Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1846-08-12
For the sen.iael.
KelleyiSm. m.-No. I.

kelleyiSm. Mo. 1
i have been patiently waiting with the
expectation that some older and abler mind
would take up and review the doctrines
and practice Of Mrs. Foster 4 Co. But
as no one appears for that purpose ! viii
venture few remarks.
In the first place allow me to disclaim all
wish or ability to pour out upon their heads
such torrents Of low, coarse, vulgar abuse
and inyective as makes up the larger .por.
ton of their speeches But while making
this disclaimer we shall not hesitate to ex-
anime their conduct in this respect. AL
large portion Of their time is improved in
making direct attacks on individuals, Inn.
putting the basest motives and charging the
foulest crimes. In this delightful ,Oork
they never grow weary. The more blood
they can extract from their victim, the
more. they are grati6ed, the more he writhes
under the lash the higher and purer their
joy. They denounce their woes and cpl.
thets, more especially on all who openly
oppose their course. The epithets "fool
and knave'' they claim as peculiarly their
own and the man who asserts any thing in
opposition to their declarations is sure to be
saluted with these amiable expressions and
perhaps hundred others equally beautiful
and impressive. When you ask the reason
of their conduct, as if aware of its incon-
sistency and injustice, they undertake to
shelter themselves behind the example Of
our. LORD, land alledge the severity Of his de.
nunciations against the Scribes and Phari-
sees as their justification. If this example
justifies them, it must be on the ground Of
their ability to look into the hearts Of their
opponents and understand their motives and
know beyond all doubt that they are pos
sessed of just such characters US are de-
scribed. Without this omniscience,o or pow
er to search the heart, they may tell the
truth Or they may not. If they assert what
they do not and cannot know to be true
they are as much guilty Of falsehood as il
they assert to be true what they know to
be false. This justification then entirely
fails them unless they .assume and really
possess the same attribes which enabled the
''Son Of God" to Judge Of character. We
may with good reason deny them the pos
session of these attributes and therefore deny
that they are qualified to initiate this exam
pie. The Lord Jesus Christ could see and
read the heart Of man, and could therefore
with certainty pronounce his character.
Mrs. Foster can neither see or read the
heart Of man, she cannot therefore pro-
nounce his character, when she undertakes
the task, she asserts to be true what she
does not know to be so, and is guilty Of
falsehood. Again, it is not probable that
our Saviour would set an example for our
imitation which would necessarily involve
the violation Of some Of his plainest pre-.
cepts. He plainly declares that he who
calls his brother an empty vain fellow, is in
danger Of the Judgment, and he that says
to his brother s'thou fool, is in danger Of
Hell.fre."
He also says, "Judge not lest ye be
Judged" plainly intimating that kindness
and courtesy should characterize our treat.
ment Of others, while he reserves to himself
the terrible prerogative Of judging tie heart
Of Man. How then can they assert that a
man is-a fool or a hypocrite without viola
ting these plain precepts of the gospel and
being guilty Of falsehood or claiming equal.
ity with the great Author Of the gospel it.
SELF Let them choose either Horn Of this
dilemma, ana it will be equally obvious that
neither in precept or example will the BIZ
BILE justify their conduct. There are other
passages which might be commended to the
attention of these new Preachers of re-
form, such as Glove your enemies" ''bless
them that curse you," ''pray for them that
hate you and despitefully use YOU" which
if fproperly attended to cannot fail to reform
our Reformers and teach them that men
may speak plainly and truly without abus-
ing the liberty ..ofspeech or resorting to un-
adulterated billingsgate in advocating any
principle ofreform. q.
CoNGREss.-The warehouse bill was
taken up in the Senate on the Sd inst, and
passed, it passed the House some time since
fnCSn,,. ~,,r,L 8 81 - a. Z. = (, =,