Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1868-10-21
For the Newsdealer.
Christianity.

Mr.. EDiToR:-Permit me 10 give Vouf
evangelical orthodox readers little spice
on religion. Judging from the amount
of religious reading 10 your paper. think
you must have quisea religious and church
going community. They prefer to have
the whole world go their way ; but lit
tie variety of thought cannot hurt them
in the least, and | hope you hold your
columns open and free for all sides.
z j once held religious views coincident
with those Of the popular church. But
time,. and books. and newspapers, and
travel, and thought and experience. have
wrought a wonderful change in my mind.
Who is to blame? Aud your readers
may ask who blames them for their no.
tious. Let no one do it. 1t is natural
for people to have religion of some sort
correct and enlightened, or otherwise
Bat it is very essential that mankind
should be enlightened on this subject.
Religion controls nations and the dcstin-
les of nations, 1t shapes our education
and labor, and the use aud distribution
of property Hence one can scarcely
conceive of the difference between relig
ion that has an enlightened basis and
ono that has not
IKE for illustration the Catholic church,
with its hundred and eighty millions Of
adberents. It's wealth is almost beyond
and is vested in that vast
pile, the St. Peters at Rome, and other
like property thickly scattered over Fu
rope and America The brain and mus
Gle of each MN and woman are taxed to
add to that wealth a.d Keep the church
machinery running. -s.g -.,
Now. what Protestant will say that
that wealth is devoted to the best good
Of the world? Is it not crushing weight
that grinds the people to pow Ter :? But
ignorance is said to be the mother of de-
votion, and the more ignorant the Cath
Ollie the more he does for his priest and
his religion And this they call Chris
tianity. XII. ...,.
Then We will come to our own Protest
ant Christianity. Here we touch our
native pride, aud we talk of the Great
Reformation, the Christian martyrs, our
Hebrew scholars, learned divincs, etc !,
and proudly oontemn the Catholics But
how much do we differ from them ? Some
what in form f; not essentially in princi-
pie. We rival them in pride, show, and
zeal, tall spires, smart ministers. AMI a
great expenditure of money, and call it
Christianity-represented by Mcthodists,
Baptis's, and hupdred other sects.
But are we not mistaken after all? ]
suspect that neither Catholics nor Protes-
tants really represent Christianity They
miss the point Christianity is not Ier-
resented by sects, churches, creods. thcol.
ogies, meeting houses, sabbath days, min.
listers, priests, FORMS ceremonies and wor-
ships; no. by none of these thugs And
if not, what waste of money, time and
talent Men think themselves men, but
this is all chiIdren's play. and not fit for
thinking minds.
Christianity is moral truth. principle.
friendship, love, humanity, philanthropy,
brotherhood, (not sect or church brother
hood. aud any measure. work or enter
prise, to bless, develop and elevate man
kind, may be properly called Christianity.
1t is practical thing. But VIC don't see
much Of this kind OF religion. Pity it
is SO. -. ...ts t.f
Now. this may seem hard on some Of
your pious readers, who read the Bible.
go to meeting, and try to convert their
wicked neighbours. But | want the peo-
pie of my native county to discuss these
matters. and throw away ignorance. big
utry, and superstition. Don't ask the
minister. They have all axe to grind.
They live by preaching and keeping old
dogmas. But hold free meetings. exam
inc for yourselves, aud let every one
learn to reason. A. g. SpALDING
Anoka, MINI.
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