Newbern weekly progress., 1861-05-14
NORTHERN PIETY.

selves az the most pious people in Chrtstendon
They have numerous Churches and their Mn
istcrs are most Industrious in the discharge Of
their holy duties. Indeed 50 Jealous and en-
ergetIc are their Clergymen that they do not
coufine themselves, as 40 the members Of their
sacred calling in the South, to the functions
which thew are set apart to perform, but they
dr, n GREAT deal of work which layman might
do as well, and a great deal, too, which the
weakest and most imperfect Christian might
leave nndone without being punished by con-
science, In the ardor Of their zeal these Min
iSters of the Gospel go forth and labor in the
field of politics. and 50 high sense have they
Of their sagacty ana Wisdom, that they 40 not
hesitate to discourse with copiousness and con
idenee on questions upon which the truest and
most ENLIGHTENED statesmen differ widely
Their commission is exceedingly bread and
right earnestly and boldly do they discharge
their numerous and multiform duties.
These most exemplary Christians abound in
good works Their Sunday Schools enjoy
great prosperity their missionaries are pene
trating the darkness of paganis,n; they main
tain. With liberal hand, numerous useful in
stitltierls. and stand ready to oengage in every
cause which appeals to their compassion. 1t
is true, they are e ven to speclous deluslons,
which have the charm of novelty, and while in
pursuit of those chimeras, neglect obvious and
imperative duties indeed, we must admit that
they follow those false lights so tar rot unfre
ouently, that they never find their way again
to the truth; but the greater activity of their
brain and their perception of the spiritual,
cause them to adopt thus readily and implicit
ly those seductive and ruinous folies. Not
withstanding their intense susceptibility to the
mysterious and the curious, they are remar6a-
BILE for solid sense and perspicacity in matters
of purely temporal character.
1t is well known, too, that their inventive
faculties are of the highest order. And what
their brains conceive their cunning hands can
execute. They have manifested their singu-
lar ingenuity in way that has brought down
upon them the severe condemnation of dull
and rigid pietists, who follow the Bible che
rule of their lfe They have shown to their
satisfaction that it is quite possible TO serve
God and mammon, to be equally Jealous in the
service of each. They have established per-
feet harmony between the Church and the
world They have made the road to Heaven
as wide, as smooth and as pleasant as the 9th
er road They have sponged out every moral
requirement at all offensive to the carrsa1 mind,
and put a new and pleasing construction upon
commands between which and human nature
| there has always ragged an uncoinpromislng
strife.
Having thus improved the old religion, they
| persuaded themselves that they were the most
| religious of all people that ever lived. They
had attained the point of perfection, they couid
90 no farther, but they saw that their perfection
| In goodness did not exonerate them from the
| duties they owed to those who, by their own
confession, were 1niseraoly wicked, or who, al
| any rate, did not plume themselves on their
| immaculate holiness. Right faithfully nave
thev labored for others, and the larger share oi
their pity has been bestowed upon those at 6
distance. For no transgressorS have they
worked with more persistent and inturiate zeal
than for the Southern Shareholder. we, the
objects of their tenderest pity, have renonstra
ted with them concerning this i!l.judged gener
| osty.
We have pointed out crying iniquties thai
| were flourishing at their very doors, we have
even gone so far in our boldnesS as to accuse
them OF divers transgres ions, but our counse
and remonstrance have been all unheeled.--
One huge sin filed their eye and stirred thei
compassion, and they ignored every other In
deed, we have been forced to conclude that the,
looked upon slavery not only as the creates
of all evils. but as the only niquity that vii
be punished hereafter We Will not mention
all they have done to extirpate this shockn
evil They have in order to destroy this Sll
committed every form Of transgresslon. The
have gone through the whole catalogue OF o.
fences from the improper use OF the tongue u
to murder We, the offenders, have bee
somewhat troubled to know how people $
, pure, so good, so honorable, SO richly adorne
with every Christian grace, could commit sue
> black crimes, but of course our doubts did nc
disturb them.
And strange, too, does it seem to US VIII
are sinners, that people who are so high in tn
favor of Heaven can yield themselves to tn
; passions under whose ragefnl violence the
are now rushing to meet Us IN deadly conflc
We see them swollen with pride, consumed b
envy, infuriate with hate, brandishing the
swords and loading their rifles and We wol
\ der how such feelings possess such goo
people But then these manifestations arc T
more wonderful than others We have seen, an
o we bethink ourselves that we are the slime
> and they the saints, and we contemplate the
Il in silence-Ch Courier.