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A PROBLEM FOR THE POPE'S SOLUTION. spoken against the infallibility of the religious government of his holiness. Such, doubtless, if the Pope could have his will, would be the inflexibility of his laws to punish Protestant heretics with torture unto death, followed with the irretrievable curses of the fires of purgatory. Let the good Pious IX. contradict the above assertion by his renunciation of the professed infallible principles of Popery, if he please.

Speculative and practical Atheists, and Infidels of every class, would, if they could, abolish Capital Punishment by legislative enactments, and substitute imprisonment, fines, or banishment to some other territory, as a penance or atonement for the crime of murder! And having done this, they would, if they could, repeal all Bible laws by legislative authority; prohibiting, totally and forever, the use of a Bible from all district schools, from all academies, and classical seminaries of public education, and from the use of every family on the earth, on penalty of committing to the flames every copy of the Bible which can be found on the globe. And, furthermore, that every law founded on Bible principles, shall be expunged from the civil code of all nations and generations of mankind. If such measures could only be carried into effect, the world of mankind would be free from moral restraint. Then the punishment of death for murder, or for any other misdemeanor, would be abolished. The religion of the Bible, the worship of the God of the Bible, the observance of the Sabbath, the law of marriage, and all other alleged unnatural Bible restrictions, would be consigned to oblivion, as public nuisances to prohibit mankind from the unrestrained gratification of sensual pleasures.

If all the above things could be done effectually by

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legislative authority, and that authority could be sustained by the power of the sword and the treasury of all kingdoms of earth united, then, doubtless, Infidels of every rank would have their will gratified. This would be precisely what they would do if they could. Then the long wished-for philosophical illumination of RATIONALISM Would radiate the earth from pole to pole, and from the rising to the setting sun, to dissipate the darkness of moral restraint from all the superlatively happifying regions of sensuality. All mankind then, would be able to live the fancied life of the Epicurean, the licentious, the covetous, the worldling, the ambitious, the revengeful, the glutton, the drunkard, the thief, and the murderer, without fear of the penalty of death; without forebodings of a threatened day of judgment; and without fears of endless punishment in a future state of existence.

Oh, what unspeakable pleasure it must give to a hater of Bible religion only to contemplate the perfect happiness of living in this world of unmolested sensuality; free from Bible laws, Bible doctrines, Bible reproofs and warnings; free from the annoyance of Bible religion, and those who profess it; without disappointments, bereavements, sorrows, or trouble of any description during the whole course of a man's life; and then! then fall asleep in death, to awake no more, forever!!! Oh, that the friends of Natural Religion would often dwell with heart-felt understanding! on this interesting and important anticipation ! For it is in reality what they would do, and would be, if they could only have their will, and had power to accomplish what they would do if they could!!!

But, if there be any consolation in the knowledge, the following is an undeniable fact, namely, that there

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WHAT MEN CAN DO IF THEY WILL.

are things, of equal importance, which they can do if they will. This was the

II. Proposition in the plan of this lecture, which was to consider What men can do if they will.

Men who hate the Bible, and the God of the Bible, and the religion of the Bible, even wicked men of every description, can, if they will, practically abolish every precept of the moral law of Ten Commandments, and all Divine laws, by doing what God has forbidden to be done, or by obstinately refusing, or wilfully neglecting to do the things which He requires to be done.

Infidels, and all wicked men, can, if they will, practically abolish the first precept of the Moral Law, by having gods of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood, or stone; by pampering their own persons; by idolizing their splendid houses and furniture, lands, gay apparel, elegant horses, vehicles and equipage; and by placing their supreme affection on innumerable earthly objects of like description, not one of which can hear a penitent sinner's prayer for mercy, nor grant him pardon, nor save his soul!!!

In violation of the second precept of the Moral Law, haters of the Bible can, if they will, make to themselves graven images of the likeness of things on earth, in the air, and sea, and set them up in the house of their gods for objects of their supreme delight. The most costly and attractive image of the whole group, can be one formed, after the likeness of their own self-important selves, before which they can daily spend more time in admiration of their own image, than some professed Christians daily spend in prayer to God for mercy and salvation. Or, they can, if they please, pay their nightly devotion to the delusive deities which

mise happiness in the theatre, the ball-chamber, or

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the tippling house of mirth, and filth, and debauchery, and infamy. And to such degrading scenes of dissipation, they can consecrate the homage of their hearts, the best of their days, and the greatest amount of their time and treasures.

All haters of the Bible can, if they will, take the name of the Lord in vain, by profanely swearing by his name in common conversation, at almost every breath, on the most trifling occasions,—at drunken revels, or in the more refined and polished circles of high life and sumptuous living.

Infidels can, if they will, practically abolish the Divine ordinance of the holy Sabbath, by commuting it into a day of pleasure, of business, of visiting from house to house; of journeying, laboring, or lounging away the hours of the blessed day which God has commanded to be kept as holy time, to be devoted to his worship and service, as the only safe method of securing his blessing on the other days of the week.

Haters of the Bible can, if they will, so neglect the religious and proper education of their children, as to train them up to dishonor their father and mother, and thus prepare themselves to be cut off from life in the midst of their days, for a violation of the fifth commandment of the moral law.

Speculative and practical Atheists can, if they will, secretly, or openly kill their wives and children; murder their neighbors to avenge an alleged insult, or to obtain their money; or for any other cause which moves them to disregard the sixth precept of the Moral Law, forbidding murder on penalty of death; and then seek to obtain the practical abolition of both the law and the penalty, by a commutation of the sentence of punishment on the plea of Insanity.

Infidels can, if they will, divorce their wives, or

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WICKED MEN CAN STEAL.

elope from the bed and board of their husbands, in violation of the most holy prohibition of the seventh commandment of the Moral Law, by the Divine enact ment, "Thou shalt not commit adultery."

Practical Atheists can, if they will, steal their neighbor's property in violation of the eighth commandment. They can resort to the trade of travelling in style on steamboats, rail-roads, and other thoroughfares, or loitering around hotels and victualling-houses, for the sole purpose of watching opportunities to pick pockets, to rifle baggage, and perform tricks in the art of juggling, to filch property from the honest and unwary. An honest man, (for instance,) receives a large sum of money in Boston to be expended in Iowa. A blackleg gentleman, (Professor in the school of practical Atheism,) happens to witness the reception of that . money, and the place of its deposit for conveyance in a side or pantaloon pocket, in a valise or trunk, as the fact may be. Now he can, if he will, accompany that honest capitalist on his journey, ride with him in the same stage-coach, car, or steamboat; lodge as near him as possible; converse with and watch him day and night unsuspected, till, perhaps at a hotel in Buffalo, Detroit, St. Joseph, Chicago, Milwaukie, or some other port, the long-sought opportunity presents. He picks the pocket; lays hand on the valise unseen, cuts it open and rifles it; or, unlocks the trunk with a false key; takes possession of the coveted booty; hides it where he can find it again, after he has sympathized with his afflicted companion traveller, the loser; and perhaps distinguished himself in apparently seeking to detect the rogue; or, perchance, as soon as the booty was obtained, steered his course to escape detection, and hoard, or live upon his ill-gotten gain. Thus, if not detected, such vagabonds can pass through the