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Vo 41 Vol. Vl.] k rotn the Lit. and Evan. Magazine. EUROPEAN PRINCIPLES IN AMERICA. ■The whole history of nature proves, that a people without aettled prin ciples of religion, are proDe to superstition. This is true of the learned as well as the rude. Lord Herbert, Voltaire, ’ Rousseau, Volney, and Lord Byron were superstitious men. The late miracle which was got up at Washington, has received as much cre dence from iotidels in this country as from any class of Christians, except the lower order of Catholicks among us. lodeed the only sure preventive of superstition is sound religious knowledge. In assigning the rea son for this, I would say, if I were a pkreno logiqt, that almost all men have the organ of veneration. A<t it is, I say that a capaci iy for religion is much a part of mao’s na ture, as a capacity will be developed in eve ry state of society, but always modified by circumstances. An ignorant population un settled as to their religions principles, is not only prone to superstition, but to fanaticism. At this moment, any man with a pale face and a long beard, a singular habit, austere mannerof life,and an ordinary degree ofcuti ning, could pass among 1 thousands and tens of thousands of our countrymen for a pro lead them to the greatest extrav agnr.cies. Unhappily, we are not without actual proofs in support of this remark.— Bu’ they who are deeply read in the hieto ry of human nature, want no proofs.—They know that the, elements of these evils are wrought in the very constitution of man as he now is. When such creatures as with out fixed principles of religion, we are, fall into sickness and sorrow, the troubled iin agination shadows forth terrifiok images. The airy nothings are embodied, aod re ceive “a local habitation and a name.” Their existence is fully believed, and they are regarded with terror. An artful man, at work with popular superstitions, can do what he pleases with the people. Thous ands of facts might be adduced to prove this statement. Lei us now exomine for a few moments the condition of our country. In I lie parts of this state the best furnished with the means of moral and religious in struction, it is placed beyond a doubt that not more than one fifth of the population acknowledge any sort of connexion with any denomination of Christians. They have never read the Bible ; have learned no catechi-ro ; have been subjected to no re ligions discipline; many of them cannot read at all ; and they have no settled prin ciples of religion. Were it not (r the indirect influence of! Christianity on the slate of society, thous-! ands of our fellow citizens would at (hi* ! moment, be as superstitious as the ancient Greeks and Rotnaus, or (he modern- Hin doos. There is certainly no exaggeration in the statement that in the whole popula tion of this country, there are at present five millions of poisons, who have no deter mined opinions on the subject of religion. In twenty five year? from this time, that number will he doubled. It cannot be oth er wi*e, without a miracle. Even if the zeal of the churches should provide, with in thjt period as great an amount of the roeaif of the moral and religious instruc tion, V nave been accumulated during the two proceeding centuries, there will be in our country ten millions of citizens without any fixed religions principles. But what reason have we to expect that an exertion like this will be made l To supply vacan cies occasioned by death, and keep up the proportion which now exists between the population and the means of improvement, th* American churches ought to train up in twenty-five year*, about eight thousand minister*: the Bible Societies ought to dis lidtiite three or four millions of Bibles. Who r expect that this will he done ? If zeal should not he greatly enkindled, and exertion increased, the population will he continually getting farther ahead of the means of moral and religious improvement: the ijjimuber of oitr countrymen, who have no settled principles of’ religion will be con stantly augmented; there will be a fearful increase of all the evils of irreligioo, super stition, and fanaticism. I speak not now of the future consequences of this elate of things ; of the lose of heaven, with all its glory and felicity ; of the perdition that awai.s the unholy and profane, the impen itenl and unbelieving. I leave these awful subjects to the retired and profound consid eration of chrietiaoe; and address myself to Ihe understandings and hearts of, all who love their country. Let them meditate deeply on the effects of this ignorance, of the depravity, the dark superstition, and (he (intractable fanaticism generally con nected wish it. Unwilling as I am to interrupt these clos ings, | must, in a lone of the deepest ear nestness inquire, in this age,- when a mis sionary zeal pervades every part of Chris tendom, will the members of these estab lished churches in Europe let us alone ? Or rather, will not mighty efforts be made to I promote in this country, Christianity as it is I modified in its external form, by the e.tab- I lishment of the old world ? If any suppose I that in London, in Paris, or in Rome, they P fire ignorant of the situation of this country, I Wit-a giievou* mistake. If aoy imagine I Htitl there is a want of zeal in the propa- the missionary. n t .V>j. . i.