Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1857-05-16
To THE EDITOR OF THE PHGNIx:--
DEAR SIR

To THE EDITOR OF THE PHGNIx;--
DEAR sm,-
wish to notice through
the columns of your paper little episode connect
ed with the late session Of the Vermont Methodist
Episcopal Conference in this village My purpose
is not to deepen OF widen the excitement which it
has caused; but to correct several mistakes, cur
rent in the public mind in relation to IT, by plain
statement of facts. Some, who have received these
facts second hand, are unwilling to believe them.
variety Of false versions exist in the minds of
Others To disabuse the mind Of the community,
I write, holding myself alone responsible for the
same.
On Friday last (the 9Th inst y invited, through
the Rev. Mr.. Huntington, any of the clergymen
belonging to the Methodist Conference, who were
to remain over the Sabbath, to occupy my pulpit.
did this as an act of Christian courtesy with the
best of feelings and motives. did not intend, nor
could possibly have been understood to intend,
compromise Of principles on either side. 1 did not
ask, nor did expect, that the preacher would come
to my church as a Universalist, but as q Methodist
expected him to come also with the right to preach
his own doctrines and in his own way-a right be-
longing to every clergyman. Mr. Huntington gave
the invitation to q number of his bretbren-I do
not know how many-who declined outright. He
found two, however, lone from Wardsboro and the
other from Plain6ed, who sent him TO me With
the following message which give, as nearly as
possible, in the exact words used:
''If you will vacatc your pulpit and abandon the
church to use in which to hold Methodist meet
ings, we will use it; but we will not preach for
you, and thus recognize you as a Christian minis
ter, and your church and congregation as Chris
tan church and congregation
Notwithstanding this pill was coated with sugar
Of compliment to my amiability as a man it tasted
very bitter. confess was taken by surprise
The manner in which my invitation was received
on Friday ill prepared me for this. 1 have receiv-
ed considerable abuse from professed ministers
of the Gospel; yet in this instance, was not ready
to receive it in return for what was meant at least
as an act of kindness. was not willing to believe
that heard rightly until convinced by restatements
and explanations elected by cross questions. By
such questioning learned that would be allowed
to occupy pew, as no one could be denied that
privilege; but must not &C into the pulpit! 1 was
told that these gentlemen could not conscientious
ly preach in my church on any other conditions
What tender consciences! The Rev. Mr. Hunting
ton approved the position his two brethren had TAX
en- and said Ito ease little perhaps, on the prn-
ciple that misery loves company that he could not
fellowship as Christians the Universalists, the Uni
tarians, or Catholics. Probably he could have
named others but supposed that these would suffice.
Editor hot I do2 NJ 10
my pulpit and give upthe house to these men seem
ed to me equivalent to an acknowledgment of their
right to judge and of the correctness of their judg
ment that my church and self are not Christian.
Admitting the possibility of doing this for myself,
l could not very conveniently acknowledge my
church band of heather OF infdels without so
much as asking their leave. And as these gentle
men could not with clear conscences accept on any
other terms the use of my pulpit nothing remained
for me but to withdraw my offer.
want it distinctly understood, in contradiction
of reports apparently put in circulation to conceal
the above facts that the Methodists did moi ask
for the use Of the house and were refused it, but
that we offered it to them unasked; that we did not
ask them to preach Unipersalism in it, but simply
to preach and expected them as q matter of course
to preach their own doctrines and not ours. They,
however, forced upon us this alternative. We must
either acknowledge that ourselves and the Unitari-
ans have no right to Christian fellowship; or, on
the other hand, we must be content with the priv
ilege of feeding and lodging their ministers, with
out expecting them to go quite far as to give
spiritual things in our accustomed places Of wor-
ship in return for our temporal ministrations.
Let the responsibility rest where it belongs. I
am happy to know that there are Methodists with
whom the course of these three cIergymeu meets
with no appreciation There are those who recog-
nize the common ground Of the Protestant sects,
and see that on it the interests of each and all are
interviewer. There those who see that the safe
ty Of each depends upon the maintenance Of the
principle, that all who receive the Bible as a suf-
cent and inallible rule Of faith and practice have
right to the common name of Christian; and that
the rejection of another MANS OF sect's or combi
nation-of-sect's Interpretation of the Scriptures
does not constitute forfeiture of said right If a
man, or a combination of men, loses sight Of this
principle, and adopts in its stead the opposite, ex-
Guiding from the most general Christian fellowship
all who do not find the same meaning in the Bible,
/ cannot conceive what he or they want more than
the power to re-enact all the horrors Of the Inqu-
sition Let us beware lest we merit the rebuke Of
St. Paul--''Who art thou that judgest another
mans servant To his own Master he standeth
or falleth."
Every attempt to govern the reason and con-
science of the people by debating what doctrines
they must find in the Scriptures, or what nterpre-
tation receive. In order to escape the maddog cry
Of inddol aud be called Christians should be indig-
nantly repealed by every Protestant and driven
back to the Church Of Rome where it belongs.
Yours truly,
Gro. II. DEERE,
Pastor Of the Unyersalist Church.
Brattleboro, VT, May ~.