The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1864-02-11
Correspondence Of the Cincinnati Gssotte.
THE NEW CHURCH.
LANcAsrER, Ohio, Jan. %, 1864.

but lew persons in our age are per-
mittsd to witness the organization of
new ecclesiastical body. Fortunately
or unfortunately, l have been made an
eyewitness of this new thing under the
sun, Cor rather of the preliminAries of
it, aud with your permission 1 will an
nounce to the Church at large that a
new branch is about appearing.
A few weeks since 4 call was made
ever the signatures of Edison B. Olds
and Virgil E. Shaw, for a convention Of
all "lovers Of freedom" to take into
consideration the propriesy Of establish
ing a new Church, where "Dem ocrats,
who wanted the Union as it was, and
the Constitution as it is," could be
members. Subsequently, another. call
to the snms effect appeared, which was
signed by twelve persons, out Of respect,
probably, to the twelve apostles. In
obedience to these calls, a convention
assembled on Thursday, the 14th of
this month: Their meeting was not
held in an upper room; nor yet in any
Of the Numerous temples of worship
which the city affords, bat 10 the coun-
ty Court House, and at the ringing of
the Court House bell. There were,
perhaps, fifty persons present when
your correspondent arrived, but the
number was swellsd before adjournment
to perhaps one hundred and twenty
Ave or thirty.
1 had expected, as q matter of
course, that the organization of a
Church would be attended by prayer
and other solemnitios, but though at
least one minister was present as q
spectator at the beginning of the exer.
discs, aud Eve or six we're in the house
before their close, not prayer was Of
fered nor hymn sung. The difficulty,
l suppose, was, there was no one of their
own persuasion present. and they could
not tolerate q prayer from a political
preacher. At length the convention was
organized by calling Mr.. Thos. Reese, of
Rushvills, to tho chair, (T shall men
tion names as IProceOd, for they ought
certainly to provo historic) upon which
DR.. Olds arose to state the object of the
meeting. This he did at some length
in written document, the substance of
which was as follows That the minis.
try and Churches had proved recreant
to their sacred trust. That the minis
try chad ceased to preach Christ and
Him cruoified, and had been preaching
tho niger, and him glorifed," to use
the Doctors own expression in one Of
his own speeches. That the Church
had become very uncharitabie, and had
engaged in the support Of a cruel and
unjus tifablO war. He also went into a
lengthy exposition of certain portions
OF Scripture, dwelling with special
emphasis upon our Savior's denuncia.
tions of the Scribcs and Pharisees.
These Scribes and Pharisees, by an
ensy construction, he made tho minis
ters ofthe present da y-the Jews were
the Republican party. and the tithes
and offerings were greenbacks As the
Doctor may be prevailed upon to pub
lsh his commentary for tho use of
the New Church, l shall not at
tompt to give any more of his Isarne d
excgesis.
After severely rsbuking the ministry
md Churches, and Government, he
concluded that the time had arrived
when Church should be organized
which should ignore politics, and when
pure and peacsable gospel should
lone be promulgated.
Having thus stated the object OF the
Meeting, Virgil E. Shaw arose and
SIX ed permission to read letter to the
'onvention from Rev. Mr.. Given, al
minister whom the Ohio Methodist
lately relieved of the duties
i circuit. This letter regretted in
DiIlfy to be present, and offered much
Encouragement to the brethren. Mr..
haw then followed the lsttor by.a "fsw
sm arkS'" He spoke Of the prospects
the Church, said that the great obsta
% Ia the way was not in fading mater {
II Tor Churches, but in finding minis i
rs to supply them. Mr.. Given, SO 4
Z as could learn, was their only '
'a'lable man. He also spoke aattsr. t
gly of tho prospects of a new paper. b
% organ OF their Church enterprise, $
nloh is to bo published by Mr.. Given, Il
Columbus, Ohio, on purely anti polit- b
al principles. Having finished his a
marks, the Chairman, Mr.. Reese
ked the attention Of the Convention a
stated that he had been a humble Il
emOer OF the Presbyterian Church iii
number OF years, and trying G