The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1864-07-15
From the Lancaster Lntelligencer
Rebuke to Some of the Clergy.

| FROM We ISuHcUSteT fHetIyetc@.
Rebuke to Some of the Clergy.
Under the head of "Dead Faith and an
Apostate Church." the Presbyterian deals
some terrible blows at the head of that
portion of the clergymeu of the United
States who have forgotten the gospel and
turned their pulpits into political rostrums
Some of them have become such ardent
politicians that they set themselves as ora
cles, and none dare dispute their dictation.
II is fitting rebuke for such men as Yam
kee Goodwin, of o. University of Penn
sylvania, who endeavored to turn the re-.
cent Convention of the Episcopal Church
at Pittsburg into an Abolition meeting
The Presbyterian says:
awe fondy thought that, poised upon
the truth, animated by the grace, and
obliged by the commands of her glorious
Head, the Church wtuld have proved q
bulwark against the rushing tide of. evil.
We thought she would be an oasis in the
desert, where weary travellers might re-
fresh themselves we thought she would
be an island in the stormy sea, where ship
wrecked mariners might find safety and
shelter. We did not expect to hear in
her solemn Assemblies the voice of human
anger, much less of satanic malice. We
beloved that in the hour of civil commo-
ton, when States were sundered and ar
mics met in the shock of battle, she would
lift up holy hands without wrath and
doubling and implore her Master to drop
from Heaven the olive branch of peace
that she would gather her sons and daugh-
tiers about her and say to them, "My chill
dren, love one another;" that she would
lay one hand upon Ephraim and the other
upon Manassah, aud bless them BOTH
We need not say how sadly we have been
disappointed. nspite of her boasted con-
servatism and fidelity to principle, this
once veuerated body, at one bound, broke
every bond of truth and charity, in effect
renowned her allegiance to her great
Head, and allied herself with his arch-ene-
my. She has turned aside from her Mas.
ter's work, and through her highest courts,
and through hundreds of her pulpits, is
engaged in propagating political ideas and
in sounding the dread tocsin of war; her
su"cinct schools of the prophcts-where liu-
ger the memories and repose the ashes Of IL
lustrious dead-have been perverted to the
advocacy Of cruel war, and of goddess
and inhuman Aboitionism. Her most
widely circulated newspaper, that used to
howl SO frantcally whenever an Episcopal
liam was appointed to a cbaplaincy in the
army or navy, is now the whining slave of
the power that lords it over Gods hert-
age, and is rejected in disgust by Chris
tian and even loyal men, on the ground
that it is no longer a religious paper
Her oldest quarterly Review now receives
its inspiration from disappointed military
commanders, who falling of success in the
field, have become the communicating
intelligence" of absurd politics and im-
practicable campaigns. Her clergy in
many instances vie with each other, not in
fidelity to God and the soul of men, but
in devotion to party and in zeal for the car
uage of battle.
Amid this furious babble of politics and
war, we look in vain for the Magma Charta
Of the Annunciation, "Glory to God in
the highest; On earth peace, good will to
men, 1t is appalling to see the Churoh
OF God spue from her mouth the Gospel of
peace, aud bawl herself boarse in stimula-
ting the ferocious passions of men, and in
cauoniziDg the edhanded fiend of the bat.
tle-feld. Where is her former hatred of
Abolitionism, now that she is causing her
own children to pass through the fire of
Moloch, aud is gloating over the prospect
of servile instruction? What shall we
say of the distinguished cergymeu, who
so loudly applauded Mr.. Van Dykes SER
mon on that subject, and who now lift up
their hands aud roll their eyes in pious
horror at the sin of slavery2 Shall we
say as the world says of them, that they
have either been practising gross decep-
ton all their lives, or are now basely yield
ing to unmaply fear? Shall we adopt the
Illuminating charge so freely made, that as
body, the clergy of this country have
been less reliable, more unwilling to sac.
rifce their position to principle, more
shutting aud cowardly, and blood-thirsty,
than any other class Of men in it? Shall
We repeat the sneer, that rather than give
mp their places and their salaries, they
will preach and pray under the dictatioo
of turbulent faction in their churches !;
or the bitter taunt Of the soldier, who on
being reproved by one Of them for swear
ing, replied 81 will not be rybuked by
you, sir! | have exposed my life for three
years in this war, and but for preachers
there would have been no war; We de-
sire to bring no railing accusations, neither
10 judge any man, but by taer frniti sc