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No. 10 Vol. VII.] From the National Gatellc. LIFE AND DEATH OF AN INFIDEL. The personal career of Thomas Paine was marked by hateful rices and habits, which were notorious, and are proved by the strongest evidence. He made a bad husbaud; he brought with him to America the wife and children of the man with whom he lodged at Paris, and seemed to have converted the former into his mistress, and maltreated them all; he violated his duty, and was ignominiously dismissed, as an ex ciseman in England & a publick officer in the United States; he laboured to evade the payment of his debt3, even the most sacred, alU.r he bad the means of discharging them ; f* / appeared to be wholly wanting in grati t'a'ie to bis benefactors; he did not scruple to make false representations, when such might promote his private interests; he exhioited for many years the spectacle of an abandoned, squalid sot, grovelling in the lowest and coarsest fellowship; he devoted much of his li:e to the purpose of over throwing a!! revealed religioo, and, wc think, mads, by his writings on the subject, more wsetched unbelievers than any oth er author : his book the Jige of Reason, was e tly adapted and has chiefly served to those classes of society that stand most in need of the restraints and consola tions of Christianity. It is undeniable that he rendered very important services so the cause of American : Independence; but it is especially so, that no cause was ever more outraged after its | triumph, by the private conduc and charac ter ol an advocate—a circumstance which, however, does not impair the real excel lence and glory of the cause itself. He set np besides, the most extravagant claims as a benefactor, and laboured to blacken the true hero of the Revolution: (be transcend am model of patriots & the brightest orna n> ni of American History. We may value aa.l acknowledge t{;e aid furnished by Paine; but ve are entitled or bound to re probate the betrayer of publick trusts; the violaterofdomestick ties; the sordid in grate; the venomous defame r of unequal led virtue ; the overweening boaster ; the mischievous assailant of the Gospel; and the habitual drunkard. When Dr. Rush visited him, for the first lime, in order to enlist his pen for the advocates oflndepen deoc-e, he found reason to believe Xhal he had already begun, or undertaken, to write on the other side ; but he was so unsettled in hi- principles and views as to be easily | induced to j-in with the separatists. This - anecdote rests upon the authority of Dr. )tush himself, who communicated it to a gentleman of this city of our acquaintance. I We should not omit to add, indeed, that he | remained as steadfast as he was useful to jL the American cause ; w heilier from a pure ‘ | and enlightened attachment to it, or the ? profound hatred which he bore to the min istry and institutions of cbe mother country —let the previous and subsequent tenor of his life determine. Eye witnesses, entirely credible, have borne circumstantial testimony to bis de meanor aod condition in his last days; and their reports constitute a picture and a les ion scarcely lass awin’ than any ol the kind I. which the detn bed has ever afforded. I We do not remember to have read or heard aof a case that mure forcibly exemplified the truth of Warburton’s live remark. “ Humanity is but a poor thing at best ? but in certain situations is capable of be com-ng so wretched, that, let proud Phil osophy say what it will, it is not to be en dured without the aid and hopes of Reli gion.” Paine’* bodi'y situation, produced by un cleanliness aid disease, was such that we cai.r, t venture to repeat the description of it which bn physician has drawn. That respect..ble individual,—Dr. Manley, of New York—has recorded also, details il tnstralive °f the state of his mind, some of wnich we shall proceed to transcribe. “I recollect being with at night, watch ing ; he was very apprehensive of a spee dy dissolution, and suffered great distress of mmd and perhaps of body, (as he wa wait ing the eveut of an application to the so ciely of Friends for permission that hi* corpse might he deposited in their grave ground, and had reason to believe that the request might be refused.) when he re marked in these words. “ I think l can say, what they make Je>us Christ say—My God, oiy God, why hast thou forsaken me !” During the latter pirrt of hUlife, he would not be left alone night or day ; he not only required to have some person with him, but he must see that someone was there, and would not allow his curtains to be closed at any time; and if, as it sometimes unavoida bly happened, be was left alone, he would scream ami holla, until some person came to him ; when relief from pain would ad mit, be seemed thoughtful and contempla tive, his eyes being generally closed, and > his hands folded upon his breast, although | be never slept without the assistance of an I anodyne. There was somethiog remarks I ble in his conduct about this period, (which I comprises about two weeks immediately jjj- preceding his deatb,).parliciilarly when we reflect that Thomas