Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1842-06-15

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decided stand which was necessary; and
Inv degrees 10 bring the church to the pos
ition| 'sshere il should have been at the
commencement. twas desirable to con-
vince church members that this whole bu-
s;ness was Of such character that no
/ Christian should be engaged in i /; thai.
no Christian capital should be invested
| IN il, and that no Christian minister should
be any thing but stern and uncompron-.
ising foe of every thing which went to in
toxicate and ruin men. The work was
arduous and long. The church stood in
the way of the progress Of the cause, and
| still stands in the way. Notifying and
sad as it is. / hesitate not to say that, taxi
/ ing the country at large, in my judgment
there is not so serions obstacle TO the en-
tire success of 1.-THE temperance reformation
as the habits and opinions administers and
members 9th churches; and it is only
by an extraordinary movement out of the
church that the deficiency is 10 be made
up. Yet the church holds this power in
her hands entire power, under God,
to perfect this glorious work, and to drive
the curse from the land. And that mo-
ment when every minister of the Gospel,
and every officer and member of the
church shall be the thorough and consist
emf advocate for entire abstinence; and
when every member of the church shall
abandon all connection with the maaufac.
| ture or the traffic in intoxicating drinks,
land Withdraw all capital from it, will be
the consummation of this great work !;
nor will ii occur TIL then. Letihe church
continue to embosom apologists for habits
| of indulgence and patrons of it. and the
wheels of this great cause will De clogged
and stayed. nor can it move onward to
glorious triumph.
The same remarks might be made of
any and every other cause of reformation.
In every thing affecting purity ofmorals !;
chastity of life; the observance ofthe Sab
bath; the cause of human liberty the
freedom of those held in bondage the
church holds an almost if not guile con-
TROLLING power. Evils are always rami-
fed and inierlocked with each other, and
often iRter.ocked with good. Sin winds its
| way along by many serpentine and sub
terranean passage.into the church, and en-.
ltwines its roots around the altar, and as
sumes new yigor Of growth and kind OF
sacredness by its connection there. There
is scarcely a form of evil which can be at
tackled which does not in some way extend
| itself into the church There is scarcely
a steamboat or a railroad car that runs on
the Sabbath, that has net some connection
with some member of the church; nor is
there an attempt at reformation which can
be made which does not impinge on some
custom in the communion of the faithful
make not these remarks 10 the spirit Of
complaining Ipretend no! here even to
say what is right, or what is wrong. !
lam illustrating merely the p0tcer which
the church holds on moral subjects, and
the manner in which that power is exert
| ed. "The law should 60 out Of Zion
land the word of the Lord from Jerusalem
land my remark now is that the church
/ holds power over all these forms of re.
formation. and is responsible to her grea
Lord for the manner in which that power
is used.
Il =
II The foregoing production is from the per
of @Rev. D. d., if my impression be
correct as to his titles. Hesis the author,
believe, of the "Notes on the Gospels
The views be here takes Of The course pur.
| sued by the church and the clergy, on the
subject0of Temperance, are equally appli-
] cable to their course on other subjects. The
4 writer himself, after saying, 81 shall select
one single department of the work of re-
formation" says, "the same remarks nigh,
] be made Of any and every other cause o.
reformation
q have copied this article for its astound
ing concessions. say astounding concess
ions, 10 view Of the source whence the,
come. will thank the reader TO 90 tbro
with the piece again with care, and iher
tell me If it does not fully sustain th,
strongest charges have brought agains
popular religious leaders. HsW fully do III,
facts conceded sustain the position that the
church is the strong hold Of sin. How
clearly do they demonstrate the fallacy am
delusiveness Of the doctrine that we mus
wait for the church TO reform the world
Il is acknowledged that the same enormou,
popular sins are in the church that are il
! the world - and that the leading influence.
IN that body will not stir to cleanse ,hei
Aueean stable until they are driven to il
i Hence the necessity of commencing III,
! radical work of reformation "out of III
! church The writer comedies this neces
sity. He might as well, while be wa
about Ii have conceded the necessity q