Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1848-09-15
COMMUNICATIONS.
The Name of Christian.
FRIENDS JONES -

FRIENDS JONES =
A tenacity of names, either for approba-
ton or reprobation, is not wisdom. What
is the value of a name! Or for what honest
purpose can it be used except to represent
an idea supposed TO be in the mind of both
speaker and heaIer1
by the law Of progression society is ever
changing /; it is not precisely alike in any
two consecutive days. The change is most.
ly so gradual and slow as to be unobserved.
Sometimes it is so rapid as. to be percepable
to the least discerning, and alarming to the
timid conservative. Habits of thought and
action are formed, which cannot be abandon
ed without an effort, or substituted without
another there is a cherished reverence for
antiquily-an imagined sacredness in old
things. We are prone to think and TO say,
"These opinions and this practice originated
with the wise and good-Ihey have been APP
proved by the same class through long years,
what am !, that ! should distrust them, 10
inquire whether they are in accordance with
the nature and fitness Of things!"
But whether the progression alluded TO
produces alarm, or is it all perceived, il is
never ceasing; as in the vegetable kingdom,
from the termination Of the acorn to the ma
turity Of the stately oak, there is no pause,
so in the Development and growth of intel
lect, the work still goes on. True. the liv-
ing green Of the spring foliage passes into
the sere brown of autumn; the leaf falling is
resolved into its primitive elements ID be re-
combined with new forms, bot there stands
the majestic trunk with its outstretchiDg arms,
doing its winter work. Mind, too, has its
winter, when growth is not perceptible, but
during this winter, it condenses and assimi-
lates.
As growth or change progresses in aggre'
gate intellect, new words are invented to rep
resent the new or changed ideas, or, which
is more common, the old ones change their
meaning that they may have adaptation 10 pre-
sent wants. This change of language Is as I'M
perceived as the altered thought TO which it
conforms. Take as an example the word
FihGin, applicable, in the ages of feudalism,
to a tenant of all work there were faithful,
honest villains, in olden time now, so to
speak, would not only be absurd, but a posi-
tive contradiction in terms. 1t is curious in
formation which acquaints us with the print
tive Specification of a word that is essential
which reveals its modern meaning. The
term Christian was given at Antioch, to a
small number Of the lower Chat is The poor
cry class, having for its leader one Of plebian
origin, with nothing to recommend him to
The consideration Of those who gave tone and
character to society so far from il, that af-
ter four years unceasing and unsuccessful eff
forts to render him and his followers con-
temptible, they murdered him, and subse-
quently many Of them. The true story told
without technicality is this A vicious, ty-
rannical organism prosecuted and destroyed
a number Of righteous men who preferred
death to the REIMBURSEMENT of their princi.
pies. These prosecuted, murdered men were
called Christians, because they were the ad-
hefents Of Christ, the obscure Nazarene Re-
former, who was no sdmirer Of systems which
made artificial distinctions among men, show