at the faith. The same person (who may or may not know something of geology) has said, that the friends of the Bible are trying to stifle the progress of geological science, because it interferes with the Mosaic cosmogony. This assertion will pass for what it is worth, especially when we happen to call to mind the fact, that Cuvier himself, one of the most distinguished geologists the world has produced, died while composing a lecture, the very purpose of which was to show the concordance of the Mosaic accounts with the results of his laborious inquiries and investigations.

Against Christianity itself, its origin and sanctions, little is advanced. We gather this from their publications, and what they are pleased to call their "Scientific Lectures." The corruptions of Christianity, the persecutions and wars which have taken place under its name, are their most frequent topics of discussion. We are at a loss to conceive where they would have found materials on which to exercise their skill, had it not been for the Crusades, (which they are very particular to designate as the Holy Wars), the horrors of the Inquisition, the burning of Michael Servetus, the banishment of Roger Williams, and the burning of the Quakers at Boston. With what they say on such subjects we perfectly agree. Every friend of Christianity has wept at such perversions of a religion of "peace and good will." Indeed it is a matter of much surprise to us, that when they wish to enlarge upon such topics, they should put themselves to the trouble of providing original materials for the task. Passages may be found in the writings of Christians, which place these matters in as forcible a light, as any modern writer, however free his assertions or his inquiries may be, can reasonably wish. The words of the Master, "Put up thy sword into thy sheath," would form an appropriate text for all those, who, by holding up the perversions and corruptions of Christianity, would but set its original purity and native divinity in a stronger light. All that we ask, is, that the blame of such impious proceedings be laid where it belongs. If our love and respect for the Saviour and his instructions, were but the common feeling which man bears for his fellow, we should oppose the libellous attempt to charge him who said, "My kingdom is not of this world," with introducing a system, which has flooded empires with blood, and identified the cause of God with worldly aggrandizement and power.

"

The Tyranny of Priestcraft," is another hobby upon which infidelity capers and vents its rage. Infidels love to represent the clergy as nothing better than a band of interested deceivers, connected together by a kind of Freemasonry, assisting each other to suppress the liberty of conscience and the exercise of reason, to oppose the progress of learning and the rights of the lower classes. Society, they say, is duped and imposed upon, merely to support a lazy body of men, who may live at their ease, and grow rich on the credulity of the ignorant ;- an assertion most wonderfully contrasted with the testimony, which the feeble frame of many a young martyr to the cause of religion bears to the arduousness of his office.

There is one more ground of complaint urged by infidels, and that is, the enormous expense of supporting the institutions of Christianity. They state, with the strongest feelings which the bare mention of so much money may excite, that Christianity costs the country more than twenty millions of dollars annually; and in the suspicious words which we remember to have seen used before, suggest that "this money might be given to the poor," or spent in the education of children. One would be led to suppose, from the language which infidels use on this point, that "Temples of Science" (which, if we may credit their assertions, are in a few years to adorn the towns and cities of our country) could be erected without the least expense, and that the prices (by no means moderate), annexed to those scandalous publications, called "Liberal Tracts," were merely nominal. The circumstances of those on whom infidelity now principally acts, renders this argument very specious, especially when it is pressed upon them with all the envy and malignity, with which we have heard infidels express themselves.

It seems to be the opinion of many, that infidels depend much, for their arguments, on the discordant opinions of sectarians, the condemnation which one party passes upon the chief tenets of another, and the exertions which one sect makes for the express purpose of defeating the aims of those who in their turn are opposers. But this is not, to any great extent, the case. Though the weapons which Christians have used against each other, are, in some instances, turned against them all, this is merely the by

play of infidelity. It is chiefly for the sake of variety that the active infidel resorts to those abusive attacks of Christians on one another, which human passions and infirmities, whatever the restraining principle may be, will always occasion. Instances of hypocrisy, of pretended conversion, and blind zeal are at times held up to raise a sneer from the deluded hearers. And so, too, no ridiculous story which malice can invent or slander propagate, is allowed to pass by untold; on the contrary, the utmost possible use is made of every thing of the kind which offers itself. But infidels stop not here. Some will sneer at every principle of religion, whether its effects be good or bad. As might be supposed, if they are willing to dispense with Christianity, they are ready to throw off all the beneficial influences which it has exerted and can exert in promoting the objects of moral reform and general benevolence. A Temperance Tract, is, in their opinion, as useless as the Bible. Strange as it may appear to us, it is confidently asserted, that Christianity has never been productive of a particle of good, and that, if the doctrines of the New Testament were implicitly obeyed, the effect, so far from being what we should expect, would only be, to make men superstitious, selfish, ignorant, unmanly, and passive recipients of injuries. It is even said, that the morality of the gospel is positively injurious and deficient. The spotless character of the Saviour, which till very modern times was respected, where it was not adored, is now calumniated. Yes, the blaspheming infidel has dared to do this; the lips which should sooner have withered than pronounced the words, have stigmatized the Son of God, who knew no sin, as not only a deluded impostor, but as a liar and a thief.

