Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1863-05-07
aflls9tllantolls.
The Ehurch--lts Party Madness,
Departure from the Spirit of
the Gospel, and Prescriptions.

thc SoSpci, sihN PRESCRIPTIONS.
1t is natural enough that an organiza-
tion which has ceased to be competent to
the work for which it was established
| should, rather than to consent to disband,
turn its attention to other enterprises
| The different associations of laymcn
which have, within the past twenty years
arisen, for evangelical purposes, in the
United States, owe proiessedly their ori-
gin to the conviction that the Church
is no longer an efficient instrumentaity
for the conversion of mankind. 1t has
turned away from its original intent; and,
although its clergy still profess to preach
the gospel, it is very evident that the
principles of the gospel find any thing
but a brilliant eXemplilication in their
conduct. The holy walk, the calm and
peaceful spirit, the benign and liberal
philosophy, the long suffering iorbearancc
the charity dreaang to condemn, and
the sympathy Fastening to forgive, which
the New Testimcnt prescribes and incul
Gates, find but courseand spiritless car
feature in the persons of those to whom
its preaching is committed.
! The Church is now embarked in poll.
ties The religious scepter has departed
! from the Christian Israel, and it has TAX
en- on the political. To be a "Christian
seems equivalent to being q rampant and
bisoted partisan. The Christian minis
ter is stump speaker in house with a
steepe. The bitterest party harangues
come from the pul lpt, and sentiments
that might put barbarians to shame are
delivered in what purport to be sermons,
and basphcmously in the nsme of holy
and mercilul God. Will these things ev.
er cease ? VIII the Church ever return
to its duty, and its ministers 10 The work
for which they were ordained q? If So
how wi they return ? They will return
drabbled with the dirtiest mire OF the
world, bcgrimcd and befouled; black will
the traces of human passion upon them
staggering with the ieebleness of past
intoxicaton, to begin to rebuild, in sor.
row and humiliation, the Jerusalem
which their own hands have dismantled
Ii is no; for us to decide the question
whether the Christian Church has become
permanently, or only temporarily defunct
as to its original office. 1t is doubtless
within the power of tho Almighty to
evangeize the world without its assist
ancc; nor are we aware that it has any IT,
:le to continue, except that which grows
out of the services which it performs.-
The candlestick that refuses to enlighten
may be removed out Of its place; and He
who is able from the very stones to raise
up seed unto ABRAHAM, will not want for
Instruments fit for the purpose, whenever
he has work that needs to be accom-
plished, If there is hell for any, the
false prophet and the false priest will be
entitled TO its warmest corner, nor will the
mere official commission screen the of
fender from its terrors aad retribution
Having embarked in politics, it is na-
tural that the clergy sh onld seek to depose
their ancient in favor Of their new conies'
sion Of faith. In ecclesiastical bodies
the old creed of Christianity seems to
have become obsolete in tho light of the
new dspensaton. Tho question is now
not whether the candidate for holy orders
believes in God, or in the fundamental
doctrine of Christianity, but whether he
belongs to the right political party; not
whether he will faithfully preach the Cos
pei to those who may be his hearers, hui
whether he holds in proper Gbhorronc'
the relation of master and scrvan in tn
Conledcracy; not whether he accepts tn,
Bible but whether he accepts the PROCLAIM
alton of Mr.. Lincoln as al inlalIible rul
of faith and practice; not whether he sub
scribes to the constitutions of the Church
but whether he indorses the platform 70
yealed at Chicago.
Party Abolition having begun in thu
Methodist Church, it is natural to look
there for its first elimination. And judg
ing from the proceedings o. recent Con
ferance of that connection in New York
il seems to have pretty nearly eliminated
The following paragraph from the 1ri
June's report of tho Acts of that body
shows how far. in ono respect, those mel
of God were willing to goin tho pFoscrip