Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1836-01-14
BRANDON, THURSDAY, JANUARY IA, 1886


judge of Christianity more by the conduct
of en- ristians than by the word of God, so
the heather read the Gospel in the history
and example of Christian nations, rather
than in the Bible. The natives of India
have seen the Portuguese, the Dutch, the
French and the English, bearing the stan
dard of the cross, arrive on their shores,
and, after having spread their conquests
by fire and sword, turn on each other their
deadly weapons, while contending for the
spoils. IF this be christianity" say they,
1--WE want no such bloody religion -
The emperor of China refused the admit
lance ofthe Christian religion into his vast
empire, because, said he, "wherever
Christians 60, they whren the soil with
human bones"
o. could write page after page to
show, by historical facts, that war has
been the greatest of all obstacles to the
spread of the Gospel among heather ma
tons, and generation after generation have
gone down to hell without the knowledge
of a Redeemer, on account ofthis horrible
custom among his professe1 followers
How can the church clear the skirts of
her garments from the blood of these poor
benz GIFTED heather, while it tolerates a
custom which has barred them out of heav-
en-? But believe the detail is unneces-
sary. Every one acknowledges the alb
stract truth, and most Christians are con-
| tent to stop there.
One recent event, however, | must no.
tice In the islands of the Pacific Ocean,
the natives had seen little or nothing of
christian warfare They readily embra-
ced christianity. Its peaceful, humbling
truths took hold on their feelings They
were converted to christianity. They
read the Gospel; they saw clearly that it
prohibited war. They did not beat their
spears into pruning-hooks, for happily
they had no vineyards but they converted
the points ofthem into instruments of hus-
bandry, and took the shafts to make rail
ings tor the pulpit stairs. War was ban
ished from among them, to the astonish-
ment of the missionaries, who, it seems,
were not prepared for such results from
the preaching of the Gospel, and it led
them to consider whether the Gospel al
lowed of war, and they were converted to
the principles ofpeace by their own disci-
Piles. This we gather from the declara-
ton of Rev Mr. Ellis, who adds, The
last pulpit stairs l assembled in Rurutu
were rallied with warriors spears" But
mark the change, since the natives have
seen more of Christians, so called They
find that Christians bite and devour one
another, and they have left the precepts O.
Christ to follow the practice of his pro
; fessed disciples. Now let US see the con
: sequences In the Missionary Herald O
= March, 1884, the effect of war and in
: temperance is thus described by the Rev
! Mr. Orsmond, an English missionary il
, the Society Islands, THE insubordina
I ton, confusion and disregard to the ordin
: airy restraints, which the occurrence ofac
tual war produced, appears, as was to b.
e apprehended, to have increasedtheSe evils,
: viz. the evils of intemperance. In refer
ence to the effect of Wargon many of thu
: people, the same writer, after speaking o
v their ;ntemperance, observes, Il have seel
q more wickedness within the last two week
: than in sixteen years before The ordi
: ndnCeS OF the CnuTCn were QlSCOnllnueO
e and these once peaceful nations have SUM
e back to nearly their original state. TIL
:, Rev Mr. Sim pson, missionary at Eimec
says, Our people returned from Tahiti
i dreadfully chagrincd they had been de
e featedl and in their anger, for time, de
termined to abandon both law and gospe
A great falling off in our adult and chi
dren's school followed, and has continue
to a great extent to the present time -
4 The spears have disappeared from Ruru
y tn, and the nations fight, like Christian
" with muskets. That rum has been, i
d part, the cause ofthe deplorable change
| grant. New-England rum and 81
d England muskets, like Herod and PLAT,
s. have agreed in cnucifying the Prince
= Peace afresh. But mark the differenc
It with which they are treated by Christian
" Resolves have been passed against rur
v by many body of Christians, but VIII
:. among them all has thought of condemn
ing war?
IS Ought not Christians to labor and pra
" that custom so destructive to religion
h both at home and abroad, should be abo
&c ished ?
D. The New Year.