- /¥*•-. : -v . J&£ A **♦’*7% *. r • • \ v gandists of the old world, they are sadly deluded. Ldt them read any impartial his tory of the order of the Jesuits.—Let them learn the true character of that body. Learned, subtile, acquainted witht the world, trained to the most absolute submis sion totbeir Head, and bound by the most solemn vows to the interests of the See of Rome, they penetrate all countries, are found io all disguises, and put on all appear ances, to accomplish tbeir purposes. In Europe they are devoted monarchists, in America flaming republicans, in China Man darins, and in Hindostan, Bramins.—They flatter the powerful, caress the rich, and indulge the young to gain influence. Now this order has been re-established since the fall of Napoleon, in fulness of its power, and receives the countenance and support ofsome of the greatest potentates in Eu rope. Since the year 1815 there has been a decided change in the tone and manner ot Papists ; down as they were bv the strong arm of the Emperor of France, thev were’ humble and modest. They have acquired new hopes, aod cherish new expectations since his fall. Now the state of our population invite” their labours among us. That large and ever growing part of our countrymen, who have no regular instruction, and no settled principles of religion, furnishes as fine a field as coulJ be desired for the wide pro pagation of a superstition, contrived on pur. pose to strike on the senses, and engage the ignorant. The freedom of our institn lions removes every harrier out of the way of foreign missionaries. We could not pre sent the least impediment to a propagandist from abroad; without doing a deed, which would at once brand us with indelible re proach, and excite universal rage and fnri among our countrymen Yes, (he freedom of religion must at all hazards be maintain ed. But (he opportunity thus afforded i used to great purpose. Last year the Pope made an additional appropriation of twenty lour thousand dollars a year, for the promo lion of religion in U. Siate*, and three new bis ho pricks were established by lum. ir, our borders. I have good reason to be lieve that a missionary society at Paris pur sues the same work, with an assiduity, a zeal and liberality, which may well pu’ our countrymen to shame ; and that it often receives and from members of the royal family. One may see splendid proofs’ of the liberality of Louis XVIII. iu the cath edral church at Baltimore. The following extract from a well known and much admir ed periodical work, furnish es at once a confirmation of these facts, and a striking comment on them. In the Chris tian Observer for May, 1824. page 33d. we find that three gentlemen from the United •States were then in England, soliciting do nations for three distinct objects in this country ; bishop Hobart, for the Theologi cal Seminary in New York ; bishop Chase, fora similar institution in Ohio; and thp Rev. Mr. Wheaton for (be Episcopal Col lege in Hartford, Connecticut. All that is necessary for nuy present purpose is to state, that some disagreements which took place in relation to these objects, were aim cably settled ; that it was finally determined (he subscriptions for them all, should go on at the same lime ; and that Lord Kenyon, Lord Gambier, the Rev. Dr. Gaskin, and Henry Hoare, E*q. consented to act as tros lees for a Innd to he raised for the benefit ot the Theological Seminary to be establish ed in Ohio. These gentlemen issued an ad dress, commending this institution to the British publick. From this address, I make the extract adverted to above. “ The undersigned cannot but notice, as a strong additional motive for supporting the plans of bishop Chase, that the Roman Catholir.k bishop in the state ot Ohio, ac,cor ding to information lately received from that quarter, is now on a special mission at Rome, in order to solicit the means of es taolishing a College in Ohio ; while it is an nounced in the publick papers ot this coun try, that the Pope has lately made an addi tional grant of 24.000 dollars to the Society de Propaganda Fide (tor propagating the Faith) for the support of the Roman Catho lick Church in North America. As the great importance of making early efforts in the new settlement* of America will, doubt less, cause much of this wealth to flow to the westward, the friends of the Protestant faith will feel a pecul ar obligation lying up on them to strengthen bishop Chase's hands.” My object io making this extract is to show, that Roman Catholicks are making *uch efforts to promote their faith in this country, as excite something of a feeling of jealousy in the members of the English es tablishment. Ido not for a moment bring the Church of Rome into a c< mparison with the established church of England. All that I want to show is, that the established churches in Europe, regard this country as a place, where they may seek for converts. I consider it as put beyond a doubt, that where religion is not exteodeJ by the American churches among our growing population, this will be attempted by mis sionaries from Europe; and chiefly by Ro man Catholicks. Thi* plan extend* more widely, and cuts more deeply than many are aware. I cannot but mark the increas ing interest which is taken by Europe in America. Nothing in the whole world ere- nf a „i. Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature.— Jtrut Christ. an tne dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensable supports.— Washington. MOUNT ZION, (HANCOCK COUNTY, GEORGIA,) MONDAY, APRIL 18, 1825. ate* so much uneasiness in the ruling pow ers of the old world, as the example of America. The idea of employing force to overturn our institutions has beeu abandon ed. But is there any thing absurd in the supposition that, understanding our situa tion, and the progress of population among us, they are willing to bring the powerful operation of moral causes to bear upon us? And how would our jealous poliliciaus feel, if in a few years they should find some mil lions of our fellow-citizens much under the influence of priests, as toe populace of Spain or Italy? And what if those priests should own allegiance to aforetgo power? I repeat, Christianity, in some form, will be the prevalent religioo of this country, It it is not extended, as the nation grows, by enlightened teachers, on American princi ples; the country will swarm with foreigD missionaries, who will exert an influence in deep and unappeasable hostility to the very genius of our institutions, this cannot bo prevented but by destroying some of the most valuable parts of onr constitution From this whole statement, I derive two inferences, which appear to me mdispula hie. 1. They who oppose the exertions of Christian benevolence in onr country, through jealousy of religion, act a very in. con-itent part. They are defeating their own avowed purposes. An establishment of any particular form of religion in this country is impossible. No denominations of Christians wi.-h for it. The principles ot religions liberty are engrafted in the very constitution of the American church es ; “grow with their growth, aud strength en with their sti r-gth.” But us far as the extension ot those is prevented hy the in difference of Christians, nr the hostility of oiliers, an opening is left for emissaries from abroad to come in. and operate on our pop olaiion. There are persons in this country now, to whom I would no mote ‘rust my ofe, if they bad power, than 1 would to the ‘ender mercies ot the holy inquisition. How Tinge is the infatuation of man! The most zealous of the European powers vould ask ot ns nothing more, than to give up onr population to the guidance of teach .-is, whom they could easily send by bund ••"ds and by thousands io onr country. And ye- many of onr, .c.i'izen*, because forsooth they dread the iiiflu. nci- <4 (he clergy,, who were boro, acd educated, and eie married here, and are bound to our society by all (he chanties of life and alt the feeling o of patriotism—because, I say, -hey dread the influence o| such men as these, are leaving a mighty space to be occupied by Jesuits and other foreigners, and nff-.rding an op portunity to build up Institutions, the re sources of which me drawn from abioad, from Paris aud Rome ! A Theological Sem ioary among ourselves, where thp sons of American patriots are trained for the minis try ol the gospel, is frowned on and oppos ed ; is crippled in it* resources, and limited in its operations ; and thus ttnple room is left for the labours of spiritual teachers from St. Oiners, and other seminaries, un der the influence of corrupt establishments. 2. My second inference is especially ap plicable to Christians. Bevjcnd a doubt, it is the first duty of the Am-tricao chinches to promote Christianity in their own borders. Is it fit; is it right that tnorediould be done to butid up churches in the lew settlements and among our destitute population, by peo ple of other nations (ban is done by our own cnnntrympn ? I speak to societies rich in re source*, and strong in numqers—l speak to all whom the Lord has hissed with abun dance hotli temporal and spiritual—-how can you answer it to God and Vour country, to leave the growing population of this land exposed, as we have seen tkem to he, to all the evils of a wretched superstition, to all the influences of a corrupt religion. You may fear no evil—but your children, your friend*, when yon are laid in the grave, may suffer the deplorable consequences of your supineness. The writer of this, lives where he sees and feels the want of a regu lar ministry, and sufficient religious instruc tion. In many places near him, not one tenth of the population are connected with the church. Preaching is rare: Sabbath schools are not; nor Bible societies; oor missionary exertions; nor indeed is any thing done to meliorate the moral condition of the people. It is growing worse and worse. The present generation is more irreligious than the last—the approximation to heathenism is rapid. The blessed name of the Saviour is only used for profane ex clamation, and the book of God answers no purpose bat to swear by. While I see all around me a scene of moral desolation, and the prospect darkening every hoor, I won der at the apathy of Christians. I daily hear the cry of perishing souls; I some times witness the agonies of sinners dying without hope, aod I am astonished that so little is done to promote religioo in my country. A letter from Aleppo says, it is believed at that place, eveu by the Catholicks themselves, that the Firman of the Grand Seignor against the Bible, was issued at the instaoce of the Calhnlick Priests. Anew Protestant