The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1865-05-24
n1 odern Theology.

II there is . class Of persons on earth
whom We dislike to encounter, it is the
clergy. Claiming no peculiarity Of opin,
ions, and caring but little what others may
think, We extend the widest latitude to
'pinion, but occasionally we see things that
ire so antagonistic to common sense that
it is impossible to pass them. Preachers
# all orders have recently had an opportu
nity to give their views on the late sad
national bereavement, and our readers have
doubtless heard sentiments from the pulpi,
never heard before. Good sense has been
uttered by many and all but sense has been
brown to the ears Of others. Among the
heologic curosties Of the day is sermon,
delivered in the second Picsby ytcrian church
# Cincinnati, on Sunday evening, April
23d, by Rev. L P. Thompson. 1t is re
ported in the Commercial, loyal paper OF
that city, and as it is not contradicted in
subsequent issues Of that sheet, our readers
are safe in assuming that it is correct
After paying proper tribute to the personal
character Of Nj. Lincoln, the divine said:
"Who would wonder that we should love
and admire him. We had felt it due him
that he should be garlanded in the tinal 10
joicings: but as Moses was permitted only
to see the land, so with our great and glo
rious leader. He knew that his country
was delivered, and on the very day that he
died, his eyes rested upon the certified
prospect of our nation being restored to its
integrity. 1t vas, in fact, in the very midst
Of our rejoiclngs that he died. We shrank
from ascribing to the Divine will any agency
in the crime OF his death. But God xsed
crime to further His oacn purposes. The
G c,nspiracy which had eliminated in the
pistol shot was hatched and ripened in the
d .rk but God had marked the first incep
ti,n Of the plot, and might He not have
a,erted the blow, but that IL scas to sho,o His
oon soise purpose.
"Was not Gods eye upon the assassin
all the hours OF that dreadful night-up to
the very moment that he did the deed
was not God looking at him, perfectly con
>cious of his intention? And could not
God have intervcned some shield to save
that life, had Hc not chosen that it should
be taken? Yes, zoe should attribute the
death Of Mr.. Lincoln to the Divine agency l.;
yet not relieve the guilty of the crime. l,
was full Of meaning, and the Interpretation
If it became the rightful duty of that svlemn
hour.
'But God had discovered in Mr.. Lincoln,
a disposition to deal leniently acith traitors
in order to induce them to return to their
duty-to temporIze with them. without in
aicting upon them that punishment, which
He had ordained as the reward Of their
crime. Thus reasoning, he argued that as
God had used him as an instrument to
carry out the war, lie had found him uaft
to deal aoith tie aoork Of reconstruction, ana
placing him aside, had brought forth
another instrument, in the person of the
present president, to use against the con
quered rebels in arms. Mr.. Lincoln would
not have served to put the seal Of condem
nation upon the rebels, and public justice
would have been unappeased and law dis
honored.
"And if ever laws should be executed
he continued, it should be on these traitors
whose guilt is worse than that of ten thous
and murderers. IF allowed 10 60 free
their example would be snare to all nations
in all times. II We were to ask why his
death came in that form. 1t so0uld seem b.
cause zoe tcoald moro fully recognizes in Il
the hand Of Gods propidtncs than if the
president had died natural death ia his
Led"
It seems, then, that tho Almighty Father
authorized or permitted" all this terrible
work because the late President was
"lenient" and "unfit to deal with the VOL, k
of reconstruction" ayes, We should
attribute the death Of Mr.. Lincoln to the
Divine agency"
Great God! Our Father. Creator and
Preserver, where will the fanat;cism Of the
hour yet place Theei From such q god
as these men worship, Good Lord deliver
US.