Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1839-07-24
From the Graham Journal.
bible Argument for FIesh-Eatin.

0AOAC arg WAAAOAAe AUA y ACSA@EAt1A&a |
Mr.. Campbell in the 9th number of |
he current volume of your Journal OBJ $
served an article under the above head, i
IN which the following questions are ask II
ed It
If God saw that the use of flesh was
not for the well-being of man, would he
not have given some intimation of it in
the BibleP Does not the fact of his ap-
pointing to the Israelites what kinds of
flesh they might and what kinds they
might not eat, decide that it is proper food
for man?' would Christ have used
fish, and have prepared it for his disci-
pies, if it had been improper food2'
Agreeable to your invitation I will |
briefly give you my views on this subject |
which you may publish or not as you
think will be most useful to the cause you
are endeavoring to promote.
When God first created mankind they
were spiritually, morally and Intellectual
ly pure, and He then ordered that they
should live upon the fruit of the garden
After the fall, when they had become in
some degree degenerated, permission was
given them to add to their former food the
herbs of the field. AS they advanced in
the downward course, as they departed
further from their original state of purity
and became corporal in spirit, sensual In
morals and depraved in intellect, the nat
ural animal appetite kept pace with their
state of degeneracy, and many inventions
were sought out to satiate its unnatural
craving and satisfy its rapacious demands.
Hence came the use of flesh and then fol-
lowed in regular succession all other
excuses until the moral state of the world
was almost sunk in the lowest depths of
depravity, and the animal appetite de-
bauched even to the use of alcohol and to-
bacco.
| Christ told the Jews that for the hard
ness of their hearts they were suffered to
have more wives than one }; and for the
same reason they were permitted to use
: many kinds of flesh for food and men o.
former ages have been permitted to per
form many acts which the light that il
manifested to this generation shows to bt
evils of the first magnitude. The evil o
those times was the sin of ignorance, bu
now light has come into the world, Got
calls on all men, everywhere, to repent.
He, however, requires nothing of any
one whom He has not endowed with
capacity and ability to perform, which
$ renders men inexcusable for slill remain
:. ing in ignorance of his requirements, O
the continuance of evil practices. Thos,
who have received the light should b.
guided by the light.
: The Jewish nation was the favored
portion of the human race-they were
! possessed Of the sacred scriptures anc
, were selected as Gods peculiar people,
: They maintained the external form o
a worship, but internally they were mos
u grossly corrupt and wicked; and [ d,
9 not know as we should do them Justice t.
9 infer, that they were sunk in sensual de
pravity actually below the heather ma
/ tons which surrounded them. They had
: at any rate, arrived at that state in which
Q they made merchandise of religion an,
rendered profane even the rites and cere
u monies of worship. In this state of tn
: world Jesus Christ made his appearance
9 on earth, taking upon himself the form c
. a servant and descending in his human
u nature to the lowest point to which mar
70 kind had debased themselves. He at
and drank, and was the associate of pull
Is leans and sinners in order to meet th
~ lowest capacity and redeem the most de
e PRAYED and wicked He was therefor
>. under the necessity of eating and givin
W to them such food as their depraved n
a lures required. This point may appe;
clearer by adducing familiar iIlustr
= ton. Suppose a person wished TO perfe
the education of child who had bare
- learned to read, and should commence /
talking to him or attempting to instru
ut- him in the abtruse principles of NOR
III philosophy or the higher branches
{ a acknowledgement not such instructiC
raj be entirely useless? Would it not a
ng pear more rational, and is it not absolut
be y necessary for the instructor to let b
own mind descend to the capacity of Il
lot child's and by series of proper instru
a ton raise him by degrees to a knowIed
ch OF these things? IF it should be ask
at why our Lord die not instruct the Je,
1t that the use of flesh was an evil, it m;
lg, be nationally answered, that it was ali
be gether above their capacity and they cou
pi- not possibly have eomprehended it and
pa we'll knew il. On one occasion, He i
lily timated to them that he had many thin
ny to say unto them, but they were o
ng strong enough to bear them. Thus '
of conclude that the instruction given to Il
lily Jews was of as high character as Il
ms degenerate state of the people could a
preclale, and from that lime tn the nrese,