Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1857-05-23

that compliment, and (b) If had been should
not have given II to your face
II. You express a world of surprise that three
Methodist Clergymen should take such position
relative to you and your people. But how is this
when stated to you the convictions Of my brethren
and acquiesced in them myself, you said again and
again that you was unable to see any essential diff
ference between accepting your invitation, and 60
ing on the conditions I named. More than once
you declared the distinction made to be "without
q difference" and yet you are now astoundcd ut tue
position we Observation-Disclosures at that, the ex-
istence of which you quite unable to perceive,
and worst of all you are wretchedly abused b. the
presentation of certain conditions which you are
unable to distinguish ION your own proposition
Again, my views upon this subject you have
known for long time. We have discussed this
matter at length and when those views were fully
preached at the Methodist chapel you professedy
gave reply in your desk. AT different times you
told me plainly that you deny and reject, as ggan-
tic errors, the doctrines known by the following
names, Native Depravity, The Trinity, The Su-
prcmc Divinity of Jesus Christ, The Personality Of
the Holy Ghost, The Orthodox view of Regenera-
ton, Future general Judgment, and the Resu-
recton of the bodies Of the dead. Now you well
know what relation these doctrines sustain to the
faith Of evangelical ministers, and yet, while you
are doing your utmost to drive them from the world,
you complain because we, who teach and defend
them, do not grasp your hand and hail you as a
fellow aborer in the cause Of truth. What consis-
tency is there in this We claim no right to tell
you what you shall believe or teach, your childish
insinuation to the contrary Notwithstanding, but
We do claim the right to act consistently with our
own belief and to preserve an unsulied conscience
despite such sneers as drop from your pen. Be-
tween Methodism and Uniyersalism there is an
eternal odds. The one or the other is system of
infdelity and to sanction the one is to abominate
the other One Of your leading editors has said
that Uniyersalists when compared with orthodox
christians, have different God, different Savior,
different sinner, and different everything
This presume you are ready to admit, and yet be-
cause we will not join with you in your worship oil
this God and Savior, you are ''thunder-struck" al
our intolerance. The fact is, (you shall not have
the sugar coat this time,) this complaint has ever
been the cry of Uniyersalists wheL they have beer
treated according 20 their real position Their work
is to demolsh what evangelical churches are seek
ing to establish and in case they are not greeted
with the christian fellowship Of those churches, they
then set up the cry of "abuse, 'bigotry' &C.
This is old play. Your article is but one Of thu
ten thousand bids, always at hand, which be
ing put forth with design to secure the sympathy
of those who do not understand the real relation
Uniyersalism to christianity. Happily such efforts
are becoming less successful.
III. One thing more. You giveus a choice bit o
spirit in your suggestion, that false reports haC
circulated with design to conceal the facts in thu
case. If this suggestion be true, just draw you
own differences. My people knew nothing Of the
affair at the timc-I conferred with meme Of then
about it. and far as know, the first they knew
Of the matter was by the way Of flying reports
which must have had their common center in your
self d. W. c. HUNTINGTON