house of worship was opened at Paris in August last, under tbe patronage of the British ambassador. From “Horne’s Introduction.” ! CONVERSION OF THE APOSTLE PAUL, ABRIDGED FROM THE OB SERVATIONS OF LORD LYTTLE TON. 1. If he was an impostor, he must have declared what he knew to be false, aDd he must have been influenced to such a con duct by some motive or other. But the on ly conceivable motives for religious impos ture, are, the hopes ot advancing one’s tem poral interest, credit, or power; or the prospect of gratifying some passion or ap petite under the authority of the new reli gion. Now, that none of these motives could influence Paul to profess the faith of Christ crucified, is manifest from the state ot Judaism and Christianity, at the period when he renounced the former, and embra ced the latter faith. Those whom he left were the disposers of wealth, of dignity, and of power, in Judea; those to whom he went were indigent men, oppressed, and kept from all means of improving their for tunes. The certain consequence, there fore, of his taking the part of Christianity, was the loss not only of all that he posses sed, but of all hopes of acquiring more; whereas, hy continuing to persecute the Christians, he had hopes, rising almost to a certainty, of making his fortune by the fa vour of those who were at the head ol the Jewish slate, to whom nothing could so much recommend him, as the zeal which be had shown in that persecution. As to cred 1 it or reputation, could the scholar ol Gama liel hope to gain either by becoming a teacher in a College of fishermen ? Could he flatter himself, that the doctrines which he taught would, either in or out of Judea, do him honour when he knew that “they were to the Jews a stumbling block, and to the Greeks foolishness?” Was it then the love of power that induced him to make this great change ? Power over whom ! ov er a flock ot sheep w hom he hiinseH assist ed to destroy, acd whose very shepherd had lately been murdered! Perhaps it was with the view of gratifying some licentious pas sion, under the authority of the new reli gion, that he commenced a teacher of that teligion. This cannot be alleged ; for his wmings brea-b.e nothing but the strictest m.Tahtj, obedience to magistrates, order, and government, with the utmost abhor rence ol all licentiousness, idleness, or loose behaviour, under the cloak of religion. We no where find in his works, that saints are above moral ordinances; that dominion is fouuded io grace; that monarchy is deepo tistr. which ought to Le abolished; that the fortunes of th rich ought to be divided among the poor; that there is no difference in moral actions ; that any impulses of the mind are to direct us against tbe light of our reason and the laws of nature; or any of those nicked tenets hy which the peace of society has been often disturbed, and the rules of morality olten broken, hy men pre tending to act under the sanction of divine revelation. He makes no distinctions, like tile impostor ot Arabia, io favour ot himself; nor does Hny part of his life, either before or after hi* conversion to Christianity, hear any mark ol a libertine disposition. As among the Jews, so among Christians, his conversation and manners were blameless. It ha* sometimes beeu objected to the olb er Apostles, by those who were resolved not to credit their testimony, that, having been deeply engaged with Jesus during his life, they were obliged, for the support of tbeir cwn credit, and from having gone too far to return, to continue she same profea sions after his death ; but this can by no means be SRid of Paul. On the contrary, whatever force there may be id sucb n mode of rersoDing, it all tends, to convince us, that Paul must naturally have continued a Jew, and an enemy to Christ Jesus. If they were engaged on one side, he was as strongly engaged on (be other, if shame withheld them from changing sides, much more ought it to have stopped him; who, from his superiour education, must have been vastly more sensible to that kind of shame, than the mean and illiterate fisher men of Galilee. The only other difference was, that they, by quitting their master af ter bis death, might have preserved them selves; whereas, he, by quitting the Jews, and taking up the cross of Christ, certainly brought on bis own destruction. 2. As Paul was not an impostor, so it is manifest that he tvas not an enthusiast. Heat of temper, melancholy, ignorance and vanity, are the ingredients of which eolho siasro is composed; but from all these, ex cept the first, the Apostle appears to have been wholly free. That he had great fer vour ol zeal, both when a Jew and when a Christian, in maintaining what he though to be right, cannot he denied; but he was at all times so much master of his temper, as, in matters nf indifference, to “become all thing* to all men,” with the most pliant condescension, bending his notion* and man ner* to their*, as far as bis duty to God would permit; a conduct compatible nei ther with the stiffness of a bigot, nor with tbe violent impulse* of faoatical delusion. That be was not melancholy, is evident from hi* cnndoct io embracing every meth od which prudence could suggest, to escape danger and t-hun persecution, when he could do ii without betraying the duty of his office or the honour of bis God. A mel- [Price $3 50 per arm. ancholy enthusiast courts p.