Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1842-05-04
MORE SOUND DOCTRINE.

MORE SOUND DOCTRINE.
Brother G.. A. Thomas, 10 a discourse
delivered last Sabbath morning, advanced
some sentiments, which, if they had come
from fanatic would have been exceed
ingly fandtical- or if they had come from
a radical would have been exceedingly
radical! But inasmuch as they came from
conservative, suppose nobody took any
alarm! He took up-1. The Characteristics
Of the Apostolic Church. 2. The way Of
Bap,ists as traced therefrom. g. Things
which distinguish Baptists from other de-
nominations. did not take down the Ian
guage OF these heads at the time-but think
this is something near it in substance. Ii
is not my design to follow him through his
discourse - but barely 10 allude to certain
ideas dropped at different points in the
course of it; and will endeavor to do the
speaker no injustice.
Under the first head, doctrine of i'm
portance to me was, that the apostolic
churches acre voluntary associations.
do not recolIect that he proved, or undertook
TO, that there was, or is, any command FOR
organization. From anything could dis
cover, he left the protesting followers Of
Christ free to act their oaon choice IN this
matter! Who ever preached doctrine more
" disorgdnizing" than this 2 H.
Again-He said christians are bound un-
der the most solemn obligations 10 separate
themselves from the aoorLd. If he had said
separate themselves from si,, and sinners,
think il would have been stronger, and
more OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES sins and sim
ners, Of the deepest dye, are not confined to
The 1corld at the present time - they have
got INFO the church, in no small numbers,
and of no ordinary magnitude. -.>~-..,.
Under his Sd head, on religious freedom
and lolera,ion, he was highly radical and
reformatory. He said that Baplists have
always been opposed TO legal enactments
interfering with religion. Magistrates as
such are not TO NEEDLE with religion--be-
cause Christ is the lawgiver and governor
of the conscience to his followers. Religion
is an individual matter, between the soul
and God. Baptists take the Bible as the
law of faith. They do not bow to presbyt-
cries or synods. They allow of no inter-
ference with The spirituality or freedom OF
the Christian religion. r.
Most excellent! ALI that can BE- asked
more of brother Thomas is, that while be
breaches this as Baptist, be allow others
to preach i, as CAristians - that while he
breaches it as sectaridn, he allow others
TO preach it as dnti-sectarians. This he
must feel bound TO do Of course, from bis
own rules herein laid down.
In the historical part of his discourse,
while speaking of some of the prosecutions
in times past, he became not little denim
ciatory = especially at single point. He
called one of the queens of England a
"tigT ess DC likened her to tigress pur
suing her prey! If such thing had been
said by The Editor Of the Telegraph il would
have been an awful sin! But, coming as
il did from very careful, discreet aad pr,s-
dent man, in very softly tone Of voice. il
was highly acceptable and proper, no doubt
P. S. With many, manner is everything.
and matter, nothing. Those who accom-
pany the same doctrines, the same aryu-
menls, the same words-in case of strength
and importance with tone Of voice and
gesiicula1ion unsurpassed, natural, and
adapted to the occasion, are 10 very abad
spirit - so thai Of course whatever they
say or drought TO be set at naught as Of no
value. and of very bad tendency! While
those who use such tone Of voice, or de-
mean themselves in such manner, as 10
exhibit themselves instead of their subject
md Of course so that nobody knows what
hey have said or done---aie lauded TO the
,k,es. Truth, in itself, is nothing! The
hummer Of speaking Il IS everything! And
he key 10 this manner is---to be careful and
disturb nobody with III 800