Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1840-06-24
For the Vermont Telegraph.
THE WORD, "CHURCH," &C.

For the Vermont Telegraph. Of
THE WORD, ~'CHURCH," &C.. al
Brother M~urray:-In your paper Of h
the Sd inst, I~notice an attack made by G
Il. M. on the modern use of the word 5
church., and on the dedication of churches, il
which he is pleased to call "the offspring
of the mother Of harlots and abomina-
TONS" Now if these customs are, indeed,
what he has called them, they can not be
too severely rebuked but even then it
might be well for r. M. or any one else
who would lay the axe a: the root of the
tree, not to be sparing of his arguments.
To assail and cut away the errors Of men
contrary to their prejudices, is an Hercu-
lean task, one which can not be effected,
in most cases, without sound argument.
The Pythagoreans might regard the opin-
ion of Pythagoras as sufficient ground for
their own belief, and ipse dia1 The, i. e.,
Pythagoras, said it, as a good reason why
others should believe with them; but
other arguments are required by many Of
the present day.
But to the subject in hand. r. M. com
plains that sit has become fashionable to
call a house of public worship a church"
Grant it; and what objection to it? Is
; not language, if not originally a human
! invention, at least a subject of human I'M
5 proyement? and have not those who speak
any language, a right to use any word in
that language in as many different senses
e and in such senses as they choose2 But
Derspicuaty is one of the first elements to
be sought by every writer and speaker
! Let US see whether it is violated by call
) ing a Westinghouse a church. Whe
reading of churches being burned d0~n
m struck with lightning, rent to pieces B.
Le- the wind, or floating down a river" w
of have no hesitation in saying that the YER
be est school boy can not fail to understan
it. Does my brother, R. M, think hin
ne self liable TO mistake when reading
:, .aoooden,' brick or 'stone churches ar
'nO to suppose tina. a body of believers is MAJ
= up Of these materials? Has he ever re-
in the papers of laying the corner stone
building, or "dedicatsmg" any otherth
ono a aooodem, brick, or stone church! Ii n
ven whence all the confusion he complains
city We do not lay the corner stone, b~atd,
Ives dedicate the church of Christ, but
It it constitute, organize, and recognize dill
Ives ent portions of it. The modern use
tor a church is not, then, liable 10 great OBJ
toms on the ground of ambiguity.
"To read" says "R. NJ, of churc
!, 49, being burned, &C., appears to me q
self unscripturcL" Now, though. there n
,aries be no scripture for it, I think there IS n
eeing aga inst If it is an.i-scriptural to u
spend word in any other sense than 1t IS use
If the the Bible, l see not why 1t IS not
If. 3. scliptural to employ any other wota
that winch is uSeu III tIO
sno' nate any particular object; hence h
. w. should not have inquired, "dld the
- ,he gentleman take charge OF the NEE
doe Of house" but "did he take charge O.
hat the sunagogaep' What, on the whole
a Big we make Of this objection, unless
york OF that it is u~nscriptural to use a wo'
le they more than one sense2 Ii this De a 6
the writers of the New Testamen
10 'ne guilty of it. The same woro' see
a slmf used in Acts IA: 80, Al, ana tran
On .ne assembly, is generally used IN the
! Testament to signify a body OF ben
for and translated, church. But why J
nd died. the church (ecclesial complain Of
crime of for recording that the town clerk Oh