THE AMERICAN TELESCOPE 3, BY A CLODHOPPER OF NORTH CAROLINA (1825) ELDER JOSHUA LAWRENCE

These beggars are like hungry mosquitoes--knock them off, and they will at you again, and again, until they suck your money, if possible. Say, and prove, if any man can, that there is one trait of true apostolic character in these fellows, and the controversy will be at an end. Their love of money has betrayed them, as it did Simon Magus. Sent out by missionary boards, and not by Jesus Christ, they look for profit by fleecing the people; lugging the cause of God, and the care of the heathen in, to aid them in getting money.

Another deep-laid scheme to get money, is, to draw up the most affecting and sympathetic addresses, to publish in their circulating reports, in which the very bowels of antiquity are often ransacked, to get something that may touch the feelings of the community; for no other purpose, but to get their money. A combination of the best talents is employed to form one of these Circulars, which, at best, to say no worse of them, are nothing but money speculations, human contrivances, and pompous expressions, to deceive the hearts of the simple, and live on their spoil.

Some thousands have been sent to India, to support the lovers of money there, and turn that land of heathenism into a Paradise of saints. And what has been done there? What mighty works have been wrought by all the hundreds of thousands of dollars that have been expended, and all the numerous missionaries that have been sent, from this and other countries! I have heard, as with the trumpet's fame, that about three hundred persons have been, at last, persuaded to renounce cast and turn Christian, after fifteen or twenty years' labor; when a single Peter, a Paul, a Luther, a Whitfield, a Wesley, and others, being sent of God, have done more in a few days or weeks, without the aid of self-created societies, and monied institutions, and numerous beggars not sanctioned by the word of God, nor found in the pages of the New Testament. As the churches in this country are now going on, they will soon be no better than the church of Rome, and the High Church of England; for money and titles have always been the object of Popes and Popish priests, and also of the clergy of the Church of England, who once had the command of sixteen thousand weight of tobacco, annually, in this country, to turn into money. Titles and money have always corrupted the ministry, and they have already begun to disgrace it in North Carolina. The same causes will always produce like effects, and let the true children of God watch and beware.

But to quiet our fears, and make us tamely acquiesce, while the "reverend" clergy cut the strings of our purses, and put the yoke of tyranny snug on our necks, they tell us the mind of God is with his people. If they were to tell me the mind of the devil was with many in this day, who profess to be his servants, I could readily believe it. Can the mind of God be, where the whole soul is engaged in schemes to get money!! Look and see, if you find such a spirit with the prophets, John the Baptist, and the apostles. No, indeed! But be still, say they; this is the way God is about to usher in the glorious millennium. Rather, I say, it is the way that the devil will soon triumph over all true religion, aggrandize his transformed ministers, and make them pensioners of state. Money and education are power; and in the management of skillful hands, great effects may, in a short time, be produced.

Can one instance be shown, from the first of Genesis to the last of Revelation, where God has ever made money a means of spreading his religion? Has it not been done by humble and unostentatious persons, specially chosen by God, without any call for money? Look at Jonah, Peter, Paul, and Barnabas, all sent on special missions. We hear nothing of money or backing societies before they can go: but now thousands must be had on hand, and good promises for more of the precious stuff, before our missionaries can move a peg. And I leave the reader to judge, what side such missionaries belong to.

But it seems that the mind of God is not always with his people, much less, with those that call themselves his people, but are in reality the devil's people; or if the devil does not personally preside in the chair as president, yet he votes in the voters, and that is as good, and much better; because he acts in the background, unsuspected; and you shall see who turns the wheel.

Was the mind of God with the great Baptist Association of Virginia, when they created Samuel Harris Apostle of Virginia? Did not the devil turn the wheel there? We laugh at the folly now, of that set of wise ministers; and so will posterity, in years to come, at all the unscriptural works of darkness now going on, where the devil turns the wheel. And who can help thinking the devil turns the wheel, where money is but too plainly seen to be the object of each and every movement.

Was the mind of God with his church and people of Israel, at the foot of Mount Horeb, when the people said to that great saint, Aaron: "Come make us gods to go before us into Egypt; for as for this Moses, we wist not what has become of him:"--and gave him their gold, jewels and bracelets, of which he made the idol calf; and kicked up such a mighty dust, dancing around the god of their own making.

Was the mind of God with his people, when Jeroboam made the two golden calves, and set one in Dan and the other in Bethel, and said, "These are thy gods O Israel?" Rather, does it not show the consequences of the Church of God being connected with the great men of this world; for then the devil will be sure to turn the wheel. And while our Missionary, bible, and tract societies, and theological schools, are connected with the men of this world, the devil is sure to turn the wheel and give the casting vote in his favor.

To be Continued.

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