The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1861-07-25

tFor the Upton Adveriser.]
Your reporter has done good service,
in bis particular account Of tho doings
and sayings, at Upton, Of the sef-styled
friends Of truth aud Righteousness. -
Permit me to add my testimony, on one
or two points.
While the greatest freedom Of opinion
and discussion was professedly allowed,
it was evident that no room vas intended
for the advocates Of the Bible and Chris.
tian'ty. The principal day Of the meet.
ing was the Sabbath, when ministers and
christians we're expected to be otherwise
engaged. The abuse and contempt heap.
ed upon churches. ministers, and chris
tians generally, showed the aim aud spirit
of the leaders of the convention.
"Friends of TRUTH" indeed! What is
truth According to Webster, it is
"couformity to fact, or reality exact ac-
cordance with that which is, or has been,
or shall be-" have seldom heard 50
much disregard Of truth, in so short a
time, as l heard in that meeting. One
of the speakers declared that "a creed
had been crammed down his throat, and
then he was kicked out of church for no.
believing it." Another declared that
"the greatest curse on earth was a creed.
bound church.
|, How, and by whon,, was creed thrust
down this mans throat
And uhat is "a creed. bound church,"
No creed, or form of religion, is estab.
lished by law, in this land. Every one
who unites with q church, does it vo'uu-
tariIy, giving his own personal and uu-
forced assent to the doctrines of the Bible
as understood by that church, solemnIy
pledging himself to walk with its men,
bers in love, to submit to its discipline,
and strive according to his ability for its
peace aud prosperity. If, therefore, one
deliberately forsakes the ordinances of
the church, aud tramples upon his own
voluntary covenant and promise, he
walks disorderly, justly exposes himself
to accommodation.
This is the true history of the person
referred to. Yet, he has the impudence |
to stand up 10 public assembly, as a
special "friend Of truth and righteous
,ess," and accuse the church of forcing
creed upon him, aud then kicking him
ut for not receiving it
What is "a creed bound church? ?"
Every society. or organization for mu-
ual improvement aud benefit, whether
olitical, mercantile, social, or religious,
as some constitution and rules always
xcoptiDg ''inidels, whose creed is, 'let
verybody believe, or disbelieve, what he
leases A church or society Of any
ind, that is bound by no principles,
r foundation truths, is a mere rope of
and; altogether an affair of the magma
ion. The people of the United Sa,es
re "bound By the constitution and laws
{ the States, counties, cities, towns, all
.are their own laws aud rules, by which
hey are bound " Yet, We are all free,
these constitutions and laws do not force
themselves upon US. We adopt them
RELY, aud intei!igently, as the enbodi
nen, aud expression of our own convic.
ions and choice.
So i, is in our churches, still more en-
hatically. No one is compelled. Eve.
y one submits freely to the doctrines and
iseiplne of the church of his choice:
S freely, ., least, as to the principles and
,ws of the State or Nation.
What truth is there, then, il the
ontcmptuous fling at creed bound
hurches, as if there were any Inference,
this respect, between them and con-
;ltu'ion bound people, or nation
But, my principal object, iu this coin
Aunlcas!on Is, to note more particularly
What l conceive to be the mos, pernicious
ecause the most silken and sugary error
auyht at the late convention. 1t was
obtained plainly enough in the lecture
q Saturday evening, BY Mrs Brown
But it appears much more plainly and
erniciously in printed pamphlet, by
he same roman. In houied words, the +
most fun damental error is iuculcated. at
he very outset. Man is not wholly .
lepraved. The soul erer and eeeryuhere
owes the good aud worships at the shrine
If the Beautiful. The spiri, ever climbs
ndou,stretches itself towards the Divine.
The human heart is ever struggling for
higher life, aud praying for strength 10
1cA.ees a noJte Destiny"
The premises being false, the whole
argumen, uua Inference are necessarily
vicious aud delusiye. The Bible is frs,
put aside, then the civil laws are con
demned The only acceptable law is,
that every one may be law to himself.
and herself. Absolute and unrestraned
sslt.ship,' is the chief end Of human