Paine was author of the Age of Reason He would call out P during his paroxysms of distress, wiiuoul f intermission, “ 0 God, help me, Lord, help THE MISSIONARY. me, Jesus Christ, help me, &c.” repeating the same expressions in a tone ofvoicethat alarmed the house. During the whole course of his illness, his petulance, vanity, & self-will, were excessive.” Dr. Manley took occasion, two or three days before his demise, to ask him emphat ically, whether he believed or wished to believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. After a pause of some minutes, be answered, “ I have no wish to believe on that subject.” His Will is dated the 18lh of January, 1809, and begins thus; “The last will and testament, of me, the snbscri her, Thomas Paine, reposing confidence in my creator God, and in no other being, for 1 know of no other, nor believe in aov other.” Paioe received but a common and scanty English education. The diction of his works, as to correctness and elegance, does not in dicate a cultivated taste; but bis writings bespeak a mind of great acuteness, activilv, and ingenuity. He possessed those qualifi cations which enable an author to succeed with the multitude, and he so exerted them as to produce the most extensive effects. Much of what he published, particularly when he was recommending or vindicating a good cause, is sound, shrewd, and skilful ly presented : he displayed zeal, industry, and more or less of talent, in ail bis under takings. Oo the whole, however, he put forth at least an equal quantity of trite and in short, mere trash. Circumstances were signally propitious to the kind and degree of hi abilities aod attainments, as well as to his disposition. In other times he might have remained obscure and insignificant; and would, certainly, have enjoyed far less mental influence and general reputation than fell to his lot in the ferments of two popular revolutions. That he was so con spicuous and operative an agent in human affairs, was owing rather to their particular aspect in his day, than to any real magni tude or superiority in his powers. It is said, by his principal biographer, that, from 1 800 to 1808, he wrote essays for the newspapers, some of which were decidedly in favour of an invasion of the United States by the French. He inserted verses of his composition in the Magazines and Gazettes, that have not been collected. The few of them which we have seen, such as the Death of Wolf, and his “ Castle in the Air” deserve more praise than his life and character. THEOt’HILANTHROPISTS OK FRANCE. In our last paper, we gave au extract from Dr. Alexander’s work on the Evidence of Christiani ty, and we nbwgive lartlicr extracts, containing an interesting account of the Theophilanthro pists of l ranee. After describing several minor efforts of Deists, to establish and in.liritaiureligious worship among themselves, the author says : [<V. Y. Ob. The mot interesting experiment of this kind, was that matle hy the Theophiianlhro pisis in France, during the period of the revolution. After some trial had been made of atheism and irreligion, and when the wan! of publick worship was felt by many reflecting persons, a society- was form ed far the worship of God, by the name just mentioned, upon Ihe pure principles of Natural Religion. Among the patrons of this society, were men beloved for their philanthropy, and distinguished for their learning; and some high in power. La Revelliere Lepaux, one of the direc torv of France, was a zealous patron of the new religion. By his influence, permission was obtained, to make use of the churches for their worship. In the city of Paris alone eighteen or twenty were assigned to them, among which was the famous church of Noire Dame. Their creed was simple, consisting of two-great articles, the existence of God, and the immortality of the soul. Their moral system also embraced two great principles, the love of God, and the love of man ; which were, indicated by Ihe name assumed by the society. Their worhip consisted of pray ers and hymns ol praise, which were com prehended in a manual, prepared for a directory in worship. Lectures were de lived by the members, .which however, underwent the inspection of (he society, before they were pronounced in publick. To these were added some “imple ceremo nies, such as placing a basket of fruits or flowers on the altar. Music, vocal and in strumental, was used—for the latter, they availed themselves of the organs in the churches. Great efforts were made to have this worship generally introduced, in all the principal towns rs France; and the views of the society were oven extended to foreign countries. Their manual was sent into all parts of the republic, by the minis ter of the inferior, free of expense. Never did a society enjoy greater advan tages at its commencement. Christianity had been rejected with scorn ; atbeiun had for a short time been tried, but was found to be intolerable—the government was favor able to the project; men of learning and in fluence patronized il, and churches ready built, were at the service of the new deno mination. The system of Natural Religioo, also, which was adopted, was the best that could have been selected, and considerable wisdom was discovered in the construction of their liturgy. But with all these circum stances in ioelf lavour, iue ibcioiv couiut or-. 