Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1874-05-19

for personal rights and gf6eArtfes, and
some, jealous of ministers and leaders
and ordinances and men, said: 1--WE
are free men in Christ Jesus, and no
man shall lay any law on US. Both
of these principles are right ones, and
both of these are in endless operation
in e0fety, Excessive individuality
breaks men up into minims, and they
are like PARTICLES of sand and lack the
strength and conference of men gath
cred together in churches. Hence
the right of men to associate for the
purpose of teaching certain dOetrinal
systems is not to be gainsaid because
there has been doctrinal despotism
established. Men ridicule creeds and
dogfias, and if i may seem to have
had amy s4fare in this it has been from
OveT9ctTon of intensity rather than
from any deliberate purpose. because
no man thinks to any purpose that
does not think dOgmatically. Systems
of thinking that become convictions
and are always stated as positively true.
these are always dOgmatic; neverthe-
IS. when dogma becomes imperious,
when men lose either life or liberty or
convenience because they do or do not
assent to dogmas then they become
oppressive.
But men have g right to associate to-
gether for any purpose for the purpose
of intoxicating right notions of mt di-
cine, or art, or civil government, or
church estate, or religious doctrine
1t is one of the great rights springing
out of the liberty of man that lie may
nj
ment with him, and they may make
known aud enforce any particular doc
trine. [ maintain the right of men to
AFianism, or Pelagianism, or semi-Pe-
lagianism, or demi-sinli-Pela gianism
if they want it. 1 declare for the
freest liberty, responsible only To God,
and not to man. and certainly not to
magistrates. When | form a sect,
which will be OH the other side of life
if all. it will be sect that uses any or
dinances it wants to, and that don't
use any ordinances it don't want to
Ordinances are Ikea black boarI-goOd
to put things on, but you don't want
to put the same things on the black
board every day. | don't believe in in
fart baptism, hut practice it be cause
I think it is a beautiful ordinance.
| dent think there is any particu-
lar sanctity III it. But when any band
| q CHRISTIANS associated together fl r
ordinances say, Nov my cons ciCn nee
demands this and your conscience
shall demand It or | will punish YOU"
| then | ana t1s5 in arms at once, and l
say, WHO art thou that judgest an
other mans servant; am L your SER
want? | am Jesus Christ's servant,
and to my own master | stand or fall. !"
| Men think the age of prosecution Is
over | don't think il is. Suppose a
mana Unitarian-living i'll Il society
of the strict orthodox. Is he not avoid
eIo Are get the children forbidden
to walk With his children in public
procession? Is he not made to feel ip
every way that he does not como up
| to the highest water mark of orthor-
loXy? | defend the right of sister
| churches TO organize rs they choose.
[ defend tie right Of men TO go to
| church without book. without pray
crs, without minister, and without Il
| sermn.i, And tc sit together for two
| nor al h6&,rs Is silent and still as flow
ers at midnig.st. And that which is
| true of ordinances Is true as To govern
ment. What pother there has been
in the world about who shall govern.
Generally the man that can does
it, but the cause of government lies in
the sense of power, in the capacity OF
Il man to make men mind him ; but IT
a large and intelligent body of men
| shall prefer to be governed 10y a priest,
and 70 have him governed by Il bishop,
| and:hi,n by the archbishop, and hin.
| by cardinal, and the cardinal Ivy the
| Po,ye, tieS lave a right TO Il they
| chU6se All that | object to Is that
they shall turn robnd and say, This
is Christianity, and unless you take il
YOU shall be damned" L won't he
damned, and / won't take it either
daughter and applause.) affirm
their right to do as they Bike, ard in.
sist OH my own right to do us
choose. | affirm mans right to cal
/ vinegar if he likes it, and if he says
rNcw sit down and 1 will show you
why NSu ought to cat vinegar"
don't object; brit if he insists on put
ting it on my bate and says l shall
eat it. then i iebei 1nd say II won'l
eat it," If these views are correc'
then there are some questions ana an
, swers that arise out of them which are
of practical importance in our time
| and first. no man has right to enter {
Christian church for the sake Of chang
ing the economy and usages or thai
church it is bad faith and dishonora
bic to do so. If a man stands OH the
OTHER side and says, II am going t
spread .PTesbyterianis n in YOU
church, that, admit, he has righ
| to DIS he has right to go to YOU
r houses and reason with you, but III
man has a right TO come i'll here as
Congregationaitst and say, II like
Presbyterianishi better, and am going
to work to change this into Presby-
, terrain church." Secondly, no MAJ
has a right'to eshploy sectarian organi
cations for Any other than spiritua
ends. / defended the right of Church
, organization, but / declare in allegi
ance to the cOifinand that all are re
, sponsible for the use of every part O
their organizations. They must us,
them for the great eiidS prescribed
namely. to profit Rithal, and prof
vithai is in the thirteenth chapter o
Corinthians: All churches, Will,
, they are not responsible to each other
are responsible to God for the use
their whole equipment and oIganiZa
ton for the promotion, not OF mar
; row. pugnacious, irritable spirit, bu
they are bound to use all their orsani
: cation to liberaliZe men anu to max
mel. feel the ties of common brother
D hood and not to set man against hi
, neighbor. That is the obligation rest
! ing upon the Christian sect namely
, the obligation to use all the forms o
= Christianity to promote the great es
5 sential of Christianity, which is tn
! spirit of God in the souls OF men,
: Thirdly, nc. man has,a right toimppgl
r the liberty ofthose who use excessiv
! organization; that is. if q map is yer,
s rigorous for high or for low church. n
e man has a right to refuse that man al
: opportunity of exercising his right o
os teaching his views. And, first, ma
: a man remain in or enter cnure
e | when lie disserts from sop1e OF IN
s Important doctrines which he know
E to be held by the church? May ma "a
b 90 into an orthordox church known
: he does hold to the doctrine OF Irlhit
: or OF future punishment? May ma