Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1841-09-29
standing Of the common or true. doctrine
which is the same thing as to have creed.

which is the same thing as to have creed.
| come now to point,in this brief in
qdiry, alluded 10 in my frst letter:-I mean
your oaon position Il seems as tho you
supposed you had broken asunder the iron
bonds Of sectdridnisns- yourself loose
from all sectariansresttaint and from your
liberal, erect, and lofty position, had moth
ing to do but look on, and wherever you see,
or think you see, defect in your brethren |
(of the various sects, Of course,) to apply |
your scorpion goad without mercy. One
would imagine, al first glance, that you had
no other object in view, than the indiscrim-
mate slaughter, to utter humiliation, Of
every written creed, whether agood, bad, or
Indifferent" A casual observer might think
you had nothing to defend, but everything
to oppose! But on the other hand, at other
times, they might hear you signing, with
the same apparent modesty and philanthro-
py, as Absalom, when he said: Oh that
were made Judge in the land, that every
man which hath any suit or cause might
come unto me, and would do him justice~
These Inflated creeds are condemned, In
the most unqualified terms, as "yokes Of
bondage" in Opposition to the gospel"
productive OF division, and calculated to
"inspire" vindictive and prosecuting
spirit:n and, in short, as "full of all subj
lily and mischiefr' You tell US, however,
five will only join your society, aOhich has
no creed, we shall have our liberty, &c. &c.
Bur this is assuming that you have the
truth.-John s: 3d. Amos 3: 8. Jas. 8: II, Is.
Do YOU mean TO "command US to believe
without evidenced" But you make me
think of another text-2 Pet. 2: 80: "While
: they promise them liberty" SC. Not that
think you belong to this class of characters
there described; for am persuaded better
things Of yol, and things that accompany
ed salvation, though | thus speak, but fear
that by enlisting under your specious banne
of liberty, and acting under the full scop'
of its licenlious principles, we might rem
der ourselves ten-fold more "the servants
already. But Of this, anon.
You say you have no creed. You say
have. Why2 Because it's aDritten! Verify
that's a distinction without difference!
assert that you hare creed: that is TO say
if you have any definite faith in God
revelation. And so has every other ma
who processes any religion. If you hay
no creed, simply because it is neither a0r'
ten nor printed, then wo to all christie
;. obliqation-a!l contracts between man al
man, unless they be established by the ii
= mutable, truthlelling sanctions of ink al
paper! 49, @... $751;. ... .t..r.
You say you are no seciarian. But it
not little remarkable, that, so far as r
observation extends, those whose ere
seems to consist chiefly in opposing
creeds, while they condemn every ere
that differs. from their own, are so officie
s.~ TO argue and contend, in every place, a
on every occasion when they mention
subject of religion at all, for the pre-el
~ hence Of their own sentiment; and VI
=. them upon others with zeal and assurar
that shock all christian modesty, and 81
confidence that defes all argument, in
wild anticipation of victory! "Sriies
words" seem 10 constitute their eleme
and the maximum Of their enjoyment
pears TO be al,ainable, only by a reg
engagement ia their favorite debates.
the spiriwthey frequently exhibit, has
other tendency than TO recommend {
doctrine.
You have no creed! Do you ash
questions, when man applies for hapt
and admission 10 membership, In your :
civ /? ''O yes: he must beliere." Bel
what2 "The truth, 10 be sure"
Q, wha, is the tru,h7 who is to decide ?
individual, or the church 2-not simpl
what he must believe, but what the CHI
me. shall fellowship, as such. Is every I
truth which man considers to be 81
Then everythingis truth; or rather,
is no truih.-no such thing as the truth
YOU saw he must believe in Jesus Chrt
!. I ask. ho1r? simply as a person, or
character? Il is Of the utmost consequ
in my estimation, that an essential dii
ton be made here. For we may belle
him as a good mana teacher OF good
urine, and an exemplar of good M
while we do not receive him as our Prt
nas'; TO teach as; our Priest TO atone ie
:, ! and our KING, TO rule over, and finally
Us. in a word, as our only hope
Il LORD oUR RieHTEousNEss.n-- 3: