Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1841-12-01
VOL. XIV NO. II.

even begin to use the proper measures for
their reformation. 1t Is no part of the
proposed pan, to break away from the
churches with which we are connected
until this effort is faithfully and patiently
made. = =. .<.-r@ = -
Objection ". The Saviour instructs
u.s.. by parable, that the kingdom of
heaven is like ieaven. The friends of
Christian liberty. therefore, should remain,
as leaven in the churches.
Answer. So they should, until the
effect is ascertatned, and until it, is proved
to De unaVailing. The Saviour does net
tell Us that all men are to be leavene6, nor
thatawe are to remain where we are doing
no god, and exposing ourselves to cor
ruption from the bad leaven of Others
The parable Matt. xiii. 33.) illustrates
the progress of truth 10 The world at large
It does not bind US to remain in a corrupt
church. Ga the contrary, The same figure
is used to illustrate the corrupting influ-
ence of false professor" Beware of the
Ieaven of the Pharisees." -"Pulg e out.
therefore, the old leaven. y" A lille leav-
en- leaveneth the whole lump" Cor. v.
E. La this latter place, the figure is used
to show the necessity of cutting off i'm
pure members from the church The Sa-
vior, therefore, could not have intended
that his use of the same figure should be
quoted as a reason against church disci-
pine, or (what IS the same thing1 against
coming out from an anti Christian
church.
( Objection Y. The Savior and his
| apostles did not lea5e a corrupt church,
until they were thrust out, as the blind
| man, who had been healed, was cast out
OF the synagogue. Paul stood his ground
among the Jews, till he was rejected, be-
fore he turned from them to the Gentiles
| The Savior also went into the syna gogues
and taught
Answer The fact that the Savior and
his apostles taught in the synagogues,
shows at least. that they were not pro.
hibited from doing so. Laymen though
they were, carpenters and fishermen, not
belonging TO the priesthood, hereics as
they Were esteemed, they nevertheless had
I free access to the ears of the people, in the
synagogues, without even the ceremony,
$50 far as we learn, Of asking leave of eth
er Trustees or Commitlee. Corrupt and
despotic as were theschief priests. idolized
as they were by the people, and justly
claiming, as they did, the exclusive pre-
negatives of the sons of Aaron, under a
dispensation far less open and popular
than the present, it does not appear that
they had SO far infringed upon ancient
Jewish usages as to question the right of
every church member, every Hebrew, 10
open his lips 10 exhortation, in the sacred
temple, even though the whitening dennn-
citation of their own oppressive priesthood
and rulers were the topic of DISCUSSION
mol Such stretch of ecclesiastical au-
thority was left for the republican protes-
tantism Of the puritans, of the nineteenth
century, in America-the land of equal
rights. 1t was reserved for the professed
disciples of Him, who, when describing
the authority OF the lords ofthe GentiIes,
added, " so shall it not be among you"
The Savior and his apostles, therefore,
if members of the Hebrew church, were
members Of a church that did not close its
doors against the advocacy Of human
ights-agalnst the reproof of tyrants-
that did not bolt its pul pits (if il had ANY,
even against laymen, and OIL the Sabbath,
when they wished to preach "the gospel
of deliVerance to the captives' did
not do this, at least, till the prosecutions
broke out, that drove them, not only from
the church, but, so far as possible, from
The world. While admitted place in the
church, they exercised the privileges of
its "free discussion" polity.
Not so with the friends of reformation
in our times. Had the Savior and his
apostles been counteraeled, by the author
tiles of the Jewish church, as aboitionists
now are, the cases would have been neat
, er parallel than at present.
But how docs it appear that Chris aud
5 his apostles remained in religious fellow
; ship with the CHIEF priests, the scribes and
the Pharisees! Does il appear in the
Savior's denunc iations of them, recorded
> lin the 23d chapter of Matt.-aud in the
sermon OF Peter. (Acts ivy and the speech
of Stephen, (Acts viz and in the Epistles
, to the churcnes2
! Be it so, that there was no formal Sc
5 cession from the Hebrew church-tbe
/ cases are not parallel The Jewish
church, Unlike Christian churches. was a
national church. The entire nation,
: whether pious or impious-whether de-
; vout or prefane, were lis members. For
$ this arrangement God had wise reasons,
; But they no longer exist. They do not
: apply TO the new dispensation. We have
another church polity now. lsalh might
denounce the impiety Of church from
: which he might not secede. But when
E John describes such a church, IN New
! Testament times. he dtnnminaies her net
Zion. but Babylon--and he repeats the
= - - g Came nnt OF her my