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, 46 TilE PRACTICAL C HR IST IAN.


COMMl1NICA'; l'IONS.


~ UA RTERLY CONFERENCE.


OUI' next Q narterl y Conferenje will be hol d ­en


in Berlin, !\ lass., on th e last Wedll esd uy


and T'hursduy, 28th lind 29th , of' rhe present


month ( Octoh er ). ' Frien ds unrl Br ethren, nt­tend-


s- and if you ca nno t auend, he sure lind


se nd u s each II good lelt er.


I. ETTERS AND REMIT' 1', lNC.: S.


, P. 1\ 1. Beve rly, lUs. A. H. Curlis le , M s.


($ 1). Friend, Gloucester, Ms. C .' G. Sou th­boro,,'


l\ l s. S . H. O. Haston . " I~ . 1), Clll lI­brid


ge, Ms. R ev . J. H. S. Ilosrou, Ms. J. H.


Berlin, ~) 8. S. C. Dedham, Ms. ' R ev. G. 1L


Boston, I\ 1 s. C. R . No~ t li Chelmsford, I\ ls. ­Rev


. C . H. Westr uinist er , 1\ Is.


{ l]"" We int ended to hav e lIl: sw ererl th e in­q


uiri es ofOilI' Br, Taylor in th is number, but


we are obliged to defer th em t ill I ~~ xt week .


We also meant to hav e published and re o


plied to the cornmunl~ ution o f 0111' ' worthy


friend in Gloucest er, on tl; e subject of'- o rua ­'


men ta l dress, nud the peririoning Legistatu res


' Ve will . a. ttend to th ese matters SOOIl.


wlTJi oul' Gal>.


' VIIO, belovell relllier. I" an cOlll" ei ve the dllrk­ness


of th e lIIind with ont GOII? To live , and


vel not to live- to sce, al,, 1 ve r to 1m hlind to


lilith ' s hrigbl visio n of nelwen', olt who cnn heRr


it ! Let fl ll rklles ~ r. over lli e li, ir Sl'e lles of eurth


imp1' l · J.! lIart! d / I S il is Wilh sin=- Iet Ih e wuvin lt


grass, th e Ii-:. gr lllll flllw " r!', d ie , t ro, rn th e visioll


lit rnidsllllllnllr: s 1I'/ lY, IIml wlio wonld not


, moilrn ill fles f'lIir? Bllt whlll lire th e fadinff


s,: e nes of lIatll rc, tb e e p ll~ me rn l t bi llA's ofellnh,


COI1l f'III'ed witll hope ill GOII liS II s pi ritlla l Fll­th


er, ill hellven liS th e halli e of tllOsOIlI ! Oh,


wll o ' 81 11111 "' I'" ltk th e w rel chedn es~ Of lhllt wan­de


rilll; "" II " I' Ad! tln, tlmt " miller orollr rll, ce,


wh o in solitlltle lil'es 111111 di es, withont God


01111 hop e ill th e world !


Frolll my so1l1 j pity him , fill' he isan ohj ect


ofIIee l' comrnisern rion. J I" n...: lIor for his Ollt­",


Vit i'll c ondition, be it eve r so f1atler illl{- a se­cre


t voice fi'OlIi his " 0 111, cOIII, 1 it be heurll,


would in th e midsl of hon ol's, tili lls, r i!: h es RIlII


pleasllre, spen k his ntl m' empt iness / lnd \\' 00,


And yet 1II1111 , hlest Wilh in tell ectual grent nell~,


will harter Ilwny his hnp e in hell\' un , hy c hns­ing


th e shudo ws lind huhbles of ellrlh! l\ Iun,


thou art a trllitor 10 thine own so ul ! GOtI


dwell s wilhin Ih)' hr l'ust , 111111 thou mllsl InhoI'


to still hill mi /!' hty voice! ' He s peaks in ev ery


throh ofth e henrI , ill every ' ve in / llid fihr e, nnrl


how ca ns t rholl he . le / lf lo slIch u VOi" ll! Thou


wast mllflc io IllY hold upon lh e Jnfillil ~- hO\ T


ca ns t th ou he in ; 111 rhin e aspiration s finite ' 1_


Thou h a,~ 1 pow ers to grusil with eternitY- CUll


tillle be t11~ n e all?


WitTIOI! t God! l\ Jy hellrt sic llc ns nnfl trem­hies


ill utteriug 1hese wonJ8. , They scald lip_


a n the tou gu e. Who is he bellrin g rhe image••


of Deil y, and ye t kn ow s not his orign , feels


not bi s des tiny? ] S , Ihat hein/ r who wanders


ab olll in lIIidni ~ ht rlllrk uess, ' withont a spiritu.


ul F athel', } IAN ? ) hllve 1I0t a heart t~ believe


it: , Oh, whllt cnn huv e perve, · ted t" he very


brellihin gs, ofth e>~ oul, that fini slnng stroke of.


th e I; rellt Architect's haud, as to say, ifso we


musl- without GQd!


Ah, rhe so lllli on of thi s int errO/ ralory is now


e,: en in the month :-' God . made mlln IIprighl,


hut he hath sou:; ht Ollt IlIlIny inv entions.' ­Sin,


th at tremendouil e vil, at which fools only


make a mo ck, hns nlienated the he art and


hlindell th e eyes. ' The heart is rlec eitful


above allih in gs, al1fl desp erulel y wi cker!.' I


wQuld not, th en', had I , the ahility, s ta ll to rea.


SOil met llph ysicQlly with the sceptic. ' ~ e has


no heurt tn feelul1llaj, preeiut e a rgument, how.


ev er urgent. ' H is mind is so perverled , tbat


he sees not th e bro ad s nnlig ht of truth, tbat


s hilles around him. How, th en, will he see


the truth pr esenlerl in th e weak language 0,


mlll1 ? ,


) woulll love him as a hrother. I would


pit y him llS Christ pi ties him. I would seek


constantly for grace and wisdom, that I might


live before him, th e 100' eliu ~ s ' of pure , C h ri~.


I, jan ity . In lily cx nm plc I wou" l hr euthe up.


nod ownwnrrl tenden ci es. As th e rose open


to th e ray s of the sun, so ope ned his SOliI to


illuminution s from God. H is affeetions were


e ver wal'lIl- his emotio ns e ve r divine AI,


. wnys WIIS he in u fram e of'mind tc ussuma the'


office ofT each er, always righ tly to divide the


word of truth, and 10 gi ve to enc h clu ss that


thronged up on him its npproprhuo IJro portion,


Not for th e ' movin g of't l. e s pi rit' h~ d h e lri


wail j fill' lrolll lillY to rlny, und from hour tol


hour, it dwclt in him wit hout measure. \ Vhen


ever he s po ke his uuernn ces wer e uatuml an d


spontaneo us :- ne ver re lur- tnnt, nev er forced,


, never culled forth hy ' i lcl lillg enrs,' lind be;


• cau se he was 1\ 11 anno nnced, nil ex pe cted


Silcllile r. On 1111 oCCIISiOIiS he spoke a lit ' from


a filII ' heart , oTl11 heeuu se he would fill the


hearts of othe rs wi th his own lar ge and wnrm


lllOlI/ 1 bIS. Hi s very worlls- tlLt! 1 were spirit


lIlId life . Ther e ' was II sonl to rh ern ns "; ell as


a hOlly. Hi s ow n sn ul WIIS thr own into th em


- H'nd this it wus thut consrru iued some who


' hea rd him to exc l;. illl- ' Ne\' cr man spa ke like


thi s man .'


