Vermont telegraph. [volume], March 04, 1840, Page 94, Image 2

About Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843

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VOL. XII. no717
V E It M ON T T ELE GR AP H.
94
of ihe country, helJ in the city of New
.York, last spring-, we issue this address,
' in connection with the above Call. -
As soon as possible after, entering on
the duties of our office, we sent out a pri
miry Circular, to ascertain'the views of
our. constituents on tha .propriety oi hold,
inthe proposed National Convention,
and to obtain the names of such as approv
ed the important measure. Replies have
S n received from the States of Maine,
New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachu
setts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New-
York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, unio.
Michigan, lllinofs, and' Indiana. We
have a!?o good reasons for declaring that
there are man v more in the Free States
whosa names aie not affixed to the Call,
- (and we are happy to have it in our.pow-
cr to add, in the Slave States too,) who
are in lavor of, holding such a Umvea
lion.
We issee the Call and Address, there
fore, with the expectation that they will
be the honored instruments, in the hands
of God, 6f assembling together a large
number of Brethren and Friends, from
, various parts of our beloved land. Con
ventions have already been held in sever
al States, and Delegates appointed to the
meeting, who we doubt not will attend.
Th reasons tor calling the Convention
are, briefly, the following : ,
1. The Baptist Churches of the United
Slates are deeply involved in the sin of
' Slavery.' - - .
. The proof of this position is found in
the fact that there are .probably more
slaves held by members of Baptist Church
es and Congregations, than by any other
denomination in the country. There are
single Baptist Churches containing from
500, to 1200 slave members; and the
"whole number of these portions of the
body of Christ, held in bondage by Bap
tist Ministers and'Lnymen, is at least one
HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND
SOULS 1
It will readily be perceived that the
influence of this dreadful fact is felt
amonjt all the Baptist pulpits'; and presses,
and seminaries, and Bible, aud Missiona-
ry, and" Education and ; Sunday-School,
oni Tract Societies, throughout the length
and breadth of the land. " More than two
millions of heathen cannot innocently
remain such in the midst of these Ameri
can Churches. As a whole, therefore,
the Baptist Church is deeply involved,
indeed, in the guilt and consequences of
Slavery.
11. Baptist Churches are well' consti
tuted for the removal of this sin.
Such is our happv form of church
government, that, while it provides for
and maintains the independence of each
.churchy however large or small, it is ca
pable of reaching every evil that lies in
any part of the. whole body. A move
ment judiciously made on this subject, in
, an obscure church, in the remotest bor
ders of our Zion, may be felt in all our
w local Associations, and State Conventions,
Hnd ever, in the Triennial General Con
vention itself. Such a movement as we
contemplate, therefore, under the guid
. ance ot lleawn, will reach every altar,
".and publication,' and communion table
where slavery has been baptized into the
church of God. , And nothing is more
certain that if this fruitful mother of
abominations cannot live in the church,
it must eventually die in the state.
III. JFhe time has arrived for distinct
i. National Church Organizations.
Whatever important objects have been
or may bo accomplished by such Institu
tions as the. American Anti-Slavery So
ciety, it is evident that they cannot reach
and reform all the branches of the Chris
tian Church." The legitimate operalions
, of jsuch societies, when prudently carried
.forward, are extensive and arduous
I enough, without their attempting to con-
i 'trolthe order and discipline of Baptist!
Churches.' This order and discipline can
oniy.be efficiently controlled by mem
tM'rs in good standing in such churches ;
hence the indispensable necessity of
a Baptist National Organization. Other
churches too, need similar organizations ;
jind we may thereby accomplish great
'good by showing them the beneficial ef
fects of ours.
IV. Oar Brethren in other countries
; txpect such an Organization,
The letters which have been received
by your Central Corresponding Commit
. tee, and others, from Brethren in Eng
land, Scotiandthe West Indies, and the
tJanadas, conclusively prove that they ar
dently desire sucft a Society as is contem
plated. The -IIe. William Knibb,
one of the first lissionarjes in Jamaica,
t ami who lyis, passed through the fires of
the h&ti persecution there to witness the
happy condition of his emancipated flock,
has given us a written promise, that he
will bo present in the Convention. .
