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THE PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN. 55


c: 7"" Why cnnnot a true1.' l" on · H. esislunt vote


uuder the Con~ titntionof the United States?"


An~ wer in our next.


o: rOllr list of Lett er s may, we think, be


slIfely orni tt ed, lIs none of thelll contuined re­mittallces,


lind 1I111st of them nre eithe r unim­pOl'tallt


or hllve heel( otherwise 1I0ticed.


o::: r- We tlulIIklully acknowledge th e receipt


of " 4 Treatise 011 th e SecolI( l Corning of


Chl'ist. hy J olm U, Noyes," of I'ntney, Vt. ­We


think it cOlltains some~( to us ) new views


worth con sid ering.


OO- Other deferred comlllunil: ations will he


at; ended to Moon ;_ parli'; lIlarly on e from Cin­cinnati,


Ohio; 0111) an oth e r fi'om lIuhlJal'lls-'


ton. MlIss.- hoth ofwhieh we shall try to , in­sert


in onr next.


o: rAn iml' 0rtallt Jett eI' from Hr. J. H. Say­wllrd.


proposing , I ifficuhies O! I Ihe suhject of


Non- Resistnnce, mu st lay ovenill our ne. xt No '


He nsks us some hal · d l) uestions, bllt we will


try to answ er him. '


ing and health - destroying fashion; till she


learns to put her pecuniary means to laudable


uses, and economizes her resources for tho im­provement


of her mind? ' And how can she


be truly happy,' till she ceases to trim her


charms, and address lier attractions to the gaze


of libertines ? Ho~ v long will she study to


kindle the unholy lusts of creatures in the


shape of men who flatter only to succeed in


playing th e beast, ° when will man and wo­man


he. ill themselves. nnd toward each other,


what it is their privilege to . be !


Hut the world goes as it floes, deceiving it­self


and being deceived, There Is II way to


be good, and wis e anrl happy; God hns shown


it; . hut who wulketh th erein? It is a " way


with here nnd there a trav eller." Let Christ­ian


men unrl women look tn this matter of


dr ess, Let th e/ J, lrend theupostolic exhorta­tions


to ~ o, lIy plainness und s implicity. Let


them put aw ay from th em th ose vniu and mis­chievous


things, which only degrade · them. ­If


th ey look ' with pity 011 th e poor savages,


with th eir paint nnd feath ers, anrl s he lls , and


rude ornaments, let them consider how mu ch


nobl er, wiser , or e ven pretti er th ey themsel ves


are for th eir hallhl es and jew ell'y. I . et th em


aiso con sid er wh eth er th ey cunnot p" t th eir


resources to II worrlli er lise.


It mny be petulaully nsk ed if I wOllld hnve


' people go nnk e, 1 / 11111 rllgged! ° no , denr


. querisl, I woulll hllve th em huv e ju st sn ch nl! d


so lIIuch cl othillg . ' IIS th e very hest of health


rel) lIired . I woul ! 1 hnve th em posse ss a sonnd


mill ll, in II sounrl ho. ly, with a sound ' con­sc


ience . And whllt ever npl'lIrel was fonnd


1II0st conrlnl'ive to th ese results shou ld be the


very olle worn. Nor wOlllrl J bp, th e jtllige of


other peopl e's dec en cy und comfo~ t. [ would


allow latit," le enough to satisfy even many


whilllS, rnth er than he too rigi' 1. In fin e, I


wOllld Io/ lveevery broth er IInll sister IIppenr in


the ouiward ' man, ju st as th ey are willing to


appeur in the presence ' of Iheir · Lord. The


posilion laid flown in ou .. Standard, se ems to


me the true one- not to " array onrselves in


~ ost l y a p ( Ja~ e l ~_ n o r ~ II ~ !! s~ l ess ornnment i',


nor distin gni sh oursell'es by any pecul iar for ­malities


of miment." ~ n c h one mnst inter­pret


and apply llois with nil hon est nnd good


conSCielH'e. , T hen if the .. e. are differ cn ees ; let


them he tolerate, 1 0 1' removed hy frat ernal ~ n ll ­sion


. Ther e is such athillg liS a s tiff, llrtificial,


studieo, overdone plainness nllll roughness of


dr ess , whi l'h instantly attracts ev ery eye hy, its


peculin,' ity. This is an opposite extreme to


the pr ecise, fi, nciliJl. hi gh fin ish cll, eXl) n isit e.


