Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1843-07-19
JON, WE'D NE SDAY, JULY 10, 1s43

ny. and call for proof which has not been
brought, and which diiIlgent search has
not enabled me to find. The history ofhu-
man governments presents an endless array
OF facts against the assumption If Joseph
Butlerj endorsed by Eli BaIlou, when
these individuals aver In behalf Of those
governments, that 6 annexing pleasure to
some actions and pain 10 others, in our
power to do or forbear, and giving notice
iot this appointment beforehand 10 those
whom 1t concerns, is the proper lormaI no.
ltlOn ofgovernment" .-. r..
What is there 10 all this that warrants his
telling his readers that deny that the Di-
vine government Of cause ard consequence,
| is a propT noIion, &c? Nothing nothing.
1t will be seen al once that / was speaking
of human governments, and not the Divine
! government, when [ said that it is The
proper notion, deny" &c. Is the man who
makes so gross and pal pdbe peryer,ons as
he has done in this case, the Que 10 cry out,
he is beside himsel"! Does a good cause
require such advocacy ? or eau it be thus
promoted ~*" *.=-
(S) To all he has said in various ways,
! IN regard 10 the matter as il stands between
Bishop Buffers views and my own-by
which be would make out that the Eishop's
views and mine are 10 good degree Of nar-
mony in point Of lact, that 1 mistake the
! Bishop, &C. append bat single note
The mistake is his, when he supposes mis-
take the Bishop. The Bishop says:
"If God annexes delight to some actions,
with an apparent design Ia induce Us to act
SO and So, then he MOI only dispenses happi-
ness aud misery, bat also rewards and pun
lshes actions" >* 49,.
The error here lies in making the Author
Of Nnure 10 have arranged The universe
with reference 10 what would be the actions
Of men. Ii makes God 10 have had no high
er motive, in establishing The relations Of
things, thaa to reward or punish The acts of
beings held 10 account. He arranged all
the vast and mighty machinery with which
we come i'll contact "to induce as TO act so
and So."t object altogether to giving the
Source Of Beiug and Biessedne>s such a
character. Ii makes him all infnite tyrant.
II surposes him capaple Of giving OUT com.
mands, requiring men to do what be chooses
10 have them DO, because he has the potetr,
and then rewardIug Or furnishing them, BE-
cause he has The power. This appears 10
have been The highest notion Of God, yet in
the minds Of religious teachers generally
Because hr1 is toWr there is rjgAt =
Church and Stale stand on this false assump-
. lion, and always have stood on it. What
, Moses found power 10 do,and desired to do, be
never failed to convince himself aud his fol
lowers he had right to do. He had On y
TO say, +" thus saith the Lord; and it was
enough. The question was not--is il righl5
: 1t was--is there power? Will the Lord
help What saith The Lord AS if The
Lord, by virtue Of his almightness, had plac
! ed himself ia the centre Of the universe. gov.
: erning it with words OF command that are &c
: be obeyed. because there is power TO enforce
E them. From Moses day to the present he
=
and state have been built up on Ills talst
f view. The nlischiefs that have resulted
V can never be told or known. Lock at III
y Whoecr o6egS a command because IL is {
E command and because there is pouctr Il
t: punish disobedience, Without inqn'ring o.
n knoWing rhy Cr Wheitfere, IS as liable t
III, mr. 077c ms JpI A 4 % N,
IS case answer 10 the philosophy, as shown b,
u history. fhis Commanding and enforcin!
r system has kept the earth shroudeG with :
IL noraDce and smoking with gore. II ha
;; crushed mind and kept il Iromrising. Ii ha
is heldthe world in abjgct slavery. Ideny Tia
y II Is right 10 obey command without know
;e J-ct The commanding system altogether
Of blinds, bewlders, bfutities. 1t is unwO7th,
10 oil men, aud more unworthy OF God. | de
< ny that the God ct the universe thus govern
i. Men have eroveled along IN ignorance, no
knowing who The Lord is. They nav
l. made 10 themselves gods after their ow
v lusts. In their lust of power and of gain
they have created To themselves god c
:. war, giving forth commands 10 be obeyec
: not because they had respect 10 right c
II wrong. but because there was power TO eu
j. force them. Vo:r popuii roc Dei--th
as voice of the people is The voice of God--ha
IL been the watchword in these blind, brul
us fierce transactions always. aver that th
OF true God governs Ly better laws. Tha
+" those laws are moi blind imPulsiVe com
mands, bur the relation Of ,hings-whic
has been abundantly illustrated heretofore
of and will be furthermore hereafter, as Their