It is the strongly expressed wish of our
. fellow-laborers abroad, that we may be
omciaUy uniteu, tor tne purpose ot a Det
ter correspondence and co-operation with
them in our blessed enterprise. The
manner in which several of their kind
and faithful fraternal appeals were for
merly disposed of by those to whom they
j were conventionally addressed, has pain-
i conventionally addressed, has pain
fully convinced us and them that a change
4 is imperiously demanded in tne meuium
xf communication. Such a change the
AMERICAN 1JAPTIST ANTI-SLAVERY
Society will accomplish. ' " :
, V. Many slave holder $ and slaves ex
yett such an Organization.
. JJowcver mucb the former may have
betn. influenced by the arguments address
,.cd to them on this great question, it U
morally certain that they are susceptible
; v .of being and expect to be appealed to, in
the spirit and language of iht gospel, by
tho tanctified . instrumentalities of the
.church- They will listen to arguments.
.',und respond to appeals, from members of
ttbeir own communion, when they may
' ton often turn u deaf ear.- and oppose
i - , - ... i
callous heart, to the means of promiscuous
societies, however excellent those socie
ties may be in themselves.
If we love the erring master, then, let
us show our love in the way . in which it
is most ueeded, and in which it will be
the most available. If we love . the suf
fering slave, let us prove our love by
church fellowship with him in , his
wrongs. Let us hasten to do our part,
under God, in Temoving the evil that is
destroying both master and slave like ihe
plagues of Egypt. Let us hasten to be
the instruments in averting the terrible
judgments of GoJ, that threaten to over
whelm the whole southern Church.
In conclusion, we repeat the Call :
Baptist Abolitionists of the Uni-
' ted. States !
Brethren and Friends in the cause of the
Slave !
You are called to cjome up to the First
Baptist National Anti-Slavery Conven
tion. Come up, then, ' to the help of
the Lord, to the help of the Lord, against
the uushty." Great is the. work before
us. Great must be our toils. .. Great
must be our sufferings. But greater than
all shall be our rewards.
You are called to be up and doing : for
"the time is short." Death will soon
place us all, with the master and slave, on I
one common level. lne ludffment:
where we and they must all appear, will
soon set. Whatsoever, then, our hands
find to do inthis momentous concern, let
us do it with our might.
You are called to assemble, asunder
the guidance of that Heavenly wisdom
t i t ii . i .
wmcn aweus witn prudence, to lorm, by
your collected piety and knowledge, such
a Society as God will condescend to own
in this labor of love a Society which
shall combine the wisdom of the wise,
the strength of the strong, the riches of
the rich, and the supplications of all.
You are called to afford another un
deniable evidence that you do "Remem
ber themthat are in bonds as bound with
them and that these oppressed millions
shall have their just proportion of your
means, your time, your talents and your
prayers.
You are called to come with the same
mind in you "which was also in Christ
Jesus ;" " For we wrestle not against
flesh and blood, but against principalities,
against powers, against the rulers of the
darkness of this world, against spiritual
wickedness in high places:" "For the
weapons of our warfare are not carnal,
but mightvvthrough God, to the pul ling-
down of stroii2 holds."
On behalf of the Committee to is&ue
the Call,
Duncan Dunbar; Chairman.
Charles W. Dcnison, Sec.
Religious Intelligence.
BURMAII.
Letter-from Mr. Kincaid. In a
communication from Mr. Kincaid, dated
Maulmain, July 3, 1839, he gives the fol
lowing account of the then present state
of the missions in Burmah: Bap. Miss.
Mag. '
I am still preaching to the native church
in this place, twice-i on th5 Sabbath and
four times during the week. Br. Stevens
preaches Tuesday and Friday evenings.