"" pcrline Sll it. \ V o wnllt neither among


ChJ" isti an s. \ Ve Oll!! hl to. he dresi;( lell'lllional ·


Iy. comlin'tahly , mOllestly nlHI with a pl~ in sirn­"


lieit)', so as to th ink littl e ofnul'se lves. lind t'i'/


he tholl ght little ' of h. v heholrl '> rs. on th e seore


ofllttire. Whoev er follows thi s gene rlll ril le


will lIot filii to hOllor th e Chrislian profession.


I mig- ht exte nrl my remarks, hilt will forb ear


fol' the pl'esemt - Irllsting thllt my well- mellnt


allima, h'ersion s on some of th e er l'ol's of the


~ rent siste.. ho od wil l not he const riled into nny


wunt of respe ct or nffectioB for them , butmth­er


ns nil evie lence of, what is really the fact,


my 8incel'e regnrd to ' their hi gh est well'nrc.


( Remaind er in neit No .)


raise up a people . who shou ld try to cllr ry out


the principles of th e gospel. I should esteem


it a great privilege to attend one of your Quar­terly


Confer ences, and thiuk ' I shall try - 10, if


one should ever take place within my reach.


[ have understood that you cannot pet ition


the legislatures. I have thought it must be


right to say to any wicked man, " cellse to do


that wicked deed." It would ohllge me. and


some others of your readers to learn your rea­sons.


II you should write on oruamentul dress


and could muke it convenient to send Thom­as


Haskell two copies, it would he gratefully


received. M. H.


REI'LY.


Christinn Si ster;


. You nre personally n s t ran­ger


to me, hill your communication makes me


suffi ciently well nequainted with you to ad­dress


yon in th e lnngunge J f christian frank­ness.


Panlon my deluy in IlIlting up th e su b­jects


to which yon hav e invited my att onti on ,


They a re importnnt, 1lI111 I hav e only deferred


th em for a senson, that I rnight speak of them


th e more delib erately and freely,


; DR ESS. . ,


I conl'lIr with yon in th e slIggestions you


offi'r on thi s suhject. \ Volllan , viII neve.. rise


to her proper rllnk. till s he cea ses to be a doll­th


e decked aud gewgllwed pllly · thillg of co.. ­;'


lIpt men. She oug ht to be the l'ational, pure


miuderl. illnocent companion of lIIau. A¥ it is,


hoth man al1l1 womlln too oft en lIIutually rle­1!


ra. ie el. l. c.. h... oth er. A true man l ove~ wOlllan


for renl worth, anrl is pleuse, 1 with . her graces


of ge nt leness. kindnes. lIIodesty alld good


Nense. Sh e is heautiful aud lovely in his es­teem


. whetl she is adorn ed in neat nud simple


apparel with out, correspond ing t~ a meek and


l) lIiet spirit within. Then is sh e fit, to he a


wife lind a lIIolh er ; alII) then with sllnh a man


nlllY she he happ)< Hut how nnlike is this


picture to th on sl1l" ls of the Jivin~ s pec ime ns


of hunmnily - to th ollsHlllls of professin g chris-


DR E BS. I'ETjTIO~ ING, & c. t inns e \' e) l. Look ut lhe time imd tnil, the


My Brothe!:; tilr sn" h I hnve esteem ed you health und cOlllfort, the llIoney an, l means,


