T orch
of
R eason .
VOL. 2.
NO. 3-1.
T he A ctual.
another
;
of “heaven if I thought that other,
to
a
universal
parent,
How
natur­
harmony, eten.al and
were to go to hell.”
al
the
growth
of
the
idea
and
the
law. It ¡8 astonishing
The idea of God and ruler is
transfer! Great men have been
ill feeling i„ avoided
" w i .a V ’i n l7 < - r * ,n a " c a ” im prove.
Ihonght gods all-powerful: and gods essential in rude and barbarous
\\ h a t silen t M ature sh o w s'
term s'"^ , 7 " *° ‘He d*‘fini,io'1
times, just as the idea of loyalty
How m any scenes inspire to love
have
been
thought
of
as
great
men.
As h e m ore h ap p y grows !
fecli ’ ° bnngl"S men out of their
’Augustus had more temples than may be essential, though the king
How know ledge, w ith th e soul enlarged f l i n g s and imaginations down to
he never seen: and the fear of bell
In sp ires to v irtu o u s deeds ;
g
‘he matter of fact. We may ,y- Jupiter; served will, as much re- may he useful as the fear of the
L W h f t le m»ln d has ,jeen 8,lr<‘harged
prtss a dislike to hypocrisy, to g| ut. itfion and belief in miracles.” We gallows is u s e fu l,-
U ith e rr o r ’s noxious weeds.
barbarous
only know phenomena; and phe­
«•odd!0 lrrelif i0n- 10 ¡"decency and
TiAnd,l t n 8 aH in?Prove th e tim e,
nomena a r e n o representation of '""OS like the present. Creeds
And still m ore h a p p y grow ;
not r ' i T ' ’
“ good n,ihd wi" the cause of the eternal and inher­ stagnate, and prevent development
\ndT
ll1
‘e
W
H
yS
°f
trutb
8ublime,
dislike
the
men,
hut only their
«nd progress. Christian morals are
And all h e r secrets know .
ent
force
of
nature.
The
dreams
immoral condition. Much less will
considered perfect; hut they will re.
—[Selected,
he slander any one for his honest and promises of theologians d , not quire much weeding a „d developing
intellectual convictions. Christians exhibit what men know, but what '•efore
W h a t Can W e R everence?
they
can
be
ac.
they
wish;
and
their
wishes
are
fol­
have hunted down and destroyed
lies. The sailor wished that the cepted by high and philosophic
BV G. II. ATKINSON.
heir victims in their turn, as Chrisl
m in d s,-b y the best and most en-
was hunted down and destroyed. earth was all tobacco and the riv­ lightened minds of the present day
Atheism and Materialism are
nder every religious faith, men ers brandy. The psalm-singer’s And is there no place for m an’s
terms used by vulgar minds to
highest notion of heaven is to be
persecute
and
are
persecuted.
frighten the ignorant. “ YVe fool
ringing praises to God continually. faith when he has ceased the wor­
Men try to paint a flattering lik -
ship of idols? It is the idlest folly
ourselves with our own fopperies
Men
“sing
to
the
praise
and
glory
. .
*’" » topperies ness
ness to
themselves and
„„.I „ call
,n it
</-,
to themselves,
GoH ! •
and inventions, like - - children
usua , i lv exhibit
of God,” seeing in him a jea ous "» suppose that the idea of Necessity
nnzl they ___
. ..
“ “ O 1VO who
tv Iiu and
would set men loose among their
are frightened with the s»m„
f„„„ of i,
- ex,' ,lj,t a m onsto.
same face
It ts said that-.nan is a god ,o the nian,—- a wretched image of their «'■I passions. But that we require
their playfellow that they them­
dog; hut this is a mistake. Dog. own miserable selves.
selves have smeared and smutted.”
He who does not suppose a per­ something to reverence and elevate
fear and follow men, and bite ineT
' , gar ,nen strive to raise them­
sonal god, or look fora future, may our thoughts towards, is true
hut they do not worship them. We
Knowledge gives us a more elevat-
selves by degrading others; and
.
most
unselfish
and
deeply
relic-
.
I
----
“
’
•••Vi
I
animals lAIIU«
*
ed poetry, gives us the chart and
When they are foiled by reason they might learn from I he lower
bi «n.nialsj'ious;
so religious that J he shrinks
many of the errors which struggling
slruggli.igj-from all the forms of worship, he laws of mind to guide us, and will'
»wear and use bad names. To sav
reason falls into. They reprove us
a man is an Atheist is to “smear for our fears ami tm r hopes, and cause he sees in them all hut firms « xhibit to us higher ohjecls for rev-
and sm ut” his reputation, and to
of worship, and forms of fancy, and ”ten,e. Is it nothing to have faith
are free from the follies of philoso­
nature; to have faith in knowl-
cause him tu b e avoided with fear
not the spirit and image of truth
phers and divines. Iiut we must
« go, and
g(MMjIle8S( whieh js (he
and disgust, as if he were possessed
There are thousands upon tboiis-
mend through knowledge, ami cul­
of the plague, or were a murderer
ands who have no clear knowledge fruit of knowledge? I8 jt nothing
and devourer of human flesh. Ev­ tivate men’s virtues, rather than upon any one question relating to ‘o h ve faith in love? I 8 it not, g
reprove them for their failings.
