Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1848-01-07
N lho oonr,o Of b. remarL,. b .ay.

In the course Of his remarks, he says:
awe have attained position in which, before
Heaven and Earth, we fro1pie under looi the don'e,-
nc and pecunary fashions Of the world. Separate
household interests, and property exclnsivcness,
have come TO nm end with us. Our association u
established principles oppo'sd, at euty point to
the Installations Of The roFid.'
After noticing the discussion 10 which II gave
rise, he states the conclusion thus:
at was unanimously adopted, therefore, as the con
si.tent testimony OF the believers assembled, that
the KIHoDoM or Con HAS CONF"
This was nothing more than the public trans
fer Of themselves, by resolution, TO that state Of
" perfect holiness" which sanctifes vice and pro-
figacy rs n religious duty-for il will not be for
gotten, that, according to Mr. Noyes, the liking
dom Of God did come TO believers at the
destruction Of Jerusalem, and Of course they had
all been in Il ever since they became believers.
Il may seem strange, that MIR Noycs should deem
Il necessary to hold meeting and put Il TO vote,
whether the " Kingdom Of God" had come but
Il i probable there were some refractory mem
bers-some who could not see, how an act that
was wicked and criminal on Earth, could be holy
and innocent in Heaven, and Il might be ncces-
sary to bring little public opinion to bear upon
them. 1t is said, however, that after this public
vote, the doctrine Of Perfection, in all its length
Association at Putncy, publicly and proiessedly.
Il would seem, from his paper, that Mr. Noyes
had occasionally some difficulty in breaking down
the barriers of virtue and decency; and consid-
cradle space is devoted to the remoyal-by plau-
sible sophstry, or threatened expulsion from
Heaven-of supposed scruplcs and reluctance,
and the complete triumph over shame, modesty,
and the worldly ideas OF virtue and chastity, is
treated as a Christian duty Of necessity preilmi-
nary to the attainment Of perfect holiness"
AT one time be says:
ahaifpay spirituality, though Il may be unayoid-
able IN the first stages Of experience yet involves
many peculiar liabilities to disaster. The tcmpta-
ton will be TO those Of erferndi nature
the supposition that they Hei no ts g6ecad by the
neic relation OF our hearts 10 God and the world
This supposition will prove 7oaeo.sj and the long.
or The complete oismioai change which the leayen Of
Christ Is fitted TO produce, Is delayed, the longer
will be the annoyance and friction arising from the
contact Of two uncongenial elements. We say, in
respect to every personal and social inierest-heah
property, business, honor, reputation, lfe-let there
be no halfway"
Again he says;
The oossoeufrufioa Of interest Of will Of affection
In this body, demonstrates the presence Of n moral
magnet Of Uncomfortable strength. Every kind Of
character has sscranlrd 10 is power Iron wills
have been lrolsH; the 0scoas have HlthraKn their
strength from every object usJota and gathered
within the charmed ciIole. The reasfascs Of nature
In many cases was tremendous. How often have VIC
seen passion exasperAed 10 the pitch Of insanity in
the lad agony Of crueiixionthc last aruin upon lis
attachments. We have seen imagination suddenly
cast down, and thought captivated, BY one flourish
Of our Pirhaal weapons. The gravitation Of hearts
is iTessfile. Our daily infccoWs, is rapidly con-
PrISlte tdsiss are all offered up the altar OF
uersai lore. Our senses perceive jar or discord,
with increasing acuieness, and perfection must be
the result Of the retolaason Of soai machinery
We forbear further extract To show what is
the doctrine and practice Of the Perfectionists
in reference to the moral law. We have been
thus particular in making quotations, 70 show
and convince all, and especially those who, una
ware Of their tendency, are inclined to espouse
their principles, that the recent demonstration
at Putney is no casual outbreak or effervescence
Of excitement, nor the wild excuses Of few
pretended and Aypocrifoai Perfectionists, but the
genuine, necessary, and iaer,abte result Of their
published doctrines and creed, from their first
avowal at New Haven, to the present time
We have given enough to show the eriminality
q their principles rs well as their practice; to
show, that they arc utterly subversive Of the
whole fabric Of society, and OF moral and civil
lavi and annihilate, at n blow, every uesfige Of
VIRTUE, DEcENcY, and NATURAL AFFECTION
These shocking consequences Of the doctrine Of
Perfection are carefully concealed, however, from
the young and unsuspicious converts To them,
nothing Is revealed but the beauty Of state of
perfect holiness" Of the bliss Of believing. that
though on Earth, they may actually enter Heav-
en-, where il is impossible TO sin, and where sal
ration Is certain. Many, anxious for the future.
and having no fixed ideas upon religious sub
lects, clutch eagerly at this doctrine Of perfect
holmes, rs drowning man catches at straws;
and shutting their eyes upon doubts and conse-
quences beiiere, because they cant to believe II
Others doubtless look upon Perfectionism with
the eye of the libertine, and see in Il only an
easy and safe mode Of delnding and DESTROYING.
We would hops, there are many, who have
been deceived into the embraces OF this perni-
cious doctrine, and as yet kept in ignorance Of
It's true character and tendency; and who, when
informed Of it, will hasten to escape from the
fathomless abyss which yawns at their feet
Let 1t not be supposed that such impious NIB
aidry and weak sophistry can do no mischief,
and does not require exposure and reprobation
by the press. 1t has already penetrated. and
found advocates and victims, in almost every
county Of New England and New York. The
newspaper organ has been mostly filed with let
ters from recent converts, scattered through the
whole country; and il plainly shows that many
OF them are ignorant Of the practical tendency of
Perectionism, and have been deceived. fbe
paper has attained, by gratuitous distribution,
very considerable circulation, and the Bercan,"
matter quite as infamous, is meeting
with rapid and extensive sale. II was only in
September last that two conventions of Perfec
tionists were held in the State Of New York-l
one at Lairdsville, and one at Genoa-and
associations formed upon the model of that at
intney. The association at Putney has been
the fountain Of the poisonous stream If perfac |