The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1895-01-25

l am "pained and surprised" that
should eulogize the religion of the May
flower and wish he reflected more of it
a religion that could not be preached to-
day from any pulpit in the land, relig
ion one of whose prominent clergymen
advised shipping Indians to the West
Indies and exchanging them for rum md
molasses, religion that wouldn't allow
any but church members to vote for civil
offices and used stocks and pillories to
compel attendance at church, religion
that drove a Christian brother, Rev.
Roger Sherman, from his flock and home
in the inclemency of winter into hiding
in wild Indian camp, religion that cut
off the ears, branded the shoulders bored
the tongues with red hot irons and hung
Quakers and after it had hung four and
became more civilized substituted the
milder punishment of stripping them, ty-
ing to "carts tall and whipping them
from town to town, religion that tor
tured tifty-tiye persons and hung twenty
for witchcraft. If any person should
preach the Mayfiower religion in full
strength, in true Cotton Mather style,
| today in any civilized community that the
sun shines upon and should insist on
| ing cream so that the butter wouldn't
| come, | should not encourage it and
| should not stand by consenting to it, but
really / should fear that the boys would
| give him free transit or worse out of
town la clothes pin on rail. Such are
few of the historical beauties of those
religious opinions Yox considers it a
compliment to be presumed in any way
to reflect" Too much reverence for the
| dead past, for the sold moss covered
bucket that hung in the well" has allured
him too far.
In reply to VoX's solemn and prophetic
warning it may be said that judging the
future by the past it will be tifty-two
thousand seven hundred eighty-six years,
two months, twenty-four days, one hour,
twenty-five minutes and thirt1-eight sec
onds before the last now orthodox will
have forced upon him the evoke that is
easy" 1t will be some longer before
professionalism evil put all enemies under
its feet" Meanwhile possibly orthodoxy
may initiate the prudence of that county
of Ireland that resolved to build a new
Jail, to build it OUT of the timbers of the
old one and to occupy the old one till the
new one was built. Witchcraft and
slavery have already dropped out of rev
citation, thinkers are abroad and the New
Testament dollhouse is cooling off Any
account of twhat Christianity has done
for humanity" that does not include The
history of it's "holy wars" would be in
complete. If any one wants his "bloot
to run cold" let him read Motley's histo
ry of the eighty years war of the Meth
erlands. Vox's comparison of nations
communities and individuals and giving
all the credit for the superiority of som,
| oNci olheis W Nhiistianlty Is WnoHy ul
tenable. As well might he credit STRAIT
ton pond, the soulce of Winhall river
with all the magnificent waters and waite
power of the Connecticut Marked diff
ferences existed in pr ople before Christi
anity was born. If these differences ar
relatively greater now than two thousan,
wears apO If is dino IN tho manifold in
fluences that tend to civilization but main
ly to advancing knowledge. Vox's Christ
ian nations have such a superabundanct
of religion, the spirit of Christ so per