St. Mary's gazette., 1863-11-05

) Il
Moyehser. yoiif G strit<s 'nsoso isal 3 sisi-
nary .enls three }sars age. was he IEir-
ginia sciap,l ut Alcxanlsia. rai.e.i to er eat
prosperity by BisiUp Meade. a si,rtsls,iae.. 4
and i am very sure fiist no:hiug at vsri-
ance with my Bibte sics Of slasefy was
taught in That ins,iintien. Yes- We may
wei. say Of you as Of many others-pGa,s-
tnna m,t,afas db il,ot How changed is the
Bishop Of Pennsylvania, in three years,
from his former course Of conservatism,
peace and S'criptural consistency!
But the Word of God has upt changed;
the doctrine of the Apostles has not chang
ed; the Constitution of our country has not
changed; the great standards of religious
truth and real civic loyalty remain just ms
they were; and remain along with theni,
notwithstanding this bitter sld unjust az
sault from you and your clergy. | do no,
Intend 10 i,lIitatc your late style Of vitu-
peration. for trust that have learned.
even when [ am reviled, not to revil
again. | respect the good opinion of yodE
clergy. and am not aware that have dong
anything to forfeit is. / respect your
Office, your talents, your personal char
which. for many years, your Epscopate
has been conducted But DO not respect
your departure from the old and we'll set.
F, tied rule of the Church, and frem the
Apostolic law OF Christian fairness aud
courtesy. | DO not believ. in the modern
discovery Of those E.>t=rn philanthrophs,s
who deny the divinity of our Redecn.er,
and attach no Importance to tie Bib.e ex-
cept as il may suit themseivrs. 10 not
believe ,hat the veneratcI founders Of our
American Church were ignorant Of the
Scriptures and blind to the principles OF
Gospel morality. do not believe that
Washington and lis coulpatriois, who
fraiued oRr Constitution with such express
provisions for the rights of shareholders, :,
Essf IL ss y ,s \ ss'sI l'
ity. Bat ! do believe iii the teaching OF
the inspired Apostles. and in the Holy
catholic Cor uniyersaD Church you aud
your clergy also profee. to believe. / kn0w
that the doctrine ot that Church was clear
at.d unanimous on the Ahpfaincss Of slavery
Tor eighteen ceuiurics together; and on that
point regard your ''rrotcs." ard "indig-
naut Reproduction" as the Idle wIud that
passes by.
wish you. therefore, to be adver Used
that shall publish. within few months,
If gracious PrDyidtucc should spare MY
life aud faculties. Il full demons tration of
: tac truth "whorein stand" And | shall
prove in that book, by the most unqucs-
tionablc authorities. that slaves aud slave
holders wrre in the Church from the be-
Cunning; that slavery was held to be con-
i sis.ent with Christian principle hy the
. Fathers ant! Crumcifs, aud hy all protes-
tant divlDes and commentators, up to the
very close of the last century, and that this
fact was universal among al Churches and
sects throughout fhe Christiau world
mainiaiLs the primitive rule of catholic
consent ANA abjureS all novelties, is bound,
by her very Constitution, to hold fast to
that only safe aud enduring RUE. or abau-
don her Apostolic claims. ard descend to
The level OF those who are driven about
by every wind Of doctriue" And shall
print your Indignant reprohaiipn." With
its list of names in abe preface 10 my book,
so that if ca mat give YOU fame, | may,
at least, do my parl to give you notoriety
That The nuctccLth cvnt,;ry is a century
of 'ast Improvement and wonderful dis
covery in the arts and sciences. grant as
willingly as any nan. Int in religious
truth or reverence tor .be Bible. the age
in which We live is prolific in daring and
imnions innovation. We have seen pro-
fessed,y Christian communities divided
aud sub-divided ON every side. We have
seen the rise aud spread of univcrsalism
Mil.erism, panrheism. MornoiEisnl. and
Spirituaism. We bave seen even our
venerable Mother Church of England sore
~ agitaird hy the contagious fever of
change. OH the one hand toward supersti-
tion. and on the other towards iuiidel
,ationalism. And WE have heard the in
creasing claIior agailst the Bible, .so'ue-
I; times from the derosces of geological
speculation. sometimes from the bold
denicrs Of niirac!es ana prophecy. aud not
least upon he list frnin the liud -tongued
apostles "f anii->lavciN. We have marked
ille orators shich cry ''Down with The
, Bible. if il maintains iiie lawfuln.ss of sla-
very" We have marvele,i ut he senatori-
al elesnence which preclaimsd that 1T was
/ high tin,e to have an anii-slasSry God and
si sn.i-slavery Bible We have heard
the Constitution of our own country de-
nouneed as "a, covenaat with death and a
! league wish hell ..'ke have heard the
boasted determination that the Unioa shall
| never be restored until its provisions for
| the protection of slavery are utterly abolish
ed, And what il the result of this new
philanlhrophy The hartai Judgement Of
AGoi has descended ~ vhas;ise tlf,.-e multi
! rIied arts Of rebcllion agains: bis divine
] Government. and SLat the Gtisl catas-
troi'he shall bc is only iinown tn Him who
seeth the end from the teginLiug.