Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1865-12-07

POLITICAL doctrine, however oTthouoA ~
Its craftsmanship or politics. IL Is for
this reason, and not for want OF loyalty,
that the House OF Deuties was unwill-
ing TO seem to instruct the House OF
Bishops In It's duty, or to stultify Its
own vote of the day before in response
TO the House of Bishops, or to Introduce
political specialties OF any kind into
the decision of the convention. This
church has never admitted them hith-
erto into her services or councils, and
has always been committed to the prin-
ciple OF avoiding all complications with
the State, and ofminding her own bust
ness, in her own way, and leaving her
clergy and laity to hold what political
theories pleased them best, after she had
taught them TO "honor and obey, and
pray for" the civil authority and ito
live in charity with their neighbors "
Furthermore, all these sentiments and
principles pressed with greater weight
upon our hearts-lur, long before the
Convention, the great question OF ques-
tions with us, as 1t might well be with
a christian church, was how 10 restore
our suspended unity, aud live on in
ecclesiastical bonds with our Southern
brethren as zone body in Christ" striv-
ing together against sin, and preaching
the pure word of the gospel. Is the
Union of the country, we asked our
selves to be the signal for the disunlon
of the church ? Is peace the mother of
war; Is the death of slavery 10 be cell
ebrated by the severance OF the bonds of
christian unity, and the rending of the
robe of Christi God forbid! Loyalty
to the earthly government should teach
us, surely, a better loyalty to Christ
than disunion and schism in the
church.
Lastly, it has been charged upon us
(tor no other apparent reason than that
we did not adopt the particular phrase
| OlOgy of Mr.. Binneys reSOlutiOns) that
that we did not return thanks to God
for His deliverance granted to the ate.
Why those words, "the return of peace
to the country and unity to the church"
and "the restoration OF National Peace
, and Union" were the very words which
brought us together on that day of
Thanksgiving, and directed our praises,
and our prayers, as that God would
"sanctify the Nation in the solemn priv
ileges of freedom, government and
power" and make our land "a sanctu-
airy of civil liberty and religious truths,
an example to the ends of the earth of
the righteousness that exalteth a ma
ton" If this means nothing, the
Presidents recent proclamation for a
National Thanksgiving means nothing,
We returned thanks for peace and union
to the church, for here were brethren,
bishops, clergy and laity, from the
Southern Dioceses, heralding the re-
turn Of all,and kneeling side by side with
u.s. and joining in the same praises and
amens. We returned thanks for peace
and union to the country, for by Gods
assistance peace had been conquered
and union restored, and Of all National
blessing these are the very greatest
vouchsafed us.
Some of our people in their exagger-
ated use Of lesser words, seem to forget
the meaning Of greater words. have
alwcys supposed that the words peace
and union expressed the greatest boon
which Heaven vOuChsafes to nations,
and that the restoration of peace and
union," in the vastness of the terms,
comprehended and swallowed up alrthe
lesser issues and results of the war by
which, under God. our blessings have
been secured. If then, we acknowledge
the greatest gifts of all that God has
given this people, and in which all 9th
ers are included, are we to be charged
contemptuously, and stigmatized with
a political name that we repudiate as
loyal men, because we do not specify
the lesser acts and sequesces, of whose
exact o. der some very good Christian
men may yet have some doubt, and
whose precise mutual bearings history
has yet to decide, study and arrange, it
may be for century to come.
Accept my apologies for so long a
communication, | do not often trouble
you thus, butin the present instance l
desired to vindicate the consistency and
propriety of the position which | and
my colleagues felt bound to take | am
confident that time will only confirm
the truth and wisdom of our course.
am respectfully yours,
MALCOLM DOUGLASS.
Windsor, Vt, Nov. 6, 1866.