But we shall greatly mistake if we think such reasonings and views are the sum and substance of modern infidelity. True, it is by such views that infidelity now spreads its gloomy and blasting influence; - these are the doctrines which are now taught to young and old, and under this aggregation of sin and error many have gone to their account. Though we feel satisfied that such are the only weapons which the proselyting infidel can and does use, we know that unbelief may exist in the minds, and influence the conduct, of those who would spurn the idea of lending their voice or their attention to these vile purposes. It was for

this reason that we made the distinction between those who hold infidel sentiments, and those who are active in spreading them. We hinted before, that the unbeliever himself was ignorant of the true nature of his opinions, till he felt induced to express and spread them. He may be at heart a most thorough skeptic, absolutely denying the existence of what is called a moral nature within him, and positively refusing to enter upon the investigation of the nature, purposes, and claims of Christianity. The infidelity which is now spreading over our country in sneers at religion, and contempt of all authority whether human or divine is one thing, and that which is locked up within the hearts of many is another. The former is satisfied with being the enemy of the Christian faith, the latter claims to

be the friend of man's best interests.

That, in the rapid advancement of science and the discovery of truth, the imaginations and wishes of many should run away with their wisdom, is but what we ought to expect. It is a principle claimed as indisputably true by some of this class, that, since man's position is continually changing, and since the objects of his inquiry and attention are, and ever must be, on the advance, he will, in process of time, look back upon his present situation, and discover that he was entirely under the influence of error. Now to anticipate the time when this prospective state of perfection will be attained, and to pronounce the present state of things absolutely and totally wrong, is a very easy thing. Here is the origin of those views, which, under the name of infidelity, are now destroying, rather than perverting the hopes and interests of man. A scheme founded upon this principle is that which has lately found some advocates in our country and in Great Britain. Such, in particular, is the system of Miss Frances Wright. We have heard it forcibly remarked by one thoroughly acquainted with the matter, that no two people could be more different than Miss Wright, as she is understood and represented, and Miss Wright, as she really is. Many who condemn her sentiments, and picture the startling features of infidelity, as they fancy, from her teachings, we are sure would change the tone, if not the substance of their arguments, did they know what her abstract principles really are. Instead of giving vent to their horror and amazement at the fancied

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immorality of her system, they would be much more inclined to deride it as visionary and nonsensical.

This philanthropic lady, who, in her own opinion, is undoubtedly sincere in her labors for the best good of mankind, has, by some means or other, possessed herself with a few bright ideas of the perfectibility of man, without paying as much attention as might have been wished, to the necessity of employing certain indispensable means for attaining that desirable point. By a bold flight of her imagination the time has already come. Man no longer looks to another scene of existence for the fulfilment of the purposes of his being. Nothing but an absolute refusal to cooperate with nature in obedience to her laws, has checked the universal prevalence of order and happiness. Man never had a right to expect to know any thing, as long as he recognised the existence of a limit where his endeavours to know more must yield. Religion teaches us the existence of such a limit, and, more than all, fixes it very near to us; consequently religion is all nonsense. Laws are made only for rogues; but the universal prevalence of a sound philosophy will lend its sanction to one at least of the maxims of the old morality, which says, "Honesty is the best policy"; laws then may be dispensed with altogether. All artificial restraint and interference in matrimonial matters, and others of a similar nature, is only rendered necessary because reason does not exercise her proper influence, but reason is to become the idol of universal worship; rational principles only will unite the husband and wife, rational principles only will separate them; and it is rational they should.

Here we have the shallow compound of assumptions and inferences which constitutes that hideous spectre, "Modern Philosophy." Those who receive the whole scheme, and will not enforce one of its principles without the whole, are a very harmless set of wretches, and should be candid enough to ascribe the privileges which they possess in the security of their lives, property, and means of enjoyment, to one of the few redeeming excellences of the present system of things. But the difficulty lies here. There are but very few whose mental powers are competent to the task of realizing the predicted glorious state of things, without dwelling for an instant on the means by which it is to be