I have recently baptized five converts, and
there are five or six others who are ex
pected soon to receive this ordinance.
Not long since the head native officer in
vited me to preach at his house, which
was well filled with earnest listeners. The
truth is evidently gaining ground here;
the violence of opposition has diminished,
and the number of inquirers is greater
than was ever known here before. Br.
Stevens has commenced his school, and
ha3 the superintendence of all. the assis
tants at this station.
About six weeks since, information
was received from Ava, that the kin
had ordered 70 or 80, 000 men to march
for Rangoon, Bassein.and Touncr-Oo, un
der the command of three of his sons.
Now the order is countermanded. I have
just received letters from Moung Na Gau
and Moung Oo Doun?, of the church at
Ava. They give intelligence of the d-ath
of Moung Moung, one of the brethren .of
the church, and state that they have been
threatened by the authorities, but hither
to they have been providedentially preserv
ed. 1 Ion to be there. Mv whole hpart
is there. If I had consulted ray own judg
ment exclusively, 1 should have been there
some months ago. Perhaps, however, it
would not have been a wise course.
My
health is altogether better than it was a
year since, and I hope I shall yet recover
my original vigor. Mrs. Kincaid is far
from being well. Br. Judson is still un
able to preach. Br. and sister Simons
have just buried two of their children, and
another is dangerously ill, On the 2lst
of June, we heard from sister Brayton.
She was then given up by two physicians,
and was expected to live but a short time.
Br. Wade has recently been suffering
from his old complaint, which we much
fear will ultimatlvcut him down or drive
- , him from the country. We have intelli-
Pinang in safety, and that they were anti
cipating much benefit from the voyage.
vi 4ccount3f a later date speak more favor
ably of the etata of Airs. Brayltra'e health.
We perceive by a communication in
the Baptist Advocate, says the Christian
Secretary, that Brother C. F. Frey, (so
well known for hi3 labors anions and in
behalf of his former brethren, the Jews,)
has received and accepted a calllo the
pastoral care of the Baptist church in
Williamsburg, Lonsr Island, and has en
tered upon the duties of the ofiice. Ch.
Watchman. - - '
fiav. Horace Seaver has been appoint
agent of the American and Foreign
'.a c 1
Bible Society for New England, and has
commenced his labors. Ch. Watchman.
The bridges across the Connecticut
river at Sunderland ad Northampton,
were carried away on Monday last, by
the breaking, up of the ice. and the sud
den rise of the river. Ch. Watchman.
Exactly Right. The session of the
Presbyterian Church in Chester, N. H..
on the 14th inst., passed . four resolutions '
on slavery, which we copy as a ood ex
ample of church action. It is just the
ground, which the Presbyterian General
Assembly ought to take, "and every dele
gate of that body who does not come up
to it, laws snort ot his duty to the oppress
ed. Mass'. Abolitionist.
Resolved, That for man ta claim prop
erty in man, upon which is founded the
system of American slavery, is at all
times and under all possible circumstan
ces, a gross usurpation of power, a hein
ous sin against God, and should be im
mediately repented of and forsaken.
Resolved, That we will not invite any
professed minister of the gospel toofliciate
as such in God's house, nor any professed
Christian to commune with us at the
Lord's table, whom we know to be guil
ty of this sin; but will rather admonish
alltsuch of their sin, and exhort them to
immediate repentance. -
Resolved, That we consider all who
apologize for slaveholding, or in any way
palliate its sinfulness, and thereby soothe
the conscience t the slaveholder, and do
not, as far as in them lies, warnhe oppress
or of his guilt and danger, to be guilty in
the sight of God.
. Resolved, That we believe it to be
agreeable to the spirit of the gospel, vol
untarily to associate so as united y to act
against any moral evilr and that we be
lieve that the American Anti-Slavery So
ciety is an association whose object is the
entire abolition of slavery, and that we
cordially approve of its measures.
VERMONT TELEGRAPH.
BRANDOX, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 1S10.
N ON
RESISTANCE.
From the Vermont Chrouicle.
