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406 Rebuke of Intolerance in America .
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gards the authority of God , can never subserve the happiness of man . " We have just seen another production of this eminent scholar and orator , which , though in some parts eloquent and edifying , is , in general , far from doing him equal credit by its spirit and purpose . We allude to his sermon , preached at New York , the 2 d ult ., on the occasion
of resigning his charge of his congregation . Were not the sermon printed and published , we should not , perhaps , feel ourselves entitled to notice it thus ; it might pass unmolested as one of the effusions of a paroxysm of zeal , escaped in the heat of pulpit exercise , and willingly left only in the memory of a
devoted congregation . The references to the Unitarians , which are made in this vehement discourse , furnish some of the most revolting samples which we have seen , of theological rancour hi the present day . They are expressed in the strongest language of execration , and betray the
utmost intensity of a hate like that described in the following phrase of Cicero —odium immane et crudele barbarorum in hostem . If w e could suppose the language of the preacher the true criterion of his disposition towards the religious denomination whom he assails—that his anathemas are those of the heart as well as of the tongue , we should deem this an opportunity to express comfort and
joy , that the age of auto da fes is passed away , and that the clergy have it no longer in their power to wreak their resentment of what they deem heresy , by torturing the body and destroying the life , as well as blasting the reputation of the obnoxious . We belong , ourselves , to a church whose tenets are very different from those of the class of Christians
whom Dr . Mason reviles and curses ; and in signifying our horror of his furious denunciations , we must not , therefore , be supposed to be acting in our own defence . It is our good fortune , however , to be acquainted with several of that class , persons of the most estimable character , for whom we ought to feel as
much nearly as we . would for ^ ourselves , when we see hurled against them a sentence of proscription and perdition , such as the following :
" Above all things it is devoutly to be hoped , that you will never invite to the 4 care of your souls , ' a man who cares nothing about them . 1 mean , more particularly , for I would not be misunderstood , a man who belongs to that rank of traitors who miscall themselves * rational Christians . ' Against these men I have ever warned you , as the enemies of our Lord Jesus Christ , and all that is valuable in his religion and peculiar in
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• his salvation . I know well that this congregation is considered by them as the very focus of what they term bi gotry ; and I do rejoice that thus far I and you have been counted worthy to suffer sham **
for his name . Long may it continue so ! Long may it be thought a hopeless case to attempt to bring you over to the fellowship of devils . Though I would not slander the devil : he promotes his work , as the destroyer , not by tempting men to his beliefy but by persuading them to em-Jirnrp inhn . t h . p dnps nnt hpllP . VP . what * V
too coarse and abominable for hell itself ; and what the philosophical Christians shall find to be so > when they get to their own place . The pretences of these men to kindness and candour and lovey are all hollow . They mean to make proselytes of you , and two-fold more the children of hell than themselves . O keep at a distance from them ! Furthest from
them , and their charity , is best . Come not near their ice , never to be melted but in that fire which shall not be quenched . This pulpit , this church , were destined to the glory of the Lord Jesus . Let them never be polluted by a foot , nor profaned by a tongue , which are not moved by his honour .
This is the strain of iierce and odious passion . We can no more admire the Reverend President uttering it from the pulpit , than we could have admired Sir Edward Coke , when he called Sir Walter Raleigh , " viper , monster , spider of hell , vile and execrable traitor , odious fellow , and damnable Atheist . " It appears to us
as repugnant to the true ends of Christianity , as it is to the genius of our political and social systems . Amo < ig the " rational Christians , " whom the Preside / it had in view , we know one that , in universal rectitude of conduct , in practical virtue , in benevolence of heart , in the earnestness , variety and success of his efforts for the relief of the unfortunate ,
and the promotion of every liberal aud laudable purpose , has at least no superior in the United States . The country at large knows another in the present Chaplain of the [ louse of Representatives at Washington , as a man of great learning and talents , admired and esteemed for his domestic merits , as well as for his public qualities .
We cite these instances from among the many that may be adduced , to illustrate the extravagance and injustice of the language which we have quoted . We do not meddle with polemical divinity ; we have no idea of interfering in religious controversies on points of faith but we feel that when one denominationof Christians , or any association ot persons styling themselves sucb , lead , io-
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), July 2, 1822, page 406, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2514/page/14/
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