Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1839-10-16

Judges of the degree of faith that is to be
Ieposed IN the bearers of that communica
ton. We may know and appreciate the
natural signs of yeracity. There is a
tone, and manner characteristic of hon.
esty, which may be both Ineligible and
convincing. There may be concur
renee OF several messengers There may
De their substantial agreement. There
may De the total want of any thing, like
CONCERT or collision among them. There
may be their determined and unanimous
perseverance. in spite of all the increduli.
~ and all the opposition which they meet
with. The subject of the communications
may be most unpalatable 10 US; and we
may be SO unreasonable, as TO wreak our
unpleasant feeling upon the bearers of it.
La lhis way, they may not onl y have no
earthly interest TO deceive US, but have the
strongest inducement possible to abstain
from insisting upon that message which
they werecharged to deliver Last of all,
las the conclusive seal OF their authentici.
~. they may all gree in giving US a
watchword, which we previously knew
could De given by none but their master /;
and which none but his messengers could
ever obtain the possession Of In this
way. unlrultful as all our efforts NAV
have been upon the first subject of exa,n-
ination, we may derive IRON the second
the most decisive evidence, that the mess
age in question is real message, and was
actually transmitted to US by It's proiessed
author.
Now, this consideration applies in all
It's parts 10 a message from God. The
argument for the truth oil this message re-
solves itself into the same two topics OF
examination. We may sit in judgment
upon the subject of the message; or we
may SIT IN judgment upon the credibiIitv
of its bearers.
The first forms a great part of that ar
I gulnent for The truth Of the Christian reii-
glon, which comes under the head of its
internal ecadenceS The substance of the
message IS neither more nor less, than
that particular scheme of the divine econ.
omy which is revealed to US in the New
Teslam. mt; and the point of inquiry is.
whether this scheme be consistent with
thai knowledge of God and his attributes
which we previously are in possession
Iof?
1t appears TO many. that no effectual ar.
gument can be founded upon this consid
GRAFTON, because they do not count them
selves enough acquainted wi,hthe designs
or character of the being from whom III.
message processes to have come. Were
the author of the message some dis:an, and
unknown individual Of our own species.
we would scarcely be entitled 10 found an
argument upon any comparison of ours.
betwlxt the import OF the message and the
character of the individual, even though
we had our general experience OF human
nature TO help US in the speculation
Now, of the invisible God, we have no
experience whatever. We are still tur-
Their removed from all direct and personal
observation of him or of his counseIs.-
"netner we think Of the eternity of his
government, or the mighty range of lis
Innaence over the wide departments of
nature and providence, he stands at spch q
distance from Us, as TO make the MANAGE
ment of his empire subject inaccessible
TO all our faculties.
1t is evident, however, that this does
not apply to the second topic of examina-
ton. The bearers Of the messac e were
beings like ourselves; and we can apply
our safe and certain experience of man 10
their conduct and testimony. We may
know too little of God, to found any arou-
ment upon the coincidence which we con,
eeiVe TO exist between the subject of the
message and our previous conceptions of
It's author But we may know enough of
MN to pronounce upon the credibililv of
the messengers. Had they the manner
and physlosnomy Of honest men? Was
their testimony resisted, and did they per-
severe in it2 Had they any interest in
fabricating the message; or did they suf-
fer Ia consequence of this perseverance ?
Did they suffer TO such degree, as to
constitute satisfying pledge of their in
tegrity? Was there more than one mes.
senger, and did they agree as to the sub.
stance OF that communication which they
" made to the world2 Did they exhibit
any special mark of their Office as the
messengers of God such mark as none
but Cod could give, and none but his ap-
proved messengers could obtain the pos
session of? Was this mark the power of
working miracles and were these mira
cles SO obviously addressed to the senses,
as TO leave no Suspicion of deceit behind
them These are questions which we
feel our competency TO take up, aud 10 de-
eide upon. They lie within the legiti-
mate boundaries of human observation !;
ard upon the solution of these do we rest
the question of the truth OF the Christina
religion.
This. then, is the state of the question
with ihns, 10 mhon III, rnaSsar.. maS