Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1870-06-21

Frederick Douglass made public speech
some time since in Philadelphia, In which no
said something that dlpleasod some OF his
colOred brethren Of Bethel church In that CITY.
In consequence thereof this church E...la a
meeting and passed some oxiraord,, nary reso-
lutions, rather more In Accordance with
thumb screw" religion. Ileh anything else.
nS Ssuon' nov yyer, has called forth reply
T. ' =. DOugiass, an EXTRACT Of which We
.usert below; '.', ..u '.'t
.sTrials for heresy In our day and country,
where liberty Of thought and speech ana con-
Ceded 10 the humblost meIRber Of society, are
usually deemed farcical and harmless. IL
was once indeed, o fearful thing to fan Into
the hands Of the church. History proves that
there is no malice or cruelty 80 bitter and un-
relenting ~ that malice and cruelty which
clothes Itself In sanity robes, and PROCESSES
to be 'contcndlng for tic faith once delivered
TO the saints A few centuries ago, the Wca-
pOns Of religion against haresy NHo earnal
enough. Cord and steel, IRE and sword,
halter and rack, Herv tho chosen lnstTu-
ments. Thanks not to faith, but 70 The en-
hghtenment Of the age and Che growth Of
rational Ideas among men, 10 diner with the
church to-day does not bring torture aud
physical death. me-. ur.-.
"Tho worst that blgotry can now do Is to
assail reputation aud oil tho mouths OF the
vulgar crowd with meaningless eplthets.
There Il no doubt that religious malice Ia tbs
same to-day " three hundred years ago. II
would bite, sting and deyOur now a. then, II
II had only the power. II would cTush living
flesh to-day with the same sanctlmOnlOus
ferocity as Il docs reputation, Tho viii to do
Is manifest, the power only Is wanting. The
Church and the street arc about the sans In
point Of authority and In point Of excellence.
Both are ever on tho side Of popular wrong
and both are against unpopular right The
cOndcmaatlUns, maledlctions and dennncla-
lions Of the Church, whether Bethel or ST.
Peters, ~ the outside world, have no more
significance than the vulgar curses Of the
crowd. II may DO said Of Bethel a. Of other
religious bodies, they ere 'naught but men
and women, and no wiser or better than other
men and women t
Referring to tho Church which instituted
these remarkable proceedings he says
Nothing that ! Aaid was likely 70 cast the
leas! doubt upon the theological loundness 81
my Bethel brethren. That Church has never
been noted for herosyi for horesy implies
thought Inquiry, and reflection. the mem
bers Of that mlnlatry walk BcrupulOusly NJ
tho old clothes OF Methodist theology Of a
half CENTURY ago, and indulge In the same
Wild worship. Their thoughts, like their
and they abhor nothing more than they abl
"If Bishop Campbell the instlgator Of this
sham trial, In place Of getting up these Church
meetings 10 Try distant heToties IKE myself
would honestly 90 10 work aud ehdeaVor IL
reform the character, manners, gnd habits of
the fostering thousands Of colOrcd 4Ieuple who
live In the Utmost misery and dostltiti0u IA
the Immediate vicinity u Big Bethel, he would
do more 10 prove his Church sound than Iiy
passing any number Of wordy resolutions
about thanking God, y VI ' ii't
The point Mr.. Douglass makes q o GOOD
one: Just now, the Church IN America h
paying too much attention 10 the outside Of
the platter We want lcas profession; less
Wordy thanking of God, and more real work,
more charity more freedom Of action, and a