Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-06-03
For the Muscatine Journal

review OF Elder y. IL. Elint's Gospel
A. Mr.. JOURNAL "A few days since q
small pamphlet was put into my hand
with the following title: "a Gospel
Sermon, preached by Elder J. II. Flint,
of iowa. Addressed to all true Chris
tians." TeXt-"Blessed are the peace
makers, for they shall be called the
children of God" Matt. 5:5. Mistake
in the printer. 1t should be Matt. so.
| am informed that this strange produc-
ton is being extensively circulated in
the country, and that too by those who
profess ito be horrified at the idea of
| ''preachers dabbling in the dirty pool of
politics" " while the design OF this.preach-
er is too transparent tC conceal his stud
led political object even from the COM
mon reader of ordinary intelligence
| AS whole, it is a remarkable COM
pound, the equal of which will scarcely
be found, of truth and error, fact and
| falsehood, assertion and contradiction,
Christianity and infidelity, professed
charity and liberality and consllmmate
libigotry-and, unless there are unpartlon-
able topographic errors, by which this
Elder Flint is greatly belied, or this SER
mon is, an impOsture, forgery, he is
much more suitable to be an inmate of a
lunatic asylum than a public teacher Of
either politics Or religion! AS there is
no mention of when or where this SER
mon was preached or where Elder Flint
resides, and as | profess to be among
those to whom this Gospel sermon is
addressed, and am desirous to cores
pond with its author, hoping that me
may either enlighten me or may con-
vince him, | respectfully request that he
will address ''Postoffice box 440, Musca-
tine, Iowa. with proper references,
giving me his, address, and he shall have
my name and my address. .l
| In the meantime | shall offer some
structures on this strange compound,
eyincing it's true character and what
appears to be its real design. That it is
understood by those who circulate it to
be apolitical electiOneering sermon must
appear from the fact that on the outside
Of the last page. is the following notice
= Presidential Campaign. Muscatine
Courier, for 1864. A White Mans Pa
per. Club rates. Read, Read, Readn-
| then the price of single'cOpy, ten copies,
concludes with, "If Democrats will sup
port Democratic papers, the Democratic
party will save the country a fine
in connection with a no
fp0iaicd( sermon! The identity OF the
Spirit of the sermon and the political
party is palpable. 1t is public fact
,that those who call themselves ''the
democratic party propose to ''save the
country" on the principle of 'peace on
amy terms" Such is the spirit of this
sermon. Elder. Flint" cries peace,
peace, and not only urges it as Chris
tian duty, but charges those who differ
from him on the subject with being in
fiuenced by the ''devil' and threatens
them with endless perdition," while
there is not one sentence in the whole
sermon as to the plain Scriptural duty of
Christians, us well as all others, to obey
civil rulers, and to Osupport the civil gov
eminent as the ordinance of GOd.'-
Me teaching of the Gospel on this sub
iect is too plain to be misunderstood
(S'Let every soul be subject to the higher
powers. For there is no power but of
God; the powers that be are ordained of
God. Whosoever, therefore, resisteth
the power resisteth the ordinance OF
God" The civil ruler "beareth not the
sword in vain for he is the minister of
God, revenger to execute wrath upon
him that doeth evil,n &c. Romans 18th
But doubtless Elder Flint had more
important object in view than that of
presenting the Uhole duty of true Chris
tians. He presumes largely upon the
ignorance of his readers, that they can
be moved by his pathetic appeals to
withhold their votes in the approaching
Presidential campaign" from the man
who may be pledged to sustain the gov
ernment against the most wicked rebel
lion that history has ever recorded, and
thereby transfer the administration to
those who will have peace on any terms,
even the acknowledgment Of the Con-
federacy, the destruction of the govern
ment and our nationality.
In my next article will furnish proof
of the charges brought against this So
called Gospel sermon. .-.