Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1843-07-12
sEMI-IH1FIDHLITv AMONG
REFORMERS.

Our readers have seen some specimens
Of the reckless ferocily with which o. s.
Murray, the editor Of the Vermont Tele-
graph, attacks The foundation Of the Bible.
We regard his paper as the mouih-pie
and index Of a spirit which has infused it.
sell extensively into the ranks OF modern
ultraism. This spirit works under the
disguise of reform, and with professions oil
respect for some portions OF Scripture
Thus covered, infdelily is more captiyat-
ing and dangerous than when it stands
forth in honest nakedness. Accordingly
Il lnfects not merel y open dcspisers of r.
ligIon, but some who were not long since
sober and devout. Having given some
attention TO this particular disease, we pr o.
pose TO presen, our, views of its nature,
and its rise and progress among modern
Feformers.
|. The nature Of he disease. In6Ieli.
" in general. Is state of mind, 10 which
the moral affection, called by phrenolo.
gists, vene1 atioR, is overborne and neutral.
lzsd by some stronger affection. As "lhe
fear of the Lord is The beginning of wis
DOM" Sc casting off the fear Of the Lord
is the beginning Of skeptical folly. Rev
erence for God is the protecting rampant
Of the Bible. Whoever fears his Mixer
will handle carefully the book, which pro.
fesses 10 be hisIword. and search diIigent.
y, before he rejects it. This reyerenl
cautioosaess is all that the Bible, or lis
Author demands from those who have moi
yet ascenained by rational investigation,
its truth. The Bible asas no favors OF
mere Warehouses;. lnfidels will be
condemned in the day Of account, not for
refusing to swallow all the absurd maTvels
which priescraf offered them, nor even
for hssitatine TO believe all the contents OF
the Bible: but because they had not hu.
mility and reverence enough to suspend
Judgment until they had given the mes
sage Of God, fair trial; because thew
"spoke evil OF things which they under.
stood not;'' because they would not take
the trouble to discriminate between true
revelation. and the impostures of families,
but condemned the innocent with the
guilty, 10 Lynch-iaw recklessness.
Probably in most cases of in6iei,y
veneration is overborne by selfeseem Ia
combination with causalily and comba,ive
ness. Men are too proud and contilen
10 the sufficiency of their reason, to give
the Bible a reverent examination. Blu
in the particular firm of8he disease o
which we are treating. there is reason Il
believe that beaeooLeace. In many cases, j.
the usurping affection which PROSTATE:
veneration. The enthusiasm of feforu
which has burst forth within few years
has made many exceedingly fierce for do
ing good Their zeal has been too fer
/ vent to wait on the slow movemen's, b.
which God and he Bible are woi kin;
out redemption for man. They have de
vised more summary processes and then
| by lille and hltIe. casting of .conservaliv
reverence. they have learned at last, Il
lrample on the Bible bodily, wheneve
they conceive that il crosses the path {
their favorte enterprises for. human in
ptovement. 90 :
Persons who have been beguiIeI int
this course. may hatter themselves that
sentiment SO lovely and viTtuous as bene,
olence, cannot lead to Onv great mischir
!; that The fervor of their philanthropy wi
excuse them for sitting generation, an
thrusting aside the word of God. But "
! are sure that any amount of good whic
they can do without The Bible. will be q
! ounted in the day of judgment, as bot Ia
IN the balance. against the mischief effe
ted by discrediting Gods main inslrume
= OF redemption. We are sure that noihir
! can excuse ignorance or forgedulness
: the truth that the fear ofths Lord is hig
!, or duty than philanthropy !, that the RICH
= of6od are immeasurebly superior TO-. b