NATURAL RELIGION | AdventAI

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jun 9, 1890

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 16, No. 22.

"NATURAL RELIGION."

BOB BURDETTE, who, not long ago, was regularly advanced to the dignity of the pulpit by solemn ordination to the ministry, thus expresses himself on what he calls "natural religion":—

"A friend named Blake, living in Chicago, has sent me a letter on 'natural religion.' It is a good letter, but I don't think I care to order any 'natural religion' just now. In fact, I have quite a large stock of it on hand that I would be glad to get rid of on any terms, if I knew what to do with it. I kind of hate to give it to the purchaser. It never did me any good, and I can't guarantee it as an article that ought to be kept in every household. 'Natural religion' gets into the market early and holds on long. I have seen babies in full possession of it, rending their playthings to rags, kicking and yelling with infantile rage, as though possessed of many devils; howling for pure 'cussedness' long, long before they were able to lisp a prayer. I have

seen little children in full possession of 'natural religion' learning to lie, to deceive, to steal, ill-natured, vain, overbearing, treacherous, bad in a score of ways, and bad in spite of teaching and training, just 'naturally bad.' I have seen the guileless savage of the plains, with never a college or a theological seminary in all his tribe, so full of 'natural religion' that he couldn't get scalps enough to satisfy the unspoiled cravings of the 'natural man,' nor drunk enough to celebrate his triumph when the last prisoner was finally carved up into small fragments.

"For people who enjoy the natural man in all his native naturalness, 'natural religion' is, no doubt, sweet and uplifting and tranquilizing. I prefer it with milder flavors, myself; I like it refined, softened, improved by educational processes."