Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1840-03-04


with overwhelming argument, to convince
ALL. they have named Nero, and CalIguia,
or alluded TO some unjust laws, and cruel
ties perpetrated under legal sanctions. But |
this is neither argument nor Biblical crltl-
cism. 1t is altogether an unchrlstlan ana
unreasonable mode of settling any question.
1t is unreasonable from the peryerslon OF
any institution TO argue against that lnstl-
tuition. Bolingbroke thought in this way to
have abolished Christianity. But Chris
lanity still lives, nor shows wound, nor
scar. If that mode Of reasoning be admit
ted, can prove the Sabbath to be curse
marriage to be the chief cause of licen-
tiousness-and family government TO be
] the fountain head Of all imaginable evils
] Such a course, too, is unchriStlan. 1t IS
not learning truth from the Bible. But
| from some doubtful abstract principle draw
ing very questionable conclusions, and then
adapting the Bible to these conclusions,
or else passing il over in silence. AS Chris
Iians. our inquiry should be I" What did
Paul say 2" The language, surely, is not
so obscure as to be uaintelligible. "There
is no power but Of God. The powers that
be are ordained of God whosoever, there
fore, resisteth the power, resisteth the ordin-
aLce of God" The word "poa0er" means
civil magistrate or ruler-one exercising
power or authority. as any one will see
from the connection here, and ftom the use
of the same word in other places. Luke IL,
IL, shows how the word is used. And
that it is thus used here is manifest, because
in the third verse poUer IS lnterchanged
with ruler, and the two words are used as
synonymous. To "0rddin" may mean to
command positively, or merely to regulate
and establish so as to render certain. In
this last sense God ordains whatever comes
to pass. He ordained the betrayal of Christ,
but did not approve the wicked act of Judas.
But we are assured here that he approx
dngty ordains civil government because the
fact of his having ordained it is given as the
reason why we should be subject 10 it
!, Yea, more, the ruler is expressly and re-
peatedly called the minister of God, APP
pointed, too, for the good of men. In per-
feet harmony with the above is the language
of Paul to Titus, 3, l, where to be subject
to magistrates and poWerS not merely by
non resistance, bnt BY dctire obedience, is
classed among the good aoorks which Titus
: was to enjoin. Peter speaks a similar Ian
guage in his 1st Ep. 2: 13-l7 will not
now dwell upon this passage, because it
will claim some consideration al suisse
quent period, and the passages already ad-
duced are sufficient Tor my purpose. They
, are explicit on the point in question; and
/ their force is not weakened by any counter
testimony. Tyranny, oppression, and vio-
} lence, are condemned, just as mahpractices
in the church or the family are condemned.
, But | recollect not a passage in the Bible
IN which civil government is reprobated as
: unauthorized and abhorrent TO God-not
, one in which Christians are forbidden to be
y good citizens-not one in which they are
IL, i IL i
f Of governments. The Bible is too plain to
J be mistaken. He that runneth mag read,
and the l0ayfdring man, though simple, ii
!. he be not a0ilful and perrerse, need not err
/ therein" H. G.
REM RKs.
5 Let US carry out the doctrine advanced
e by the construction he puts upon the pas
= sages cited from Proverbs and Daniel. The
y doctrine is one and the same with that ad
S vanced by friend Mitchell of Rutland-viz
:, that all human governments, howerer cor
), rupt, are The ordinances of God. know
5 he has avoided stating it in these terms
! Nevertheless the doctrine is this-olherwise
: the language Of his argument drawn from
: the passages cited is without meaning, and
y the argument falls out of existence. He
! says, This cannot be confined to the kings
d and princes and judges of Israel, and OBJ
y serve in this passage Jesus Christ, the an
/ gel-Jehovah of the Old Testament here
il called wisdom, asserts that all the npagis
J. trdtes Of the earth rule by ham" Accord
: ing to this doctrine, Pharaoh, Nero, Caligu
. la, Domi:ian, Alexander, Napoleon, and ev
e cry other wholesale murderer who has
b flooded the earth with human gore, has beer
; an approved servant Of God! Now, his Cd
p position to Non-Resistance being out of hi.
Ii mind, have no hesitation in saving tina
u friend Curtis himself would agree with me
. In denouncing these monsters of wicked
+ ness in language as strong at least as
'r have applied TO lhem-he would agree tina
> to call them wholesale murderers is entire
J., ly within the bounds Of moderation. AnC
v yet his doctrine makes these acknowledged
! servants of Satan TO be the appointed anC
J. approved servants of God at the same time
lie Strange-what horrible inconsistencies.
IS what monstrous absurdities, what perniciou
! heresies men will fall into in their devotion
5 to popular doctrines and pride of opinion
p But SO it is. 1t is not two centuries We
% since Matthew HaLe-than by whom, Day
export says, "the seat of judgment wa
lie never more purely filed" and whose knowl
edge, he says, "was not confined to tn
az law, but extended to divinity, mathe
mates and history Frequently tried ant
st condemned to death those who were &C