Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1852-06-17
gFruln tho Due-N'cst Telescope.
RAcKING nnT

: For number OF years, the General Assembly
of tho O. S. Presbyterian Church, have had IN
Annual Sermon on Popcry, us regularly rs :,
Sermon on Missions. These sermons have
usually been pre-; chcd by the ablest men in their
church, ,.and as q consequence have been charac.
terized by marked ability. And, we doubt not,
have done muchin opening the eyes of hotcs-
tants, as 10 the nature of Popcry, and the pur-
poses Of Catholics in this country.
The sermon, this year, was to have been
preached by DR.. J. A. Alexander, of Princeton,
or by Rev. Stewart Robinson, his alternate.
DR.. Alexander, for some cause, don't know
whether he was afraid of Dr. Brllingcr, and the
mob that ran I.calicy off or not) did not attend
the meeting, of the Assembly, and Mr. Robin
son, though present, declined TO preach the ap-
pointed sermon. -a. - ...sss- .,.-.it
This single failure will be regretted by hun
dreds and thousands. Just now Popery is ma
king a prodigi0us effort to establish herself in
this eonntry, and she should be watched. She
is, Anacc nda-like, coiling herself around Pro-
testaniism, and if let alone, will sooner or later,
rs she has ever done when she has obtained the
power, squeeze the life out of it. This many
are beginning to see. And to them every blow
that is not struck for its destruction is 4 source
of regret. y,au
but this is not only the time when such
failure, to strike, is to be regrctted Charleston
is the very place where such u blow is needed.
The sc:Jrlet-robed harot, has been playing
pranks recently in that city, which ought TO be
rebukcd, To allow any class of citizens to say,
who shall speak, and who shall not. what they
shall say and what they shall not. is ant-rcpub-
lican, aud dangerous to religious liberty. Aud
therefore we think, the time and the place, both
ll,l lopl Lee, f,r
80 However. for Dr. Alrxandcr'S absence, and
for Alr. RoGinson's unprcparcdncss, perhaps no
one is to blame. The failure in this case may
have been unincntional.. But when the time
fo. the appointment of suitable person to
preach the annual sermon on Popery before the
next General Assembly, had arrived, Il motion
was made to postpone the whole business"
And strange to say. the motion was carried in
fact, was opposed only by two speakers
To his honor be it said. Mr. Cnok opposed
the resolution. The contest. he said, with Anil
Christ had opened We had our harness on.
The question was: shall VIC put it off, and re-
tire from The field /! To what but c"wardicc
wond this he attributed ! b. it 80 that it con-
deused upon Presbytcriansm the whole wrath
of Popcry, that WAS no reason why we should
abandon our method of attack or dcf,Ecc. We
had always been hated ard rrvilcd by Rome
Be- it so. He cared not What if all the dogs
in Christcndom did bark at us, it was the glory
OF our ancestors that confronted opposition for
the sake Of truth, may, f;lit"acd the earth with
their blood. He would be ashamed of the
church if she did otherwise than meet the cnc-
m.Y, front to front, on the great question Of the
age.
But The resolution 10 postpone Indefinitely.
was adoptcd-and so the Assembly has backed
out from the contest-las yielded the field, on
that which Mr.. Cook justly styles, q the great
question of the day.
az And freedom sLr:eked when kogciusko feIl!,