The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-11-09

pared. In my last, proposed to you this alterna-
tlve If the individuals aggreved are, still, mi
norty OF the society, they may severally find re-
lief by Withdrawing themselves from their pews
and, if they are majority, they may seeh it by
dlsplacing me from my pulpit" Your vote in
stead OF displacing me, or taking single step
towards dlepacing me, respectfully requests me to
displace myself The vote is THAT the Rev.
John Pierpolnt be, and is hereby respectfully re-
quesed to take up his connexon, as Pastor of Hol-
lis Street Society" That in the first place, is
not what proposed to do and in the second it is
what, of myself cannot do,
For, LIST. my connexon with you is the result
ola mutual contract; contract in which impor-
tant interests end legal rights and responsibilities
are involved; and as it takes two parties to make
a controct, so it takes two to un-make it. NV
connexion, as your Pastor is one therefore, that
neither party, alone, is competent to "take up" or
to break up.
And, 2dly. you will do yourselves the justice
to consider that, in this controversy, am not the
active party; nor, in my last Letter, did propose
10 be. In this analysis ofthe parts of society, the
people have put themselves into the active voice,
while the pastor is thrown into the passive. The
enterprise ofdispacing me from my pul pit is yours
| have work of my own to do and have neither
the leisure nor the spirit TO do yours. If, when
you come to take yours actually in hand, you
find it an enterprise OF greater magnitude than
you had supposed, while you looked at 1t from
distance you will, surely do me the justice 10 say
that 1t is a work to which did not invite you. If
the rowers have brought you into great waters, :"
it seems to me that am the last man into whose
hand you should put the laboring oar, to bring
you out.
Nevertheless, seeing that this controversy is not
al a. I
as well as yours, that it should be brought to an
and character Of both parties seeing, too that
we are, as yet aAoat upon the same bottom, and
have common interest in saving our ship from
total wreck; will checrlulIy do what in me lies
to save the ship, whatever may belal the crew.
To this end, we must first take an observation;
that we may know exactly where we are.
AS, in your movements against me, both last
year and this only the vague and general charge
Of handling exciting topics" has been brought a.
gainst me without any distinct and specific allega-
ton ofo offence against the law Of God or man, !
was left TO guess out as best II might the riddle
of my transgression or to solve the mystery Of
my iniquity by means of such light as could get
from other sources. Doing my best with nv
means, | came to the conclusion, and declared il
to you ard to the world, in effect that my zeal and
efforts in the Temperance Cause was the "head
and front of mine offending" This is in the Pre-
amble to your last vote, you distinctly deny and,
against the truth of thisI my declaring of your an
nual parallels you have entered your solemn pro.
test.
Here, then, Gentlemen, we are at issue. In
my Letter, rendered to you this issue. In the
Preamble of your last vote, you have deliberately,
publicly. and manfully taken it. This is the true
issue in our case. 1t is now fully made up. 1t
is ready for trial and neither party 20 this con-
troversy can proceed another step towards the f.
nal settlement of it, TIL this issue is fairly and
finally tried. respectfully demand it. Let The
party, that shrinks from it stand out before the
world where, by so doing, he will place himself, in
the judgment of Him who has said "Every one
who doeth evil hateth the light neither comeh to
the light lest his deeds should be reproved."
In the proceedings that you instituted against
me- year ago, forebore 10 tender to you the is
sue that has now been rendered and taken. There
are witnesses around me who know that "to
spare you" did this; and that then entered a
diIatory plea, at the suggestion of others, rather
than lay open to the world the case as it then
stood. For more than six years, individuals Of
your body have been casting upon my spirit the
weight OF their rebuke. have stood under the
pressure, and have stood ub} while it T.. was
Tile IeDuke Vi INDIVIDUALS only, however heaYy
were the men that bore upon me. But now, that
the weight of your Society," as body, falls upon
me, it shall crush met shall grind me to powder
or will throw it of, forever
My character, man if not as a Christian
Minister is my only livelihood twill, probably
be my only legacy to my children. Y our CEN
sures cast upon me, are matters OF record in the
books of your Society. So shall be,-ifI can get
it there-the award of an impartial tribunal, pass
ing judgment upon your course and mine. If that
condemn me, it shall be condemnation that nei-
Their can take off while live, nor my children
when am dead.
AS 10 the bar to which this issue between US
shall go up for trial it is obvious that, as no one
is allowed to be judge in his own case, we must
agree upon some competent ribunal;-alke in
the talent impartiaity Of the men thatcompose it.
Nothing but the decision of such a tribunal ought
to be satisfactory to yourselves, or will be so to me
or my friends. If on this point, you concur with
me in opinion, and will appoint Committee of
your body, empowered to make arrangements for
a mutual council, before which you will carry the
issue that is now made up between us, for trial
and final adjudication, there shall be no backward
ness on my part, and no unnecessary DELAY at any
stage of the proceedings, from the time that re-