Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1863-10-17

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life and faculties, a full demonstration OF
the truth "wherein 1 stand" And l shall
prove in that book, by the most unques-
tionable authorities, that slaves and slave
holders were in the church from beginning;
that slavery was held to be consistent with
Christian principle by the Fathers and
Councils, and by all Protestant divines and
commentators, up to the very close of the
last century, and that this fact was uni
vcrsal among all Churches and sects
throughout the Christian world. l shall
contend that our Church, which maintains
the primitive rule of catholic consent and
abjures all novelties, is bound, by her very
Constitution, to hold fast that only safe
and enduring rule, or abandon her Apos.
tolic claims, and descend to the level of
those who are "driveD about by every wind
of doctrine" And 1 shall print your
indignant reprob bation," with its list of
names, in the preface to my book, SO that
if cannot give you fame, may, at least,
do my part to give you notoriety.
That the nineteenth century is oentu-
ry of vast improvement and wonderful dis.
covery in the arts and sciences, grant as
willingly as any man. But in religious
truth or reverence for the Bible, the age
in which we live is prolific in daring and
impicus innovation. We have seen pro-
fessedly Christian communities divided and
subdivded on every side. We have seen
the rise and spread of Universe lsm, Mil
lerism, Pantheism, Mormonism and Spirit
ualism. We have seen even our venerable
Mother Church of England sorely agitated
by the contagious fever of change on the
one hand towards superstition, and on the
other towards infdel rationalism. And
we have heard the increasing clamor
against the Bible, sometimes from the de =
voices Of geological speculation, sometimes
from the bold dcniers of miracles and
prophecy, and, not least upon the list,
from the loud-tongued apostles Of anti
slavery. We have marked the orators
which cry "Down with the Bible, if it
maintains the lawfulness ofslavery." We
have marveled at the senatorial eloquence
which proclaimed that "it was high time
to have an anti-slavery God and an anti
slavery Bible" We have heard the Con-
stitution of our country denounced as ga
covenant with death and hell" We have
heard the boasted determination that the
Union shall never be restored until its pro-
visions for the protection of slavery are
utterly abolished. And what is the result
of all this new philanthropy The fear
full judgement of God has descended to
chastise these multiplied acts of rebellion
against His divine Government, and what
the final catastrophe shall be is only
known to Him who seeth the end from the
beginning.
After forty years spent in the ministry
more than thirty of which have passed in
the office of Bishop, can look back
with humble thankfulness to the Giver of
oil good for this, at least that all my best
labors have been directed to the preserva-
ton of the Church from the inroads of
doctrinal innovation. At my ordination
promised ESQ to minister the DOCTRINE
and sacraments and discipline of Christ,
as the Lord hath commended, and as this
Church has received tie Some"-and cer-
tain it is that "this Church had not re-
ceiyed the modern doctrine of ultra-Abo-
litionism at that time, as | trust she never
will receive it, because its contrary to the
Sacred Scriptures. also promised with
all faithful diligence to Danish and drive
away from the Church all erroneous and
strange doctrines contrary to Gods Word,"
! and made those promises in the true
sense which the venerable Bishop White
my Ordainer, attached to them believed
then, as he believed, that our Southern
brethren committed 10 sin in having slaves
and that they we're men of as much piety
as any ministers in our Communion.
believed, as he belived, that the plain pre-
cepts and practice of the Apostles sane
toned the institution, although as matter
of expediency, the time might come when
the South would prefer, as the North had
done, to employ free labor. Those prom
| ises have kept faithfully to this day-and
it, when am drawing near to the end OF
my career, l am to be condemned and vii
! fled by you and your clergy, because
still maintain them TO the utmost of my
/, slender ability, be assured, my Right Rev.
Q erend Brother, that shall regret the fact
much more on your account than on my
own.
: In conclusion, have only to say that
} feel no resentment for the grossly insulting
D style of yourmanifesto. The stability ant
y. unity of the Church of God are the only