-rsecolir h ; and 1 when he cannot obtain it, afflict- himself with absurd penauces; but the holmt sa of Paul ( consisted only in tbe simplicity of h godly life, and in the unwearied perform* ■ ance of his apostolical duties. That he was 1 ignorant.no man will allege who j not gross ly ignorant himself; for he appear* to have been master not only of the Jewish learn ing, but also of the Greek philosophy, and to have breti very conversant with the 1 Greek poets. That he was Dot credulous, is clear from his having resisted the evi dence of all the miracles performed on ; earth by Chri?t, as well a* tho-e that were f afterwards wrought hy the Apostle*; to 1 the fame of which, a* he lived at Jerusa- I lem, he could not possibly have been a stranger. And that he was as free from vanity as any man that ever lived, may be gathered from all that we see in his wri tings or know of his life. He represents himself as the least of the Apostles,.and not meet to he railed an Apostle. He says that he is the chief of sinners; and be pre fers, in the strongest terms, universal be nevolence to faith, prophecy, miracles, and all the gifts and graces with which he could be endowed. Is this the language of vani ty or enthusiasm ? Did ever fansuck pre fer virtue to his own religious opinions, to illuminations of the spirit, and even to the merit of martyrdom ? It is therefore in vain for the enemies of Christianity to attempt 1 to resolve this miraculous conversion of Paul into the effects of enthusiasm. The power of imagination in enthusiastica! minds is, unquestionably, very slropg; hut it al ways acts in conformity to tbe opinions im printed upon it at the time of its ivotkmg, and can no more act against thru*, than a rapid river can carry a vessel against tbe cuirent of its own stream. Now-, nothing ran he more certain, than that whercSaul departed from Jerusalem for Damasrue, armed with authority from the r.hiel priests to tiring the Christian-, who were there, bound to Jerusalem, whether they w ere men or women. (Acts ix. 2.) —an authority solicited by himself, and granted to him it l-is own express desite, —bis mind wish most strong ly possessed with an opinion against Christ and hi* follower*. To give those opinions a mere active force, his passion* at thiit time concurred, being inflamed in the high est degree by (be irritating consciousness of his past conduct towards ‘hem, the pride nf supporting a part in which he had volun tarily engaged, and the credit which he found it procured for him among the chief priests and rulers, whose commission he bore. If, in such a state and temper of mind, an rnthusiaetical man had imagined (hat he saw a vision from heaven, denoun cing the anger of God against the Chris tians, and commanding him to persecute them without any mercy, it might be ac counted for by the natural power of enthu siasm. But, that, in the very instant of hia being engaged in the fiercest and hottest persecution -. gainst them,-—no circumstance having occurred to change bis opinion, or alter the bent of his disposition,—he should at once imagine him-elf called by a heav enly vision to |e the Apostle nt Christ, whom, bu a moment before, he deemed an impostor, and a blasphemer that had been justly put to death upon the cross:—this is in itself wholly incredible, aod so far from being a probable effect of enthusiasm, that just a contrary effect must have been natu rally produced by that cause. But. still further to show that this vision could not be a phantom of Paul’s own creating, let it be observed, that he was not alone when he saw it; there were many others in compa ny, whose mind* were no better disposed than hi* to the Christian faith. Could it be possible, (bat tbe minds of all these men should be so strangely affected, as to make them believe that they saw a great light shining about them, above the brightness of the sun at noon day , and heard the sound of a voire from heaven, though not tbe wordß which it spake, (Acts xxii. 6,9,)wben in re ality they neither saw nor heard any such thing? Could they he so infatuated with tbe conceit of their own fancies, a* to fall down from their horses, together with Saul (Acts xxvi. 14.) and he speechless through fear, when nothing extraordinary had happened either to him or them ; especially consider ing that this apparition did not appear in the night, when the souse* are more easily imposed upon, but at mid day? If a sudden frenzy had seized upon Paul, from any dis temper ot body or mind, can we suppose bis whole company.—men of different con stitutions and understandings,—to have been nt once affected in the same mam er with him, so that not the distemper alcne, but also the effects of it* would exactly agree ? If all had gone mad together, would not tbe frenzy ofsome have taken a differ ent torn, and presented to them different objects? Thi* supposition is so contrary to nature and all possibility, that unbelief must find some other solution, or give up tbe point. 3 Having shown that Paul was neither an impostor nor an enthusiast, it remaioa only to inquire, whether he was deceived by the fraud of others?/ Thi* inquiry, in deed, may he despatched iu a very fei* word* For who was or were to deceive him? A lew iDiteietir fishermen nt Galilee. It was morally impossible for such men tp