The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-11-14

the other SIX thousand. "A perfect laDV-
rinth of antique laws, of which new
direst is greatly needed, ostensibly con-
troll the exercise of this patronage, but
really permit it any license desired.
Trustee patronage has gradually intro
duced party feeling into the church
and the abuse of private patronage has
been so great as to cause general feeling
of shame among all thoughtful people, and
to create spirit Of contempt for the
"incumbents," as they are called-those
who obtain the livings-which is decided.
ly unchristain.
For the Register
Mr.. Bailev's Reply to a Fair Defender
of Foul Thing.
And that foul thing, and the foulcst
Of the foul of all modern infidel and
heathcnish development, is Spiritualism,
or, more properly speaking, Spiritism,
cursed of Moses and OF st. Paul, it re-
mains under the curse of Jehovah still.
To you, then, Mrs. II. A. Slocum of
Rutland, Vermont, l address this article.
With you, personally, l have nothing to
do, further than to urge you to come out
of the refuge of lies, and come into the
the refuge of truth in Jesus Christ. As
defender ofSpiritism, alias Necromancy,
alias Sorccry, alias Witchcraft, and as
maliguer of Christianity, have some
what to say to you. That you fully
justify all that we have said about Spirit
ism, all can see. A more anti Christian,
anti-biblical, Jehovah-hating communi-
cation could not we'll be penned. Be-
sides as n specimen of reasoning, it fairly
illustrates how infdelity is maintained.
All personal references to myself, and
my conduct, in not attending your con-
vention, and meeting your arguments
there, pass, merely saying, that if what
have heard and real Of them, and from
the specimen now in hand, should not
have found any deserving the name.
A few bold assertions and spccious
interrogations we will notice, not SO
much on their own account, as because
they represent that dwelling infidelit
so much in vogue with certain class
And first, Mr. b. meant by Christianity
being the cause of "all that is valuable
in our civilization &c." just what he said
And even you, his amiable opponent, ad-
NIT his whole statement, for you say al
this referring to "the pure, peace prin
ciples of Jesus lis what he terms Chris
tianity, then do | agree with him." s.
far, then, the matter is settled there
being no difference between us. Bu
now for a characteristic lurch in you
statement. The church and creeds arc
malevolently cudgeled. The dominan
church" is denounced with most chur
lish temper, and with rote-likc hippan
cy. But Mr.. B. said nothing about tn
church, "dominant' or otherwise, all,
why do you Madam? Why since you un
dertook a reply to him and took what h
said as your text, do you stagger abou
so in your logical pathway? Were di-
cordant spirits tugging away at you
reasoning powers? The "dominan
church." What chruch is that pray
Can you prove that 'the dominant church
"has set its heel' upon every move 70
the uplifting and enlightenment of til
race, and can you do this Through al
history?" Suppose you can and do. no,
is that reply to Mr.. b.? But no,
comes specimen. at was the rulin,
Christian church which prosecuted tn
terrible prosecutions which chill ou
blood &C." So you shift your adjective;
;Just now it was "the dominant church !;
now it is ".he ruling Christian church.
The italics are ours. That, the charg
"of prosecuting the terrible persecution
&C." by the ruling Christian church i
proof number one. "Everything valuabl
to our civil and religious liberty has bee
, opposed by them" And that is proc
S number t'co. But let US see if we under
stand this First it was the "dominar
! church" that did such terrible deeds, an
> then it was "thc ruling Christian church,
and now it is 'them.' Them? who
Them churches? Very well, and yer
. well done. The argument proceeds az
s cumulatively. A bit Of personal histor
: is next adduced-Galleo. And wit
this glimmer Of light comes. We hay
5 arrived at the end of the tunnel tn
0 long-"dominant-ruling- Christian.church
t "them" train turns out to be the Roma
S Catholic hierarchy. Spirit of Aristotle
e what reasoning, Did Mr.. Il. say tha
S the Papal Apostacy produced sail tn,
is valuable in our civilization ?"
e But Mrs. Slocum has not finishe,
: Listen sour fathers struggled "ft
e independence against Christian govern
c ment." (The ruling Christian pa
o sion Of Spiritism is getting contro
Probably the spirit of some Benedi'
| Arnold is en-rapport just at this point
It But did "our fathers struggle &c
= against Christian government" i. c,
: government regulated and administcre
on Christian principles ? We never kne
= of it, and have thought it was just tn
e other way for the predominant idea {
b Christianity is justice. And are 20
\ ready to pronounce the government
r George Sd and of Lord Northa just one
> So We understand you if you mean |
+ Christian, what Christian means; for n
cording to your own showing, ,itmeans "tl
n pure peace principles OF Jesus" We
!. Mrs. s. you have got 'our fathers" in
q fine historical fix. We should thir
4 the spirits OF Washington and Honcoc
q q and their patriotic peers would be
h