Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1836-12-14

favor of the oppressors of his nation
Nor is the character of their leaders,, /"
adds another, "better than their princi-
pies. Matthew the publican, was one Of
the most notorious spectators IN all Gal
lilee. Can such a man advocate the
truth ?" "Another acknowledged lead
err" continues a fifth, "is perurer, who
once disavowed the sect under oath"-
This same Peter" adds sixth, fuses
the most opprobious epithess the Hebrew
language can furnish. He calls our whole
nation murderers." "Their professed
Head and Founder was always offensive
to the people," says the seventh. cit is
in evidence" says the eighth, that he
threatened to destroy the temple of our TO-
ly religion" And worse than that, he
called our most venerable men and purest
pharisees hypocrites,' says the ninth
i" Nay" says the tenth, Ibis projects of
destruction were boundless. 1t is in evil
dence, that he threatened to kindle a fire
upon the earth. His very words were
taken down. What a0iu III 1t be already
klmdled?" Then follow in quick success
sion other charges, such as malice can at
any time pick up, blacker if possible, tho
less authentic. The we'll known history
of Judas serves for the conclusion.
Such probably was the information
on which Paul founded his opinion of the
Christian system. AS he considers the
standing of his informers, men venerable
! for their age-men tried of character and
high ecclesiastical standing (The D. DIS
of their day. can he doubt the justice of
j their allegations?
Here the reader was interrupted by the
Rev. Dr., and the following dialogue en-
sued
President-I want to inquire how you
found out all this-how do you know
Paul went to the chief priests
Studemt-The Bible informs US that he
received his authority of them.
President-Well, how do you know
I they were men venerable for age and
standing?
Student-The term chief priests i'm
plies they were venerable for their stand
ing and it was a post which could not
easily be attained without a considerable
advance in age.
| IFeSIOeUt-OO on, sir
He receives his commission and with
draws. So far his guilt appears compar-
atlvely small. He has acted Ignorant
! ~ and in unbelief" True, a hasty decis-
ion is wrong. But in another aspect he
appears more deeply guilty. Suppose
Christi anity false, in this respect he was
not the less guilty because it was false
Paul knew that the Christians were MEN
that they had the rights Of men. He
would have shrunk with horror from the
idea of robbing them of their money by
false imprisonment and beating But he
was willing to take from them by violence
right far dearer than money, the right
of expressing and defending their opin-
ions, and of complying with the duties of
their consciences toward God. He sought
by this means to avoid gulf of anarchy
into which he supposed the nation about
to plunge, believing, probably, the end
would justify the means. But they that
take the sword shall perish with the
sword" Little did the Sanhedrim think
that their children must drain to the dregs
that bitter cup their fathers had mingled
for the Christians. But Romish po,oer is
never slow to plead a precedent for the
suppression of offensive opinions, and in
vain do prosecutors pray for deliverance
when prosecuted in their turns The
spirit Of persecution is always the same
1t is the atmosphere in which tyrants draw
their breath. 1t renders hatred desperate.
Paul was so full of it that he breathed out
threatenings and slaughter, so exceeding
mad was he against the christians, that not
even a0omen could escape his fury. His
whole character can be summed up in two
words of his own-he was"a prosecutor
and injurious"
But of whatever injury his natural i'm
petuosity made him the cause, this same
trait afterwards made ample amends for
it. After his conversion, his decision oil
character was as conspicuous as before
He declared the truth with such energy
and success, that he was charged with
having turned the world upside down"
He could address an infatuated multitude
till they "cried out and threw off their
clothes and cast dust into the air." Four
times he suffered the penalty of the Lynch-
laao of that day. Thrice whipped, osce
stoned, but still he persevered in preach
ing the truth, however unwelcome, in ev-
cry city and village, till the mobocracv,
since misnamed the majesty of the people,
compelled him to fly for his life.
Paul was no fence man. He was ready
to commit himself at once to what he be-
lieved to be the truth. He was a true
radical-presenting noble contrast to the
calculating, temporizing spirit Of expedi-
ency.
! The week after the suppression of the
society, mentioned above, the same class
had debate. The question selected by
the disputants was, Ought Peace So
ciety to be formed in ColIeeeT' During