Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1837-07-07
COMMUNICATION,

is such THAT one has TO imagine it's nature,
define its qualities, and decipher its appro.
prateness. II is the following--"That
the Temperance Society is not based on
religious, but on worldly principles" 1t
must be evident that Lock or Bacon
would not have advanced such a general
and ndistinct proposition without defining
it. What are we to understand by world.
ly and religious principles' Are they
principles that have their origin in two dis.
tnct sourccs-- come in connection with the
human mind in opposite alliance--operate
in adverse tendencies, and have their con.
clusion in moral contraries? Or do they
arise from different sources-opperote in
unison, and have their termination in the
same result? Certainly we think yon
should have defined your objection in some
Of these respects. But in absence Of oil
definition we must suppose you would have
them understood as moral contrares, en-
tire. And It so, unless you can show tina,
The Temperance Society is based on some
other principle than temperance, and that
temperance is not christian virtue, which
you have not attempted. you cannot prove
| that the Temperance Society is based on
irreligious principles. Therefore your OBJ.
lection should 90 for nothing.
But let US look at your "prooi" THAT
society that does not acknowledge Christ,
is not based on religious but worldly prn-
cipes-The Temperance Soce'y does not
acknowledge Christ, because it admits 10
its membership aud Offices, worldly or inf
deic men Therefore the Temperance So
ciety is based on worldly, and not on reli.
slous principles " This, think, is the
amount Of your proof, in its fairest and
strongest form. object TO it entirely.
when applied to The Temperance Society.
The first proposition is no more confined
to the Temperance Society Than any thing
else, and when applied to 1t Is false-the
minor proposition in this case becomes
virtual y the major, and is false, in that it
makes the society TO rest on men and not
on principles; therefore your conclusion is
false of course. You state the character
OF the men to be one thing, and the char
acter of the society to be another. but
10 your proof of your fundamental objec.
ton confound them. But if the character
OF those belonging to the society are 10
prove the moral character OF the society,
we might retort your argument and thereby
entirely dlsprove it. That society that cd.
mits christians to its Offices must be rell.
gious-The Temperance Society admits
Observation-Disclosures the Temperance So.
cle'y must be religious.
Here sir your whole argument mns, ex-
plode. But you say, you lido not know
how to Judge of society but BY the men
it admits to ne Offices" TINS is franker
confession of ignorance than should have
expected. But let US try your reason.
ing upon your own establishment. The
English church admits such men as Henry
VIII. and George the w. to It's member
ship, and to be its head these men were
| bldlnous profligates and vicious charac.
ters-therefore the English church is vi
| clous. Hang here sir If you please on
your own argument. But the reverse is
the fact in reference to the Temperance
Society. Temperance is a christian virtue
the Temperance Society is based on the
principle of temperance the
Temperance Society is based on relig Gus
principles, Thus the Temperance Society
acknowledges Christ, and consequently is
Il christian society.
Again, the Temperance Society is like
Christ, us it is established on The principle
of doing to others as we would they should
do to US; consequently is based on reli
gious principles. Establishing the fact
that temperance is a christian virtue, and
that the Temperance Society is based on
the principle of Temperance, every Rober,
Owen, and Thomas Paine, who joins this
society acknowledges Christ. II so, view
the subject as you may, the Tempe rance
Society is based on religious principles.
Having thus disposed of your foundation,
and shown it to be phantom con,radc
ton, we might let your whole supers,ruc.
ture 60 for nothing with it, but we are
hardly willing to let you off so cheap.
ILL i .-l. -.