Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1864-06-11

before the breaking out of the War
Wherever the Anti-masonic fever ragged,
there it invaded the sermons and PRAYERS
ofthe great bulk of the denominational
pulpits. When the Teetoial Temperance
Reformation was the fashion of the day,
the same result was experienced to q still
greater degree. And as the Anti.slsves
agitation has spread more and more, sim
liar triumphs have waited upon its steps.
All these were controversies of Peace
times, however, and fell immeasurably
short of the evil when the nation had once
tasted the maddening excitement of blood
shed. The war has swept through all
these Denominations like n tornado, with
sudden and irresistible violence. Hardly
even the semblauce of an opposition to
the tempest was anywhere apparent. The
Old School Presbyterian General Assem-.
blythe most conservative of them all
plunged at once into series of Resolu-
tons defining Treason, and seemed to
fancy itself called on to perform the duty
OF Courts and Congress. The New School
Presby'erians went further than the Old.
The Methodsts have concluded TO extend
themselves South once more, but will not
admit 10 Communion any Shareholders"
nor any who are "tainted with treason" !;
, and they have made the oath of allegiance
a part of their ceremony of Ordination, -
a thing that is done in other lands only
when there is Union of Church and
, State. Baptsts, Congregations and
Unitarians have--if possibe-gone even
beyond those previously mentioned. The
new and glorious Gospel of War has-in
preachings and prayiugs and sympathies
and offeriugs-so far swallowed up that
tame and rather reasonable old Gospel Of
Peace, that-paradoxical as it may seem
there was no peace for any man who
did not go in for the war as the only re
liable test of his religion. Pulpits seemed
turned into drums. Meeting houses were
the most efficient recruiting stations
Preachers focked to the war themselves
, not as chaplans but as fighters either witt
the musket on their shoulder or with
= sword and shoulderstraps. Fighting wa
cxtoled as the chiefest and noblest o
those good works" which are the fruit o
: faith; and to hear the unhesitatiug prom
4 lses of heaven to those who should fall il
battle, in the sacred cause, one would fan
=. cy that the preachers were imaums of th
n Mussulman persuasion, and it seemed hard
ly orthodox that the sermon should no
!, end with the proper formula for that ktnt
f oil Gospel, Good is God, and Mohamme,
is the Prophet of God ~
And while it may betrue, as the Churc
It Journal says, that the clergy of the Eps
! copal church Gas a b0dy' have taken tn
d correct view of these Questions of tn
: Day - there are various and sundry indi
n vidual cases which are, to our certai
r knowledge among the very worst we kno,
= Of Sermons which some OF the congrpga
IS ton desired to cheer, are of the kind W
o refer to. Nor did the Diocesan conven
@ vention at Pittsburg show it's devotion t.
o principle, to churchmanship and to thei
}. holy calling, in endorsing in any name
o the fanaticism of Yankee Goodwin with hi
IS blood and thunder preamble and rcsolu
It lions. "As body" we think tho con
,s venlion disgraced itself,and that the Churc
s. has little cause to exult over the Denomi
o nations on the "Questons of the Day.
n Ed. Dem.1
10 Meanwhile, even the Lords DAY
r losing its sacrcdness. Some of the mos
=, widely circulated of our daily papers, ar
y issued on Sundays as well as on otho
t, days, and few hesitate to read them o
fe eagerly. The preaching and praying abou
a the war in so many pulpits has led one ste
lie further, to the holding of open meeting
le on Sunday for the discussion of polite,
g topics, and the delivery of secular let
s. lures and the giving of concerts on ths
= day. Military funerals are always fxe
D for Sunday where it is at all possible.-
n The circulation of exciting Sunday P'
l. pers is increasing, and tho attendance
= the Houses of public worship is diminish
s. ing, We are steadily drifting towards th
lie Sunday of Continental Europe.
At Church Journal.
, Humanity of General Jackson.
Of During the Greek war, after one