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


structIve in its ultimate effects, than any
lust of human nature. Aud it must be con-
sidered, that evil of any usurpahon is in
durable in proportion to the apparent Writ
tue, and consequent popularity oflhe usur
per.
Let political aud religious Jacobins rail
at the abuses of subordinalion, with which
this priest and -king-ridden world abounds
tas they may; they can never erase the
inscription which the finger OF God has
written on the scroll of nature. as well as
revelation: assigning the throne OF all hu'
man affections to veneration. The organ
Of that sentiment is literally "the crown,
OF The head The top-stone OF the cere-
bral tempIe-!he center, around which all
the other moral affections cluster as con-
slituents. Accordingly, reverence for pa
rents is the beauty of childhood (; and the
fear Of the Lord is the glory of manhood
The reinforcement Of veneration. therefore
Ecan never be trivial disorder, even though
benevolence heads the instruction.
III. The rise and progress Of semi-inf.
delty among modern rJormers Phre-
biologists say, 1--WE think, with reason, tina;
The atmosphere OF the republican principles
and levelling tendencies of this country, is
unfavorabie TO the due development OF ven
Grafton. A people whose political and SO.
cial institutions constantly teach lhemlhat
independence is their chief glory, and that
subordination is disgrace, will naturally
have but slinted growth of reverence TO-.
ward nIan. and it would be strange If the
deficiency did not extend. in some degree,
10 the kindred and almost identical senti-
meut o! reverence toward Cod Mere
democrats certainly can have but little
sympathy with the principles Of that king
dom described and predicted by the Bible,
in which one man wiz. Jesus Chris) is
appointed, not Is the people, bat by God,
the absolute monarch OF all; and claims
as bis first tribute from all his subjects,
unconditional loyalty and subordinallon.
The DIVISION OF Protestant Chrstendom
have generated another influence, tending
especially 10 weaken reverence for the
Bible. As sect alter sect has arisen, con-
f1cting commentaries have been multi
Piled until men have accustomed them
selves TO regard the Bible. not as an au-
thortative Judge OF controversy, but as
pfiable witness that may bs brought by a
Eskillful lawyer to fIvor any side-o any
Question. Such witness cannot be held
in much respect.
Such were the predisposing Influences
in operation, when the enthusiasm of re-
form which has C aracteriZed the last fif-
teen years, commenced its career. La the
Temperance Cause, benevolence first es-
sayed the usurping process, by which ven-
Grafton has since betn subverted. 10
hurrying ON the Hiumphs of total abstin-
ence, il was found necessary to remove
certain distractions placed il. the way By
the Bible.-Theseo distractions migh have
been removed without injury to the Bible,
if the leaders in the cause had chosen TO
defend total abstinence as an expedient,
not OF intrinsic and permanent obligation,
b1I adapted toihe exigency Of the times,
AMI adopted on the principle which JUST
fies fasting, and which Paul SANCTIONED
when he SAID. III meat make my brother
10 offend, will not eat meat while the
world slaudeth.o Bm TO press the Bible
into the service of total abstinence, by de-
nying that the writer's of lhe Old and
New TestamentS, with Jesus Christ al
their head, counlenanced the drinking OF
wine; or by as eHing that Bible wines
were not intoxicating, is violence which
no man under the influence Of due re-
sect for the Bible, would undertake..
The language Of such al attempt is, "fhe
Bible is too sacred to be coatradicted ; but
we will eyaGe its force by dexterous COM
entary.'' Yet this attempt was made !;
and that too, by such men as Stuart,
Bescher, aid Hewitt. The '.migh,y
m,nn OF popular churches planted the
nexious germ, which, in such cases as
tina: Of Murray,has at last "goneto seed. !"
Mex: came Anti Slavery. The nature
of this enterprise, harmonizing and coop
Grating with the liberty spirit of our po-
!itical institutions, inevitably increas the
atmospheric predisposltion TO merge vener-
alton In benevoience. 1t was soon found
in this as in the Temperance cause, that
the Bible stood in the way of the extreme
ultraisms suggested by enthusiastic zeal.
Tue doctrine that slave holding is necesa.
riy sinful :; aud that Immediate abolition
is 10 all cases, matter of religious obli-
| CATION, could not be maintained without
! fJrcing a new construction on many things
in the writings Of Moses and Paul. The
odore d. Weld had learned in the Tenn
! perance service the importance of mres:-
ing the Bible out Of the hands of the ad-
versaries of reform. Wit lawyer-Iike
shrewdness, in his "Brble Argument
agalnst,slavery he cross questioned the op-
posing witness. ill he apparently made
that witness his own. As il was the f.
vorlte position Of Temperance men, that
Bible wines We're MT intoxicating, 50
Weld boldly avered aud pausibty proved