The mountain Democrat., 1864-01-30

But do believe in the-teachings df the
inspired Apostles, and in the Holy Cath.
olic Tor UniversaD Church which you and
your clergy also profess to believe. |
know that the doctrine Of that Church
was clear and unanimous on the lawful
ness of slavery for eighteen centuries to-
gether; and on that point regard your
"protest" and Indignant reprobation :"
as the idle wind that passes by.
Iwish you, therefore, to be advertised
that shall publish, within few months,
if gracious Providence should spare my
life and faculties, full demonstration of
truth, "wherein stand" And l shall
prove in that book, by the most unques-
tionable authorities, that slaves and slave
holders were in the church fyHEN tNS!$cse
ginning; that slavery was held to be con-
sistent with Christian principle by the
Fathers and Councils, and by all Protest
ant divines and commentators up to the
very close Of the last century, and this
fact was universal among all churches and
sccts throughout the ChEistjm world.
shall contend that our Church which
maintains the primitive rule Of the Cath
olic consent and abjures all novelties, is
bound, by her very Constitution, to hold
fast that only safe and enduring rule, or
abandon her apostolic claims, and descend
to the level Of those who are "driven
about by every wind of doctrine" And
shall print your "indignant reproba-
ton" with its lists of names, in the pre-
face of my book. so that if | cannot give
you fame, l may at least do my part to
give you notoriety.
That the nineteenth century is cen
fury of vast improvement and wonderful
discovery in arts and sciences, | grant as
willing as any man. But in religion truth
or reverence for the Bible, the age in
which we live is prolific in daring and i'm
pious innovation. We have seen profess
edly Christian communities divide and
subdivide on every side. We have seen
the rise and spread Of Universalism, Mil
lcrism, Pantheism, Mormonism and Spir-
itualism. We have even seen our vener-
able Mother Church Of England sorely
agitated by the contagious fever Of change
on the one hand toward superstition, and
on the other toward intdel rationalism,
and we have heard the increasing clamor
against the Bible, sometimes from the de-
votees of geological speculation, some
times from the bold deniers Of miracles
and prophecy, and, not least upon the
list, from the loudtongued apostles Of an
tislavery.
We have marked the orators which
cry Down with the Bible, it maintains
the lawfulness Of slavery" We have
marvcled at the senatorial eloquence
which proclaimed that sit was high time
to have an anti-slavery God and an anti
slavery Bible" We have heard the Con-
Stitution Of our country denounced as "a
covenant with hell" We have heard the
boosted determination that the Union
shall never be restored until its protec-
tion of slavery is utterly abolished. And
what is the result Of all this new philan-
trophy? The fearful judgment Of God
has descended to chastise these multiplied
acts of rebellion against His divine Gov
ernment, and what that final catastrophe
shall be, is only known to Him who seeth
the end from the beginning.
After forty years spent in the ministry,
more than thirty of which have been pass
ed in the office Of Bishop, can look
back with humble thankfulness to the
Giver of all good for this, at least, that all
my best labors have been directed to the
preservation of the Church from the in
roads of doctrinal innovation. At my or.
dination promised $50 to minister the
doctrine and sacramcnts and discipline oi
Christ as the Lord hath commanded, and
as this Church hath received the same
and certain it is that "this Church had
not received the modern doctrine Of ultra
Abolitionism at that time, as trust she
never will receive it. because it is contra.
ry to the Sacred Scriptures.
also promised with all faithful dill
gence to Danish and drive away from the
Church all erroneous and strange doc
trines contrary to Gods Word" and !
made those promises in the true sense
which the venerable Bishop White, my
ordainer attached to them. | believed
then. as he believed, that the plain PRE-
ceptS and practice of the Apostles sane
toned the institution, although, as a mat.
ter of expediency, the time might come
when the South would prefer as the North
| ndu uOucf W enplOy Tree IdoOEs
Those promises have kept faithfully
to this day-and il, when am drawing
near to the end Of my career, am to bt
condemned and villified by you and your
clergy, because still maintain them tc
the utmost of my ability, be assured, my
Right Reverend Brother, that shall re-
gret the fact much more on your account
than my own.
In conclusion, have only to say that
feel no resentment for the grossly insult.
ing style Of your manifesto. The stabil.
ity and unity of the Church of God are
the only interests which desire to secure,
and am too old in experience to be much
moved by the occasional eXcesses Of hu.
man infirmity. JoHN II. HOPKINS,
Bishop of the Diocese of Vermont.
BURLINGTON, VT, Oct 8, 1868.
The House OF ROthsehild.