News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1894-09-13
Religious Discussion.

Religious Discussion.
The church of God is divided into a
great number of denominations. Time
would fail me to tell of the Calvinists,
and the Arminians, and the Sabbatari-
ans, and the BaXterians, and the Dun
kers, and the Shakers, and the Quakors,
and the Methodists, and the Baptists
and the Episcopalians, ard the Luther
ans, and the Congregationali5ts, and
the Presbyterians, and the Spiritualists,
and score of other denominations of
religionists, some of them founded by
very good mon, some of them founded
by very egotistic men, some Of them
founded by very bad men. But as de-
mand for myself liberty Of conscience |
must give that same liberty to every
other man, remembering that he no
more differs from me than differ from
him. | advocate the largest liberty III
all religious belief and form Of worship.
In art in politics, in morals and in re-
ligion let there be no gag law, no NOV
ing Of the previous question, no perso-
cution, no intolerance.
You know that the air and the wa
ter keep pure by constant circulation,
and think there is a tendency in reli-
gious discussion to publication and
moral health. Between the fourth and
the sixteenth centuries the church pro
posed to make people think Alright by
prohibiting discussion, and by strong
censorship of the press and rack and
gibbet and hot lead down the throat
tried to make people orthodox, but it
was discovered that you cannot change
a mans belief by twisting off his head
nor make a man see differently by put
ting an awl through his eyes. There is
something i'll a mans conscience which
will hurl off the mountain that you
threw upon it, and, unsinged of the fire.
out of the flame will make red wings
on which the martyr will mount to glory
In that time of which | speak, be-
tween the fourth and sixteenth cen
turtles, people went from the house of
God into the most appalling iniquity
and right along by consecrated affairs
there were tides of drunkenness and Ii
centiousness such as the world never
heard of, and the very sewers of perdi-
ton broke loose and flooded the church
After awhile the printing press was
freed, and it broke the shackles of the
human mind. Then there came large
number of bad books, and where there
was one man hostile to the Christian re-
ligion there were 20 men ready to adyo-
cate it, so have not any nervousness in
regard to this battle going on between
truth and error. The truth will conquer
just as certainly as that God is stronger
than the devil. Let error run if you
only let truth run along with it. Urged
on by skeptic' S shout and transcendental-
lists spur, let it run. Gods angels of
wrath are in hot pursuit, and quicker
than eagles beak clutches out hawk S
heart Gods vengeance will tear it to
pieces.
Religious Preference.
propose to speak to you of sectari
anism-its origin, its evils and its
cures. There are those who would make
us think that this monster, with horns
and hoofs, is religion. | shall chase it
to its hiding place and drag it out of
the caverns Of darkness and rip off its
hide. But l want to make distinction
between bigotry and the lawful fond
ness for peculiar religious beliefs and
forms of worship. l have no admiration
| for nOthingarian
In world of such tremendous vicis-
situde and temptation, and with soul
that must after awhile stand before a
throne of ipsufferable brightness, in a
day when the rocking of the mountains
and the flaming of the heavens and tho
upheaval of the seas shall be among the
least Of the excitements, to give account
for every thought word, action, prefer.
ence and dislike, that man is mad who
has no religious preference. But our
early education, our physical tempers-
ment, our mental constitution, will very
much decide our form of worship