Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1865-09-23
MISCELLANEOUS.
PRAYERs FOR THE PREsI-
uAU.NsN

n,, ...,.e. DENT. ,.... ..........
4 Bishop is a Bish op, and whatever he
may say is entitled to respectful hearing
This being true, it is the duty of a Bishop
to weigh we'll his words, and to utter moth
ing by which his great office may be brought
into public contempt. We are sorry to sa.
it, hut we have rarely read a pretter piece
Of pettifogging sophistry and of bcfogging
special pleading than the address of the
; hi i,hop of Alabama to the Protestant Epis-
copalans of his diocese. The Confederacy
is gonc hut he still claims independence for
the Church in the Confedcracy-a indcpcn-
dcncc oi the very power which out of a
pain priest made him Father in God
This defiance of ecclesiastical authority,
this spiritual secession in which Bishop
Wilmer persists, il is not within our pro-
vince to discuss; but We have a right to con-
slider, and we have call most cmphatically
to condemn the tepitlarean style in Which
this siepcrd grudgingly permits his flock to
pray for the President of the United States
when the time comes. lie il quick to remind
his children that the Church has nothing to
do with politics. We take issue here. We
make bold to assure tile Bishop of Alabama
til but for politics, but for the ambition of
politicians, hut for the institution of Slavery
politically considered, but for st cular con-
trovcrsies in Congress and out ot it, there
would never have been division of his
church at all. As division, just so far as
it has ceased to be n portion of the old Epis-
copil Church in America, 1t represents po-
liicai differences, ,:and nothing else. How
could 1t be otherwisel Busy AS the Devil is
in promoting disscnsion, there was here no
question of doctrine, no difference concern
ing discipline, no fcuds aggravated by
copal Church was rent in twain. and so was
the National Democratic Convention, and
both through influences precisely the same.
The main question discussed Ivy Bishop
Wilmer in this pastoral. is that of prayers
for the President of the United States. lie
is good enough to permit his clergy to offer
these suppications-at some future time.
His distinctions arc ludicrously hicc. His
argument is, that Alabama is now under
military authority. Therefore says his
Right Reverence, "tbe prayer Qor those in
civil authority is altogether inappropriate
and inapplicable to the present condition of
things, when no civil authority exists in the
exercise of its functions" This is childish,
and what is worse, it is literally false The
'civil authority" of the United States, has
never for a moment ceased to exist in Ala.
hama. The assumptions of lie Bishop that
in exercising freely the military functions of
his otli &C, the President has in the least DIS
cardcd those which are simple civil" IS
purely gratuitous. Nor docs the service
hook make any distinction. The prayer Is
''fpr tue President of the United States"
both rs he is civil magistrate and MS he is
u Commandcr-in-C Chief. In both these ca
pacitics, civil and military, he is ''in authori-
ty" in Alabama to day, and all the reasons
which may exist for praying for him six
months hence, exist in full force at .his very
hour. How absurd, then, how utterly illogi-
cal is the following summing up of the
Bishop of Alabama: Haiis
My conclusion is, therefore, and direction,
which hereby give, that. when civil authority sha
be restored in the State 81 Alabama the clergy shall
the form entitled, prayer for the President Of
the United States and all in civil authority" as il
stands in the Book Common Prayer.
A Bishop denuded of his vestments, stand
ing naked and shivering upon the brink of
4 river, protesting with a frigid chatter that
he really means to take the leap, though at
present he cannot muster the courage, would
of con,emr,:.i",,! i = X shepherd declaring to
his hungry ana thirsty flock that in the
course of a few weeks it should be conduct
ell to the green pastures ard the still waters,
might endure the modification of seeing the
sheep walking independently away to help
themselves. Why will not tie Bishop Of
! Alabama. and all other Bishops, Priests,
! Dcacons and Doctors of Divinity ut the
! South, he little reasonable? Why is it not
/ j;aat "a much Christian duty to pray for
I.e restoration as to pray for the perpetual
| ton U. the civil authority?" And how is
the civil ,.Ithority' ever to DC rcinstated in
| all its pristine strength and virtue, if con
tempt is to be cast upon it from the altar,
and if reluctant citizens are to be confirmed
by their religious leaders in their reluctancef
| Yet the Bishop advises his people to take
the oath of allegiance to a Government for
/ the head of which he advises them not to
| pray at present! They are to recognize the
/ President in their oaths, but not in their
prayers! at the polls, but not in church. rs
| citizens, but not as Christians! These are
subtletics which to us seem fraught with
mischief. They keep the public mind of the
South in a condition of chronic irritation
they fan the fires of passion which arc
| smo!dering but not extinguished they tear
open wounds which should bc closing, and
freslen hatrelis which should he subsiding
We ave hoped, we still hope, tn find the
mass of the Southern clergy wiser than this
Bishop of Alabama. Events have given
them great opportunities of usefulness; and
if any of them are indisposed to pray for the
President, We trust that the President and
all other good citizens will pray for them.
| A VIRGINIA paper speaks of the startling