Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1839-10-30

preaching is unsound, and il cannot stand
up, an hour, against the pressure of the
principle here disclosed that exciting top
ics' may, by the people, be interdicled to
the pulpit For, what topic, on earth, is
SO exciting as the religion of Jesus Christ
ever has been, when preached either by
Jesus Christ himself or by any one, since
his day, who has preached it in any thing
approaching his spirit2
AS understand it, the province Of a
Religious Teaeher'-the province, es-
peclally of a minister of that gospel
which was given for the redemption of all
men from all sin, of course comprehends
all men and all sins that it covers the
whole ground of religion and morals
that, within the province lie all human in
terests, individual or social, for time and
for eterEity-thAt il embraces all relations
OF man to man, whether as constituent
part of the church or OF the state, with all
his duties in either, and all his obligations
to both. consider that the preacher
himself, in regard to all social and civil
rights and obligations stands on the same
ground as other men and that he is as
lanswerab.e as any other man to his coun-
try, his age, and the world, if he do $ not
employ for their good, wh1teyer power
God has given him to bless them; and,
THEREFORE,, that no topic, in the wide
compass of moral science, or religious or
social duty should be-or, without newt
able injury to themselves and him, can be
interdicted by people to their religious
teacher s
A pulpit that is profitable either to
| preacher or nearer, must be Ireland,
for myself, if | cannot stand in free pull
pit, l Will stand in none. Ii my people
do not already know this, it is no fault of
mine.i The service Of God is perfectfree
dom, and there can be no true service oil
God where AZ is not.
If l could consent that any topic should
| be taken out of the cognizance Of my pull
| pit, it should be some one that is not 'ex-
lcitng' Where there is no excitement,
there is-there can be--noprogress among
a people; nay, there can be no spiritual
life /; for, with the soul, as with the body,
life itself is state of excitement. While
man lives, either the baser or the better
feelings Of his nature will be excited, foI
they must May no topic be discussed in
{ a pulpit that will excite the better feel
ings2 And may the baser never be re-
proved, admonished, or rebuked, lest Meg
should be excited! Shall the animal b,
allowed to run away with the man, be
cause, forsooth, he frets and chafes wher
he feels the bit? It is the very function
; of the gospel to hold IN the excited feel
ings of our lower nature, though the.
!, may be, as they probably will be, even tn
: more excited, for the time, by the restrain
e ito bring under the body, and keep
4 in subsection and if this is not done
I, the gospel is preached in vain.
d If, on any subject, pertaining to tn
Il WELL being of his people, the minister I
IS Christ finds their feelings already excite
and wanting directjon7,it is emnen;l
a his duty to give them right directions
Ell If they have already taken WRONG d
/, rection, it is his duty to show them
I'd more excellent way and to put forth h
IN best efforts TO set them right. The mini
of ter is the moral engineer to his churc
to which it is mis- Office to direct onthe hlg
at, way to salvation which God has throw
open in sthe Gospel. TO say that, in
I'M mnisirations; he is to abstain from all e
OF citing topics, and to handle only those |
to on which the feelings of his people 9
* cold and dead, is to say that the engine
IN upon railroad is to give all diligence
OIL the conducting of his engine, while
ev. FIRE is out, and the water cold, and 1t
- standing still but, when It's fires are
to in a glow, and its steam is up, and
aid wheels are laundering along their i
no. Itrack-that he must not meddle wit
ole then, because of lis present exclteme
Nav men be excited all the week W
nay out complaint-in their stores and 10
e of streets, in their business and their pill
lin ures, every where else, and upon ev
this thing ese-and yet must they expec
ohm come to church to be lulled to sleep,
J so the music of pleasant voice, upon
be- most exciting topic under heaven
, be Day to heaven, and the preparation fol
No, my friends, SO we'll do ur
1t to stand the duty Of my Office, in this
ply. half; and so deeply do feel its respc
now bility, both to God and to you, tina
i the long as / hold it, and wherever no
must no topic, in my view involving your
Iren. fare or my freedom-my freedom
, me FIRST and last condition Of my real
s of fitness 10 you''-shall be interdicte
feel ME, upon the ground that It is-or
g. by so calling it, it can be made-ar
r the citing topic"
,lain- Tins, then, | PROTEST against the
7 chile advanced in the document that
then, considering. 1 protest against 1t.
d moi not admit it; and TO It VIII not
stand Mace by Subsection, no, not Tor an
which H. = for Won tn sav-and / wish y