In last week's article, it will be remem
bered, that I passed over in silence the gen
eral instructions of the Old Testament, af
ter the time of Abraham, because it is often
objected to testimony drawn from this part
of the Bible. " That was only for the Isra
elites." Two passages have occurred to
me since preparing that article, which I
cannot forbear quoting, both because they
are very apposite to the point under consid
eration, and are not, I conceive, by any pos
sible construction, liable to the objection
above mentioned. Prop. 8, 15, 16. "By
me kings reign and princes decree justice.
By me princes rule, even all the judges of
the earth." This cannot be confined to
the kings and princes and judges of Isra
el, and observe ia this passage Jesus Christ,
the angel-Jehovah of the Old Testament
here called wisdom, asserts that all the ma
gistrates of the earth rule " by him." Now
whether we understand " by me " in this
passage to mean in subserviency to him, or
according to his will, or if as Scott sug
gests we give to the passage a prophetic
meaning, " By me kings shall reign, ccc."
referring to the time when governments
shall become Christian, whatever construc
tion we give it, will, I humbly conceive, be
alike fatal toNon Resistance. There were,
then, or there should be, some governments
which Christ, the word and wisdom of God,
approved. But the fundamental principle
of non-resistance is, that all human gov
ernment is usurpation and wickedness, be
cause unsanctioned by God, and contrary
to his will. Hence taxes must be extor
tion ; and legal restraints, oppression; and
punishment by fine, imprisonment, and
death, must be robbery and atrocious vio
lence and murder. But all human govern
ments have clai:ned such powers, and exer
cised them. Therefore all rulers and civil
magistrates are, and ever have been, delib
erate, habitual oppressors, robbers and mur
derers. Let us then correct the text ac
cording to this new system, by inserting
the right names for the.e persons. Divine
Wisdom, recounting the blessings which
men experience through him, mentions .this
among the rest : " By me oppressors crush
-robbers despoil and murderers butcher
mankind." True, this does not very well
harmonize with .what follows. " My fruit
is better than gold, yea than fine gold. I
lead in ihe way of righteousness, in the
midst of the paths of judgment." But doubt
less the above must be the true meaning, for
the system requires it j and the system has
been adopted bv a Conveniion.
Again. Dan 2, 21 : " He (God) re
moveth kings and setieth up kings." Now
if governments are all systems of usurpa
tion, abhorrent to God, and rulers are op
pressors and robbers and murderers extra
ordinary; there is sufficient cause why he
should remove kings. But that theory does
not explain why he should set up kiugs.
Oa the contrary, I suspect that most read
ers would naturally infer that God approves
oi human government, lrom his " setting up
kings." That language would to jmnsf
minds indicate something akin to institut
ing governments.
We turn now to the instructions of the
Apostles. Rom. 13, 1-7 :
1. Let every soul be subject unto the higher
powers. Eor there is no power but of Ciod; the
powers that be are ordained of God.
2. Whosoever therefore resisteth the powr, re
sisted! the ordinance of God ; and they that resist
snail receive to meinseivea uamti;uioii.
3. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but
to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the
power ? do that which is good, and thou Shalt have
praise of the same :
4. For he is the minister of Ciod to thee for good.
But if thou do that which is evil, bo afraid; fur he
beareih-not the sword ia vain ; for he is the minis
ter of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him
that doeth evil. ; ,
5. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only
for wrath, but also for conscience's sake.
6. For, for this cause pay ye tribute also; for
they are God's ministers, alteudiog continually up
on UaU very thin?.
7. Render therefore to all their dues; tribute to
whom tribute it due; custom to whom custom
fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.: '
I have never yet been so fortunate as to
hear or see any attempt to explain these
verses in accordance with the new theolo
gy. " Individuals have iread the passage
4 The powers that be are ordained of God '
and assuming that all the ordinary exact
ions of governments" are. unauthorized and
wicked, have held up their hand3 m holy
horror, u What, God ordain or sanction
such abominable institutions.1-' And then
with overwhelming argument, to convince
allrthey have earned Nero, and Caligula,
or -alluded to some unjust laws, and cruel
ties perpetrated under legal sanctions. But
this is neither argument nor Biblical criti
cism. It is altogether an unchristian and
nnrpason able mode of settling any question.
