Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1842-02-23
VOL. XIV. No. 90

Il 4
your opponents; you inact wound.
Such, dear Sir. will neither intimidate nor
convince. But such hard and uncalIed
for epithets will ALLEVIATE the heart.
Charge US, if you please. with imtecimy
and narrowness Ct mind for the way of
truth is narrow way. Call US bigots if
you please, or any other approbrious cpl
thets, which human ingenuity can devise.
and those who are deserving of modera-
lion may applaud. But, by all tha, is sa-
cred we beseech you not to violate the
Scriptural constitution of the Gospel
church, which | believe is the Baptist.
If in the organization of The church, a
| rigid adherence 10 the perpetual law of
the Gospel church, is to be stigmatized as
bigo'ry, and you glory in the epithet, We
will bind it as a diadem on our brow;
and descend into the grave, exulting that
we have been counted worthy of the re-
proach of Christ. The strict Baptists
ugbt not TO render railing for railing.
1t is violation of the law of Christ.
Whenever system is adopted, yours OF
ours, he that is candid will be candid still.
and he who is bigot. will be a bigos
/ still.
| will make another quotation: Elk
cIusion because the excluded are not bap-
tized." | wish TO compare this quotation
with what you have written 10 another
place. IF baptism is to be attended TO at
all, is it not to be attended at once? as The
initiatory rite introducing US formally into
the christian kingdom as any one ofthem.
| must insist that it is" Dear Sir. |
should be led to think, from your express
ion, that you think baptism is not COM
mand. But, from what you have written
there is not doubt in my mind but that
you are believer in water baptism. "Mul-
titudes who have been differently taught,
on going to the Bible latter their CONVEX
sion learn immersion) there, ofthemseIves.
But not so with close communion" You,
Sir, have indirectly told US, what is the
cause of close communion, that is, sprink-
| ling. Would there ever have been such
thing if it had not been for sprinkling-
or for those who introduced it2 This,
Sir, was the origin of close or rigid COM
munion. 1t did not originate with DR..
Gill, nor Roger Williams; but with
those who first introd uced s2rib king and
pouring as a substitute for immersion.
Sir, you accuse the Baptists of "exclud-
ing christians of other denominations from
the Lords table And you admit thatlhe
Lords table is in his visible kingdom.
You admit that baptism is the initiatory
rite, to introduce US into the christian
kingdom;'' and that immersion is the on
ly baptism, which the Bible teaches that
is wafer baptism. Now, my brother,
when you compare what you have admit
ted in your communication with what
Peter and Paul have said, think you
will see that you have been contending
with man of straw. and not with the
( Baptist principles You charge US with
excluding from the Lords table, and
treating christians of other denominations
as heather. In what respect have We
treated them as heather Why, in ex-
GLIDING them from the Lords table. You
have admitted that no person ia in the Wis
lille kingdom until he IS baptized. And
that no person has any right to the Lords
table until he is Initiated irto the kingdom
by baptism Now, Sir, what do you
mean by this charged Excluding their
brethren from the Lords table," When
you have admitted that they have no right
to the Lords table until they are in his
kingdom. Well, my dear friend. | am
glad that after all the hard names you
have called US by. your Acknowledgements
have acquitted u.s. At last, you aeknowl-
edge that We are not as bad as you tho't
we were That we have done and are
doing just as the Bible teaches. "Bap-
tism ought 10 preeede all the duties of
that kingdom" You are right, nv
friend. But there are some duties which
are required OF us before we come into
tha, kingdom, or church of Jesus Christ.
II. We must believe in Christ with all
the heart. 2. We must repeat OF all Que
1--we God with all the heart