But we mu st co nc lnde Ih is nlremly too lon g


arti cle, hop ing herea fler 10 lIoti ce the pamphlet


IIncler cOlls ide rntion mor e pllrti enlarl y. lUea n­while


we wonld slll! ges t to fr : clld Pulm er ,


wb ether th e precept-' Honor 10 \ Vbom honor


is du e,' is not ove r looked in his tr eutment ofl


the SU\' i or. ' He does notnnder SIllnil him, we


nre ' eonfident. W. H. F.


ha~ e not ye t found a s ingle soul, in whi ch his


peculiar excellenc ies ar e embodied in one half


th eir dlvinity, The purest of them, uud the


best, we hav e fou nd to be wanting iii the most


essen tia l of his heav enly qunlificat ion s. NOlie


o f th em have we found to Ile not of Ilie world,


as he was 1I0t of th e world- no~ e ofth em us


high as he was, ill renlily, nor as humble aud


lowly- nolle so full o f a holy spir it of se lf­sa


crific ing love, nor so ready 10 noti ce und


comfor t th e unfortunate outcasts of 0111' race-: ­nor


so compe tent. And we ca nnot yet con­sent


to COllipar e lin/ other being with him. ­Ben


eath th e infin ite God we co nceive of non e


greate r, Not un idea is there th ai e ver enters


our mind, th at is 1II0re divinely pllre, ' nobl e


a nd sublime, th an th e on e that is fon ue d there


wh en we eu utemp late Chris t on th e c ross .


pru ying for hi~ murder ers- or Christ gIOl'ified,


us he now must be, in the un veiled presen ce


of tho Inv isible. lie see ms to liS wlnu he is


decl ar ed to be by an ap ostl e: ' The brightuess


of th e divine g lory, lind th e expressimage of


th e C rcll t~ r~ s person.' In th e ' face of J esus


Chris: we have th e kn owledge of the gl ory of


Gad. '


1\ 11'. P almer may " ay th at our conceplion o f


" A LETTER " l'O THOSE WHO ' l'lIINK.'" J esu s is not tIle lrll c co nception, allli th at the


This js u Slllnll pamphlet wl~ i ch we hav e re- hislory of his ) ife will not justify u1l in fo'rmillg,


ceiverl frolll its author, Edward J'almer, Ullft one so high ; IllIt we feel 811 re that so fitr from


' filr which ; as well us for othf: r fav or s of the bein g too ~ Ii gh , it is too low. No one e1111 fiJl­kind,


he has our t! llIul, s. !\ Ir. Pullllcr we huv e Iy IIl1der stand !\ tru e sOlll, hUln tru e soul- u


III ways est eemed liS Il since're, ca ud ill searc he r Iwav eul)' 1I11l1 glor ificd h ~ ing, but a hea veuly


aft er truth lIud righ teou sn ess , lIl1fl thongh he i~ lind glQri fied hein g. And we iud eed feel ill­in


~ o me resl . ects ultrll or trun St: endellllll, to a ' competent to declal'e th e perfect ion s of J eSU8, . ' . ~


degr ee thllt we C811 nOt go with him, we ar e by ev en us tlley appear to liS. ' Vords C~ IIl/ l0 t do


no menUll dispos ed to sp eak Oll t ugainst , him it- not e ven when th ey lire ' spirit lind Iife.'-


in tile hursh to nes of ce ns ure Ilnd denllncia- And lifter we sho uld hllve plnced onr view s uf


tioll, Illdeed, we are free to cOllfess th at we Ilis c hnruc te~ up on puper, in the cleurest and


11lIve 1I10re sympatby ' for , atlenst, his spi" it, mo st st r ik ing lIIannel' possible, we should be


th- an forl th e sl'iri~ of so mc of th ose . who pre- impressed wi th th e filct that we had th en' tail -.


s nmc to'sit in jllligment npon his castl, und ed to declure on e - hllif ofl! iS'glory. ' It is the re­cast


him ' ont as lin infid el. ) f he is not a Chris - fore becnn se we wouirl love somethin g trll e'


tinn , there i~ evidently lIlore of the love ofGod and excellent IItlll goorl thllt we would love


in him, and of man, th lln in IlInltitudes- per- h ill~, and be h is ' di sciple. And alth ou gh 1\ 11'.