It is unreasonable from the perversion ot
any institution to argue against that insti
tution. Bolingbroke thought in-this way to
have abolished Christianity. But Chris
tianity still lives, nor shows a wound, nor
scar. If that mode of reasoning be admit
ted, I can prove the Sabbath to be a curse
marriage to be the chief cause of licen
tiousness and family government to be
the fountain-head of all imaginable evils.
Such a course, too, is unchristian. It is
nnt larninsr truth from the Bible. But
from some doubtful abstract principle draw
ing very questionable conclusions, and then
adapting ihe Bible to these conclusions,
or else passing it over in silence. As Chris
tians, our inquiry should be " What did
Paul say ?" The language, surely, is not
so obscure as to be unintelligible. "There
is no power but of God. The powers that
be are ordained of God ; whosoever, there
fore, resisteth the power, resisteth the ordin
ance of God." The word " power " means
civil magistrate or ruler one exercising
power or authority, as auy one will see
from the connection here, and ftom the use
of the same word in other places. Luke 12,
11, shows how the word is used. And
that it is thus used here is manifest, because
in the third verse power is interchanged
with ruler, and the two words are used as
synonymous. To "ordain" may mean to
command positively, or merely to regulate
and establish so as to" render certain. In
this last sense God ordains whatever comes
to pass. He ordained ihe betrayal of Christ,
but did not approve the wicked act of Judas.
But we are assured here that he approv
ingly ordains civil government because the
fact of his having ordained it is given as the
reason why we should be subject to it.
1 ea, more, the ruler is expressfy and re
peatedly called the minister of God, ap
pointed, too, for the good of men. In per
fect harmony with the above is the language
of Paul to Titus, 3, 1, where to be subject
to magistrates and powers not merely by
non-resistance, bnt by active obedience, is
classed among the good works which Titus
was to enjoin. Peter speaks a similar lan
guage in his 1st Ep. 2: 1317. I will not
now dwell upon this passage, because, it
will claim some consideration at a subse
quent period, and the passages alreadv ad
duced are sufficient for my purpose. They
are explicit on tha point in question; and
their force is not weakened by any counter
testimony, iyranny, oppression, anu vio
lence, are condemned, just as malpractices
in the church or the family are condemned.
But I recollect not a passage in ihe Bible
ia which civil government is reprobated as
unauthorized and abhorrent to God not
on,e in which. Christians are forbidden to be
g-ooci citizens not one in which ihey are
prohibited to take part in the administration
of governments. The Bible i too plain to
be mistaken. " He that runneth may read.
and the wayfaring man, though simple, if
ne be not wilful and perrerse, need not err
therein." II. C.
REMARKS.
Let us carry out the doctrine advanced
by the construction he puts upon the pas
sages cited from Proverbs and Daniel. The
doctrine is one'and the same with that ad
vanced by friend Mitchell of Rutland viz :
that all human governments, however cor
rupt, are the ordinances of God. I know
he has avoided stating it in these terms.
Nevertheless the doctrine is this otherwise
the language of his argument drawn from
the passages cited is without meaning, and
the argument falls out'of existence. He
says, " This cannot be confined to thekings
and princes and judges of Israel, and ob
serve in this passage Jesus Christ, the angel-Jehovah
of the Old Testament, here
called wisdom, asserts that all the mais
trales of the earth ride by him." Accord
ing to this doctrine, Pharaoh, Nero, Caligu
la, Domitian, Alexander, Napoleon, and ev
ery other wholesale murderer who has
flooded the earth with human gore, has been
an approved servant of God ! Now, his op
position to Non-Resistance being out of his
mind, I have no hesitation in saving that
friend Curtis him?elf would agree with me
in denouncing these monsters of wicked
ness in language as strong at least as I
have applied to them he would agree that
to call them wholesale murderers is entire
a .