their religion, and yet are most •ng to regard nature in all her
ery theologian, though differing
Xenophanes pleasantly said, as
forms will, profound reverence? to
from other theologians, assumes
Proud in declaring themselves
Montaigne tells
“ -mat
that If
if beasts
beasts Christian, although
Jove truth, and
and worship
worship
,
„CUB to us,
us, themselves,
, 7 ♦ cer
goodn
vvorKbip
goodness,
that he is in the true faith, and ^ . n e any gods
it h«
he not
as it tain
that’
they
CCr’
“"
d
l-'ace
for
foftem
p of
In in
. l
and
l
ave
no
place
for
contempt
•
|.|
-
<
4
0
I
I
worships the true God; and that
is likely they do, *h
they
e im make
a k e them Christian
" ‘Z any
* ? ' . ' hvmg
7 7 lh
i" g ° or r «m
dition of
thing
condition
bis faith is a revelation proved by "
Christian self-denying
self-denying virtue^
virtue.
certainly such as themselves, and
■"« ter? Trained in the knowledge
miracles; and he conceives, with a
M
ere
Christ
to
appear
among
glorify themselves in it, as we do.
of the laws of mind, to find it im-
strange appearance of presumption,
Por why may not a goose sav thus- such persons he would not be rec­ possible to take offence — what a
that he is called upon to abuse all
nor would
he recognize
All the parts of the universe I have 1 ognized; nor
WouI<l be
r< cognize H<>othii|g influence! W hat a bless­
the rest of the world, and to strive an interest in. The e a ^ [
“ I an,
ing, Uns
one circumstance!
a
C
h
r
i
s
t
i
a
n
’»
1
J
a am ...g,
«ms one
circumstance! what
w h a f a
to convert them to his particular
uith, that they may partake of its me to walk upon; the sun to light Lord!”
»....• a a d will
~ not open the gate of
advantages. But we must judge of me; the stars have their influence heaven to any man; and th-se who 3 hiki for peace ot mind! I8 ¡j
the tree by its fruits, and not by its upon me; I have such an advant- J7 | l,e f" 1 bef°re “ ,eir " ‘ ighbors, nothing to cast away ambition? to
. '
- - age by the winds, and such bv the
desire excellence rather than to ex­
promises >r
• en have faith enough; waters. There is nothing that' yon
cel f to teel a noble contentment in
the best things. ft 1. heavenly roof looks upon so favor
W hy should we ever seek to know
U h a t never can be known
W hy sh o u ld we p resen t jovs forego
In hope of joys to come?’
g ’
^ a iis m ,
- u .i f u l
' prsal
how much
its character. Blind
on . that ; he
. . both saws " and grinds If “ one of prayer and all familiar in- the h ■. ni PP' 7 ” out of self in
f and
a i r 7 elevate
'eva' e ¡'a
with the “deity” whatso-
w h a ls n . glori.ToT'naT“
' !’ .* ° f ‘’‘h®”
° ‘hcrs, ’ and
“Dd the
lbe
ened fahh
* 7 bl°Ck; Onligh'-
eatS " )e’ he d°“° ‘"e same by h . tercourse will,
S . “
“ • •
-
•
* ..
- e r . We must pause i„ wonder
before ,he great mystery of nature, pass away and .r;e,'SOn,*,it>' «hall
How many significations are Montaigne "ay
h’"'* ’
the learn
hidden
and
the cause T"“
you wem before
1 f
a you
t -vou
shaJ1
■a, “ As much might andI
ti,
t truth
k knowle,foe
" " d tbe
Z
e - 7 be as
“
and
learn
th
a
t
is
....
..
.®
..._
beiore..y
"u
.
were
i 7 ' .. ‘° “ "e term -''ateHalism? he said hv a crane
And yet men who ought to know er c o n f i d e n c e , d " ' k" ' 7 ,edge is wi“d" ' " i w i s !
better, use this word as a term of hi. liberty of flight, and the ™ f t
P<’W''r *re in obedience: I
- — —
reproach, without defining what sessing of that high and h,a ..tff i ' 7 T y "‘ <li,,g'° the law- “ ‘e law
The higher the moti.
.
hey mean by it. Words have as i.eg ,o n ”
be'‘Ut,,Ul ‘V “ 16' 1« 1’ *"<> works a,4 accotn P -m p ts an action theTess'[he h in1
"any meanings as the chameleon
We judge according to „„ •
P,I8,,ed. Christ lived and died for Zi rKuar,d - An unconverted firenmn
has of colors. One understands by pressions tmd the conditio » f "
" ^ ““d ”f mankind. Socrates lived child "fro
,0 ea»« « little
1 e term God, precisely what am minds A ch d
a " d d - d for the good o, m a n k in d n o t ^ b y Z S ? g bui,d> ¡a
other understands hv -----------------------------
tha‘ " 8 a "d - ought we all to live and die - ‘ds expecieTl y t risti T h e r f*
.he good Of mankind: and only F " a ‘ ‘hat ‘heir V o d ^ ' X ' ' ^
g- 'i n g self shall we elevate X s V , T ’,' ° ,h' " - bu> ‘h”" "
d ennoble life. I would not accept from fire.
b“y eXfWct
8av«