1811.) Assertions respecting the Advantages of Infidelity. 
a atheists have seldom possessed the civil 
power; but in those few instances in 
which they have obtained it, their libe- 
rality towards those who differed from 
them, has nat appeared to any great ad- 
vantage. Where lias there appeared a 
more violent spirit of persecution than in 
France, when the civil power fell into 
the hands of avowed unbelievers? Qn 
the other hand, we may confidently ap- 
peal to the New Testament to decide 
whether a zeal for Christianity, as there 
represented, would promote a spirit of 
persecution ornot. To diminish the as- 
perities and persecutions of theloyians, 
it is not necessary to abandon Christi- 
anity, but to understand and obey its 
dictates. 
But the writer assumes a bolder tone, 
in speaking of the supposed influence of 
infidelity upon the literary and military 
characters. |‘ Inasmuch,” says he, “as 
it unlocks the chambers of pleasure and 
banishes the fear of death.” By the kind 
of pleasure here meant, we are led to 
understand, those pleasures which Chris- 
tianity prohibits; while it allows all the 
sober, temperate, and innocent, enjoy- 
ments of life; and therefore the passage 
seems to intimate that infidelity takes off 
the restraints which religion lays upon 
our propensity to excess in the indulgence 
of animal appetite, drunkenness, de- 
bauchery, &c. &c. and therefore confers 
abenefit upon mankind. A shocking idea, 
but it appears to be the consequence of 
the writer’s mode of expression. “ And 
banishes the fear of death.” Ifa man 
‘can persuade himself that there is no 
future state, no day of retribution be- 
yond the grave, it may, indeed, diminish 
the fear of death, to such characters; but 
even then, annihilation is what nature 
dreads, and death is far from being re- 
arded with indifference. It is not easy, 
owever, for an iifidel to be so esta- 
blished; the fear of death has often dis- 
covered itself in all its horrors, when the 
unbeliever has apprehended its near ap- 
proach; this is said, by an eye-witness, 
to have been the case with Volney, when 
crossing one of the Jakes of North Ame- 
Tica, in a violent storm. But, respect- 
ing the military, does infidelity render 
- soldiers more fearless of death in an en- 
gagement, and thus more brave? What 
facts ‘the writer could bring to prove it 
~Iknownot. Butthere are manyinstances 
of the most cool and steady courave 
in military men, who have most seriously 
believed the Gospel. Such were Colo- 
nels Gardiner and Blackader formerly. 
£ 
519 
And in the present day it is well known, 
that there are military men, both officers 
and common soldiers, who give the best 
evidence of their firin and serious faith 
in the Gospel, who have not been exs 
ceeded in courage, when exposed to the 
utmost danger of death, by any of their 
comrades, who have perhaps alfected to 
despise them as enthusiasts. Itis further 
said that infidelity ‘ bestows frankness, 
strengthens the vigou*, und enlarges the 
dominion of the intelleet.”' T think the 
author is peculiarly unfortunate in the 
mention of frankness, as the effect of 
infidelity, when it is so well known that 
many of the most celebrated unbelievers 
have been guilty of the meanest disin- 
genuity, in disguising their principles by 
a pretended belief in revealed religion. 
Thus Morgan professed himself a Chris. 
tian in those very writings in which he 
labours to destroy Christianity. « Voltaire, 
in a letter, still extant, requested his 
friend D’Alembert to tell a direct false- 
hood by denying that be was the author 
of the Philosophical Dictionary. D’Alem- 
bert in his answer informed him, that he 
had told’ that falsehoud. Voltaire also 
solemnly professed to believe in the Ca- 
tholic Religion, although, at the same 
time, he doubted the existence of a 
God. . Collins, though he denied the 
truth of christianity, qualified fora civil 
office by partaking of the Lord’s supper. 
Shaftesbury did the same.» Yet such 
men as these are continually declaiming 
against the hypocrisy of priests. In short, 
whatever may be the “ vigour or enlarge- 
ment of intellect,” of which infidels may 
boast, they have no reason to take the 
praise of it exclusively to themselves, so 
long as Christians can claim such men as 
Sir Isaac Newton, Mr. Locke, and Sir 
William Jones, as the avowed, steady, 
and consistent, professors of christi- 
anity. 
John Fransham, according to the me- 
moir, was certainly a man of talents, 
indastry, and learning; but it isto be 
lamented that he should employ them as 
he did. Had he impartially examined 
the New Testament, the only standard 
by which to judge of the religion of Jesus ; 
he could not have considered Christianity » 
and cruelty as synonimous terms. It 
must be attributed to prejudice or ma- 
hignity, that he should entertain such an 
ifea, merely because some, who- call 
themselves christians, but neither re- 
gard nor understand Christianity, are 
cruel. 
May 9, 1811, snl pk 
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