ly within the bounds of moderation. And
yet his doctrine makes these acknowledged
servants of Satan to be the appointed and
approved servants of God at the same time 1
Strange what horrible inconsistencies,
what monstrous absurdities, what pernicious
heresies men will fall into in their devotion
to popular doctrines and pride of opinion.-
But so it is. It is not two centuries yet
since Matthew Hale than by whom, Dav
enport says, " the seat of judgment was
never more purely filled," and whose knowl
edge, he say s, " was not confined to the
law, but extended to divinity, mathe
matics and history " frequently tried and
condemned to death those who were ac
cused of witchcraft ; and his cotemporary,
the learned and pious Baxter, pronounced
the disbeliever in this heathenish infatua
tion to be an " obdurate Sadducee." And
in our own day men of all ranks, stations
and professions have labored under the
groveling delusion that men in health are
benefitted by the use of alcoholic poison.
But all this is not so wonderful r.or so strange
as that professing ministers of the gospel,
in the nineteenth century, should commit
such an outrage upon common sense and
Christianity as to make the acknowledged
sons of Belial to be at the same time the
appointed and approved servants of God.
Nobody denies that all of God's creatures,
however wicked any of ihem may have
made' themselves, are under ihe control of
his superintending providence-that the
wickedest of them are suffered to do as
they door that he can overrule their most
diabolical acts, and educe whatever good
from them he pleases. The Psalmist in
forms us that he, the -Lord makes the
wicked his sword ; and the whole scripture
history recognizes bi3 overruling hand in
controling the acts of wicked men to make
them subservient to his own great ends ;
but the scriptures no where teach that he
has approvingly ordained institutions and
appointed their officers, whose most legiti
mate acts are the most flagrant violations
of his holy law.
i But on reading a little further, I find him
faltering falling off somewhat from his
high ground, that all the magistrates of the
earth are appointed and approved servants
of God. He says, " There were, then, or
there should be, some governments which
Christ, the word and wisdom of Gcd, ap
proved." Indeed I " some governments there
were or should be which Clirist approv
ed " The next thing will be for him to let
us know which. This I apprehend he will
not undertake lo do. If he will, he takes
upon himself a Herculean task which friend
Mitchell was wise enough to eschew. Now
what is this talk about usome" being ap
proved, but a tacit admission that others are
not approved ? And this'so soon afier in
terpreting the passage of scripture so as to
make it embrace all the magistrates of the
earth! What confusion is here! If he
will undertake to draw the line between
those governments which are the ordinanc
es of God, and those which are ot, on
which side will he place the Roman govern
ment which the Savior's lax, according lo his
former showing, went to support in all fls
acts? And where would he place the gov
ernment of the United Statos, with its en
slavement of the Africans and its extermin
ation of the Indians ? When he has dis
posed of these two cases, ethers shall be
submitted to his discrimmation !
Whatever he may have meant by throw
ing in the word "some" he takes the broad
ground again in the next paragraph. He
neither qualifies nor modifies, while speak
ing of "kings." It is kinrs, not some kings.
Now if to the reader there appears to be
vagueness and atnbigucu!snes in Inencl
Curtis' expression of sentiments that from
all he has said both ways it is difficult to
know what he does hold to, I cannot help
it. The reader has it as plainly as I do.
Error is .aid to be t: fated lo run crooked."
His putting words into the mouths of
Non-Resistant?, and forcing them to speak
things that will sound most odiously in the
ears of those whom he would till wiih pre
judice, against them is highly disingenuous.
It would seem, from his frequent resort io
this means, that to borrow two or three of
his own words his " system requires it."
But he has no right to comply with such re
quirements. I must be allowed, at least, to
protest against theone, who habitually
deals out such treatment as this to others,
being the proper pcrsoa to read homilies on
sophistry and rant to persons thus treated.