haps the maj orily- who wear this Facl'ed ti- Pilimer SRyS th e tim e has nowcorn e in whi ch


tie. It is not ' ev ery on e th at saitlt L ord, ' man mll st not he a follow er of !\ Joses, or J e­Lord,'


to Jesus. Ilud ex a ltet h, him ~ 1).: Jl'Pr~, IjllL . s us~ u llt. o f.. the.. l ig, iit_ w i lh i n h i m, !...\ ve ,:" ou f'l


th ey who do llw will of God, tluit will lte IIC- stly th at th e tilll e has lIot f,: ome. ill which on e


cepted in the judgment. One who is nllltched rUtIll 11 I8Y, 1I0t receiv e lightfrom anotllel' j and


to goodness 118 he is to life, and wh o is aiminll his palllphi et is ev ide llce th at he hilllscifis st ill


' c olltinllllily to reuli ze his noul est co nce ptio ll seek il, lg to commu nic llle light. Nor clln th er e


in I. is own soul, olld hy oh edi en ce, teullin!\" he u lJuesti oll thot he des ires to be listen erl to


towlmls it from cJny to dlly- he is a 1I10r e luith- with cnlldor und lIllention- fOi' he ~ peu l~ s to


luI follower of th e Savio r , thollgh he dis~ ent those whoJhillk. Yet ti . is does not look as


/ i'om the populur creells of th e dny, th ull lie is th oll gh hc believed tlillt ilion lIIuy now \ Valk ,


who professes lilliCh, Ollrl hos' eve l' cert nin holy ill th e WilY of 1I'lIth alld rigilleou511ess tl7luided


alld scriptural words on his lips, hu t who is )' e t - de pe llli exell/ nt'ely npon th e light within. ­us


hurrccl in love lIlid good works as 0111' c) er- And if he wo1I1l1 huve us sho w his pUl1lphlet


gy ollli c h urc h melllher s gen erally are. " T he to our / i'iefllls, thllt thus th ey llIuy be led by


time cometh , and now is, ' thRt dead formaIi- ' 1llIt' to God. wh ere is th e IIl1rellsonublen ess of


ties and mere lip service, mll st pnss 8WRy, IIf11J our poillliu/!, th ese ' fr iends to J esu s, thllt they


God he worshipped ill spiri t und in trllth- ol · may be led hy him to th e snme SOIlI'ce of light


ways und ev ery where, aiid in e~ er. l' thing- ' Ilnd ! l le! sed llesss. This divill e T ellch er do es


ill daily, conduct ond conver sutlon, I S ;' vell as 1I0t pluce himself IIho ve God- or IIltove th e


in meeting hou8es blld co nfere llce .' nolll s. ' light witl Jin ,' for wh en th e will of God is per-


But we think, nev ertheless, thllt Mr. Pnlm- fe~ tly oheye d- whe n th e hUlllon will is bmken


e l' 11Ils over lea ped th e truth , 111111 stllilds up on lind sultlllled, lIncl th e so 1l 1 is wil ling to bc led


u llte nnhle groll ~ d. ' Ve'lIl'c sa lisfied th ut he' hy rhe S piri t, whithe rsoeve r it will, thell he re­himself


hilS th ought hilt very little- aI II! OSt, sig lls his Illiss ion. His language is: ' Not e v­su


pe r ficilllly- u pon some of th e poims which e l')' olle tllllt , suith unto me Lord, Lord, sh ull


he notices in the pamphlet befor e liS. His e llte r illlo th e killgdom ofheuven, hill he rhat


view s ofChristi;; n ity Ilre altogeth er illUflmiss i- doeth th e will o f my Father which is in heuv-ble


j und some th illgs th at he sUYl! ill rete rence ill." '


to mirucles, we are astonish ed tlllIt If shollid Awl now ure th er e not sOflle poor, suffer ­e


ver have put up on pUl'er .-:- He slIys on th e in g, ntHicled fIlortllls, / i'iend Pulmer, who nelld


first page of his pamphlet ': ' Though i't is no COIISollltion IIl1d comfort lind encoural; ement ?