• ( lv , · r · ~ illee I rc; ul yOllr- 4th of J uly Dis~ OI'H! le - whid q : ru f'.~ " ri fi !, () d on th e ullo r of " IIII; ly_!_


on Slavery. I was great ly \' ejoiceel to lind Behold the slllv,' s of fashion- yell, fashion cop ·


there WIlS one nmong th e nUlllhe .. of those that ied fi'nrn th l! lIIosl 1II0rlllly degrltd e, 1 of mnn­helie"


e in th e final holiness utHl Imppiness of kind in Paris. London und our own /-: re; lt ,: it-all


' mllnkind who rlnrell to open his 1Il0llth in ies. ' Vlmt rla we se e fl'\ llll the crown of the


Ihe pul,; it for th e sllffilrill g . aurl th e cillml '.- heud to th e sol e of th e foot? Lo ok into the


But how mil ch rllore ( li, 1 I rejoi ce wh en on th putr e. th e hall - r oolll, the spl elld ifl pltrlY, the


the pllhlication of your Stnn. lllr, l I I" nmed pa .. lo.., th e hou s~ of wor~ hip, anll , nil th e plu-th


' Jt th er e wer e five of th e prn'fesseo ministers. ceNe f Ilispluy. , \ Vith a few red e", nlin g e xce p~


of th e gospel, who hlld di scflverell th nt th e ~ t i o n s. we see wOllin II arrayed in IIppllrel un­IJI'Hvailing


view s, feelin gs lI11rl con_ nft of 1'.. 0- lIalllral, unhealthful, llxtrnvllgant, fillltllsti c nn, 1


fessing christians; WHre nt vnrinnce with th e nhsllrd. The description of th e dau ghters of


precepls anrl eXllmple of J esus and th e ApoN- Zion given hy th e p\' ophet Isuiah will lIot ex­ties.


Thoul-( h I believe I Illlly " ay I hllve actly deserille thHpr esent gen eration o f ladies


thou ght seriously on nil th e suhj '~ cls melltion- so clllle, l, hilt hns " ollie sig nifica nt IInlllog ies. -


ed in th e Slnnclnl'fl, y ~ t one of them. wldch a: r" The , lau ghter s of Zi on are IllllIghty, lmd


see ill S Im'~ li'~ lIlltrly to eon cern my sex, has heen walk with " lre l!: hed · till'lh necks nllcl wanton


a source of deep IIn x ie ty. Yon suy " we cnn- eyes. und min cill g liS th ey go ; vith lh e hmv ery


not army ourselv es iiI costly appll.. el, nor well\' ~ f th eil' tinkling orn ame nts ,. and canis. nnd


IIsel ess ornaments. nor distinguish on .. selv es l'Ound tir es lik e th e 1II00n, th e c hoins , alld the


hy ully peculiar formalities of raiment." Now hracelets, und th e mllfflers, th e honnels lind


it seem s to me thllt th er e lire few. if any arti- th e ol'llllm ents of th e legs, ano th e heall hands,


CIHS offemale dress, which can he mnd e with- und the tahl els, l1 ' nd th e ear · \' ings, th e r ings


out IIsele" s ornl1l11elll , in sllch a rn ~ nn er as not atHl no se- jew els, the cliangeable su its ofap­to


di stingu ish th e wellrel · . I clln thillk of. no pll.. el, lind the nlUntles, und the wimples. and


slihj ect on which plll ; lic opinion is more: ah - tlte crisping pins," & c. & c.- I , sai llh 3: Hi- 23:


surd than that of female dress . \ Vhilst it re- SuppoRe on e of our Illdy eXl) uisit es, corn­quires


th'em to work for almost nothing, it .. e- pletdy atti red in th e new est fi, shion' of th e Pa­l)


nireil the~ to dress in almost eve .. y thing. I .. isiull hUriots, should cOlllemplate he.. figure


