Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1841-12-08
PAYABLE WITHIN -FOUR MONTHS.
vol Z. XIV. NO. IL.

away the righteousness of the righteous
from hint cannot be a less heinous Of
fence 10 blend virtuesand vice, pfety and
irreligion, and represent them as equally
detestable in the sight Of God. While
priestcraft deals thus treachefously with
the people. it is 10 be presumed that all
moral distinctions will be confoqnded in
their minds, and that muititudes will be
driven to the deadly embraces of deism,
pautheism, and even atheism itself If
general corruption abound-if violenc and
misrule fill all our borders-if infdeIitv
be lengthening its cords and strengthen
ing its stakes-if the name of God be
pasphemed, and the spirit of Christ de-
nounced as pestilent and seditious-it is
mainly owing to the false religious teach
ers ofthe present day, who daub with un-
tempered mortar; who say, !" Lo here is
Christ p OF, I" Lo! therel" and prophesy
falsely and who shut up the kingdom of
heaven against men, neither going in
themselves, nor suffering others that are
entering to 60 in. A mighty spiritual re-
formation is needed 10 the land, as signal
and radical in these days as was the Pro-
testant reformation in the times of Luther.
The people are ensnared by superstition,
bigotry, priestcraf, sectarianism, temple.
worship, the forms of religion, andsthe>
preaching Of another gospel than that
which Jesus of Nazareth came to pro-
muI ge. Advantage is taken of the reIig-
ious sentiment that is in them, and which
is common to all mankind. to lead them
into spiritual captivity, and to make them
the hewers of wood and the drawers of
water to papa! usurpers and ecclesiastical
tyrdnts. To be idle, indifferent, or cow
.ardlv, at such a period is to Dc treacher-
Gus TO the cause of truth. Deliverance
must be Obtained from spiritual as well as
physical bondage, and struggle for the
one necessarily aids the other. The doc
trine to be enforced is the same in both
cases" Immediate, total, unconditional,
everlasting emanei pationl' 80
Supposing Pres. Beecher not to have
been misunderstood or misrepresented by
the writer in the Traveller, we proceed TO
notice tie manner in which be classes
call those of false Christs." They are
represented to be " perfectionists. non-re-
sistants, dests, atheists, and pantbeists."
| With perfectionists," as such,we have
little or no personal acquaintance. We
have never met with more than two or
| three individuals who bear that name, and
then have had no opportunity 10 converse
with them in regard to their peculiar re-
IIigious views. Some of their writings
we have perused, in which we have found
! las in other writings,) much to approve,
and something to condemn. We are not
their advocate or exposition; for we choose
to be responsible only for what we shall
utter or write, and to let every man an
swer for himself. Doubtless, there are
some diverSities of views among them;
and also some who profess to be of their
number, who do no: walk Worthily oftheir
profession. "All are not Israel who are
Of Israel" yet the true Israel of God re-
main loyal. If what we have heard of
the sayings anc doings of the perfection
lists, especially those residing in Vermont,
be true, they have certainly turned the
grace of God into Iicentiousncss, and Civ
en- themselves over to reprobate mind.
So, also, if tshe of the allegations that
have been brought against the abolition
lists, by their enemies, be true. they are
body of madmen, incendiaries- and cut
throats. We know how to- make allow
ance for calumny in the one case, and it
leads US to be charitable in the other.
, The perfectionists profess TO walk by a
high and perfect standard; and il. in these
: degenerate times, their practices approx
mate to an agreement with their profes-
sions, it must follow, as matter ofcourse,
that they will be more basefy sIandered
than any other body of people in he land.
If Christ should how appear In the flesh,
as he did in Judea. he would be hated and
desp:sed with Jewish bitterness, accused
, of having devil, and regarded as worse
= than thief and murderer. The cry
= would be, on the part of our chief PRESS
+ scribes and pnarisees, and the rabbe would
respond to that cry. " This man is not o.
> God he keepeth not the Sabbath day r
-" This fellow doth not cast out devils
e but by Beelzebub, the prince ofthe devilsr
-" Behold msn gluttonous. and a wine
biber, friend of pnbhcaus and sinners =
-" If we let this man alone. all men will
q believe on him: and the Romans shall
9 come and take away both. our place an
- tnhEoD -hefeiaSt uOL lnfS2 fndD, OIL BS
u rabbas r'-" Cruelty hin1l cruelty him !!
e The distinctive feature Of modern per
e MISUNDERSTANDING which synods, pres
% bvteries, and churches, led on by an lie
climate priesthood, are actively engage
in hurting all sorts of missiIes-is. if "
understand it, that it demands of-ever
tprofessed follower of Christ total abst
n nence from sin, and immediate emancipa
D, lion from the chains of the devil" 1t en
st forces the doctrine of answering loyalt
d. Ito God, of absolute freedom, from sin, j
O. this present life. |: declares that he VIII