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

I A
own flock, and Selling its victims under
my own eyes land looming me to. wit
ness and depIore their ruin while they yet
breathe, and to consign to hopeless grave
their maneled bodies when they are dead.
For, that this is THE exciting topic, by
way of eminence-in regard to the expe-
diency of discussing which there is such
! "a wide difference of opinion between a
large number of the society worshipplng
in Hollis street, on the one side, and the
pastor on the other, THEY know, full
well, who, for two successive years, have
brought before your annual meetings
these complaints relative to exciting top
les. and, by these complaints, have striven
though as yet have vainly striven-to
restrain the freedom and over-awe the in
dependence of Hollis street pulpit. There
may be protestations to the contrary OF
this. Decency requires that there should
be. There may be, know that there
are, some few other and ancient griefs,
caused by the independence OF the same
pulpit in years that have long gone by
have gone by themselves-but have left
their grefs still fresh, and promising to
be immortal. Attempts may even be
made to show that the discussion of other
l. exciting topics than this has been 'the
head and front Of my offending, at least,
Ito conceal from the eyes of the Christian
community, what the main spring of these
periodical movements is. The very docu-
ment under consideration appears TO me 10
be such an attempt, on the part of those
who framed it. But, the passing events of
the day. the proceedings of the last year
and of this year, the pursuits and interests
Iof those with whom these proceedings
originated throw too much light upon the
living and the present, to leave this a
doubtful matter. From me, and from ma
: my of the proprietors of Hollis street
: Westinghouse, who know much less on
/, this subject than [ have been made to
! know and to feel, no language and no ST.
| lence can dissembte or cloak the real
, spirit that is at the bottom of these waters
!, ofstrife the spiri. that is breaking up the
r peace, and threatening the integrity of the
r Christian church.
! | know that Temperance though the
: chief, is not the only exciting topic, which
has been the occasion of outraged feeling.
y This have already admitted | take no
Z pleasure in again aluding to any other :
: and would only say that in the two only
n discourses in which | am aware of hav-
a ing given offence, | have laid the cause Of
+ offence before the world, by the hand of
y 1.-THE press and await with composure
t the Judgment that may be passed upon
1t those discourses, by God and good men
it | owe it therefore, to the parties aggriev
=, ed, in each of these cases, to say that the
grievance consisted not in the doctrine ad
le vanced upon any particular exciting top
OF ic, but in the fact that | touched it at all
q, after had been told that must not.
ly In stirring and sitting times like these
- when the minds of men are acting upol
IL some of the most momentous subjects tina
"a ever broke up the lethargy of servile
lis sensual age when the elements of socie
is Ity, its passions and conflicting interest
n, are so violently shaken together; Their
h will always be minor sources of uneasi
yn ness, which tend to disquiet the feeling
his of fellow worshippers, and to estrang
tx them. from each other, or from the leade
up Of their religious services. L am aWa
are that there are, as there ever have bee
eer some among us-some small streams
to troubled water, finding their way throus
the the pasture where this flock is feeding
is But these attract attention in the prese
all case, chiefly from their having becon
its tributary 10 the strong current that, at
ron annual overflow, has drifed into t
h it church, the document that am now Ia
mt ing open to the sun and air:-from ha
18th inc allowed themselves to be sucked ii
The the vortex of the great interest that is ;
cas- verse to the Temperance cause. 1t is
,srv the proprietors to say whether tbis ch~'
!, - shall be drawn into the same vortex,-a
bU carried down by it-The pastor V
he see to it that he is not.
The II, now, may be pardoned in so dol
in | would respectfully suggest that, for
dor grievances communicated to me by
. he people, both last year and this, there
,ns;. 1.-TWO remedies. Both are in their har
i 60 First, if the individuals aggrieved
ii il still a minority of the society, they
wei. find relief by severally withdraw
the themselves from their pews; and secc
!. pse- ly, if they are majority, they may
ID to it oy displacing me from my pulpit.
that, Another course has been suggeste
tex. me,-namely, that l should ask yo'
dismiss me from my office As an
prin, ducement to do so, an offer has been
/ am me by individuals of your number
do years salary. This OTTER was maj IA
!. give doubt not, ID spirit OF pecunlary iio
louf." ity, OF which, while have been con-
zou to ed with you. have never been LETT
ear to out proof. But however generously
r. nv nav have been offered by them. 1t
If you not be accepted by me IN any o'he, !,
me a acter than as orloe 10 seoueo me-