. ha ~ e heard the remu.. k IIInde. that · it cost mo .. e iu a la.. ge mirru.., and, there alone soh erly IIsk


to'rl .. ess a woman in filshion thlln it dill a 1I111n, her self a few dose qu estions. " What am I ?


am) it seems 10 lIIe to be It fuct. I am ali'a id Why am I t.. icked ollt in this style? Am I


that the stir thntis now heing macle nhout \" 0- comtill'tllhle ? Am I p" ollloling my helllth?


men's Rights will uVllii them hut little. if th ey Am I milking tile ri ~ ht use of my tim e, mo­do


not discov er i. t to he II1110ng Iheir Ri ght s to ney lind menns? To whom am I s tr iving to


mak e a rational use Qf th eir money and tim e. lIIake m)"' elf IIltl'llctiv e? \ Vhat sort of UII in­I


lllll aWII.. e th at it is II " el'y , Ieli cllte s uhJec t, flu en ce shall I ex e.. t on heholde.. s ? By whom


. lInrl will perhnps excite ns mlH: h ridicul e liS would I he ndlllired IIIl1I clI.. es._ ed ? Am I a


Non- resistllnce its elf, if it s hould come up fill' woman with II rational ' and ' illlmortul soul ?


a full an, 1 fni!" eliscu ssion . If you can .. en, 1 Am I llcting ~ I pa .. t worthy of my destiny?


thi s scrawl, nn. 1 Ileem th e " uhject ofsllffici olll AmI prepa.. ed to s tllnd in the pr esen ce of my


importnnce, plellse to give you.. view s in th e Mnke..? Do I resp ect myself? 0.. hnve i rea­Prllctical.


Chrisliun, alld you will ohlige a sub. sOllto ' lie llshunll: ll of myself fo.. this ' carrica-scriher


. calu .. e of WOlllllllhood?" Thcse l) uestions


Since wriring th e uhov e. yo. ur a .. tiele on wouhl , Imw up Ii'om th e wells of wisdom


COlllmunities hus COllie 10 hanel, ano I UIII iiI. so me sallllllry an swers. How cun womlln


led wilh joy to learn the~ t the sllhj ect is op en .. e~ pec t Iter sell till she do es justice tO, h er own


for cliscussion am ong YOIl . I hu\" e loilg hcen illllllortal ' mind- ti ll she places , thut mind


fully satisfied that non e of the existing associu- lIuo\ ' e h ~ r oecu yill g body- till she ' transfers


tion s which bClll' the ch .. istian name wer e clll- her mistuken devotion f.. om the corruptible to


culated to p.. omote pmcti" al chrislillnily in its the incor.. uptihle,? 1I0w cau womlln b'c free


primitive simpliciIY; . and I hnve eamestly alitI ilHlep clld ent, in th e best sense of those


prayed to Illy Futhe.. in Hcaven that he would wo.. ds, till sh e br eaks th e sh a~ k les oftorment-euce


between th e r ighteous and th e wicked in


the gruve. They speak of the dead in gener­III.


and describe th eir state as the same for all.


Th ey themselves were highlyfavored o( God,


nnd had no reason to fear what was after death.


- Y et they speak of themselves as singularly


blessed in being spared from going down into


. rhe pit- into thut lund of silence where the in­habitants


prnise not the Lord, neither hope


for his truth, nor declare his loving- kindness.