slllull matter to be II true Christiull , Ina", see Oh ! th e world is full of th em , But to whom


that it is mudl , more to be II wh ole, n simple sha ll tlu; y go? Certa inly you will 1I0t d en y'


and u true man'- und d- efines a Cbrhl illu 10 be that th ey ca n he ben efitt ed somewhnt by some


on e \\' hose ' heart or uffection s nre right.'- ' henven- illnght friend j and we think ' you


FI'Drn this announcement, howev er , we leurn would find it within yourself to say II word to


to our, own sotisfactio~; t llll t Ch.' istill ility as it them if , op portu nity ', should present. ' A nd


is, our friend has not yet " een j and thut his wh y wOllld yo u keep tbel" from him who so


erroneolls conception of it, is th e s h! Jalllpon nffeeli onutely took IIpon himself the offic e of


which he fOlinders. His ideal mun l nlllY be cO'll fo rtel', when ah out to sepa rate from his


above what the church that now is, re: ognizes di sciples, who sto od w~ epin g IIrounrl hilll ?_


as a Christian ; hill if we understand him, lie Who e lse so compe te nt to, bind up the hl'Okel;


has yet fuiled to reuch Ih~ itleul ofJe su s. At he nns of those who mourn? We are llot­nny'rate,


we are not sa tisfied with what we Wilh nil defei'en ce, we think yOIl are llot- or


SuiJ!, ose he wall III make us j lind mus t st ill nny on e we kn ow of- lind hence we sny, ' Look


crave some th! ng thnt see illS to us hi ~ h er and to J esu s.' When we ~ ee one whose soul is


1Il0re god- like- more diffusely synputhetic mor e full o r compassion tlllIn his wns- mor e


and benevolent. And wilhout th e lelsl int en - a nx ioull th ut mell shollid be brought int o a


tion of he. ing severe or IIncharituble, or per - sta te ill wh ich th ey s honld r ea lize th e presen ce


8Onal, we affirm that of all those of anI' uc- of God iii th eir own so u ls- filld the comforter


qn uint ance, } Vho have heen ' inclinc,\ to look there, we will illvite them to look to him :- hlll


upon J esus as an impostor, or nnllltural l'n - we do not ex pec t to.


ihus iasl, or II silJlple, IInllutlJOr ilali vemun, we In Jesus t! lere WIIS no coldlless- no eart bly .


ocrThe Massachusetts Association of R es­torationists


meets this week'ill Westmioister,


Mass. \ V e < lid not get the noticc in season, or


' we llhould bave puhli8hed it irfo nr last. Mu.,


! I e n d o n, October 15, 1840.


-, THE PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN.


~


NON- RESISTANCE ~ IEE T tNG.


The second annual me eting of the New­England


Non- Resistance S oci ety , was he ld at


the Chardon st, Chapel, Boston, on the 23d


and 24th ult.- 4I1ld proved, as was anticipated,


II very interesting occasion . A goodly number


oft, the most free . and pure nilild erl men and


women in our land conve ned to testify th ei r


de votion to a despised and unpopular, but


heavenly cause, and to Interchange the unso­ph


isticated br e athings of ind ep endent tbo ugh'"


