Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1843-08-30
For the Vermont Telegraph.
PRIEsTcRAFT EXPOSED.

occasion 10 make my appearance again
before the public. But from my treatment,
and the peculiar circumstances ofthe case.
am induced.lo expose the humbuggery
and monstrosiIy Of the priesthood. II
was bu. few days previous 10 the ap7ear-
ance ofmy article, that l came in collision
wi b the present officiating priest Of Meth
odism for The first time. When he found !
was member Of his church, he question
ed me rather closely. as to my belief. and
connection with the church. Heexpress-
ed some dissatisfaction with my being a
member Of The church. told him i in
tended to ask for dissmisslon soon; as /
was dissatisfied with my church relation.
He told me 1 could not get on: OF the
church 81 replied. can. He said could
not,-and no man could leave the church
with good character. He told me in
substance, that a man FAUST be slandered
or DETAINED, before he could leave the
church, and then he must be expelled. l
told him caredjitle how got out of the
church, pat | should ge..out at any rate.
AS to the questions Of my belief and doc
trine, l answered them frankly and fear
lessly. He asked me i'll believed in the
efficacy Of prayer.-I told him | believed
G. ID would never violate the laws OF ma
ture, which he h I'd made, for any petition
which might be put up to him, but any
thing that was for our good. where the
laws of our nature had not been violated,
He would bestow whether we prayed to
Him or not. told him | did noi a. approve
Of his long synagogue prayers. Do you
take the Telegraph Yes. There is the
trouble you have laid hold on in6delitv
and fear you will go to hell. ilquir.
ed wha. his views were Of the Miller doc
trine, and If he believed the world would
be burned up with literal FIRE, end thereby
b. annihilateI. He said, No, he did not
believe the world would be struck out OF
existence, but that the surface would be
burnt over with literal fire. Now this
was a new doctrine 10 me, founded on
such consuminate ignorance, that l lei il
pass without comment. Then lasked =
do you believe there is lake Of FIRE and
birthstone Yes. he believed there was.
Where is h2 tle said he did not know,
"but you will iad out soon enough" l
have seen priests before makethe assertion
with as much certainty as If they had seen
il. but never could tell wh,re il was. =
Such was the conversation OF a priest oil
Melhodism at our first meeting.
Soon ailer the appearance Of my article
in the Telegraph, the priest was seen strid.
ing across the field, ia which was at
work, with all the importance OF nabob.
lie came with the authority aud power oil
the Methodist Episcopal Church, bringing
list of charges and specifications agains,
me in the name Of the church, and telling
me was not out of the church--warn
ing me in military style TO meet hin
and committee Of the church at brolhe
Smiths on the ooh Of July. to answer The
charges: Alter hearing him read biz
chlrges aud being told ina. they %oulc
probably be sustained, ltold him had bu
sinrss OF more importance than TO spenC
nv time ia answering such charges, a
this season of the wear, but might answe
them in wri'ing hereafter. He told me
. could do as l pleased. Afer closing hi
REMARKS, he walked of with as much i'm
porlance as the He Goat, seen in. one Q
Dlniel's Visions.
do not know as can recoTlect all Oh
charges, as be did mol leave a Copy as b
should have done ia the form Of evil law
will state the charges as near as ca
recolleci, and reply TO them. One charg
was, ln6Ieli;y infiIelny to wha2 VIII
iufleIity 10 the creeds and dogmas Of ia
Methodist churcn, 10 daring to have
mind Of my own, TO Ihink AMI act accord
ing 10 the dictates Of my own conscienc,
; Pnd $50 for taking shat" inhdel paper,
the Telegraph; but nothing relating
christianity. And here am expelled +
in6Jefiyl Wonderful power this in
priest! This looks like Christianity vii
u vengeance |. d. we read that OUT SAY
Tor ever expelled a member ct his churc
frinGIelily2 No. Oar Savio.never pr'
tended to possess any such power. a
though he was equal with God. Suiel
this priest "opposelh and exllteth mia
self abjve all that is called God, o. chat
worshiped so that he ss God suteth
the temple Of God. showing himself tn
be is GJd." AnOther charge was sla
der for Publishing an article "a the W
mont Telegraph. | ;eid him | believe
the truth was not SANDER. He said II W
nottrue fof There was.nO such things
priests and pulpit gods ia the church.
He carried the idea that had no right
rcnounce the church. This right W
notdisputed infreemasonry, that twin sist
OF The church. that handmajd Of religio
but there a man was frre at will. F
more consistency in that vile institulio
than in corrupt church. But my COT
INC out OK the " vile throng" burst the bu
BILE. Oh, thew cant eudure the name, a
yet The priest admits il 70 be CORE
church. Another charge was, disoel
in The resurrection OF the natural bod
Now i. was web known 10 the church. a
their preacher, when | united with the