Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1843-08-30
Oh. XIV. NO. 1T.

- ftoSjkfSo VI lne race mas
been slow, and that mankind as a whole.
are now much further from the truth than
in any past age. For although intellect
ual deVelopement has advanced, it has
generally been in Improbable directions.
L is not my purpose here 10 attempt to de-
velope particularly these branches of nat
ural law. the physiological and metal.
but allude 10 themto observe thata knowl-
edge of and obedience. to these are essen
tial to enable the individual to practice the
third-the social. "
| place the organized church and priest
hood at the head of those evil institutions
and customs which aflict society, and re-
tard its progress, for the reasons that they
are professedly designed for mans ref
ormation, and while they take no c2gLi,
lance themselves Of the existence oi near
ly the whole of these laws, they propose
some other way-some external and super
natural agency for the regeneration of
the race, and thus amaze and deceive the
mind of the individual, who is taught to
seek salvation through the operation of an
imaginary faith. Obedience to Gods
laws is not only not required by the pro-
fessors of this saving faith. but it is vehc-
mentIy asserted by them to be impractical,
BILE. The God of their inveution has
placed men Ia situation where they csu
not avoid the commission of sin, and then
sits In judgment upon them for their ieels
and saves such of them as he fancies to
save from the consequences, on account &C
the suferings and death of another, His
son and part of himself! The teach
lngs ofthese organizations are Consequent
y devoted to the imagined means for pro-
curing happiness to the Individual here
after, without reference to what may be
his condition here. Thus are the minds
of men turned from the investigation Of
these laws under which they have been
placed and in a superstitous hope of eler-'
nal enjoyment, they neglect to employ the
only means to procure it. The existence,
even, OF these natural laws is comprehend
ed by but limited portion of the race, and
it is but natural to pronounce that ins,ilu-'
ton Of society the most hurtfaI, which df-
Verts the mind from investigation, or fiat
~ prohibits it. As might be expected,
these presuming expounders of Divine
law are ignorant of the true nature, extent
and bearing of that social law whichthey
assume to be within their special province
to teach. With the text Thou shalt love
thy neighbor as myself frequently upon
their lips, we find them maintaining gem.
orally that war, slavery, the punishment
of crime by loss Of life. or liberty, are in
accordance with Gods will and law
The individual property system also, from.
which these spring, they universally en-
dorse. II "a millennium is ever to exist upon
earth it must have beginning. The
question u.s. shall those who believe now
in the principles which are then to prevail,
live them out Row, and thus afford such
beginning, or shall we wait on, anu on,
the world perishing in wretchedness and
sin, for some supernatural agency 10 re-
store the race to purity and happiness
A conviction that our social institutions
arethe hindering influences which pre-
vent mans PROCESS TO his good, and mus.
be superseded by better, seems to actuate
the minds of individuals ia various por-
tons OF our country. simultaneously and
without correspondence with each other,
associations have sprung up with this de-
sign in view, in both our eastern and west
ern states. These will be very liable 10
fall into the same errors which have foiled
the efforts and blasted the anticipatlons Of
reformers who have preceded them, by
failing to take the whole of the natural
laws now understood as their basis, AMI
proceeding in the Investigation of such as
are not yet comprehended. If they do.
these will experience disappointment. To
succeed there must be no compromises
with the present institutions of men, at the
sacrifice of any known principle. There
must be no violation of Gods laws thro'
! fear of the consequences of:aithfaiIy adner-
: ing 10 them. It's upon this rockthat fear
: the wreck OF the present movement TO in
troduce better order OF things, upon
III ii Ia oa,r snr,,o 70