11 J- ... , . J® it? all the world, and preach the Gospel to everv creature.— Jesus Christ impositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensable supports Washington. MOUNT ZION, (HANCOCK COUNTY, GEORGIA,) MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1825. not subsist. At first, indeed, while the (Scene was novel, large audiences attended; most of whom however, were merely spec tators; but in a short time, they dwindled away to such a degree, that instead of occu pying twenty churches, they needed only four, in Paris—and in some of the principal towns, where they commenced under the most favourable auspices, they soon came to nothing. Thus they went on declining, until, under the consular government, they were prohibited the use of the churches any longer—upon which, they immediately expired without a struggle—and it is belie ved (hat not a vestige of the society now remaios. It. will be instructive and interesting to iaquire into the reasons of this want of suc cess, in a society enjoying so mauy advan tages. Undoubtedly the chief reasoo was, the want of a truly devotional spirit. This was observed from the beginning of their meetings. There was nothing to interest the feelings of the heart. Their orators’ might be men of learning, aod might pro duce good moral discourses, but they were not men of piety—aod not always men of pure morals.* Their hymns were said to be well composed, and the music good—but the musicians were hired from the stage There was also a strange defect of liberali ty in contributing to the funds of the so ciety. They found it impossible to raise, in some of their societies, a sum which every Christain congregation, even the poorest, of any sect, would have collected in one day. It is a fact, that one of the societies petitioned government to grant them relief from a debt, which they had contracted, in providing the apparatus of their worship, not amounting to more than fifty dollars— "toting that their annual income did not ex ceed twenty dollars. In the other towns, Iheir musicians deserted them, because they were not paid—and frequently, no person could be found to deliver lectures. Another difficulty arose which might have been foreseen. Some of the socie ties declared themselves independent; and would not agree to be governed by the manual which had been received, any furth er than they chose. They also remonstra’ ted against the authority exercised by the lecturers, in the affairs of the society, and declared that there was danger of their forming another hierarchy. There were also complaints against them addrehsed to the ministers, by the ageo's of government in the provinces, on account of the influence which they might acquire in civil affairs. The Theophilanthropists were moreo ver censured by those who had madegrea'- er advances in the modern philosophy, for their illiberally. It was complained, that there were many who could not receive their creed, and all such must uecessardv be excluded from their society. This cen sure seems to have troubled them much; and in order to wipe off the stigma, they ap pointed a fete, they called the anniversary of the re-establishment of Natural Religion. To prove that their liberality had oo bounds, they prepared five banners to be carried in procession. Oo the first was inscribed the w.ird Religion ; on the second Morality, and on the others, respectively, Jews, Cath olicks, Protestants. Wbeo the procession was over, the bearers of the several ban ners gave each other the kissol peace: and that none might mistake the extent of their liberality, the banner inscribed Morality, was borne by a professed atheist, universal ly known as such in Paris They had also other festivals peculiar to themselves; and four in honour of the following persons, So crate, St. Vincent de Paule, J. J. Rousseau, and Washington; a strange conjunction of names truly ! * Thomas Paine was one of them. ■—— .•-.< i r-M— rvmvmmam—mm MISSIONARY. From the (Richmond Fa.) Family Visitor. LATEST FROM PALESTINE. The latest intelligence from Palestine is contained in two letters to the Secretary of the American Board, one from Mr. Bird, of Jan. 11th, the other from Mr. Goodellj of Feb. 2d, 1825, both written at Beyroot. They were prosecuting their studies with mauy facilitities—preaching the Gospel in English, every Sabbath, in the house of the English Consul, whose kind attentions were uoremitled—bolding conversations with the people—and instructing their children in the schools. One of their schools had been destroyed by the Catholic priests. Anoth er was commenced in their ‘own hired house,’ in July of last year,.under the in struct ion of a native Arab. It opened with seven pupils, bat by the middle of Septem ber the regular oumber was between fifty and dxty. By this time, considerable no tice wa9 attracted by such a novelty as a free school established by strangers. Os the multitudes who visited it, to make en quiries, some