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

260 INFLUENCE OF SCRIPTURELazarus, or imaginary wurklly appointments^ or lying in the grave till thelaat dai/,—if tlicsc are all the grounds that Christians have had to buildupon as respects future happiness, is it to be wondered at that the priesthoodof the Middle Ages, who best knew the defect of gospel evidence, how littlethey themselves were to be trusted, and how illusory was the promisemade to the apostles of judgeships, (743,) should, of allbe the least restrained by fear of future punishment 'iothers in society,Itis a calumny against human nature to rej)resent men as wilfully ignorantof the true religion.1335. A prevalent calumny against human nature has been, that menremain wilfully reckless as respects religious truth ;or that they remain inerror designedly, and not because they mistake it for truth. But it is notorious,that as respects the laws of man, those who make ittheir businessto violate them take great care to make themselves acquainted with thelaws which it is their object to break. None but an idiot would expectthe law to be less severe in proportion as he should keep himself ignorantof its provisions. No banditti in the Russian -empire would expect theless to go to Siberia because they should deny the reigning czar to be thesovereign. They would not expect to escape his power by enthroning apretended czar, and paying him honour.Such conduct would be too absurd,even for fools to pursue jyet it is upon such erroneous views thatthree thousand Israelites were surprised and assassinated for worshippingthe golden calf; and that eminent clergymen do not consider it as blasphemyagainst the paternal God, described by Seneca (1224) to representhim as sanctioning this horrible butchery.*1386. The truth is, the selfishness of the worst men makes it quite asmuch an object with them, as with good men, to know to what punishmentsthey may become liable, or what advantages they will be entitled tohereafter. Self-interest makes every man anxious to know that whichdeeply affects his future existence.Is there any one who would not wishto learn whether his soul is to rot in the coffin with its fleshy integuments,or tohave another and eternal existence, happy or wretched according tohis deportment in this world ?|•••The fact that so many of the Israelites, assisted and of course countenanced by Aaron,the brother of Moses, afterward made high-priest, were thus induced to worship an idol,shows that they were pious but ignorant. It has elsewhere been urged that any one thatworships, means to xcorshij) rijlitas much as a person who 2^'^U^ ^ ^'^^^ means to pay theright creditor. It argues against the suflScieney of the facts and reasoning by whichMoses supported his pretensions to inspiration, that he had to resort to his sword in orderto prevent his people from worshipping idols. That they were sincere, must be evidentfrom their relinquishing their golden trinkets for the purpose of furnishing materials forthe calf.f It must bo admitted that Moses does not seem to have cared whether his soul perishedor not, provided he could get enough territory on this side of the grave, by pleading