The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1865-10-18
Truth and Right-G and our Country
The Church, North and South.

force, but they are, in fact, ore binding
as obligations, being enforced by higher
sanctions This general doctrine is SO fully
recognized in our day, and has been SO
constantly affirmed even in purely secular
type, during the four years last past, that il
is unnecessary 10 enlarge upon it. Any one
who will take the trouble to consult the de
liverances of The most ultra-loyal newspa-
2ers, beginning with the Tribune, and going
down The scale until he reaches the Inde-
pendent, will fluid multitude of short SER
mons upon this topic. The most remar1a-
bic point of agreement, in all these extra
parochial discourses, is the unanimity with
which the self-appointed preachers have
provided kind of extra damnation for sins
not enumerated in the old canon. Nothing
less could be expected in this progressive
age
While this is true enough, il is also true
that human history records no conflicts more
dire than those between human authority
on one side aud eccle sastca bodies on the
other The latest example of sny maeni-
Iude is on the exodus OF the Free Church
of Scotland, where the first ground of COM
plant on the part oil the seeding body, aud
the proximate cause of their withdrawal,
was the assumption of authority by the
civil power over purely spiritual concerns.
There was no dispute upon docirinaI points,
no attempt a. Interference with forms of
worship. The established Church OF Scot
~ - L. bolI ~
standards, and the simple question dividing
this sect, and causing the loss of thousand
congreg ations 10 the prosperous establish
melt, was, whether Christ or Cesar was
the supreme head of lae Church. How
much OF worldly loss was bravely endured
by the Free Church. and how noby its
members responded 10 The heavy demands
made upon them during their conflict in
defense of this naked principle, is per
fectly well known 10 all who are familiar
with recent Church history.
Although here are no civil laws. prop
erly so called, regulating ecclesiastical mat.
ters in this country, yet, the whole Protest.
ant Church Norih, with few noble excep-
tNOhol hoS OiAtCN lHNO NuO POitAlCdl
arena since war began II cannot be said
that the pressure came from pithom the
Church. II the old conservative spirit which
secured al the first freedom of religious
belief in America had remained in the
Church, il is not likely that The civil au-
'h.orty would ever have dared 10 trespass
upon her sacred threshold. |; was the lov-
atty of the church members that placed the
National Flag above The Cross on her lofty
spires. Ii was the loyalty of her ministers
that invented new forms of prayer, il which
God " as formally instructed every Sabbath
day as to what the North American Chris
Iian Church had right to expect of Him.
Il was the haired of sins which God had
neglected to enumerate in His divine law
OF prnhibiions--and the love of heavenly
virtues nowhere found in His Revelation
that induced his servants, lay and clerical
to provide new tests of church member
ship, and TO add Supplemental lormenis to
the penal fires OF Tophet. Only once, in a
history of fifty centuries, can parallel be
found. Only once before aid the recognized
representatives OF Gods Church dare TO cry
in the face of Heaven-"We have no King
bot Cesar !"
The marked contrast presented in the un-
changing attitude of the Southern Church
cannot have escaped the attention OF any
candid man. The circumstances surround :
ing her members were not similar TO those
- tba.r hrosborn fOnnd
themselves. Ii will never be known how
much of suffering the South has endured in
four years OF desolation and war; but il
will never cease to be known, and to re-
dound to the honor of her church members,
how unflinchingy they bore their Affections
while the contest lasted In all the public
expressions of her various Church Courts,
the existing calamity was regarded as a
chastisement divineIy inflicted, and no trace
of that vindictive, bloodthirsty spirit with
which we have been so familiar, ever dis.
gracej her puipits. Many of her public
ministers died with arms in their hands
fighting the battles of the only country they
recognized or acknowledged; many more
will carry the marks OF the conhicl TO their
graves. And the duty ever present 10 those
much enduring men ard women, in minister
ing TO The wants of the wounded and dying,
in consoling the bereaved, and in proclaim
ing the sublime truths OF Christianity, with
out partisan admixture, was so performed
as 10 challenge the respect and admiration
of all ChrisIendom. Amid the stern reaii-
ties, visible in thousands of desolaie homes,
her ministers found no time for Quixolc
expeditions to reconquered ports, 10 preach
peans 10 the stars and bars. And now thai
all their dreams of Independence are LOST
in rude awakening, we find these men
submitting with heroic ieritude to the dis