Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1837-02-01
MISCELLANEOUS.
IMPRUDENcE OF THE APosrLEPaU1

IMPRUDENCE OF THE APOSTLE PAUL.
Much has been said about Paul as a
prudent manager Sc careful not to give
offence, becoming all things to all men,
complying with mems wishes, &c. Let
us see how he will compare with our
modern advocates of prudence and expe-
dlency, and see if he always managed so
as not 70 give offence Turn to the &C.
count we have of him in the Acts of the
Apostles and his own epistles. You will
see at once that he was for ever getting
into difficulties and might positively be
traced almost over the world by the COM
motions that he raised. His very first
preaching produced such ferment at Da-
mascus, that he had TO be "let down over
the wall in a basket" to escape not only
the Jews" but the civil officers; and
no sooner had he arrived at Jerusalem.
than he gave such offence to the Grecians
that they "went about to STAY him.
Now we have him "disputing with the
Jews at Antioch" and shaking off the
dust against them;' again exciting the
multitude into rage at PhiIlippi, by
breaking up their gains from sooth-saying;
directly we have him raising an uproar at
Ihesalonlca, and charged with turning
the world upside down." and interfering
with the "decrees of Cesar what is now
called politics and affairs of state present
" we have him hauled by mob before
Gallo at Corinth, then raising such a
stir at Ephesus as filled the city with
confusion by so preaching against idola-
try as to deprive the craftsmen" of
their gains, and render useless their stock
on hand.
He excited connections repeatedly by
urging points that were considered as in
tertering with the right of property. He
was charged again and again with med
ding with politics, and even moving sedi-
ton, by preaching doctrines that tended
to change the existing state Of things
We have indeed his own confession that
all the churches planted by him in Asia,
were "turned from him." and from an at
tachmen: that made them willing to pluck
out their own eyes and give them to him,
were become his enemies, so strongly had
he piled them with offensive truth. This
really at first view looks as if Paul had
labored IN the gospel to little purpose
and yet he Is not more remarkable for the
trouble, confusion, and everlasting con-
tentIon OF his ministry, than the conc!u-
sion he draws respecting the good out of
them. After he 6 had five times received
forty stripes save one "-"thrice been
beaten with rods" "once been stoned,'
with thousand adventures to escape
more handling of the same sort-we find
him writing to the churches, and con-
graduating himself, while informing them,
that what had happened unto him had
fallen out rather to the turtherance of the
gospel"
That Paul was faithful preacher none
can doubt; but that he was prudent one,
according to the above standard, is very
questionable. The most earnest attempt
recorded of him, to be prudent in the way
OF giving offence, was at the special re
quest OF The elders at Jerusalem. They
knew the fiery temperament of the people;
and appear to have adopted, to some ex-
tent, the prudential rule of doing nothing
that would give offence. They were de.
sirous that Paul during his visit amongst
them, should act on their principles
They kindly furnished him with plan of
getting along smoothly And Paul really
appears in good earnest to have resolved,
that for few days he would be upon his
best behavior and avoid giving offence
He had many inducements for 50 doing
He was at Jerusalem, ON visit to the
mother church, in the company Of the
apostles and elders; reports to his disad-
vantage had gone abroad, and now during
the feast, when muItitudes were collected
from all quarters, he had the best oppor-
tunity of putting down those reports. In
addition to all these reasons, he has again
been prophetically warned that difficulties
were before him, and must, if ever he did,
have felt the need of prudence and cir
cumspection. Alas J! for poor human
wisdom, and prudence, and management!
Seven days had not passed before he had
the whole city in an uproar; and the Ro-
man governor, with an army, had to in
terfere to save his life. Allthe prudential
maxims which his brethren had kindly
pressed on him were forgotten in a mo-
ment. The ardor of his character return
ed, increased eleven fold by the restraint
of seven days. No sooner is he out of the
hands Of the multitude, who were about
to kill him, than he undertook to har-
rangue them anddriving at once into the
very topics of a under the sun most often
slve TO them, soon raised a clamor almost