Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1862-07-09
EXTRACT

EXTRACT
E.on, nm ,1,. sermou delirered by Rep. Bishop
p;er.. If The Nethodist E. Church, before tie
as.snt Rbzc Conrention of the Confederate States,
in augusta IT,
MI history of the world confirms the testimony
If the Bible rs to the moral dangers of accumulated
treasnre. Wealth is favorable to every species OF
wickedness Luxury, RIGHTEOUSNESS OF manners
eclfishness indifference to the dstresscS OF others,
nres,,mptuous confidence in our own resources
these are the Accomplishments faf1uence, whenever
the safe guards of the Divine word, both as to the
mode Of increase and the proper use, are disregard
cd. As to the higher forms of character and civi
cation, unless regulated and sanctitied by Scripture
truth and principle, Opulence has always been one
of the most active causes of individual degeneracy
and of national corruption. Under the influence of
its subtle poison moral principle decays; Patriotism
puts off it's nobility and works for hire! Bribery
corrupts the judgment seat and Justice is blinded
BY gifts; BenevOience suppreSSeS its generous I'M
pulses, and counts its contributions by fractions;
Religion, forgetting the example of lis Author and
the charity ofits mission pleads perjury and chaies
at every opportunity for work or diStribu:lon Cow
etousness devours widows houses and grows sleek
on the bread of orphans; Usury specuates on prov-
dence and claims its premium, alike from suffering
poverty and selfish extravaganza; Extortion riots
upon the surplus of the rich and the scrapngS OF
the poor enlarges its demand necessity increases,
and amid impoverishnent, want and public dis
tress whets its appetite for kcener rapinc and with
unsated desire, laps the last drop from its victim
and rcmorseiess signs for more. The world counts
gain as godllness prosperity as virtue, fraud as
talent and money, MONEY, MONEY, Is the god OF
the land with every house for temple, every held
for an altar, and every man for worshifper. The
Church, infected by popular example, adopts the
maxms of men, grades the wages OF her servants
by the minimum standard, pays slowly and gives
grudgingly and stands guard over her treasures as
if Providence were u robbcr, and they who press
the claims Of Heaven came to cheat and to steal.
Whenever the conservative laws of accumulation
and Distribution as prescribed IN the Bible are
ignored then not only does the love of money st'm-
uate our native depravIty, but the boarded gam
furnishes facilities for uncommon wckcinesS. Inc
attendant evils are uniform. They have never failed
in the history OF the past. When commerce, manu-
features and agriculture pour in their treasures,
then, without the connteractns power OF Scripture
truth and Gospel grace, they inai!ibly breed the
sins which have been, under God the eXccutioners
of nations Such is the suicidal tendency of INSANE
titled wealth. that the greater the prosperity OF 4
people the shorter the d,raton The vlrulence Of
the maladieS Supcrinduccd destroy suddenly; and
that without remedy Now mark how opposite,
how prophetic, how descriptive the word of the
Lord: They that wU be rich faU into temp.a-
ton aad snare, and into many roolin and hurt-
tul lusts" lie that mHksh haste to he rich shall
not be innocent" - lie that h1setn to he rich hath
an evil eye" How these passages rebuke the Siri,
of speculation, the greedy desires, the eluivocal
eXpedients, the high pressure schemes OF the people
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth
"Charse them that are rich in this world that they
he not high.lnneh trust in uncertain riches. y
., yc who make, and save, and hide, ana hoard, hear
y- the word Of the Lord: "iour riches cor,
rupted, and your garments are moth eaten; your
gold and silver is cankcrcd and the rust Of them
shall be witness against you, and shall cat your
flesh as it were fire. y, yc who strut and shine
in punage pluckel from the poor and needy, "ye
have received your consolation weep and howl
for the miscrieS that shall come upon You"
One OF the moral secrets Of this tcretchcd war; as
call it, (pcrhaps it may turn out to be ne'crut)
in my Judgment Is to arrest the corruption OF pros
perity-to unsetlc, agita,e break loose the people
IRON their plans and hopeS-dethronc their cotton
Moi, and, BY upicavng the incrustations imposed
by long years of peace and security, to let into oul
darxened minds the light of truth and ven;ilate the
dormant conscience. infatuated 10y the love of The
world sensuazcl, flst.roo,ed in our pride and for
getfulncss of God the Spirit of grace has been shu
out, the hearts of men were inpervlouS, throug!
the power of dominant over. mastering habit, ant
the preaching of the Gospel as iruitiess as woult
have been the lnkng OF cyn,bal. The Church
has been sliding into the yord: the broad Scripture
lines of dc:uarkation were well nigh passed Pet,
had grown thin, meagre, unreal. Christian man
hood was merged in mawkish spirit of compliance
"a supple, sck;y l.bcrality, ready to break dowr
the last blrrier to the entertainments of fashion
the demands of an unso;:ly ase. We needed reform
The shocks and vibrations of wars terrible bat
terieS necessary to shake the drowSy. stagnan
atmosphere to change the currents of thought, L
/ break down the dominion of old ideas, and set II
free from the selfish policy of the past To thi
end, God has "strred up our nest pushed us on
| from our resting places, unEingcd the whole mach!
merry of life and called to prvation, sacrifice an
i peril. Oh. that this bitter discipline this fiery OF
DEAL may prepare us fer liberty better regulated
/ and religion more scriptura, active and useful