They we re not speaking of a future ret ribn­tiou


; no r defining the moral condition of sin­ners


· hey. ond the g'ruve, 11 0" 1' asserting the im­possibility


of their experiencing a change of


character th er e. It is very plain that they have


no reference to such qu estions. I ud eed we


, must conclude, eithe r thnt th ey rnennt to de­~


r. ribe IIIl1n mainly us a corporeal bein g. orthat


th ey IUIII no cl ear conce ptions ofn fhtu re im­mo


rtal stat e. If 111m co rr ee t ill th ese views,


th en may lnot respecrfully usI, what th ese


p" ssa~ es hnv e to do with the qu esti on of the


fiuul stare of'mnukind P ' I'h ey a re tru e in th e


sen se of th eir uuthors, .0J" nt lenst true aecord ·


iug to th eir views of th e deu rl, Hilt IlIIs 1I0t


Christ abolish ed denth, nnd hrou gh: lile uud


inunortality to li1! ht? Do not we hlJlieve in


, the resmreclion of th e dead? If fio 0 11.. vision


ISnot lust i;, the o, bscu.. ity o, f the gl'llve, nor


hnllllllE'd hy the shndows of sh eol; we look


heyond the gl'llve, IInel ' : OI ~ t ernpl llt e th e just


• 1I11t! tim Ulljus t, as ra iserl frolll the dead to nn


en. lless ex is lence . The moment we con si, l er


this. the pII~ s,,!! es hefore us lire . Iismis" efl. as


hll\' in!! n~ .. e fere ne tl \ 0 th e finlll issll e lIfthin/: ll.


Thes e lire snllle of my view s .. esp cctill~ th e


teXIs preselll e, 1 for expllllllltioll . IInrl rel! pec t~


ing tile l) 1I ~ sti oIl S " Rised on them. J mii! ht say


IIlnl'h · rno l · e. hnt ha\' e aln'lIdy exceerlerl tile


lilllit s I hll, l pJ'eserihed to Illysell. I sllhrnit


, he rn ' ln my inqllirin!( h.... th e' · . in th e hope thllt


lh ey rnny nRi. rd hilllllnd ,1Ihers 1111 th e 1l11lisliu: ·


tion whieh con l, 1 ha ve been rellsonuhly ex­pect


ed .


ly to loye and ob ey God with the whole heart


- to renounce and abhor. sin- to be holy as


God is holy- is not peculiar to anyone stat e,


but remains theisullIe in all . wor lds to ull et ol';


nity. Not so particular duties growing out of


i IIhis geuerul · duty. Circurnstunees modify and


change these. When ' we have put off flesh


and blood, the. particular duties peculiar to this


mortal state cease, The general duty remains,


and n~ w particular duties ari se. Thus we


cannot ' murder , commit adultery, fbrnicution,


orthefi,& c. & c. in the next world. The partic­ular


duties to preserve life, to be chaste, to he


sober , to feed the hungry, clothe- the naked,


&' c . & c. must cease with us at, death. If we


hove performed filithfully the particular'[ dnties


of this life, or hnving fulled in part to perform


th ern ~ illlve heartily rep ented, and proved th e


genuin cn ess of that repeutnnce Ly afterwards


filithfully performillg tho se duties, we pass In


our account in peace. But if we have refused


or neg leered to perform th ese purticulnr duti es.


livillg out life to th e lunts ofthe flesh , we di e


allll pllSS to the gr eut scrutlny of the Futuro


guilty, ashumed arul full of remorse. Ther e


we must un swer ~ fo r i the deeds done in the


body, and receive th e just recompense of our


wnrks. Our sins w. i'l follow und find uBout.


.\ ud fhm th ere cun he no esc a pe from tim


woeswe hllve t.. ellsured up. \ V e ': an no mure


eBenl'e thelll. than we mill fly frolll ourselves;


ror th ey will he iilus, and hoil np ns a tilllJl ­lDili


out of our souls. Then' we CIIlIlIOt go


hack to corre,: t our lIlisehni'ces, our nt'glects of


duty, aud ollr uhlls e of fi, rlll er ' 0I'I' 0rtll/ liries. ­There


will be uo , pl'flhatioll till' us , ill whi ch


we CIIII retrieve the dr cudful en;/ I" s' of II lIIis­apellt


life. We shllll. mt of th e li'/ li t ofour do.


ill g~, 1I11d he tilled Wilh nllr OWII devi , · cs. 10


this , illulller will God I'llt II j lls t di still cti oll Le­lween


tlie ' ri ~ h t e o us 111111 th e wicl, ed;. 1111.1 ill


Ihis ~ v a y will h" llluuhle lind suhd lle tlw wick ­er!


