Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1863-09-09
Episcopal.

] ldhu' OHlO, anu sermon was preached
by the Rector, Rev. Mr.. SrARKEY.
The text was from Epistle to Titus, Sd
chap, lst verse: .-
Put them in mind to be subject to prin-
cipalities and powers, to obey magistrates,
to be ready to every good work.
And aba from Romans 18th chapter
and I'd verse: -.e ...-.-. .-.
| Whosoeyer therefore resisteth the pow
er, Iesisteth the ordinance of God.
The preacher opened by alluding to
the day and-the object for which they
were called together to unite in praise
and Thanksgiving to the Divine Power for
a great National deliverance for our coun-
try, bleeding at one extremity at every
pore from the assaults of violence, and
menaced by internal faction at the other
He referred to the present as the great
crisis on the issue of which depends the
fate of the nation, either to restore the
nation to health or to consign it to death,
or to a suffering life of weakness and de-
crepitude The disease has been long
working, even when, apparently, in the
bloom of vigor and in the flush of health
On the matter of pulpit teachings on the
subject of loyalty, the preacher said.
To pretend that teaching from the pull
pit the Christian duty of loyalty to the
Government is entering upon the arena
of partizan politics, thus sinking loyalty
down from binding Christian Obligation
TO the level of question for political dis
cussion, is too shallow subterfuge to i'm
pose upon the meanest understanding
But those who employ it should under
stand that 1t IS suberifuge which at the
same time, involves the most serious con-
sequences. 1t is one which insensibly
leads people who receive it to confound
truth with error-the mere mistakes of
policy with intentional and premeditated |
crime; differences of opinion as to the ap- |
plication of law, with defiance to and sub
version of its authority.
The false assumption then on the part |
of those who apologize for this rebellion, /
that it is subject on which the Christian
pulpit has no right to give forth its utter
ances, is one which cannot possibly be
yielded to by the Christian ministry with
out abdicating the high position
which God has assigned to it. The in
junction of the Apostle is not only that
the people be subject to the higher pow
ers and obey magistrates, but that the
ministry put them in. mind of these du-
ties. Hitherto its voice has been seldom
heard on such subjects. Most of the /
questions whose discussion at one time or /
another has rufhed the surface of our po-
litical life, have not been of a nature to
call for its direct interposition. There was
one question, indeed, whose overpower-
ing interest and Importance have entered
into the very heart and life of this san
culinary controversy, which certainly did
present, in the moral points involved, a
ground of expectation that the Church
could speak out with authority, as the Di-
yinely appointed arbitoT in all questions
involving religion and morality.
Afterreferring to certain questions some
times dragged into political controversy,
upon which the Church has spoken, the
preacher proceeded to show that the ques-
tion involved in this rebellion is rather
moral and religious one than political,
and hence whoever denies the right of
the Church to lie heard at this time, must
be prepared to stand by and defend the
following theses:
l. That rebellion against constituted
authority is not san in tie religious sense of
the word.
, That obedience to such authority is
not Christian obligation.
3. That the institution of human sla-
very Is not only excusable on grounds of .
political necessity, but is rsLig-
iouSLy right, and should be extended and
strengthened.
4. That Christian principles are not ap-
plicable to State policy, and the two must !
IN any case, be kept seperate.
Now if the first and second of these
be true, we must strike out
from our Bibles the command to submit I
TO rules and ordinances. and from our I
Litany the prayer for deliverance from
and rebellion; if the third be
true, the commandment to do to others Q
as we would have them do to US, is not y
binding, and the Prayer that Gods King /
dom may come upon earth is a mockery; L
if the fourth be true, We cease to be a t
Christian nation, and have nothing to-
look forward to in the future but the dark
and heavy judgments of an offended God. v
If it has, indeed come to this, that the !
Christian Church, in this land, can only :
preach smooth words, to willing ears, in "
peaceful days, but must not raise her voice
when strife and passion threaten destruc-
ion to her most cherished principle, then.
IS the mighty Attilla found his grave un- "
Ter brook that never ceased its mourn il
al murmuring, so, bury her deep under n
Ountain more bitter than that of Mara Il
the fountain of nations tears, shed
n vain over the great heart that beats no
onger, and the one eloquent tongue that Ii
5 paralyzed in the silence of death forey- i
II. However monstrous such propositions W
appear to the Christian mind they have v,
Ictually been advanced and asserted.
will not say supported, by men of intelli-
,ence and good reputation. They have H.
ound advocates in religious journals, -
which nevertheless violated in one col i
INN the rules they laid down in another; a
ut they find neither support nor counte-
ance from the occasion which calls rs to-
ether, or from you who are gathered in IA
his house of Prayer to-day. .,
The speaker proceeded to show that n
-hen the foundations of civil order are .,
n the point of being overturned, when
he Government which guarantees person
liberty and protection to religion, when oi
lot threatens property and life, when the al
md is weeping for its dead, then was the N
me for Christianity to speak, and, he ad- st
ed, it would be well if she alone did
peak.
OF the hatred and bitterness exhibited
,ward the down trodden negroes he M
aid: ~ ~
Upon he heads of guiltless and unof-
ending people-here among ourselves
re vented the angry feelings-excited by
iscussions in which they had no part, Sc
ut of which they are the victims. Bro't fri
ere by o,uselres-freed from bondage by th
er act. kept in poverty and ignorence be-
luse denied the means of education and
i access to profitable employment, the To-
ibiects to a controversy which they so