Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1867-12-18
"a NOn.POlitical Church"

owe are a non political Church" says the min
listers of the NJ E. Church, South. Let us see what
this on-political non-secular Church is do
ing in the direction of politics. At the late session
of the rebel Conference in Cleveland Tenn, Bishop
Wsightman went out of his way to boast of their
"non secularity;" but in doing so he was guilty of
the very thing he condemned. ave preach" he
said not the red republicanism of France nor the
Black Republication of America" &c, &c. Now
the term Black Republicansm,p as used in our
country has been the epithet by which before during
and since the war; secesSioist rebels and rebel sym
patizers have characterized the LoyaL Radical par
ty that put dolgn rebellion and saved the country In
going out of his way, the pulpit to strike at the
Unionism of the country, the reverend bishop Save
the mark y became the mouth-piece Of the rebel
Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that
same thing which he alloweth.'
The Episcopal Methodist (Baltimore) organ of
the rebel Methodist Church, thus denOunces Balti-
more loyal Methodists because of some compliment
tary illusions to His Excellency, Gov. Brownlow,
as local preacher of the NJ. E. Church
How thoroughly intensely and ambitiously the
nj. E. Church has become political party and how
universally radical it is have the opportunity to
show by the unmistakable evidence furnished be-
low 1t has been the reply here to all our animal
versions, that the charges we have so often made
applicable only to Northern travelling preach
ers. Now here we have the honest declarations of
influential laymen, which show that the radicalism
of the Methodist aity in Baltimore is so extrava-
CANT as to astonish Boston itself 1t will be re-
Marked that no delegate from this or any section
had word of Christian kindness for Methodists in
hos h. md oIo.c
disgust that Brownow was claimed as Methodist
local preacher, and the mention of his filthy name
received with rapturous applause. In the name
of God in the name of the memories of the dead
who gave us an honored form of Christianity-in
the name of common decency-wo ask the MethO-
diss of Baltimore how they can persist in their adj
hesiOn to church which gl0ries in the official rea-
ton to it OF a man whose name Will always remain
in our language as expressive of d human compost
ton of denominations never before organized and
specifically classed.
Concerning this eIusion of rebel rancor from
no1s-politicaJ editor, the Zion Herald of Boston,
Qoyal Methodist,) uses this appropriate language
When we consider that the editors and publisher
of this sheet mem ber of car church till after
the war had well begun, we see low natural is this
tone. For our Baltimore brethren to saw love
God l love my country, / love lhe Methodist Epis-
copa Church, is terrible heresy in their eyes, The
devil shrinks, they say, from drop of holy water
or a Pater Noster. So this journal shudders at an
avowal of loyalty to God. the church, and the ma
ton. Senator Brownlow, who has cast out many
devils from Tennessee, is espacSally loathed. We
filthy nameP How bad it tastes to rebel lips We
trust our brethren who stood Up grandly for God
and humanity in this city, vii only be encouraged
by this assault to still greater athfulnes in Balti
more. Their former brethren may raise some social
prosecutions against them, bu the heart and hope
Of Christ and his church are with them. Their
speeches spread abroad in that sheet refresh
ing substitute for its usual cortents. They will car
~ better gospel to the yet rebellious hearts than
it naturally conveys. No word save of Christian
kindness is there in them for The Methodists of the
South" Stick to the flag, aud God our native land
and our native church, and he Baltimore Episco-
pal Methodist will get free fr,nl the legions of
happy and unruly spirits thai possess it, and, i'll its
right mind will sit at the feet Of the it now so
bitterly berates.