Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1864-06-23

age. They have a higher law than the ser.
mon on the mount; and the word of God il
made to fit the Procrustcan bed of their
bind and furious prejudiccs, which they
mistake for conscience. Sir, | here pro
claim as fact TO which all history attests,
that whenever in the tide Of time the min,
istry Of the Most High have assumed as q
part OF their duties the control of affairs of
State and the policy of nations, they have
appeared as the advocatcs ofdcspotism, the
friends of high prerogative, the defenders
OF OPPRESSION the allies of tyranny-obsta-
cIes IN the pathway of progress, enemies to
popular rights and extortionors Of the poor
and labQring masses. ! might dwell long on
the evidence which the old and new world
furnish on this point. That great author
and majestic thinker, Buckle, whom have
already quoted, in speaking of the conduct
22ff the political clergy in the reign of James
ii, says
They looked on in silence while the King
was amassing the materials with which he
hoped 10 turn free government into am abso-
torurng ter faiiow.cublscts. Thay ni saw Nith the
jails crowded with prisoners, and the scaiiolts
some Of tl.c bcst and abiest men in the king.
dom should be barbarously persccuted: that
baxter should De thrown intoprison, and that
Howe should be forced into exile"
pause but for moment to point to the
history Of puritan Massachusetts as con-
iirmatlon Of my statement on this side Of
the ocean. What oppression did political
priesthood TAIL to approve? What cruelty
did they not instigatc and sanction in the
early days Of that famous colony? They
scourged, scared, cropped, burned and glib
bctcd those who were unable to conform
their views in all matters, civil and religious
to the rcigning lanaticisms; and then con
signed their souls to the regions Of the lost.
Carpenter, in his standard history Of Mas
sachusetts, work warmly partial to that
State, says:
"In July, 1876, several Qualiers arrived in
Massachusetts from Barbadoes, two Of whom
were women. Fully aware Of the contemptu-
in bE the most jealous OF the sect in England,
the magistrates III Boston brought the law
against hrEe>y to bear against the lntruders and
ordered their immediate arrest. Alter their
persons had been examined for those marks
winch were supposed at thal period to Indicate
such as deal in wItchcTait no satanic signs be-
ing discovered. thcIrtrunlts were rifed and the
books iOuLd therein ordered to he publicly
burned. b1iei Imprisonment was Imposed
upon them Dut theE we're finally released and
banlShed the colony. Several others who ar
rived subsequently, were sent back to England
by vessels IN which they CAME. About the
same time law was passed to prevent their in
PRODUCTION into the colony and imposing the
penalty Of stripes and coerciye labor upon all
the women were whipped, and several men
condemned to lose an ear. When
to be Tagged, they yielded with entire satisfac-
ton their backs TO the cXccutioner.'
Finding that these atrocious measures
were not sufficient to crush out the liberty
Of thought, law was passed said the
same historian, in 1868, banishing the
Quaker, from the United Colonies Of New
England, and torbidding their return under
pain of death:
This sanguinary and unjustinable enactment
( was carried 10y one vote only. Various staunch
/ friends of the Goyernment strongly protested
/ against it, not only cruel but as Liable TO in
! NIte the persecution it sought 10 avoid. The re-
suit soon proved how wen grounded was the
fear. MarrnaduSe Stephenson, William Robin
son and MARY Dyer c9urted the dang.r TO- which W
eratioI ofthe law. In september, 30, they were
3 seized, ami, after trial, condemned to be hang"
Robinson and stephenson. but Mary Dyer was
4 rrireiy ed upon tho scatiOld. and again thrust
/ tyr's death she returned soon after and was
publicly executed on Boston Common
oh the rarity of Christian charity"
/ VIII not some New England clergyman of
modern orthodoxy shed at least one tear
over the scarlet sins Of his own ancestors
who assisted in the murder of this poor wo-
man on Boston Common, while he is weep
ing as if his head was a fountain of water
over the landing of the Dntch ship with
slaves at jamestown.
But again. says the same friendly his
torian
at was at the beginning of this year that many
persons OF piety and good understanding were
again led to believe in the great prevalence of
witclcraft in the province. Prominent among
the most credulouS of those was Cotton Mather,
son to the Reverend Increase Mather, for some
time past the agent OF Massachusetts in Eng
land, and himself clergyman. The
alarm OF witclCraft was again sounded. The
ministers tasted and prayed with the distressed
father. The villagers OF salem also tasted and
PRAYED; and the fear OF dcmoniacal influences
/ becoming general day of fasting and prayer
was specially set apart 10 be kept by the whole
I colony. The belief in w!tchcrait being thus sol
/ eunly recognized and fostered, it was not long
/ before the deluSiOn spread across the whole
breadth Of the province. The number of vic
timsso rapidly Increased that many of the colo
niSts, perfectly pauic-striclten, became the ac-
cuseys of others, lest they should be brought un-
der suspicion themselves. The execution at Sa-
+ lem Village OF Mr.. Burroughs minister of
blamClcss life, was terrible instance of the
power which the delusion exercised over tho
strongest minds in the community For fifteen
ni t notiIior li5 t B1Ting his perod out Of
twcnty-eight persons captally convicted of
witchcraft, nineteen had been hanged and one
Sir, let not these remarks and records of
! faithful history be construed into an attack
upon the ministers of our divine religion.
| | have endeavored rather to portray the evil
results which flow from desecraton Of that
/ high calling. 10 my mind there is no voca-
/ ton on this side ofthe mysteriousriverwhic
! divides time from eternity so lofty, no career
] of life 80 serenely beautiful and bordering so
| closely upon heaven as the benevolent pur-
i suits of him who tenders the cup OF saliva
ton to the of fallen world. A halo
hovers around his head which tells that he
walks in the footsteps of his blessed Master.
In the presence of such man | would
uncovered and do him rcverent homage.
And there are many such whose
pure and noiscless lives pass almost unheed-
ed by the busy, striving world, but around
whom the comforting angels Of the Lord
I encamp by night aud By day. In their
, keeping are all the hopes Of the church
the Christian welfare of mankind. The
youth of the land should sit at their feet
and learn wisdom, and both young and old
should rise up and call them blessed. But
in this bright category of human excellence
this high galaxy of stars shining with an
unearthly splendor-there is no place for
such as take charge of churches by order of
the War Department, and preach the gos-
pei as commanded by the President of the
! United States. The vineyards where they
! labor never bear the fruits of peace-never
smile with domestic tranquility. Before
them do not plead my cause. From them
| expect to hear no voice save the continued
and protracted cry of havoc.
But, sir, | will be told by the advocates
of force and violence as remedy, and the
sole remedy for om troubles, that although
the South might send commissioners TO
treat for peace, yet they would accede no
terms except recognition and separation.
| In support of this view, certain propositions
recently offered in the Congress at Rich
mond are cited To my mind they indicate