The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1863-12-16
The Nar clsIsi /.

y - very common for The war clergy 10
quote st. Paul in his epistle 10 the Romans:
"Lei every soul be subject unto the higher
powers; the powers that be are ordained o
God and they ,hai resist shall receive great.
er damnation." From this text they argue
IN favor OF blind obedience to The powers
that be, and with their usual want OF logical
accuracy, insis. that resistance TO the meas
ures of LincoIn's Administration must be
eT necessiiate sinful. Upon the subject of
civil obedience, that is obedience 10 the
laws and The Constitution under which and
through which The powers that be are ordain-
ed, there can be no diversity of Opinion u.
This is very different thing from unreas-
oniBg, cowardly obedience to the will OF
the Administration, when that will tram oles
upon and subyerls The very Constitution by
which the supreme authority exists. If such
obedience was incnlcared by the Apostle,
then the precep,s OF Christianity are only
so many aids and indulgencies 10 arbitrary
powef- The Apostle simply meant iha,
public expediency being the found aiion, il
is also the measure of civil obedience or
as PaIey in bis Moral Philosophy. discus-
sing this very question, says 'sThe 6bli-
CATION of subjects and sovereign is recip-
rocal that the duty OF allegiance, whether
tits founded in utility or compact, is neither
unlimited ror unconditional that peace
may be purchased 100 dearely iha;
patience becomes culpahle pusilanimiiy
when il serves only 10 encourage.our rulers
TO increase the weight of our burden, or to
bind it the faster that the submission which
sIrrenders the Iibeny ol nation, and en-
tails slavery upon future generations, is
enJoned by no law, human or divine.o
Here is the essence of the whole matter
in nutshell. The Scriptures simply in
cuIcate general duty, without defining
the extent OF il. II is the method by WHEN
the same Apostle inculca,es the duty of
servants to their masters, of children 10
their parents, of wives TO their husbands
and yet no one doubts that there might be
often occasions when all this authority,
being used for an unlawful and wicked
purpose, could be defed, without incurring
the crime of disobedience TO God So is it
with governments, or those who administer
them. The mere fact of the existence OF
a rebellion does not authorize the limited
agents OF the people 10 transcend their
powers under the Constitution 10 work op-
PRESTON and injustice in this country, any
more than in any oiher, and resistance 20
such tyranny, so far from being in defiance
OF Gods will, is obedience TO God.
The clergy in all ages have been marked
for their abiect submission TO despotism-
Whether il arises from their peculiar sys.
TEN OF education, or from timdily and the
want of that energy originating in their
habits of thought, we are not prepared 10
say. One influence has been certainly ex-l
erted to make them submissive, and that IS
the opportunities the war has Offered for
lucrative chaplaincies,, with nothing to do
1t has had more 10 do with their devotion TO
the Government Than any sense OF duty
arising from Scripture precepts to obedi-
ence, for they ''like TO make to themselves
friends of the mammon OF unrig ghteousness, )"
We find, as well as their more carnal neigh
bors. Obedience to the higher powers
With them is simply obedience to those
carnal instincts that SAVIOR of "the world,
the flesh and the devil, ;" more than they do
OF a celestial origin.