' Ve are aware when we us e such Inngtlage


fOS this concerning our Non- Resistant breth r en


, t hnt we s hal l he thought by some . l! cruzy pan­egy


rist of tbe veq craziest nest of fanatics ex­aut,


Hut th is docs not move us; we jshall


, s, pellk what we think, and ut iet' what we feel


The Non- Resistance cause ' is essentially the


ca use of Ch r ist, and de spit e of a most formi­dahle


league agninsr it hy r elig ious tea ch ers


lind bodies, who pour forth their scorn, con­tempt


,; nd denunciation in torrents, it will y et


_. tr iulllp h gl oriou sly over 1111 opJlositi on . It '


contains the element s of a gl'eat moral revolu­tion,


\ vhich.. wh en til lIy de vel op ed, will tIIoke


the Church a new heaven, and the State a new


earth. · But not to l lrovoke the laughler of nn


helieving prudence, we will forbeur propJlellY­ing,


illlJ retu rn ' to h illtory. ' fhe meetings,


~ hough respectable, were not cl" owd ed, Ulld


quite a number of the tru e uno tri ed, wh om


we hoped to greet, were abse nt . Y et we be­,


lieve the attendanee and interest tlt is yeur ,


were on the whole quite equ a l to those of t1ie


last- notwithstanding th e a ll. ub8Orh ing influ­ence


of politics. It was gt" lIti( ving to obse rve


that sound and discriminating views of our


1, rinciples, in their hearings on humun gov el'll­ment,


are gaining ground. This is u poilll >< l


difficult to sellle and exp1l1in, uncJ tiO liuhle to


be misappl'ehended by prejudiced opposel's, '


that Non- Resistants cun hardly be too careful


in theil" statemelllS rellpecting it. We were


particularly pleased with Br. Garrison's Annu­al


R eport. It will ' be found, il'we ar e compe­t


ent to judge, (! lie of bis best productions ill


this line. We hope his enem ies will read it,


. and then tell us ' how much of an infid el and


. anl\ rchist it proves him to he.


As to the sp eeches and remarks offered in


the meeting, th er e wus mlll: J1 ill them to , ap ­prove


amI adIII ire, and somethillg of co urse , to


throwaway. ' Ve had, th e qu estion severu l


tim es put to us-" do you Rpprove ofall such


expressions aud modes of d iscu ssio ~ l ?" Well.


what if we did, not? WllIIt if onr particulur


taste and feelings were crossed ? Should ' we


therefore take ourse Ives ' off, nud IIblludon a


gooucause? No; we lire for light, alt hough


, it displays sOllie un seeinly objects. We would


not have universul d arkness mer!, ly tor the suke


- o f hllving all persons a nd thiugs of on e colour.


' Ve are for Iiherty, although some men play


() ft'very un couth an ties. ' Ve ar e for the right


' Bide and the jnst cau~ e, although some who


. advocate the same are rough hewn lind unpol­ished.


We ' would ' ha ve all men who ure


mainly right,. altogether right, lilUltiess, pertect.


But thi s ' is tlot to be expected : If we


kept aloof from ev ery good , ClltlSe tliat hilS illl­perfect


ll~ i~ ocates, and s tayed , awuy till our


taste were ilUited in all resp ects; we should do


, like a great many other fastidious souls- thro w


- ourselves into the ~ ca le of iniquity, oppressiou


, a nd murder. \ Ve have our own way of treat ­.


in'g all Lhese su l~ ectll, and thnt , way is some­iWhatdifferent


ft'om the way ~ fthose who nre


< really our betters. ' Ve shall adhere to our


way, and , tolerate them '; n theirs. We go for


principles ruther than ', phrRBes , for trnth rather


ihan rhetorick, for a righ t cause rather th lln


graceful and gentle s pee ch.' Meantime we


shall exert willit littl e influellCC we possess in


favor of a ' cahn, kinrl, melting e n unc iation of


truth. And we hope to see the day when ou'r


' Philanthropic anrl religious IISBCmblies will


hear less Ipeeehifiying, and more plain, sensi­ble


talking- Jess scold~ ng, and 1I10re persua­sion.


But still, if we must have a fine lie, or a


, coarse truth, give us t~ e coarse truth by all


means.

Page 46 of Volume 1 from The Practical Christian 1840-1841

Ballou, Adin

1840