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


subscribe to-and will subscribe to Ii,
creed OF no one. Truth and Goodnes.
have no need OF creeds, the influence 0
numbers, or the help of powder and steel
They eschew bribery and corruption
| They reject The profered aid of promises
rewards and threatened punishments.
Thomas Paine had too much a.lianc
with the violen, and ungodly church-and
state systems. Doubtless he was as hon
est in it as those with whom he associat
ed. who made more profession of peace
fitness aud good will than he did. Bott
he and they may have been guided By
the light they enjoyed. That part o
Thomas Paine's conduct which was ir
alliance with the doings Of the church
was no worse because the church was II
it with him. Nor were the doinss of the
church in those ,patters, the worse for be
ing identified with him. And [ am pre-.
pared 10 look upon their man killing with
all possible allowance for times and cir.
cum>tances, and leave il in its place-as
| do the worse doings of Moses in the
same matter-in the history Of human pro.
gress. What am opposed to is, the
making of their doings then. the standard
for our doings nOao. L. j.
| will only stop here to mention two or
three principal things 10 which the
church and Thomas Paine were in al
lance, that / am under the necessity Of re-
jecting
/. Mun.killing. Perhaps no osher
man used his pen so effectively as Thorn
as Paine in The work of getting up and
carrying forward the American Revolu-
ton. II! had at hand his works entitled,
!" Common Sense" and the "Crisis,' l
could display some parallel columns be-
tween him and D1clors Of Divinity, quite
as striking apd as Identical as anything
contained in what was exhibited in for
mer number of the Perfectionist, which
had for its object The reflection Of opprc-
brium upon me, because it was found that
Thomas Paine and held some common
views adverse TO certain deeds Of plunder,
butchery and extcrnination. Bat shall
not be al pains to make lhesretort re-
ject that kind OF argument. The man
killing Of the church is the same thing,
whether Thomas Paine is with the N
in it or not. ..... +. -.~s. -. i:
2. Rewards and PUaishments am
less acquainted with Thomas Paine's
Theological writings, than his Political.
Am far from b.ing familiar with either
Have never had his Age Of Reason in my
hands for the space of one hour-but in
tend yet to give it a thorough perusal
Probably he did not agree with the church
as 10 rewards and pnnishments in fu.ure
state. But it is certain that be and they
had much identity of views on these as TO
the present state. III ..>.s.~ 4
8. Views Of God. Thomas Paine's
views of the Divine Being were, in many
respects, certainly much in advance of the
church.. But, SO far al remem Der, there
is some evidence in his writings that he
did not advance entirely beyond their
views, which make the Author of Nature
TO act arbitrarily and by impulse. | can
not think it strange that he did not emerge
from all the chaos OF darkness thrown
around him by the church-lnd-slae infu-
ences of his times. :S..:. 49,.
l have said thus much here in connec-
lion with the name of Thomas Paine, be-
cause the attack upon ne in the Perfrc-
zionist, commenced with an effort to iden-
lify my views with his, aud it is just and
proper that it should be seen what and
where the afiailies are, all around, be-
tween him, the church, and myself
The principal difficulty between Thomas
Paine and the church must have arisen
from his early education. His father was
a Quaker. This put restraint upon>his
blood-lhlrsiness. He was not bloody
minded enough for the church. He would
net go with them in justifying the ag-
gressive and exterminating wars of their
leaders. For this they hated him, But
he hel ped them on with their war of de-
tense. For this they loved him For his