Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1837-07-14
COM MUNICATION,
NO. III.

weakness Of your foundation in my last, It
will be readily judged that it is not diff
cult task to pull down that which stands on
nothing. As in cases Of special pleading
60 in yours, something must be said it 1t
can be, to make others believe that what
you ssy is right, it being to the point or
not. Your second objection is in proper
keeping with your first. and naturally
grows out Of it. But if your first be false
and that it is, few will deny. your second
js false Of course. 1t is the following;
THAT it Uhe Temperance Society opposes
vice, and attempts 10 establish virtue in
manner which is not in accordance WIN
the word of God, i. e. in opposition to Gods
word" Your proof is peculiar TO your
self aud if any OF US in the humber walks
of life had written the above objection, our
seniors would have required US to tarry at
Jericho until our boards were growth
The discrepancy between the gospel and
the Temperance Society you affirm to be,
that the latter begins with the conduct.
while the gospel begins with the heart.
Now sir. if this be the fact, we grant tina,
it must be fatal 70 the Temperance Soci'
ety. but If the reverse be the fact, it should
be fatal to you as a doctor of theology.
Where, ask, does the gospel begin alone
with the heart, in reforming the sinner
The first requirement, of the gospel is that
we repent and bring forth fruit meet for
repentance Is repentance alone, the
work Of the heart! had always supposed
repentance to be the turning away from
SIN, arising from the conviction that 1t is
wrong to sin. IL go, the gospel begns
with the understanding, from thence to
the conscience. then TO our fears or dread,
inducing % to forsake sin because il is sin.
and it's consequf noes are destruction. -
Now wherein does the Temperance Socl.
cty differ from ,his9 1t commences by
declaring that In,emperance is sin, just
like the gospel. That it should be avoided
BY repentance. ceasing to do evil That
il persisted in, will ruin both soul and body
forever. That there is M hope bot entire
reformation That personal and relative
consequences of fearful magnitude are pen.
ding: aud that immediate effort is called
tor. Do you say this is beginning with the
conduct? If so, the common sense Of the
nation will contradict you-if not what you
have stated as an objection is false. And
sir, l challenge you to run a parallel OF
more perfect cxacncss, than that between
the gospel and the Temperance Society,
in the establishment Of virtue and the re-
formation Of vice.
Again. our position will hold good if we
advert TO the principles on which the TEN.
perance Society ,s founded. II our rea.
soning in the last number be correct, the
Society is based on religious principles
Now the principles Of religion, like their
author from whom they rise, and TO whom
they bind us, are immutable in their ma
ture. constant in their operation. and the
same in their results. II 20, as the TEN.
perance Society is most demons,ratively
based on the principle of christian virtue
This principle cannot prove rec..ant to it.
self and produce opposite results. There
fore, as the authority and The process ar
the same, the motions urged entirely alik'
and the results one, it is most occularl!
plain that the Temperance Society aims a
nothing less or more than what God ha
required in his gospel.
After having thus disproved your objcc
ton on the ground Of principle, think
proper 10 look alter the proof which 20
ndduce in support Of it. Your adroitnes
at quoting scr pture is not very evident i
the case before us, unless it be said tina
''you were pledged to prove this chain q
propositions" that you had laid down an
must therefore do the best you could
You have not quoted the words of GU
Saviour correctly, beside placing a force
construction upon what you have made u
to suit your purpose. Do you say that 20
have brought forward the sentiment, of tn
Saviour. | answer far, very far from j
You quote what should have been the ser
timent Of Christ entirely different from b
most obvious meaning, 10 reference TO VIII,
enters into a man de6ling him. The 81
viour spake this in reference to their ea