be more endangered, from a similar scrutiny, is a question of no easy solution, unless it is itself a fiction. →

The truth of revelation, or the supernatural char