Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1853-05-05
The Church---Slavery.

-~
The following allegory is taken from Mrs.
Stoves Key to Uncle TOMS Cabin, just pub
lished:
Suppose fire bursts out in the streets Of
Boston, while the regular conservators of the
city, who have the keys of the fire engines and
the regulation of fire companies, are sitting
together ~ some distant part of the city, con-
suting for the public good. The cr' of fire
reaches them, but they think it false ALARM
The fire is no less zeal for all that. 1t burns,
and RACES, and roars, till everybody in the
neiehborhood sees that something must be DONE
A few stout leaders break open the doors OF the
engine houses, drag out the engines, and begin,
regularly or irregularly, playing on the FIRE. But
the destroyer still advances. Messengers come
in hot hoste TO the nall of these dellberators,
and. in the unselect languarge Of fear and ter
ror, revile them for not coming out.
| "Bess mel" says decorous leader OF the
body, "what horrible language these men do
use! i"
"They show very bad spirit remarks an
other; I" we can't possibly join them in such a
state of things"
Here the more energetic members of the body
rush out, 10 see if the thing be really so; and in
few moments come back if possible more
earnest than the Others
"Oh there is a fire Ia horrible, dreadful
| fire! The city is burning-men, women, chill
drel, all burning, perisbing! Come out, come
out AS the Lord liveth, there is but step be-
tween US and DEATH"
81 am not going out; everybody that goes
gets crazy" says one,
Give noticed" SAYS another, :" that ms soon
as anybody goes out to look he gets gust SO ex-
cited--I won't look"
! But by this time the angry fire has burned in
to their very nelghborhoud. The red demon
glares into their windows. And now fairly
aroused, they get up and begin to look out.
Well, there is fire, and no mistake" says
one.
"Something ough, to be done" remarks an
other.
Yes says third, IF it wasn't for being
mixed Nd with such crowd and rabbe of felix's
I'd go out"
Upon my word" says another, "there are
uomen in the ranks, carrying pals of water =
There one woman is gong up ladder to get
those children OUT. What an indec0rum III
they'd manage this matter properly we would
Join them"
Anu HDW CDlIc lulllucilnz 'VCl mum ch"''S'
town the engines and FIRE companies.
"What lnpudence Of CharlestowD," say
these men, I" to be sending over here-jnst as Il
we could not put our own fires out. They have
fires over there, as much AS we do"
And now the flames roar and bnrn, and shake
hands across the streets. They leap over the
steeples and glare Economically Oh the Church
windows.
"For Heavens sake, do something!" is the
cry. "Pull down the houses! Blow up those
blocks of stores with ganpowder! Anything tc
stop it"
" See, now what ultra, radical measures they
are going at" says one Of these spectators.
Brave men who have rushed into the thickest
of the fire cone out, and fall dead in the street
They are mpracticable enthusiasts. They
have thrown their lives away ir fooIhardiness,'
says another
So, Church of Christ, burns that awful fire.
Evermore burning, burning, burning. over church
and altar; burning over senate house and forum.
burning up liberty, burning up religion! No
earthly hands kndled that fires From its sheeted
flame and wreaths OF suiphurous smoke gares
out upon thee the eye,ot that ENEMY who was a
murderer from the beginning. 1t is fire that
burns to the lowest hell.
Church Of Christ, there was an hour when this
fire might have been extinguished by thee Now
thou staadest like mighty man astoDished--
like mighty man that cannot save. But the
hope of Israel is 10. dead. The Savior thereof
in time of trouble is yet alive.
If every church in ou7 laad wefe hang with
mourning--lf every Christian should put on
sack cloth If "the prizes, should weep between
the porch and the ALTAR" end say, '"Spare the
people, oh Lord, ana give not thy heritage tie
reproach!" THAT wa not too great mourning
tor such time as WIS
Oh, Church OF Jee,s cun-lder what has beer
SAID IN he midst Of 'hda. What l'eresy has
thou toerated IN rny ho,on! Thy God the de
tender If Slancrv thy God the defender .
the slave law Thou has, suffered the charac.e
of thy God to be- slandered Thou hast suffered
false witness against thy Redeemer and thy
Saoct'fer. The Holy Trinity of Heaven ba
been 'ouy raduced IN the midst OF thee; anc
that God whose throne Is awful in justice ha
been made by thee the patron and leader OF OPP
pl essiOu.