applauded, and others cod detuned. So much was said to Ihe Greeks by their popish neighbours, for sending their children to be taught heresy, that se veral of (hem came & examined the books that was used in it; which were Bibles, Testaments, and Psalms. After this exami nation, uqu h9W (be school been conducted from the beginning, they depart ed, saying, “It is very good.” Soon after this, the school having just been removed from the suburbs to a larger room in the town,and the hopes of (he Missionaries be ing thu9 considerably raised, the Greek Patriarch residing at Damascus, issued a Circular warning the people not to receive the bcoks, or send their children to the schools of the Missionaries. This circular, which was occasioned by the Grand Seignor mentioned several months ago, embarrass ed the operations of the school, but did not break it up. The latest advices from Messrs. Fisk and King, left them at Jaffa about the middle ol March, on the point of setting off for Je rusalem. The Firman had prevented their doing much in circulating the Scriptures, and they had luroed their attention to preaching,in which the Catholic Priests op posed them with great violence. From Jerusalem, Mr. King intended to visit Con staniiunple aud Greece; and expected to he at Smyrna by the middle of June. Letters have been received from Mr. Temple at Malta, to the 19th of last April. He mentions the driving of Rev. Mr Kneel ing, a meihodist Missionary, and wife, from their house, by a furious mob, at the insti •gallon of the Catholic Priests. He remo ved to Valeria, his former place of resi dence. Mr. Kneeling and the American Missionaries were on terms of intimacy, and often preached for each other. Dr. Nau di had incurred the displeasure of his for mer friends, by renouncing the Catholic faith. Mr. Wilson had just returnad from the Morea, where be had sold aud distribu ted more than 400 Greek Testaments, about 100 copies of the Pilgrim’s Progress, in modern Greek, and several thousand Tracts. The demand for them was 60 great, that his stock was exhausted before he had half completed his tour. The Rev. John Hartley had disposed of a large Dumber of Greek aud Italian Tracts on the Grecian islands, and had sent for more. Mr. Tem ple was printing a tract, in Italian, entitled, “The Novelty of Popery.” Mr. Joweti was about to send to Svra, an Arabic tract, containing the Ten Commandments, the Lord’s prayer, & the Sermon on the Mount. The way was believed to be open for the circulation of tracts in Italy. The Rev. Mr. Cook, Wesleyan Missionary, wrote from Marseilles, in France, on the 15th March, that he had succeeded in starting a subscrip tion at Nice, for the purpose of furnishing the Pre?9 at Malta with a fount of Arabic type. The two Episcopalian clergymen at thui place recommended a subscription by word and deed, and 550 francs were sub scribed by thpmselves and eighteen other persons present. At Maiseilles, 41 fraoc* were subscribed for the same objects, mak ing in all, 591—nearlj half enough to pur chase an excellent fount. Two gentlemen had promised to try what could be done, for this press at Rome and Naples! The Palashne missionaries are evidently increasing in zeal, and are exiending h< ir plans and labours; while the Pope and ins priests are making corresponding exertions to oppose them. From present appearan ces Mr. T. anticipates some awful explosion within (be kingdom of the Beast, at no distant period. The Church Missionary Society hare un dertaken amission to the Mediterranean; nod the We9leyan9, one at Alexandria and Cairo, in Egypt. SANDWICH ISLAND MISSION. The Missionary Herald, for the present month, brings the history of the mission at Honoruru, down to the 28th October, and ol that at Lahaion to the 28th February, 1824. We find but lew interesting occur rences, with which our readers are not al ready acquainted. The mission is evident ly exerting a salutary influence on the chiefs and people, and is gaining friends among them. The chiefs, who have for merly manifested a desire to monopolize the instruction” of the missionaries, are be coming willing and even desjrious, (bat the people should share in the blessings. Some of them have established, and superintend schools for the benefit of the inferior chiefs. There is an increased demand for books, in the native language. The chiefs are be ginning to send out heralds, a day or two before the Sabbath, to proclaim its ap proach, & direct that il be kept as a sacred day. An application for baptism, had been made by a few chiefs, toge'her with a Ta hitian, and a pious blind man, whom the missionaries call Bartimeus. Much impro vement is discoverable in the construction ot the chief’s houses, in Ihe enclosure and cultivation of (heir lands, and in the treat ment of their dependents.—These are fa vourable circumstances. On the other hand, the people are still extremely ignorant, superstitious, and fre quently cruel. Great terror was excited by an eclipse of the moon, which was belie ved to portend some great calamity to the nation. The gods, said they, are eating up the moon. The opinion still prevails that one person has the power of praying ano ther to death. The impositions of sor cery continue to be practised; and maniacs are etoued to death. These are some of t he remains of heathenism, which, it is hop ed, will soon disappear before the light of the Gospel. Under date of November 26. 