Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1857-11-19
Two False Charges Corrected.


was given in yotr account of that meeting, week
before last. The first statement indiselimi
nate accusation against heehafeirss st Connect
CUT with the exception If those of his own denom
ination, tthe Ei,iscopal,) that multitudes-muhi
tus p Of them ither neglect the doctrine OF the
Divinity Of Christ. or mentioned it only as a doc
trine of which they ashamed" The second
statement charged upon beloved and venerated
father ill the ministry of Christ. the uterance Of
sentiments in private which imply that his whole
If life since the time alleged, has been
course of hypocrisy.
These public charges seemed to me sufficiently
grave to drman! inquiry. 1 accordingly addressed
Mr.. Stone both by letter, and when he had OK
pressed his UNIV Ilingness to communicate on the
subject in writingl by personal visit My first
request was with regard to tic charge Of docttinal
apostasy, for specification of particular
church or minister, except the three Or four avow
eddy Unitarian churches in the State, Of whom the
accusation true. Justice to the public, as we'll
To tie great communion of evangelical churches
in this Sta,c, requires to say. that the request
WAS absolutely. though cautiously, declined.
also inquired the name Of the wetl-kn cit
to have said that - if he were To live his life over
again, he would he different in two respects he
would DC a Dcinoc,a: in politics, anda ChuicLman
in religion This request also declined until
Mr.. Stone should have opportunity Of comforting
with the gentleman in quc.toE.
This communicate, n t. your readers would have
been delayed until ! had learned the result of the
conference, but that recc> ed urgent letter fro
DR. Halves himself. written after he had seen the re
port in the Enqansr, wishing at to make
"a fill deaiaI Of the story, and charging to at
tend to the matter if it concerned my own faith
err After this | Go n,t feel justified in further
delay. The denial may best be made III the words
of the following letter from Dr. Halves, written i'll
to an inquiry whether there was any tuunda
ton for the story:
HARTFORD, Oct 80, 1857.
Rev Mr.. Bacon:
DEAR Six have. this moment. received your
note. ! thank Tor the respect You have for my
name aud Your desire to quart it against s,i
defamation that which uttered in the meet
ing 10 which ynu refer S ,nll live my life over
again l el,ruld certainly wish t" alter it in me
speeds bat t" turn Democrat OF Chulcn;sn is the
hast change, in all the world which should cuvet.
cannot Imagine on what ground the speaker could
max. tIe Ii, ci.rau,. he did am sure never gave
the least occasion for it, was never IN Li,cheld
at AN {, clc~ia>tic;l nal | never said to any one
that if l were to chang" my poirt', ! would be
Democrat. lor, if | to change Any ecclesiastical
! relali Ii | would ie thlncIn..n 70 lave said
either OF those things would be to belle all my ante
ce'ents and preferences. have indeed often said
TINS, that i l were peici"m and ishtd to rise
a party man. would he Democrat. hccaac. | be
liev,d tn 4 part, would. the whole. I've plcdomi
amt N the cJnnty. have also repeated 4 remark
| "hhh l heard DR. Elnm"ils make many years ago.
that FL iSCo,acv would he the Court religion i'll this
country, but have remembrance Of having CIV,
SAID either OF these things in LitcLheld. And if
had, they would certainly nl preference either
OF Democracy OF Epsvup.cy, but directly the oppo-
site.
Wishing you much happiness and great usef,,lnrss
IN your ministry, lenaln yours In the best IF bonds,
J. HAYES.
This personal accusation is sufficiently disposed Of
But tiiuk it to be a matter of far less importance
than that other change gravcy and yet vaguely
brought against 'nlult,nccs'' of the churchc, of
Lord throughout the State. of aiosta>y from the
truth OF Chris divinity. do not undertake to
say that this charge not be true. But in
siderable acquaintance with Christian ministers and
churches If various den limitations, have never met
with any evidence OF it, l have never suspected it
myself and lave never heard the suspicion of it ex
pressed The churches and ministers in question So
ubclv. and constantly. and repeatedly express
their faith in Il lis ,'ctine that if they do secretly
disbeleve it, they are guilty of the most arttul dis
honesty, and the most fragrant hypocrisy. And it
does seem to mo that if the Rev. Mr. Stone has
to peculiar sources of intormatiun by which he
has detected these multu'ts' Of disguised here
tics liking in the communion of the churches, he
is bound by his duty Christian man and
Christian minister to expose them No refutation Is
possible of these sweeping charges, except to pub
fish Mr. Stones refusal to give particulars or au'ho-
ties 1t is fer the public to judge whether any other
refntatiun is needed
The object of my writing at this time has not been
TO hold up the author of these accusations to public
ccnsulc TO- the unbtcoming Taste With which they
seem to have been flung before the public. would
not say although oEe might almost wish it were
true that ne did not sincerely believe all these evil
things of his relow-Chrstians. that he did not
think, like Saul of Iulsu> that lie doing God
service would not doubt his repeated declaration
that they said = in perfect CHI srty. for indeed
they must have been sail in that charity ich he
lievcth all Mncs" woul,tn not even severely question
the good TASTE of the ancclote although, the
bringing Of purity politics into religious meet
ing is IL thing to which am not accustomed in the
churches which frequent. and which ny OWN taste
is inclined strongly to diaspprove. l have desired
to virdicate from aspcrsi"n the name of revcred
and beloved friend ami father and. in the name Of
! the - Holy Universal Church, the communion Of
saints, to call to very strict and careful account
of his charges, VIII, has assumed the uncnvi.bic
office If Accusing the Brethren
! Yours respectfully, LEONARD ". BAcos,
Pastor of the First Church Of Christ in Etchfeld.
! Es@ The Hon. John Fiefpons, of Vtrgeunes, has
been appointed Judge + the supreme court vi Yer
mont Mr.. rierpont is native Of this village and
u younger brother ,f our telowtownsman Edward