Experimental investigation of the spirit manifestations, [electronic ...

238 INFLUENCE OF SCRIPTURERoman sage, should be cherished. The sentiments of this sage prove thatamong the heathens a more pious idea of God existed than that given bythe Bible, which represents him as jealous, and as punishing not only theindividual, but his posterity, for an involuntary ignorance^ which by a merej5at,omnipotcncy could correct.1244. God is quite tolerant, according to Seneca, as respects any misapprehensionof his pretensions, while, according to Moses, he is extremelyintolerant.1245. Instead of teaching people to dislike and disestccm those whomay diifer from them, as to the designation, form, or name under whichthe Deity is to be worshipped, it should be held that no person of soundmind would waste his time and his energies in worshipping that which hedoes not conscientiously believe to be entitledto adoration, any more thana man will l-noir'inglij pay a debt to or court the favour of one to whomhe owes nothing, and from whom he cannot expect any thing in return.It might be argued as reasonably, that a person in paying by mistake aforged draft, is less honest than in paying one which is genuine, as that avirtuous pagan isto have less favour with God than any other man, howeverorthodox his creed. (See Theological Axioms, page 34.)1246. Were a lessee to pay a forged order for rent due to his landlord,would the latter strive to punish him for the mistake, especially if sowealthy as not to feel the want of the money? But what would be saidof the landlord who, knowing that his lessee had received an erroneousimpression as to the owner of his tenement, shouldallow him to pay yearafter year without any eifort to prevent him from being cheated ?Wouldnot this deprive him of moral if not of legal claim to the rent ? God isrepresented as omniscient, and consequently as cognizant of the misapprehensionwhich leads the pagan to kneel before his idol, and yet withouteither influencing his mind, or placing before him any evidence of his error,punishing him for his mistake.1247. It should, moreover, be an object to prove the greatness and goodnessof God, by making men acquainted with the wondrous miracles ofthat universe of which a nook has been assigned to the inhabitants of thisplanet, which, in comparison with the totality, isas minute as any grain ofsand which contributes to form our terrestrial globe is to the whole massof which it constitutes a part—so insignificant. It should be an object toshow how that "Jionesfj/ isthe hcst policy^''—the bad never being happy.1248. Those well-educated sectarians of different creeds should be heldwanting in humility, who severally considered themselves free from thaterror in belief to which they deem all other men liable. It is conceived,also, that individuals are answerable for their opinions to God only, andthat for one man to condemn another for not thinking as he himself thinks,is to violate the precept, ''judge not, lest ye be judged," and the goldenrule of acting toward other men as you would have them act toward you.