The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1864-01-08
Rev. Samuel Yingling
AND THE
Lutheran Council.

LtuIV4ttA SVuAc14t
We have no desire to meddle in business not
our own. We have less desire to make pri-
vate church matter tho subject Of newspaper
discussion. If members OF ether churches would
attend to their own affairs and pay their own
preachers, it would be more cIeditabe to them
than to backbite their neighbors and undertake
to discuss matters they don't understand If
certain picayunc individuals who never aston
ishcd their minister or any body else with a
spark of liberality, but on the contrary are moan
subscribers and meaner pay, would just 10 as
they have always heretofore done: let the church
take care of ITSELF it would look, at least, more
consistent This newborn zeal must have been
scared up by some dark spirit
We know none of the details and don't wish
to know or meddle, but we have it from good
and substantial authority, such as would estab-
lish any fact in court of justice, that the ar
ticle in The last Inquirer in its attempt 10 fasten
political prejudice upon tho council, and its eff
forts to connect an innocent Sunday School fes-
tival (Which proved SO he quito a success) with
the action Of the council, are wholly and entire
ly untrue. Other and higher considerations,
we are informed, (and the authority is too strong
to deny in this community moved the council
in doing what they did. From what we know
Of the men and their personal regard for his
Reverence, they could say, and, no doubt, die
say: "Not that loved Caesar less but Rene
MORE" and Influenced by tina. high motive, act
cd. Such action is taken in all churches. 1t
occurs every month, we have no doubt, in the
Lutheran church. Why take the matter so
much to heart just nov7 We know the motives,
and will leave the reader to look at them him
self without expressing them. Attributing such
motives to such men as composed that council,
is measuring men by their own rule and iudg-
ing others by themselves. We are beginning TO
believe the laity of the church, like the honest
masses Of the country, will! have to take things
in their own hands at least until we can pet
preachers who can appreciate their calling and
dsaain to meddle in politics We want miais-
tiers of the Gospel, and We nre going TO have
them (or have none who can distinguish be-
tween great nctional question and great ab-
ol'tiOa question. We say down on the preacher
who either breaches, prays or tails politics. He
has no business to do either. He must give of
fence and divide his people, and if they can't
see it, ike all other men, they will feelt. They
are not exempt from an abuse Of their privileges
any more than other men, We dom. intend
these latter remarks to be leveled at Mr.. Yinr-
ling more than any body else; but men in that
calling at this critical time in our countrys his.
tory, can learn their duty as well as ell Others
from the things around them---and if they will
not learn, but doggedly and persistsntly pursue
course distastcful to their people, and not keep
constant vigilance over their 1ocks--making et-
forts constantly to unite and harinonze instead
of breeding discord and bad feeling, they must
take the consequences; and SO far as we can,
we will lay bare their weak points, and hold up
their hands SO long as they preach peace and
good will To men