, 1864-10-10
DUTY OF the Clergy and Church.


4 singular decision wRs made by the Pre-.
siding Bishop (Whltehouse), at q late Dio-
ceEan Convention at Chicago. A resolution
was pending requesting the Government to
abstain from drafting the clergy, and to ac.
cept, IN lien Of their services, 4 tax to be
was pending an amsndatory resolution was
ofertd, as follows:
.Retoted, Thst while this Convention seeks rclie!
from Tho Impending dtafs, it would affirm mosi
ted States, and plead its hearty co operation to re-
store the functions ald power OF the Government
in all Its integrity.
The Blrhop ruled this. as political reso1u.
tion, to be ont OF order. When We further
state that the Bishop made the opeuinp
though perhaps Indignant, will not be aston
fshed at this decision
We should very much like to know whether
the Right Reverend gentleman considers the
following to be q political prayer:
A PRAYER FOR TUE PREsDENT OF TIE UNITED
cur heaTe u Father, the high ana mighty Ruler OF
the dv eltrs npon earth, most bearfly We beserca
want, TIE President OF rue Us11zD STATES, aud
Al Others in authority, snd 30 rrp1eush them with
the grace Of thy Holy Spirit, that they may always
Them. .plenteously With heavenly e1fs: grant them
health and Property long to 1--we: and danlly,
after ths iife TO atsai asung Joy and felicity,
Or is this passage from the Litany political,
in the opinion OF the Bishop?
>, From al tedition, psivy eonsoi1aey aud rese.-
lion 'rtm all fAlss doctrine. her=sJ and scntsu !:
and Commandment, &C. Good Lord, deiiutr ~.
Or this, also from the Lituny:
That 1t msy please thee to bless and preserve all
chsan kal;ss ana giving them
bEsEech n e to hear ~, 0G0A L0Td.
Or this, from the Litany also:
That 1t may please thee TO gfye all nations UNITY,
peace and concord: wettseecs tee 10 hear ", good
Or this prayer:
o Almighty God, the supreme Governor of ali
things power no creature 70 abe to resist to
whom helnngeth jRtilt to punish sinners. and ID
be mezctfu to those who truly repent: Save and de-
liver n, We humbY beseecn thee, from the hands
Of our e. smlee, tbst we, being stmea Win tey Dc.
Rlorty thee, who art the only e1ver Of all victory;
through tho merits Of thy Son, Jesus Christ our
Afier the rebellion Is crushed, as 1t certainly
will be, will this delicate Bishop direct hla
clergy not to read the following political
o, Eternal God, our Heavenly Father. who alone
gtilest the outrage Of v1o1ert and untuy peools,
we bless thy holy aoe. that i hath pleased theo
to sppesse the eeditious tuuults which have lately
been raised among us. &c. Amen.
From all this We infer that In the opinion
of Bishop Wnltehouse 1t would be political
for Church Convention to ayow its loyalty
to the Government, but is not political to
pray every day for the President and for the
utter confusion OF the Rebels. You may de-
sire to be delivered from treason, in prayer,
but you must not say so in resolution Is
rot this curious attenuation Of distfuc-
tions? And is It desirable also to cancel, as
political, the Xxlst Homlly, which is
"Against Rebellion.'
II my country ever needed the prayers Of
reliaIous bodies and the sympathy, OF the
churches, 1t is our own. In It's present condi-
tion. These prayers and this sympathy, we
are glad to say, have not been withheld, aud
the great mas Of the clergy Of all denomt-
batlons hive been active and earnest In their
do, OF a great officer Of q great church op-
posing his authority to the PRONUNCIATION BY
bis cleray Of eimple declaration Of their
sympathy with the anxicties and su1eriogs
Of the people, and Of their unswerTing fldel-
lly to the laws. A church which, whether
justly or upjustly, has suffered so much by
rebellion, ebould not shrink from protesting
against it when it is clearly indefensible,
upon the poor plea that sucha protest Hould
he no1ftfca1