Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1864-09-14
The GOSPEL of Peace.

You are told that we who are against
this war, we who demand an armistice
and a convention of the States, we who
under the blessed gospel of the Savior of
mankind would proclaim that which no
longer resounds from the pulpits of this
land, Peace on earth and good will to
mon, are wanting dishonorable peace.
See Validndigham' s speech at Chicago,
dug, Doth.
'To the ministers OF the various
churches on whom VIII devolve the duty
of opening prayer in the presence of their
congregations, and especially those min
listers who have inculcated the doctrines
of war and blood, so much at variance
with the teachings of their Divine Master,
[ would hereby recommend that they will,
on that solemn occasion, invoke the mer-
cy Of heaven to hasten the relief of our
suffering people by turning the hearts Of
these IN authority into the blessed ways OF
peace ''-Proclamdtion of National Fast,
By Mayor Gunther, Of Ne,c York.
These extracts, which arc but echos of
Gov. Seymour's thrust at the ministry,
when in his Proclamation for fast he
called upon the people to pray that God will
give "meekness and charity to the Cler-
gy, are but specimens illustrating the
tone Of certain corrupt, profane and drunk
en- politicians in their execrations Of our
teachers of religious truth Men who
never favor any good cause and have no
respect for religion, reeking with profan-
ity, assume to teach christian pastors how
to preach the gospel
These charges against the Clergy, at
once so broad and sweeping in their terms
are in themselves suggestive. The think
ing mind viii ask, why is it that these
men, universally admitted to be honest,
candid and conscientious; men, who, for
education and power of discrimination
stand among the first in the country, why
is it that almost without exception they
stand on one side, and on that side Of
this great moral question?
The Clergy are charged by these self
constituted conservators ola peace gospel,
with the crime of mixing up politics
with religion" Surely this cannot be
wrong, for if religion be that purifying,
elevating power its advocates claim it to
be, nothing needs it more than politics
and ifthere can be found, now, men whose
politics t5iU mir with religion, there may
be ground for hope that God will spare
our political organization from utter de
struction.
These pious o. advocates for peace
would fix the impression upon the public
mind that the advocacy ofwar ii any cir
cumstances is departure from the gos-
pel-'the gospel of peace" As the word
of God reveals and interprets this gospel,
let US from thence learn its testimony
respecting peace
Mr. Vallandigham claims that he and
those Of his class are the only faithful un-
corrupted ones left to proclaim peace
gospel, even ''peace on earth and good will
20 men r Alas that the song Of the an
gels at Bethlehem should be sung by such
discordant voices. But look at the text of
these modern preachers, a moment The
first part undoubtedly refers to the inter
course of man with man, ''on earth peace,
while the last part as evidently refers to
the disposition of God toward his crea-
es,-'good will toward men" If the
first forbids war in any and all circum-
stances, between men, the last requires
God to exercise nothing bat good viii, y
whatever may be the character of man.
But David says: ICED is angry with tho