1824, the Rev. Mr. Stewart wrote from Oahu, to a friend in New Haven—“ Only last night we had renewed assurances that the universal cry throughout the broad spread district of Hawaii is ‘give us teachers—give us books; 5 and, on stepping into the street this morn ing, the first salutation 1 received wa* ac companied with an earnest request I for the Gospel of Jesus.'’ Such are our prospects, and such are our hopes; and with them, we cannot be “weary ia well-doing ” At the last monthly concert in Boston, a letter wa* read from Mr. Chamberlain, da ted early in January, the contents of which are thu* mentioned in the “ Recorder and Telegraph : ” Several schools at Honoruru, which had been intermitted during the war, were now resumed. ‘There is an increasing attention to religioos meeting". Net less than 7,000 copie of an elementary sheet had been printed; and nearly all were distributed— and the general lace of thing” wa s a- cudd ly encouraging. Tbe mi“#ionar;es, were, however, in want of paper, lyp.-s , . And especially an increase of faithful d-vo ted missionaries. A lettec irom Mr. Stewart, at Lahainah, represents the schools on that island to be in a high degree prosperous. In less than one week, schools were formed there, not long after the restoration of peace, con taining more than six hundred new scholars !! All these have been supplied with spelling books, and yet the demand continues good. Mr. Stewart thinks that full two thirds of the inhabitants of that isand (Mowee) would immediately learn to read, it (hey could on ly procure books and teachprs. From another source we learn, that, “From the time of the arrival of the Mis sionaries in 1820. to November 20th, 1824, 1600 children have been taught to read, and of these, 1000 can read with facility and understanding. Not less than 1000 have been taught to write, and of these, 6 or 700 are capable of writing fair and intelligible letters to one another. Thousands new waiting only for books and teachers, to be added to tbe number, to be instructed. There are six chapels already erected, in which from 1600 to 1800 natives eseemble every Sabbath, to listen to the preaching of Gospel in their native tongue—their week ly lecture, & prayer, and conference meet ings are also well attended—and many of tbe natives by their conversation & deport ment give evidence of a change of heart and life.”— [Family Visitor. MR. WOLF.—THE SABE.INS. In the August number of the Jewish Ex posi'or we find a continuation of the journ al of this distinguished mau. Most of it consists of .t single conversation which h* bad with a Sabean, whom he found at Bas sorah, on the p-r iliarities of their religious faith ami practice. “The Sabeane,” cays Mr. W. “are the dKcipies of St. John the Baptist, and are properly called the Man davi Yaha. They have hitherto been known only through Manomedan writers ; the accounts therefore which are given of them are liable to suspicion : more <'-pe cially as the Sabeans have beeu persecuted by the Mahotuedans from the time of Ma homed to (bis present moment.” We give an extract from Mr. W’s notice of (be Sabeans, but pass over bis “ conversa tion.” In regard to the deess of the Sabeans, they usually wear a turban of silk, the ground white and striped with red; a gir dle of wool round the waist, a linen shirt and cotton trowsers, with a camel’s hair cloth like tbe Arabs. But in church they appear dressed entirely in white linen. Sohoron, the Sabean, relates the follow ing story of John the Baptist:—“St. John was ooe day preaching near a Jewish syn agogue, a daughter of Israel beard him, and was deeply impressed with his doc trine. She went over to him, with the intention of being baptized. The Jews rose in arms to reclaim their daughter. Sf, John defied the utmost power of their arms, and declared that neither sword eoold slav him, nor lance pierce him. Tbe Jews ru"hed to the conflict, but they found theip arms unavailing. St. John was then thrust into a furnace, hut he issued from it in the beauty ofyouth, and with a nosegay of flow ers iu his hand. The Jews, seeing this abandoned tbeir daughter, and she was bap tized by St. Jobo.” Sohoroo called again on Uie 17ib of Jime, and produced the book called Sadra, which is begun from tbe two ends of the book, and written to tbe centre. Tbe right side is called Yemeena, and the left. Shemdala. On the right the affairs of Christians are treated of, and thetr congen erate sects; and tbe left relates to Mahom et and the Jews. The Sadra treats of events previous to the the time of Noab. It contains not only history, but likewise prophecies. It prophecies of the occur rence of Islam, and its various observances, aod also of the second coming of the Messi ah, and the date of bis coming. Sohoron declared to us, that, according to th Sadra Raba, Jesus shall come a second time,— ‘ till when, (say* the Sadra Raba,) keep