-
Articles/Ads
Article ON THE ERRORS OF COMMON OPINION. ← Page 3 of 4 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On The Errors Of Common Opinion.
the cruel medicine mi ght have belied his hopes , and restored Junto them all again . The savage Indians , on the " 6 th £ i- hand , when they lose their friend , lose all that he possessed while livino- ; his axe his gun , and kettle , the means of killing and of dressing food , are all buried with him , when he has no longer hai ids to shoot , or a mouth , to feed with . This has been the custom time immemorialwith these
, , unenlightened heathens . The late Mr . Whitfield once dared , in the confidence of our differing in opinion , to condemn this as absurd and criminal , before the prince of these honest people , and that at the ' head of his people and in his own countiy ; but what was the event r the savage answered ; and the world declared his people and not ourshad riht and justice in their customsThe in
, g . priest very scurvy terms accused the blindness of this savage herd in supposing burial necessary to weapons made with human hands , becau s e it was so to that body which was not onl y made by immortal fino-e .- but was also the express image of that ; immortal Maker ; and itself entitled to immortality : Senseless and absurd , continued he , to think because a star has bri ghtness , a mushroom must have lustre too- and because has immortal il
man an so- , that therefore his axe and hammer must have souls to serve him with in immortality ! . An insolent contempt and elevated brow gave notice of the conclusion of his loud harangue , and gave the followers of this then new apostle their cue for shouts and acclamation . When the noise of this triumph was over , the Indian chief , who had sat with his eyes fix . ea upon the ground , to hear this insolent accusation , arose and modestly beckoning to his friends for their attention , answered in this manner : '
Our customs , brothers , delivered to us from the sacred months of our deceased old men , as they were received by them from theirs and still remain , and shall remain for ever unaltered with us , need no defence , no prune to you ; you know their worth , and you know the reverence you are to pay to them , not as the traditions or the thoughts or othersbut as opinions worththe approbation of r
, y reasoning ceatures ; these Christians , always hasty to condemn , amie on false principles , and forge the crimes or follies which they afterwards condemn us for . Their own accounts of their own conquests amons . our kindred nations are proofs enough of this . But , brothers , thorn * you want no instruction , this young man needs much ; and I demand your consent to give it to him . "
A general approbation on the one part , and as general an amazement on the other , ushered iu the sequel of the speech of this generous savage , which was continued in these words : « Most rash youno- man you have convinced us you have much to learn ; how dare vou- then attempt to teach ? Why urge you against us , even to our faces , thino-s which ourselves must and which ht to know false
you oug are - we hope you rather ignorant than dishonest , and ate willing to be'ieva you know no better than your speech declares : but let me then intorm-you , that our principles are these ; we hold that man shall live again when dead , and so do you , in this we differ not : but , youno- „ it is not for this that we bury him . He who will give life to the dead can as well do it to their atoms scattered upon the face of the
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On The Errors Of Common Opinion.
the cruel medicine mi ght have belied his hopes , and restored Junto them all again . The savage Indians , on the " 6 th £ i- hand , when they lose their friend , lose all that he possessed while livino- ; his axe his gun , and kettle , the means of killing and of dressing food , are all buried with him , when he has no longer hai ids to shoot , or a mouth , to feed with . This has been the custom time immemorialwith these
, , unenlightened heathens . The late Mr . Whitfield once dared , in the confidence of our differing in opinion , to condemn this as absurd and criminal , before the prince of these honest people , and that at the ' head of his people and in his own countiy ; but what was the event r the savage answered ; and the world declared his people and not ourshad riht and justice in their customsThe in
, g . priest very scurvy terms accused the blindness of this savage herd in supposing burial necessary to weapons made with human hands , becau s e it was so to that body which was not onl y made by immortal fino-e .- but was also the express image of that ; immortal Maker ; and itself entitled to immortality : Senseless and absurd , continued he , to think because a star has bri ghtness , a mushroom must have lustre too- and because has immortal il
man an so- , that therefore his axe and hammer must have souls to serve him with in immortality ! . An insolent contempt and elevated brow gave notice of the conclusion of his loud harangue , and gave the followers of this then new apostle their cue for shouts and acclamation . When the noise of this triumph was over , the Indian chief , who had sat with his eyes fix . ea upon the ground , to hear this insolent accusation , arose and modestly beckoning to his friends for their attention , answered in this manner : '
Our customs , brothers , delivered to us from the sacred months of our deceased old men , as they were received by them from theirs and still remain , and shall remain for ever unaltered with us , need no defence , no prune to you ; you know their worth , and you know the reverence you are to pay to them , not as the traditions or the thoughts or othersbut as opinions worththe approbation of r
, y reasoning ceatures ; these Christians , always hasty to condemn , amie on false principles , and forge the crimes or follies which they afterwards condemn us for . Their own accounts of their own conquests amons . our kindred nations are proofs enough of this . But , brothers , thorn * you want no instruction , this young man needs much ; and I demand your consent to give it to him . "
A general approbation on the one part , and as general an amazement on the other , ushered iu the sequel of the speech of this generous savage , which was continued in these words : « Most rash youno- man you have convinced us you have much to learn ; how dare vou- then attempt to teach ? Why urge you against us , even to our faces , thino-s which ourselves must and which ht to know false
you oug are - we hope you rather ignorant than dishonest , and ate willing to be'ieva you know no better than your speech declares : but let me then intorm-you , that our principles are these ; we hold that man shall live again when dead , and so do you , in this we differ not : but , youno- „ it is not for this that we bury him . He who will give life to the dead can as well do it to their atoms scattered upon the face of the