. He do es Ilothillg ill vllill; he IIlwav s


reeks u j( ood ellll. ' The" filllll Illise.. ies of li, e


wil. k e, 1 will be ov errule, l lilr the destrllctillll


ofsill ' lIl1flthe'uuh'en," 1 ree tll'rioll of holiu,¥, s.


Prohlltio'illllld rcu'ihilti lJn sllc ceed ea ch other,


in th; ois~; tions ~ f, lhe diviue g~; vernrnen t.


.~ . Iny ;;/ ld night. see d tim e uno harvest, do iu .


IIIll nutuml world. TI. is will, I believe, ul• .


ways he th e cns e with free morul agellts. illltil


they ' hecollle IIhsolutely cllllfirmed in the lov e


of holin ess, so ItS lIever rnore to el.... . The doc­triue


tllllt this life is ou ? ltprohation and on .. on ­ly


prohutioll fo ~ ihe age, or world of retrihll­lioll


next to come is corre ct. I sllbscrihe'lI; iI,


111.1 do not' hold thltt . m e single particullli' d il­ly


peculiar to the stute of flesh und hlood, huv ·


IIg hlllm negleeted hel" e, can he recalled iHld


' erfonued there. But th e COUllnon do ct riu e


thai the presellt life is th e one only ' p l'Ohation


for all eternity, so tllllt mlln will nev er hell fr~ e


1II0l'ld ugent lifter ileath, will ne\' e .. he ~ lI o wed


10profit hy I, is pllllishlllellls, will uevlll' agllin


xperience th e mer cies of Gelli. ( llId will nev er


Ie plaeed ill a cOlld it'ioll III hecome holy IIl1d


0l'py, I utterly rej ect. liS Ill1tiullllled eithe r ill


( eveilltion or rea SUII, IIl1d li S , Ierogatory to th e


I, amct er oflhe llIfillite Father. If IIccol'll ­IIg


to ' tI, ese stntem ellt s I h olr! ' the do ctrille of


lture prohution, IIl1d/ hi" is whllt Illy hrother


ude,' st811ds' me to ' hlll, l, I am prepared to


1I1l1illtain Ih e po sition with u liJl! aSSIll'lll1l'e of


its/ m/ h. And ce rtaillly the texts whieh he


' deems irreconcileubl e wilh tit is llo ctrine, do


Dot, to my IIpprehension, pr esent th e ~ I i g h test


dOllut of its sOllndness.


' 1' he first of these passng es is the langullge


lof Hezekiah. king of Jllduh, allll the two last


I , are the wo .. ds ofDavid, king of Israel. Both


I ' lhese lIIen a r~ milked ainong the nncient saints.


Hezekiuh had heen dangeronsly sick, ami re­covered


hy the divine interposition. He cel­ebrates


this me .. cifu I illt erposition. 1111'" COIII­pares


his stute in , the land of the living with


what he helieved it wOllld have been in tl; e si ­lence


of the grave. Davio makes the ~ nrlle


wmpnrison between life and , Jeuth. Both of


them sp eak of the · stllte of the dend nccordillg


tothe then curreilt c: onceplion of it- liS a ,' e-


" gion ofsilence, inactioll and perpetual , lurk­lJess:


' They evidently cOlllemplate mun c hinl' ·


Iy with respect to his ph ysical powers und fac­Dilies,


and not with regllrd to his intelligent


apirit. Alive here on eurth in th e body. he


acts unll enjoys, hilt deno niHI in his g.. av e, he


iidorlllant, inactive, without animation 01' ell­joYment.


This was th eir ~ i e w of Illan, as th ese


lelts COt\ tem~ late him. . T h.~ y" make no differ- '


•

Page 55 of Volume 1 from The Practical Christian 1840-1841

Ballou, Adin

1840