Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1840-04-01


this absurdity and outrage. must now be
allowed TO show that the danger to human
society-aye, and to human governments"
is all on the other side. The truth is, The
very persons who denounce US as DESTROY
ers Of human society and human govern
ment, are themselves the ones who are har.
boring and advocating the very principles
and practices that have carried anarchy-of
which they talk so much-and blood-shed
in their train, ever since man became de-
PRAYED being. Who have been the anarch-
isis who the revolutionists who the in
surrectionists !? who the spiIlers of human
blood2 Have they been contestants 2
Not one of them. On the contrary. thew
have every one of them held to the "rieht-
iul power vested in one person TO require or
prohibit another person, or other persons. TO
do certain things; and the corresponding
obligation of that other person, or those 9TH
erpersons, TO do, or refrain from these things.
because thus required" In other words
they have held that vengeance belongeth
not 10 God alone, but to- man also. Such
are the doctrines, not, Of Non-Resistants.
but OF their opponents. These very doc
trines have been held and put in practice
BY those who have deluged the earth with
blood, in all ages. My opponent alludes to
the French revolution. TASK if there was
single Non-Resistant among those revolu-
tionists2 Not one. They were anti-Non
Resistants, every one of them. They held
to the very doctrines, above described, now
held to by the opponents of Non-Resist,
ance.
Let US hear no more clamor about Non
Resistance being dangerous to human soci-
ETY., and destructive of human government.
Dangerous and destructive it is, indeed, TO
human violence, human vengeance, and
human slaughter. AT the same time It is
the only true conserVator Of human society
and righttuL, christian human government.
MY opponent says -" In civilized COM
munlty, no government can long sustain it.
sell which is not the choice of the main
body Of the people" How does this state
ment comport with the idea that these gov
ernments are of divine origin ? Not only
the character but the very existence of gov
Iernments, in a civilized community" is
here made to depend on the t" choice Of the
main body of the people" In communities
not civilized they may of course be the
creatures Of other circumstances. And vet
they are all the institutions of the unchange-
able Jehovah!
In reply to his picturing forth the fright
full condition of a society Of depraved, unre-
generated men, without government, saw
ne herein contemplates thing which Non
Resistance never contemplated. Non-Re-
sistance has nothing to do with men except
IN connection with their being, or becoming
followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. the
Prince of Peace. No man ever became a
Non-Resistant without previously, or at the
same time, becoming subject of that King
dom which is Peace and Righteousness
There is, there can be, no Non. Resistance
out OF this kingdom. The kingdom of this
world has always been full of violence, and
always will be, while il exists. Non-R Re-
sistants have never pretended Otherwise
So, my opponents labor on this point is
lost. He has only built another splendid
man-of-straw, for the sake Of demolishing
ii with his own hands. True, he has built
and demolished SO many of them, he does
1t with some skill and dexter;ty. But then,
what does it amount to? 1t is only chill
dren's play.
In making the physical penalties of hu-
man laws the "chiet restraint agains,
crime, ask if be does not lower down the
importance Of Gods laws and penalties.
and belittle the ministry, appointed to de-
clare them, in manner unbecoming one in
his station, besides degrading human ma
ture far below what the facts in the case
will warrant2
Besides, if | am rightly informed, this
newspaper preaching of my opponent does
not accord well with his pulpit preaching.
In the latter he is said to- place far more val
ne on what the Bible denominates the sfoof
ishness of preaching than is indicated by
his sentiments expressed in the paper, and
less dependence on worldly policy and
worldly power. And according with these
sentiments Of his from the pulpit, are his
expressed sentiments in relation TO certain
moral reformations.