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to exist, that cause may be God ; and if he does not know every thing that has been done in the unmeasurable ages that are past, some things may have been done by a God. Thus, unless the Atheist knows all things, that is precludes another deity, by being one himself, he cannot know that the Being whose existence he rejects does not exist. And if he be, for all his pretended intelligence, but an ordinary man, one does not know whether to pity or to despise the rashness of his folly in avowing his disbelief of a God, and acting upon it.
No, Christian brethren, whatever pretensions may be made to superior lights of understanding, Atheism does not spring from accurate knowledge, but from other sources. Among men who assume the rank of philosophic leaders, the usual sources of Atheism are—pride, which idolizes itself, which revolts at every thing that comes in the form of dictates from superior power—repugnance to the laws of a constraining morality—dislike of accountableness to an intelligent, all-powerful authority—contempt of inferior men—the attraction of a few brilliant examples—the fashion of a class—the ambition of shewing what ability can do, and courage can dare:—these are the origin of those laborious speculations by which a few desperate spirits have ascended a dreary eminence, from which they look up with so much complacency to a vacant heaven, and down to the gulph of annihilation The common source of it, whatever they may pretend, is depravation of heart leading to licentiousness of life. A belief in God and a good conscience always go together. And as no man ever gave up the hope of immortality
