The Democratic press. (Eaton, Preble County, Ohio) 1860-1865, 1864-04-14
An Awful Rebpke to the Clergy

OHNeI tHC uSuu vi Dedu l. ultil
and an Apostate Church." the
True Presbyterian deals some terri
bic blows. at the head IF the blood,
thirsty, infidel ministers of the
United States, who have literally
turned our churches into dcns Of
thieves. 1t says; ..'
We fond'y thought that, poised
upon thu truth, animated by the
grace, and obliged by the COM
mandS OF, her glorious Head, the
Church would have proved bull
wark against the rushing tide of
evil. We thought she would be
an oasis in the desert. where weary
travellers might refresh themselves !;
we thought she would he an island
in the stormy sea, where ship
wre ked mariners might find safety
and shelter. We did not cXrect to
hea! in her solemn Assemblies the
voice OF human aager, much IesS
OF satanic nlalice We, bel ed
thRt in the hour OF civil c0mmo.
ton, wucn States were su: dcrcd,
and armies met in the shock Of
battle, she would lit up holy hands
without wrath and Il, ubling, and
impIore her Master to lrop from
heaven the olive branch Of peace !;
that she would GA her her sous and
her duH4 h'ers Ihojjt her and say to
them, My childrtn. love one an.
other that she would lay one
hand upon llphraim and the other
upon Munassah, and bless them
both. We need not say how sadly
we have been disappointed. In
spite of her boasted conversation
ard fidelity to principle, this once
venerated holy, at one bound,
broke every bond of truth and
charity, in effect renonnned her
allegiance to her great Head, and
allied herself with his arch enemy.
She has turned aside from her
Masters work, ard through her
highest courts, and through hun
dreds of her pnlpits, is engaged in
plopagatiug political ideas and in
sounding the dread tocsin of war.
Her ancient schools of Tie prophets
where linger the memories and
reposc the ashes of the illustrious
dead-have been perverted to the
advocacy of a c~uel war, and of IL
goddess and inhumsn Abolitionism.
Her most widely circulated pows-
paper, that used to howl so frantir
cally whenever an Episcopalian
was appointed to chaplaincy in
the army or navy, is now the viii.
ning slave of the secular power
that lords it over Gods heritage,
and is rejected in disgust by Chris
tian and even loyaL men, on the
ground that ii is no longer IL
religious paper, Her oldest Quar-.
terIy Review now receives its in.
spIratlon from disappointed mill
tary commanders, who failing of
success in the field, have become
" the communicating intelligence"
OF absurd politics and impracticabIe
campaigns. Her clergy in many
Instances vie with each other. not
VI tlleli'y to God and the souls of
men, Int in devotion to party, and
in zeal for the carnage OF battle.
Amid this furious babble of poIi-
tics and war. we look in vain for
the Magma Charta Of the Annunci,
alton, "Glory to God in the high,
est: Gu earth, peace, good will to
men" 1t Is appalling to see the
Church ott5od spne from hermouth
the Gospel of peace, and bawl her,
selfhoarsein stimulating the fero-
cfo1s passions Of men, and in can.
onizing the red handed fiend of the
battlefield! Where is her former
hatred of Abolitionism. now that
she is cans;ng her own children 70
pass through the fire to MoIoch,
andis gloating over the prospect of
'erviFo insurrection? What shall !
wesay Of the distinguished clergy
men who's" loudly appIanded Mr..
Van Dykes sermon on that sub,
ect, and who now lift up their
lands and roll their eyes in mons
,orror a. he sin of Slavery? Shall
We say as the wo'I,lsays Of thom.
hat they have either been practls-
ng q gross deception all their lives.