Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-05-04
An Infamous Heresy.

The other day, so-called minister, while
speaking of the death of Abraham Lin
coin, declared ''God done 1t" and this is but
the clean English of what many are now
preaching! The doctrine that God, by the
special application of omnipotent power,
is regulating or controlling temporal or ma
tional affairs, is most infamous heresy.-
If God by his omnipotent power controls
all the important affairs and events in this
world, then He is responsible for them all;
and not only for the important events, but
also for the smaller events. These all are
mere incidents to the greater; and whoever
is controlling the greater, is, as necessary
result, responsible for the whole. Ii this
be true, and God controls, then it is true,
that ''what is, is right" because God can
do no wrong; but, it is said, ale only over
rules" If By Omnipotent power He over
rules the plans of man, He controls them,
and, therefore, the result is not the result
of mans plans, but the result of Gods in
reference with them, and overruling them
so as to produce different result from that
man would have produced; and, therefore,
the result is Gods result. If God by His
omnipotent power controls all great events,
or even enough of them to spoil the plans
of man, then the responsibility is with
God alone.
Is it true that God so overruled the great
events of the revolution of our fathers as to
secure our independence and establish a
great Government consisting of twelve
slave and one free State? Is it true that He
afterward put it in the hearts of American
citizens to get up the most infamous rebel
lion the world ever saw, that at the sacrifice
of million lives He might wipe out slavery
from the very Government He by his over
ruling power aided our fathers to establish!
Is ittrue that God has overruled (controlled)
all the great events Of this war, and, there
fore.made Himself responsible for the whole?
If so, then all has been done right, for lie
can do no wrong, nor permit auOther to do
so. He may not prevent wrong, but He
cannot permit it to be done. Is it true that
all our disasters to our army, were but q
part of Gods programme? Ii so, we should
still rejoice that the will of God was done
at Bull Run, Charlottesville, Fredericks.
burg, &c. Is it true that God, as part Of
his grand programme, arranged to have the
most hellish act that American history thus
far records, committed upon a good mar
and good Observation-Disclosures LincolDi
Is it true, thatJ. Wilkes Booth, the infamous
assassin, was chosen instrument Of God
to do His will i'm the murder of the Presi.
dent? If so, Booth should be loved by al
good men, for having done the will of God
If it is true that God, by special appll-
cation of His omnipotent power, overrules
(controls) all the great events in this coun'
try of ours, then, it is true ESQ to speak, thai
He s'runs the institution" and If God Il
srunning" this Government and this peo'
pie, then there should be no regrets thai
this thing happened, or that that did moi
happen; because "God done it," and, o.
course, all was done right. All this ''Got
done it'' heresy is but "fatalism" In 1T
worst form. The eternal truth is, that Coz
thousands of years ago established the law
by which, and subject to which, the uni.
verse (animate and inanimate matter) Il
moving along, without any special inter
ference by omnipotent power. Man within
limited sphere is free agent, and fol
that agency only, Is he held responsible
Man is not responsible for doing or not do
ing where omnipotent power interferet
overruling his programme. God does no
arise each morning and then determine
what he will do, have done or not done
during the day. His laws are established
uDchangeably, and those who keep with
them, do well, while those who attempt t,
traverse them, do i'll. il gfJ4s
Every manifest result of special applica
ton Of fomnipotent power to temporal affair
is A miracle. Who claims that God Is still
| performing miracles? Gods worst enem,
| 'sdone itn--murdered the President. ar