Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1837-09-22

sideratlon of the latter clause Of your aboli
ton principle, viz
No consequences of eeasine 10 hold siares
can be so a,etui as are the consequences of
no'o continuing 10 hold them IN Jonaaee
rms is also sentiment which, when ap
pied TO the hearts and affections OF men in
d'v'dually, IN all cases where those individ.
uals are free TO think, TO choose, 10 move and
10 act upon their own responsibility, may be
considered ms true. As, for instance, man
should cease from swearing, lying, theft
adultery &c.-liom swindling, from robbery
murder. hatred, envy, malice, oppression, &c.
as well as from all other known sins. of
thought or action, which depend on his own
individual will and choice. But applv this
sentiment to individuals and to communities
IN thousand cases, where collective infIu.
ence Is necessary TO produce actions, and
where there is such combination of cir
cumstances and interests, that general action
would necessarily produce general distress
general fear, or general ruin to the State
and would this sentiment be true2 No. Ii
would be as unsound and as unchristian as
the sentiment so much in vogue in France
lew years since, that "the end sanctifies The
means; or, "let Us do good, that evil NAV
come" or otherwise, "let us do evil that
good may come neither Of which. will you
cal! a Christian principle. But what does
this sentiment inculcate2 No more nor less
than this-that men should act regardless OF
"all consequences" so that they can believe
that God can, or will bring good out Of evil
You have then only to convince men land
this you can easily do, where selfinterest
and prejudice combine) that they can obtain
much good by doing little evil. and you
let loose the vilest passions Of the human
heart Who will doubt but that Cain would
have done a very good action, il he had pre-.
vented all the sin, suffering and human woe
which have disgraced and afflicted the world
since his day. And this he could have
done, for aught we know, if he had first dss-
troyed all his kindred and afterwards had
shot himself. Now let me seriously ask
you, if a man can be justified in any case in
the performance Of an action which in itself
is really good when at the same time he has
every reason to believe that bv doing said
action the most accumulated guilt and
wrelchedness would follow, as a necessary
result OF such action2 | will suppose a
case. will suppose that there are one hun
dred Christian missionaries in China, and
that as the result OF their labors thas-
i've hundred Christian converts. Now,then,
supposing law should be passed, forbidding,
under the penalty Of detb. the farther immi-
grafton of Christian missionaries into the
Empire; and suppose, at the same time, all
subjects Of the Empire were forbidden to
countenance or hear them, under the same
penalty Now with a foil knowledge of all
these things, would you justify missionary
in going and publicly preaching in China
If the government should seize the mission
airy and his 100000 followers and put them
to death, we should all agree it was very
cruel and very barbarous act But would
we not also condemn the daring rasbness of
the individual who applied the match, and
ultimately produced the explosion2 DO you
you not thus see that circumstances, lie
the necessity Of the case-must sometimes,
be the guide OF our actions2 You may tell
me that God commands his ministers TO go
into all the earth and preach the gospel 10
every living creature'-that Christians are
commanded not to fear them that can kill the
body-to be bold and courageous'--that we
must expect to suffer persecntions,-th ii
is better 10 fear God than man. &c. &c SC. /;
but all this is not to the point. The true
question is, whether Christian has right. or
is justified by the gospel of God, in any case
where his own personal freedom and relig-
Gus liberty are not impaired, to voluntarily
become the occasion Of great misery. SUI
fering and even death itself, TO thousands
and tens of thousands of his fellow-beings,
nay, to his frllow.christians also, with the
hope or the expectation that all this confu-
sion and wrctchedness may end in good TO
another class of his (ellow-beings2 Will
you rob Peter to pay Paul? But when we
superadd to this consideration the fact, that
| By this very act you are doing or attempting
10 do, the very thing which you as chris
titan, as a citizen, as sober and consderate
man, have soIemnly pledged your faith, your
honor. and yonr very lives, that you would
not do, how criminal must you be In the
sight of Him who has said,-'vengeance is
mine l--who has commanded his followers
TO lead quiet and peaceabIe lives'-'to be
subject to the powers that be'-'to abstain
from the appearance Of evir--'to give no oc-
casion TO the enemy to blaspheme'--to fol.
low peace with all men'--'to render not evil
for eyil---to be at peace with all men--to
study to be quiet--not TO be meddlers OF 9TH
er mems business--to render tribute 10 whom
Tribute is due-honor to whom honor--noi
Ito be bodies--to speak evil ofno man--to
be no brawlers. butte be gentle. showing all
meekness TO all men, &c. &c.
With great respect your friend. 5. H.