Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1837-07-19

the Just claims Of Gods honor against tn
? guilty member of the church.
j III. | will make some remarks respectin
the church, its nature, its business, and ii
relations.
The church is considered as house
built and dedicated TO God. But Chris
as Son over his own house; whose hou S
are we, if we hold fast the confidence, an
the rejoicing Of the hope firm unto the end
AS house, we'll built and compact togelh
! er, you cannot remove single BRICK, O
stone, or piece Of timber, without injurin!
the building. Again, the church is repre-
sented as the body Of Christ; as one whole
and all individual believers as members ont
OF another. The various branches of the
tuted or named, all together constitute one
body. In this consideration We see that nc
branch, or denomination can act separately
and distinctly, and not affect the WHOLE
No man liveth unto himself Every man
has an influence, either good or bad, on the
welfare of the whole. No man is so ignor-
ant, or so poor, or so obscure, that he has nc
influence. Again, the church is called the
temple Of God. The Father dwelleth in it.
the Son dwelleth in it, the Holy Ghost
dwelleth in it. AS the temple of the Holy
Ghost, the church ought to be a very pure
body. The people among whom God
dwells and reigns, ought TO be very holy
people, and no way connected with sim
Again, the church is spoken of as the light
Of the world. What a situation is house
in at night, full Of company. to have all the
lights dashed out at blow. What disor-
der, and con sternation, and distress, would
in a moment be thrown over all. Ought
not the church, then, to consider its high
responsibility as the light of the world ?
According to the course the church takes,
she will lead the weary traveller to destruc-
ton, or guide the mourners to the haven of
eternal rest. How many have lost their
lives on the sea shore, by following false
lights If the church throws out false
lights, and men follow the chu,ch, what
must be the end ? The church is the saliva
ton OF the world. Remove from these
United States for ten wears all the influence
OF the church, and what would be our state =?
What was the character of France, when
she threw off the inhuende Of religion The
streets were running down with gore ; and
all the laws that could be made, could not
preserve the public peace. So il would be
here. Remove the influence Of religion,
and it would not be six months before you
would see the evil effects. The bonds OF
society would be broken, and passion and
disorder and crime would reign triumphant
Suppose all prayer to cease, all Bibles to
be taken away, all Sabbaths disregarGed, all
preaching discontinued How long would
il be, before the country would come to ruin ?
How long before our streets would be stain
ed with gore, and our villages filled with
dead mems bones2 Is not every minister
called OF, then, by all his regard for God,
by all his love to his country, by all that
concerns the welfare of man, by all that he
values the influence Of the Holy Ghost, to
CRY aloud and spare not, when he sees the
church laboring under the guilt Of sin ? Yes
wo is me, if preach not the gospel. Goo
has set me as one Of his watchmen, and i
do not warn the people, their blood will
be required at the watchman's hands.
Once more The church is said to be the
salt Of the earth. But if the salt loses it.
preserving power, it is hencelorth good TO
nothing but 10 be cast cut, & trodden unde
foot of men. May God preserve the church
in al. her holiness and purity, as one body
as Gods house, the temple Of the Holy
Ghost, the worlds light and the worlds
presefver.
III. will speak of the system of Amer
can slavery.
l. 1t is system Of contempt against God
You will say this is a hard charge.
know it is hard. But appeal to the Law
and to the testimony. Out of this book
God will judge the world. The very prin
ciples here laid down will be brought up a
the judgment, as the standard by which
every man is to be tried. We shall not b.
judged by any other rule, but the one tina
God has here revealed. 1t is supposed b.
the Common Law, that every man is &C
quainted with the laws Of his country; be
cause he ought 10 be acquainted with them
Ignorance Of the law can never be pleade'
in bar. In the laws given to Nose, Go
ordered the church to read his laws, and
inculcate them on their children and sci
wants, and on the strangers that came anon
them.
And the church now is but continuauo
Of the church that was then. The peOpI
were required 10 talk Of them, when the
went out and when they came in, whe
they sat in the house and when they wake
the streets, and 10 write them on their fore
heads, and on the posts Of their doors, $
that every body should become famiIiarl
acquainted with G DDS word 10 man. III
is Gods command. But what says Amer
can slavery? 1t says, "You, slaves, sha
not learn the law cf God" The state
r Virginia made a, law, in 1881, that if an
person shall teach colored person to rea
he shall be fined; if colored person doe
it, he shall be whipped, and if a slave, IL
the second offence he shall be hanged =
This is American slavery. l do not Sa
that all the slave states do the same; D.
some do, and if all choose 10 do So the sy
!. TEN will bear them out. Whatever IS don
: under the system, aud by the rule, Is cha
/ geable upon the system. Hence you Sc
!, 1t is system of open contempt upon 20
r. 1t is telling Jehovah, "You have no rig
n The Legislature of South Carolina, Dec l
a 1884, passed law, that " If any person sh
hereafter teach any slave to read or write;
shall aid or assist in teaching any slave to read