Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1843-03-01

require this % In reply, ask if you
can love man an at the same time order
a rope to be put around his neck, and that
he be hauled up into the air and choked
to death2 Ifthis be loving an enemy, l
beg to know what hating him would be !!
NV Brother admits that God is love-that
we ought to be like him-that we ought
to love our enemies.
"But", he asks. suppose we dlsobey
God, and put ourselves in open hostility
to his commands /! that is, turn ourselves.
as by our supposition. into ffeebooters !;
does God love US in these our sins unre-
pented Of? The doctrine of repentance
prepares the heart TO carry out the prln-
ciples of Non Resistance" God "mak-
eth his sun to rise on the evil and on the
good, and sendeth rain on the just and On
the UNJUST Is God cbangeabic !! Does
he hate his erring children while they
are going astray, and then turn and love
them when they t6rn2 Does he change
his conduct towards them, as often as they
change theirs towards him 2 Is he as
tickle and passionate as they2 / believe,
with my Brother, that God is love; and
that we are to be like him. That We are
to love our enemies. And l would have
language as here used mean something
Love TO Others can only be shown by do
ing them good, and not by doing them
harm. There has, as | view it, been a
great misapprehension Of the character of
God, touching the matter now under con.
sheraton. Theologians have theorized
beautifully about love, IS taught by Christ.
AT The same timethey have practieed, and
taught others to practice, directly the
contrary, after the teaching Of Moses.
Christ's injunction Of Non Resistance OF
Evil they pass off as a mere rhetorical
fourish-as words without Meanings
sound without sense. His giving up his
life to his enemies, and praying for their
forgiveness while they were killing him,
is overlooked and practically set aside.
Why did he not pray 10 have them kill
ed. Simply because he was praying to a
God OF love, and was himself of the same
mind with Him to whom he was praying.
Had they repented No. They were
now in the very act of numbering him.
He would have them know that they were
forgiven, and thus if possible bring them
to repentance and reformation. This
was love and forgiveness carried out in
practice. Not as Mckenzie carried out
his, By killing his enemies. But as God
carries out his, by doing his enemies the
greatest possible good.
Il may be proper here to digress for a
| moment. The doctrine now advanced
may fill with terror as many as attach
more importance to profession of belief
than to practical well doing. Their be-
lief has been. that God is angry. wrath
ful, furious, vengeful, towards the wicked
Whether it has been their view that he is
constantly changing in his attitude, in as
many instances and cases, as to accommo.
date himself 20 the conduct of all the indi,
! viduals in the human famiIy-or that love
and hatred, all the good and evil passions
dwell tremendously in his bosom at one
and the same time-just as Zig bit and dark
ness could dwell together, or as swee
water and bitter could flow from ONT
fountain at the same tine, or as good and
evil could be one and the same thing
have moi yet learned. The class | aludt
10 are startled and frightened at the ides
that God is not vindictive and terrible Il
punish. This is not the place for an ex
tended discussion of the subject. I will
only say, therefore, that, in my view
neither the suffering of the sinful nor tn
happiness of the obedienI, depends on an,
special. or particular act Of d-buttha
, it depends on the act of the creature, VIII
. is free and capable of acting on his owl
responsibility. SO that his happiness or hi
1 4 ri
his own voluntary acts. God being IN
changeably the same-always love, fol
J giveness. good will.
But, to return. My correspondent say
$ -"h doctrine O repentance prepare