Lest some should not be satisfied with
my objecting to the view advanced of the
passages from Proverbs and Daniel, unless
I express my own views, I will say, in a
word, I consider that the passages reco''-
nize human governments and kings as ex
isting in ihe hand of God, subject l bis
control but not as being his approved or
dinances and servants.
I now come lo his quotation from the
13th of Romans. It ought to hi known,
and constantly. borne in mind, while read
ing the epistles, that they were not divided
into chapters and verses by the writers of
them but t-aat the division has been made
by others since. These divisions are in
many instances very injurious. They fre
quently break paragraphs and sentences
thus interrupting subjects and trains cf
thought, to those who are not on their guard.
The division between the 12ih and 13(h
chapters of Romans is manifestly of this
character. It break the subject, cuts the
paragraph in two, and interrupts, if it does
not destroy, the train of thought. Let us
now begin the quotation where the subject
begins, and go through with the paragraph,
regardless of the divisions made by intru
sive hands :
" Recompense to no man evil for evil. Pro
vide things honest in the sight of all men. If it
be possible, as much as lieih in you, live peacea
bly with all men. Dearly U loved, avenge not
yourselves, but rathcrp give lace unlo wrath :
for it is written, vengeance ii mine ; I will re-
Allusion to the atrocious tnUdeeda of the Uni
ted States' government towards these devoted vic
tims of their lust, turns my mind back to a point in
friend Curtis' argument which did not receive full
justice as I passed along. I thought then, and
think now, that bis position was eulirelj over
thrown; but it may not be amiss to turn back and
observe what s man will do when hard pressed.
It will be remembered that while he was struggling
to make out that the Savior, in paying Lis tax to the
government, supported and approved it, he said,
"Nor will itdo to say that.we apyrove tome of tLe
objects for which the money is to be expended.
The money tee pay goes to support tiie government
in all its acts." Now let us carry out hid doc
trine, as applied to his own tax-paying to the gov
ernment of the United States. According to his
argument in the case of the Savior. Lis own tax
paid the government of the United States is proof
of his support and approval of the government io
its - acts " protecting slavery, exterminating the
Cherokecs, and hunting downlh Seminoleswiih
human tigcra and West India blood-hoand ! -
Pay. Mlth the Lord. Thfrrnr it .v:.
. w - - - .- .w.w. at t ii l rips .n- .
hunger, feed him ; if he thirst, giTe Kim ZT
form so doing thou shalt heap coals of fi :
hlS bead. ft A nr nr.niAiiv. T :i . ur 0b
come evil with gocd. Let every foul'be
unto the high, power.. For there is ro
mu oi uoq ; ibe power that be are oiiA "
God. Whosoever therefore rrsistefh n a cf
resisteth the ordinance of liod : eni ihev rtf'
"ist ehall receive to tbtmietvea rfamn.,.:: l
not a terror to r-n-H trrw-ir 1.... .
lise of the same : for he ia the miniter of ji
thee for good. But if thou do that J e
il, be afraid, for he beareth not th c . .
to
evil,
vain : for he ii the minister of God, a te
to execute wrath upon him that oW
Wherefore ye must needs bo subject, not
for wrath, but also for conscience 4ke. f,
this cause pay ye tiibute also : for they are Gr
fiiinisters, attending continually upon thii i
thiag. Render therefore to all thtir dun t7
ute to whom tribute is due ; cuitom to
custom ; fear lo whom fear : honor ti .i0"
honor."
Now it will be manifest, from comp.
the foregoing quotation with that made I
friend Curtis, that he commences m ji';
mid?t of the subject, leaving out a very
portact part. Indeed leaving cut a pa
that entirely alters the aspect of the thin
Friend Curtis says, " I have uetere:
been so fortunate as to hear or see any
tempt to explain these verses in accordant
with ihe new theology "by neicthe
doubtless, meaning the doctrines advocaiej
by Non-Resistants. Without H:? l0
notice hi attempt, by the use ofiVu'su
phrase, to stigmaiize those whom he dee-,
to be very " unchristian " and unreal
ble "only abjuring altogether ihe It.m.
lion, and claiming that the u i!i!oV tt-Non-Resistance
is as old as CJirisu .V
mon on the Mount, and Paul's Epwle t,
the Romans, I will gratify him v.kbj
own views of the scriptures quoted.
