Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1843-01-18

subordinate Question Of how, and how far
the unity of faith ought 20 be preserved.
Before proceed 10 examine the pur-
poses of the authority which is claimed by
the church, it may be necessary for me to
notice the fact that the claim is urged in
favor of religious corporation. The as
sumption of power on the part of the
church is made by it 10 its comparative
capacity. .~. --
At the very outset Of the case, have to
deny the Legitimacy of such power, what
ever be the purposes TO which 1t is direct
ed. have TO denounce it as, 10 ltseif,uh
tenable. [ have TO represent religion as
applying itself to men in their personal,
! as distinguished from any corporate ca
pacity-" Let every man prove his own
work, and then shall he have rejoicing IN
himself alone, and not il another for
every man shall bear his own burden.'
could not state my position in piainer or
stronger language than that which this
passage Of Scripture contains. Every
man, as a man, stands alone. He is TO
himself his own world. lie possesses an
individual consciousness which he cannot
share with another. His bodily and mem
tai faculties comprise whole which DIS
linguishes him from every other indivldu-
al of The race. He is moved by will
which is his, and he feels responsibility
as to his actions, which he cannot extend
TO anything else with which he has to do.
He is perfect within the circle of his own
being. Thus God has made him, and
thus he must be regarded by Ged. The
eve Of the Omniscience does not confound
him with the mass aud we ought not to
/ speak to him, or treat him as if be were
or could be, so COMPOUNDED. l need no
argue this point. 1t is made too clear
by the slightest reflection upon what pass
es within every mans breast. to reqQlr'
any other proof. Church authority is
forgetting this independence "a losin!
sight of the true character OF the man il
the interest of a body-a violation of tn
. axiom, that each individual is a whole
circumscrihed by his own powers, and
i'm PEELED by his own will. r..
Morris this indie peudence which belong
to man. the only thing to be urged againE
the encroachments OF religious corpora
lion. That independence is intimatel
connected with another privilege whic
stands even more directly opposed to eve
rything in the nature of authority, as a
taching to such corporation. The priv
! iIege to which Irefer, is that of Religion
u Equality. BE not We called Rabbi,
said our Savior, "for one is your Maste
~ even Christ, and all We are brethren.
:" To whom were these words orr ginally az
i dresseda 10 the multitude and his di
!, ciples"; thus placing those who had bee
=, chosen to the peculiar work OF the apo
10 tIeship upon level Of common brothe
- hood with the private members of tt
christian church What is the point
- objection against which they are directed
~ The being called Rabbi; the assunptic
= of mastery, of authority, over others; Il
occupation of station of power and rul
as if one christian had rights of cover
>" ment which did not belong to anothe
e. e. What is the argument urged against tn
- assumption? That independent rule ar
~ authorityin his church belong 10 Chr
- = alone that all the members and office
", of that church are bound to submit to biz
'a' a sole prescriber Of the laws by which
y affairs are to be conducted. And VIII
,ni are the general principles deducible fro
-" all this 2 That each department OF Sc
o vice embraced by the Christian Institute
ca ca should be occupied 10 an exclusive Deepen
;n ence upon the ability which may be a
- Eropriate to that service; that no o
- should possess arbitrary power beyo
~ the range of his service; ard that the '
80 rioGs departments of service themsels
~ should be regulated in conformity w
= !, the ftcts that all the members of /
Il Christian community stand in an eqr
HS relation to Christ, as the one iawgiver
oe that community. Such principles are
ny terly irreconcj|able with system viii
uat exats the ministers Of gion into ella
-. i" or order, above the other members Of t
'he Church; which constitutes that class,
naS respective of moral qualification. by
VI arbitrary rule of Succession; which
W vests it with power, both authoritively
y" announce the doctrines Of the gospel, a
exclusively to confer its benefits; q
- which makes submission to this poV
az. part of the duty devoving upon
i0t' Christian. "Ye know that they VIII
Ve'' are accounted to rule over the Gent
no' exercise lor1ship over them, and th
. great ones exercise authority upon the
'.e- But SO shallit not be among you'll
Gordon. 49, II H. ~: ..
ner Police Reports, as a general thing,
r in q" stale, fat and Improbable but,occasi
lere ally Que makes its appearance which
the worthy of perusaI. The following, wh
lig- we find in the Dublin Freeman's Jour
ton is one of the best we have Seen-M Ma