Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1842-01-03

i tnKe II That another common right OF man.
kind is liberty to worship God according to the
dictates Of conscience This seems to me to be
guaranteed in such precepts as follows:' Hold
ing fniih and good conscience. - Why is my
liberty judged Of another man conscience p |
And herein do exercise myself to have always |
a conscience void of offence townrd God, and |
toward man. If we have not perfect liberty to |
obey all the divine requirements, TO worship God |
in the beauty OF holiness, according TO the die
tates of conscience and TO inherit the glorious
reward which God has connected with so doing, |
what right have we to do any thing?
] conclude we have common right TO exam
ine the evidence of revealed truth, and freely 10
exercise private judgment in respect to truth aud
duty, ngreeaby to such precepts these - Provo
all things hold fast that which is good, - Search
the scriptures, - Why even of yourselves Judge
We what is right Pc Believe not every spirit, but
try the sprlts.'
1t seems to me that we have common right to
point out and reprOve each others errors, faults,
and vices, agreeably TO the following precepts -
Thou shalt in uny wise rebuke thy neighbour aud
not suffer sin upon him'-'Them that sin, rebuke
before OIL That others may also fear.
We appear to have common right TO with
hold fellowship from evil doors, ngreeaby to the
direction Have no fellowship with the unfruit-
full works Of darkness, hut rather reprove Them
What can he more evident than the common right
TO make free expressions of strong disupprobation
and adherence towards moral evil, aud evil do
ers, according TO the example aud preccps of
Christ, and the dictates Of conscience?
Another common right of mankind seems 10
be, 10 seek and acquire knowledge and wisdom,
aud to lay up n rich s.oro of mental treasure, IL
grecably to the following precepts: - Wisdom is
the principal thing; therefore get wisdom; and
with all Thy getting, get understanding Take
FIST hold of instruction: let her not go keep her,
for she is thy life My people are dest Dyed for
lack of knowletg c'-' And this / pray, that your
! m mo n
edge and in all judgment; TINT ye mny approve
! things that excellent Can we conceive any
right better guaranteed TO mankind, than liberty tc
acquire this mental treasure which is free?
| Equally evident appears to be the right of man.
! kind to exercise the gifts, and TO employ the tai
ers which God hos given MS. in the instruction,
warning md edihcation of others, agreeahly TO
! the precepts--' Having then gifts, differing
cording to the grace that is given to us, whether
prophecy, let us prophecy according to the pro
| portion Of faith; or ministry, let us whit on our
miniserng; or he that teacheth, on teaching or
| he that exhorteth, en- charlottesville mani
festation Of the Spirit is given to every man to
prof; withal - Let the word of Christ dwell in
| you richly in all wisdom teaching and admon-
ishing one another - Exhort one another daily
The eye caunol say to the hand, have 10
need Of thee: nor again the head TO the feet,
| have no need OF YOU. Nay, much more those
members Of the body, which seem TO be more
feeble, are necessary Do not these and the other
divine precepts fully guarantee the liberty 10 en-
poy whatever gifts and talents we niny have, in
the instruction, warning and ediiicaon of others.
as we can find opportunities, aud the glorious re-
wards connected with it, rs far any succeed Ivy
so doing, in turning others TO righteousness ?
1t seems very evident that we have common
| right TO enjoy the fruits OF our own industry, a
grecnby 10 the preceps-'lt is good aud comey
for on" 90 ent and drink md TO enjoy tie good OF
all his labor that he taketh under the sun all the
DAYS of his lite that God givcth him for II is his
portion = There is nothing better than that a
man should rejoice in his own works, for that is
his portion
take il that mankind have n common right to
form coaingal relations, mud 10 enjoy permanent
conIuga society, agreeably to the divine precepts
- Live joyinlIy with thy wife whom thou lowest
all the days Of the life of thy vanity, which he
hath given the under thee sun, for that is thy por-
ton in this life, and in thy labor which thou takest
under the sum- 1t is not good that man should
he alone
1t seems also evident that parents have an e.
quail common right TO train up their children for
usefulness and happiness, since read - Aud
ye fathers provoke not your children to wrath (;
but bring them up in the nurture and admonilion
of the Lord And these words which COM
mand thee this day shall be in thy heart: and
thou shalt tench them diligently unto thy children,
and shalt talk Of them when thou sittest in thy
house. and when thou wakest by the way, and
when thou liest down, and when thou rsest up
Ye shall command your children TO observe TO
do all The words of this law
To the above, will only add the righ: of per-
sona freedom, RS being involved in all the above
rights and privileges, and which seems TO be
guaranteed in the precopls-'Go ye into all the
world and preach the gospel to every creature
lie that steaeth man. and seeth him, or if he
be found in his band, he shall surely be put to
DEATH
The above, with other kindred and involved
rights and privileges, appear to me to be the COM
mon gifts of our common Creator, whose law
take to be the true and only charter of human
rights and privileges This appears to have been
the view Of our political fathers, who adopted the
Declaration Of American Independence - We
hold these truths 10 he sell.evdent; that all men
are created equal that they are endowed by their
Creator with G ain inaenable rights; thut among
these are life, lin rly, and the pursuit of harpi-
ness Tint, 10 secare these rights, governments
IRE Instituted among men, deriving their just pow
ers from the consent of the governed. This aI,-
pears 10 have been The view of DR.. Richard
Pr'ce. who boldly advocated the cause of Amer.
can liberty in the times that tried mems souls
lie says in one of his papers: Nothing can be of
so much consequence 10 us as liberty. Ii is the
foundation of all honor, 10 the chief privilege and
glory OF our natures. As no people
can lawfully surrender their religious liberty so
neither can any civil societies lawfully surrender
their cicI liberty by giving up 10 any extraneous
Jurisdiction their power of legslang for them
selves. Such cession being Inconsistent with
the inaliennbe rights Of human nature, would Ell
ther not hind ut all, or bind only the individuals
who made it. This is a blessing which no one
generation of men can give up for another; and
which, when lost, people have always right to
reassume.'
With the above seems to accord the view Of
DR.. Chandler Robbins, Of Plymouth, as given in
his election sermon before the Massachusetts Le-
gslature, l79l:
The natural rights of men ure the same under
every species OF government, aud do mol o,0e their
origin 10 The social compact Such arc the rights
OF conscience. We have the testimony of
John Wes'.y, 20 the Same point, who says,
Liberty is the right of every creature, as soon
as he breathes the vital air, and no human law
can deprive him Of that right, which he deryes
from The Ia,v nj natura'