The Apostle has been giving diver-eu-hortations
to holiness of conduct arr.o?:
oilier things, love, prayer, benevolence, Lc
pitaliiy. condescension. In the entire j-:.-agraph
which myquolaiion embrace;, h--1
manifestly teaching the duty of beig
able not recompensing evil fur cvil-Wa-.
ing vengeance to the Lord submit;;;:
the requirements and exactions tf gar
ments, i. e., not resisting them, but, hi,a
itatiou of the lince ofPcace, livia- iva-
ably wiih all men, as much as in us liciii.-
1 view the teaching of the Apostle lur? i.-
1
oeone ana parallel with that of i'u Gr.ii
Teacher himself, ia his Sermca ia ii.
Mount, wherein he$ay;
e mm iM-ard mat it hath ovn n-.l. rn rte U
nu rje, ana o lofit.i lor a teoth ; but 1 hj ui.t.i .,
thee 011 thy rieht cheek, lurn iu l.i; ll.a ,at ,
ud il any luan will ue the at ihe la- lul l
uay ihy coat, let fciui have thv cloak ml,. A.
whosoever thai! cnuicl th- Io'ro m uulo, r ,f
him twaiu." ilatiluw, v : 3341. , 1
My own view is, that one doclr'i:ei
here taught, ly the . great TVacher Lia
self, and by his subordinate, ihi' A :v
and that that doctrine is jeacc .?(
sistance. The language is, reiki,
evil" "recompense to na man evil T
evil" "be subject ucto the higher
ers' they that resUl shall rmiieii
themselves damnation.' This Lnrcs?
is addresstd to ihe fl lowers of the Vf.a-.
of Pence; and by it they are plaiu'rrr
quired to refrain from vioUnce. A'Jh
mm governments are bisrd cn vi.un
Most of them lake life for life
AJIcfiira
xercisf violence at their own J.Wut.vo.
flow then can tb followers c! C'.rii-:-ticipatc
in their 'doings? At! of tfc
hold the war-making power, cnlrp-'i'ie
flood-gates of carnage ar.J Jt:it!i .t '-
own pleasure. How tht-n csn tie i!
p'es of Jesus be joined lo the n,
lVsuch diabolical work X
Allow me now to call fj-ccb! a:
of the readers to ihe different or-
lions put by friend Curtis t-pjn iLc
"ordain." I thank him for lie dic
tion. Such a distinction surely xLi
Let it be kept in mind. I shall La"1'
casion to make use of it. It is ca
very point that we have Leon JM-"
the way. I have never denied i'.s?-?;-"
cation, in the laltct sense, to te rclc"
existing belwttn God and human rT
ernments. My denials touch rnj
the former sense ; and it is this s-c "
that he has contended fur b t-e 'f
from the beginning. It will be res5
bered that the words, "approve,"
proved!1 "approvingly," &c, 1
the way-nurks l-tween us at e"ry
I say then, keep the distinction di:'"c '
ia mind.
He say 3, -But were asiund L'1
tht he approvingly ordains civil ,xt1i
ment because the fact of his hiis
dainedjt is given as the reasoa .
should be subject to it. Ve. "rS,
ruler is exnresslvand repeated c '
th
intsler of God, appointed ioXJ
e mi
ippointe
Is this r:
01 s
sound Has it the least foun-a,:a
truth 1 Docs the fad that God TfV"'
his people to be subject to any
power whatever, prove that he tjS
i Or'
provinghj ordained that power. .
that those they are required to 5U 4
to are called the ministers cj i ,
this any proof I Lus see. rbe Sci.
required his people to be subject"
uchadnczzar, whom he call ta