Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1843-06-21

sins Of the antediluvians and oflhe Sodom- Z
ties, that the one should bring down wat.
or and the other ERE upon their heads. but
also what that difference consisted in II
how the clouds were affected in each case |
- or rather, perhaps, what sins it took TO
from, or produce, or call forth cloud of
water. and what, cloud of fire - and all
about it. And when he has shown what
sins it takes 10 form cloud of !" birthstone
and fire." he must be on his guard or the
orthodox will by fair means or foul aveil
themselves Of his discoveries to aid them
in showing what sins it takes to form a
lake Of fire and birthstone" Friend
Ballou must look out, or his Universalisn
will be in danger. Perhaps, however, he
will contrive TO make his water put out
his fire. There are many, no doubt, in
these days Of" looking for fiery indigna-
tion," who would account him benefact-
or if he would show them how it is done.
Again. When friend Balou. has
shown the relation Of cause and effect in
what have been called punishments for sin
by food and fame, in The instances that
have named, want he should ext turn
his attention to the hail, the frogs, the lice,
the locusls, the murrain, the bols and
blains, the blood, the darkness, the smit-
ing of the first born-but especially the
butchering Of one nation and tribe by an.
other-the battle now turning in favor Of
this and then in favor Of that-fory thou
sands of the aggressive lsraelites slain
yesterday and to-day by the defensive
BeDjaminites, and then greater number
Of the latter slain by the former, to-mor
and day following | need not 60 into
particulars in all these innumerable and
indefinitely diversified things. Let friend
Ballou once enter upon the work, and he
will see it opening before him abundant
lY as he progresses along. While pass
ing, however, will ask him. on the sup
position tina! he has taken the affirmative
of the question propounded above, wheth-
er he believes that all floods, flames, fam
ines. pestilences, bulcheries. &C., BY which
human lives are destroyed, are punish
menls sent from God for the sins Of those
who are killed BY them. If he does not,
it will be incumbent on him TO make the
distinclion-to show how one was caused
differently from the other. And while he
is on this point it will be very gratifying
TO me, and no doubt to others, If he will
show Us the difference between a food ane
fame caused by sin and sent to Kill men,
and food or fame othe rwise caused and
sent TO bless men-in other words sent 10
give pain, or sent TO give pleasure-sent
to make the grass, grain and fruit grow,
and 10 warm and comfort, or sent to drown
and burn up. Should like to know
whether the water is different thing in
the one case from what it is in the other
and go Of the fire. And also how it i:
that these foods sometimes sent to xii
moro or less are at the same time allowed
: 10 furnish means for saving more life from
destruction than they have destroyed. Or
? the other hand, if he does believe that al
, floods, fires, &C. which do destroy life anc
otherwise afflict mankind, are sent as pun
, ishments for siL-or are caused by sin
il is for him 10 show why it is and how
it is that they are allowed to fall alike gen
orally on the evil and the good-on th'
/ Just and the unjust. And on this side o
| the question as well as on the other, it j
for him to show how and why these in
, struments of destruction are at the SAM
time made the instruments Of salvation.
But If. after all, friend BalIou takes tn
. negative Of the leading quesiion:-if b
does not believe that God drowned The an
E tediluvians, or burnt up the Sodomites 70
4 their sins, any more than he destroyed ID
: inhabitants Of Herculaneum and Pompei
; with ashes and lava for ;heirs-or NOR
recently the inhabitants Of city 10 th
West Indies by an earthquake for their
: another city by FIRE for theirs-th
! vOyagers on board the Lexington, III
? President, and the Erie for theirs-and