Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-06-26

ishc Of the course Of too many clergy in all sec.
tlons Of the land gl
Had q different course been pursued by the
clergy generally, what an amount Of good the
church might have performed In these dismal
times. Its holy mission Of peace was designed
for Just such days as these. God never charged
il with the duty of stirring men up to conflict.
He has provided other means for that. Govern.
ments and authorities arethe divine insti utions
for welding the sword OF ejnstic6, and there was
enough Of the spiritgof, war, bloodshed and vic.
lence 10 the land, for all desirable purposes
The mission Of the church is, to be the promoter
of peace; to calm the minds Of men; to modify
human passions by suggesting the duties of the
Christian; to be ready at any moment when the
opportunity shall offer, to step in between con-
tending parties and receive on itself the bless
ing pronounced on the maker of peace The
Presbyterian church, which stands on record as
the uDfiDching enemy of any union With the
State, whose wide spread arms enfold subjects
of Great Britain 10 the East Indies, and mis-
sionaries in every zone and under every nation
ality, all as individuals owing allegiance to the
governments under which they reside and Of
which they enjoy the protection, has suddenly
bound itself hand and foot, by entering the polit
ical arena, and annexiDg itself as en- appendage
to human government Not thus would the
old PresbyteIiaDs have done whose faith was
this, that the church of God was one In Heaven
and on earth, and that it's hosts were armies of
the living God, their only King. "Psrt of the
host have crossed the food, and partare crossing
now" was the old hymn then sung by faithful
men, who have now cut off their church from its
'noble army Of martyrs" and declared 1t to be
poor, struggling, earthly and local institution
The world contains no more loyal men than
Presbyterians, and such an act as this was not
needed to declare it. Why then was IL done7
Because the clergy forgot, In the storm of bu-
man enthusiasm, that they as men might feh.
the battles Of men, but as churchmen they had
but spiritual battles TO fight. That as men they
owed allegiance to human governments, but az
q General Assembly Of the Church they owed
allegiance to no potentate or power except such
as Paul and Luther and Chalmers and Alexan-
der acknowledge to-day!
Let US hope for better things hereafter, and
for good growing out Of 60 much passion. Il
cannot be but that the men who have forgotten
the words of peace so long, will, when the ex-
citement passes, fDd their own consolation In
returning to them. For the present we have
had too much Of the style Of Cromwell times,
when every deed Of violence was justified by
some flaming passage from Gods denunciations
Of Egypt and Chaldea, or the prophetic prayers
of David.
A very remarkable suggestion was made by
friend some time since, on the present style
of pulpit prayers in the churches Of the bellig-
erent clergy. twas. this--tbat almost all the
prayers which we hear, relating to the condition
of the country, are addressed to the God of
Battles; while the Prince Of Peace is almost
wholly ignored. Were the clergy to address
their petitions to Him, We should be led in
calmer and more peaceful paths, and perhaps
feelings of passion and anger.-N. Y. Journal
of Commerce ra "a - -'