The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-03-04


they are based between a Protestant church
and the Catholic church Both are based on
the principle Of authority; both deny in fact
however Il may be in manner, the authers,y Of !
reason, aud war against freedom of mind
beth substitute dead works for true righteous
ness, vain show for the reality of piety, and
are sustained rs tbs means of reconciing as
b. God without requiring us 20 become God
like Both, therefore ought TO 60. by che
board 1-sssQ ~
sWe may offend in what we say, bnt we
cannot help that We insist upon It, thai the
complete and fnai destruction OF the priestly
order, in every practical sense Of the word
priest, is the first stop 10 be taken towards ee-
vsting the laboring classes Priests are, ~
their capacity Of priests, necessarily enemies 70
freedom and equality. All reasoning demon
strates this, and all history proves it There
must be no class OF men set apartand suthorised,
either by lxw or fashion, to speak 10 us az the
ns,ne Of God, or to he the interpreters OF the
word of God The wsvd Of God never drops from
the priests lips He who redeemed man did
not spring from The priesty class. for i is ev.
dsut oar Lord sprang out Of 5uda, Of which
tribe Moses spske nothing concerning the
.,ssssGh..sa ~ ~ taSt sgaxa- the anthass ~.
the Bible, Che book which ,Ciristendom pro-
priests Nav, they were the insrterate foes ct
the priests No man ever berated the priests
more sounaiv than did yersmish and Ezekiel.
And whe we're they who heard Jesus the most
giadlys The priests The chief priests were
At the head OF those who demanded his cruel
6xion In every age The priests, the author
ised teachers Of religion, are the first 30 oppose
the s-,ye prophet Of God. and to condemn has
prophecies ~ biasphcmies. Thty are always
. let and hindrapce to the spread of truth.
WHY. then. retain them Why pot abeslsb
sne priestIy .uas;e Wii.y s,-.--ras 10 Sustain
what the whole history of man condemns as
the greatest of all obstacles 10 intelleetual and
social progress r .es ~
We say again, we have no objection 10
teachers Of religion, rs such bat let as have
no esass Of mon whose profession it Is TO minis
tsr at the altar. Let us leave this matter 10
Providence. When God raises up q prophet
lse nat prophet prophecy ~ God gives hin.
uttsraace. Let every man speak Out OF his
own full heart, a. he 10 moved by the Holy
Ghost; bot let ~ have none to prophecy Tor
hire 10 make preaching profs~sion, means
Of gaining . Isslihood. Whoever has . word
pressing upon his heart for utterance, let BIN
utter il, ia tho stable, the market-plaee the
street, in the grove, under the open canopy Of
hsasen, ia the lswly cottage or the lordly ball
No matter who OF what he is--whether q
graduate OF q college . shepherd from tae
hill sides, OF rustic from the pillow. If he feels
himself called to 20 forth in the name Of God,
he Will speak words Of truth and power, for
which hamsaity shall fare the better. But
pens Of your mrcliug priests Jour dumb dogs
that will not bark. What are the priests of
ChristendOm q they now are Miserable pan
ders 70 the prejndioes Of the age, loud in CON
dsaning sim nobody 10 guilty of but silent as
tlse grave when il concerns the crying sins of
the times bold as bold can be when there is
no danger, but miserable towards when it is
necessary to speak out for God and outraged
hpmanity As 8 body they never preach
truth 6n there Is none whom it win indict.
Never % they AZ body venture to condemn
Sin in the concrete, and make each sinner feel
thou art the man. When the prophets Of
God have risen up and proclaimed the word Of
God, and, after persecution and DEATH led the
reop3e to asknoss ledge it to he the word Of
God, then year dxivelliRg PRIEST GENES forward,
and owns i 70 be truth and cries, Carsed of
God and man il ha who believes it not Bot
enough. The irabecility of an organized priest
hood, Of hipeling olergy, for all good, and it,
power oaly 10 dernoralixe the people aad misdi-
rect their snergics is beginning to be seen,
and will one day be acknowledged. Men are
bsgipnins to speak out on this subject and
the day Of reckoning is approaching. The
people arg rising nh and asking of these priests
whem tAay beys fed eloshed honored, and fol-
lowed, MhaA havs ye Anns for the poor and
ffiepdlass to dsstEAy oppression, and establish
she kIaGdo0 q God On earth A fearful
qnsulfoa tscyoa, @ ~ priesss which we leave
yoa b answsf "a best 70 may.
I" Tn nezt s1sp i. this work Of slevating tho
working eia~ss win - to resascitate the
Christianity Of Christ The Christianity Of the
Church hrs done It's work. We have had
aaaaek a. that Chrixdianiw. II 10 powerless
Eor f01d BAT ~ 10 rneans povcraen for evil
Il NV .,umsas ~. end Ain&sss ths ssowah Of
0ofals ekinEd0th The moral energy which y
.exukens 4 misdirectA and makes its deluded
dissiptes ha1isye that they have done their duty
70 God vAe1 tsey hsve joined the church. Of
tbf4d i peaytK, sonK psalm, and contributed
Of th1lY means "a send oat q missionary to
xweAcA unin&1tlirbts dogmAs 70 the poor hea-
then, Who God knowA have unintelligible dog
mas enQuxh already, and more than enough
An this must be abandoned, and Christianity,
q il catne from Christ be taken ar, and
,peeschSd and preached in simplicity and in
power.
According to the Christianity Of Christ, no
man can enter the kingdom of Gcd, who does
not labor With all zeal and diligence b essab-
lish stha k;nedcsn Of God on the aarth who
docs moi labor 10 bring down the high, and
bring M tho low; TO brcsk the letters Of the
hound and set the captive free TO destroy all
oppxsas;on, establish the reign of justice, which
il Ire reign Of equality between man and man
70 introduce new heavens and new earth,
Wherein dwesleth Righteousness, wherein all
shAM BE- 6 bsothess, loving one another, and 40
one pa,aeesing what another lackcth. No man
can Be Christian who docs not labor TO re-
fbrrs society, to mould it according to the viii
| a Goa sssd the nsture NJ mRa' 80 that free
scope shall b given TO every man 70 unfold
himself in ill beeuty and power and TO grow
up into the stature OF . perfect man in Christ
Jesus No man can be Christian who does
not refrsin from ali practices by which the
rish grow richer and tbs poor poorer, and who
does nos DO all IN kis power 70 sseyate the la
boring elasea - that one sasn shall not DO
doomed 70 toll while another enjoys the frusss
ks& lAat each man akan BE- fres ard ndepend-
lpukv sittinx uader his own vine and hg~tree,
Ewi3G nay1c - rsolsst o. TO make afraid We
fhfeonf ~ nsuss Of Christianity in working
ss1Afhs ,sS1w,s We demand we agree that one
~ - nost efficient aaoaas ju osevatng the
workingaseu, l. 10 christianize the ccmmunisy.
But you must christiosise It, it IL the Gospel
~ 1ssas you must prvsch, end not the gospel
lef ahe priasta Preach the Gospel CT Jesus,
J snd that viii turn every NAME Attention to the
evyiag evil w have dssignated, ADD viii arn
every Christian with power ~ effect those
akooxss h social arrangements which SHALL
saoesss 10 Ill msa the equality Of position and
cocditioa. which Il is already acknowledged
tAey rpsaass In relation 70 shsir rights. Bat LED
Il - H. Spnnips Gospel thaA you preach, and
Aot ~ e~rpl wts3eh lslis tbs con-
A4A SD ppr4its ss~ e feel that