24 Dec 1814

Jug. Util

§.2. 

7

II. Sub Rev

Ch.1. Course of enquiry

1

§.2. Not impious or immoral

§.2. In this inquiry there is nothing of impiety any more than of immorality.

Impiety— blasphemy—atheism— heresy, heterodoxy, schism—these and other terms of reproach as the vocabulary of hatred affords under the head of religion—of what is it that they MS alt. ‘they indicate’. are indications? Of any thing in the conduct of time to whom they are applied?—No: but only of something viz. the passion of hatred, as reigning in the breast of him by whom they are employed.

Impossible is the supposition which, in this use of the word impiety, as often as it is employed in the character of a term of reproach, imputing guilt to the person of whose discourse or deportment it is predicated will be found to be involved: tacitly indeed, but not the less necessarily involved.

A persuasion of existence of an almighty being endowed with such qualities such of which as under the name of moral and intellectual not so much as a conception could have been derived from any other source than the observation and experience of them as exemplified in human nature—of a being formed with infinite power, and at the same time activated by the passions such as that of jealousy and ravings—a God who by himself is termed a jealous God—a God, in whose mouth the tremendous sound Vengeance is [...?] has been known to issue—A persuasion of the existence being powerful in the extreme and at the same time jealous <.^.^.> vindictive in the extreme is supposed to be entertained by <.^.^.> and at the same time by this same man, he being at the same time in his senses and not labouring under any mental derangement, not only a propensity to offer, but the habit of offering affronts to that same being who all the while to his power adds the disposition to subject him to tortures infinite in duration as well as extent, is ascribed! Is it possible to carry to a pitch the 2 [...?] of absurdity and injustice?

1.

Schism—heterodoxy, heresy, blasphemy, impiety, atheism, signs not of any quality in the discourse, but of a passion in the mind, of him who uses them.

2.

In a proportion by which impiety is imputed, is involved is an impossible supposition.

3.

There is that of a belief of the existence of a being almighty yet jealous and vindictive, able and disposed to punish with infinite torment any who affront him—coupled with the disposition to affront him.