The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-09-23
"JeBus Christ; the Uhief Corner Stone, d

"JeBus Christ; the Uhief Corner Stone. y,
To-day (Septembcr 81, 1879 is to bo
laid the CORNERSTONE Of the Washing
ton Street Church,, Columbia, South
Carolina Conference, Methodist Episco.
pal Church, South. Tho projected
building is to supply tho place Of the
one which formerly stood on tho Same
site, until near the close Of the late
war, when it was burned by fire. AS
the yengeful Federal army, under WIN.
J.. Sherman, had possession Of tho city
at the time, and wcrc plundcring and
burning ut will, tho destruction Of tho
church is, with little or no doubt, Justly
charged to that military hero and his
horde of scrvilc tools. While such
dcspoiling, which was according to the
religion of tho spoilcr and spoiled, is
sore and inglorious in the eyes Of the
suffering, it is at tho same time grand
and glorious in the eyes OF the cxul-
tant victors. While the spoiled seek
comfort in religion which they forced
20 permission to themselves 10 70
into carnal war, tho spoilers give glory
to the God Of the same religion for their
deeds Of theft. blood and fire by which
they obtained that victory. Is here not
something strange? Is there not some
thing defective in such religion? May
there not be something wrong in tho
composition Of such rclision9 Is it
'built upon the foundation Of the apos-
ties and prophets, Jesus Christ hi,nsclr
being the chief corner-stone?" Let
NIL see.
What the cornerstone is to the house
built upon it, SO is Christ to his Church.
On him MS the chief cornerstone, and
Ill the possession Of his Spirit test
MS to who are Install the building
iit!y framed together, growcth unto n
molly temple in the Lord" This was
"thc foundation Of the apostles and
prophets" "For other foundation can
no man lay than that is laid. which Is
Jesus Christ"
Nov, for the building to be "itly
framed together" there must be nothing
put i'll it that is not in accordance with
the "foundation." Quere: Is the tcnch-
ing and practice Of carnal war.as fnnnd
Incorporated in tho "holy temple" in
agreement with tho foundation? We
would ask all who would not have their
"works burned" to point to any word
or act Of Jesus Christ, or Of his amos
ties and prophets, which iustifics his
servants III killing each other in war.
II such principle cannot be found in
the "chief cornerstone" let the teach
lug. spirit and practice of war, With MI
their alppurtcnanccs, be taken out "of
the holy temple" that the building may
DC "tHy joined together and comDacfed
Dy that which every joint supplicth.n
Not only was there no element Of
fighting i'll ssthe cornerstone" G(,hr;s,
out he declared the reverse to be the
nature OF his kingdom and the duty Of
his servants "My kingdom is not Of
this world; if my kingdom were of
TINS world, then would my servants
iisht. 80 his "apostlcs and prophcts''
ltcachcrs] understood it, received it.
taught 1t, and acted it out. And SO also.
without exception, did tho disciplcs
teach and act for two or three Inn
drcd years after Christ. But when
Christians began to be soldiers, thcv
began to be prosecutors
they began to destroy mems lives.
they began the lesser offcnsc Of burn
ing churches. If disciples, in these Inst
days, will retain the bastard element
OF war in their religion, the most favor
able construction, that VIC arc able 10
give, is found in this Scripture: aNow
If any man build upon this foundation
gold, silver, precious stones, wood.
hay, stubblc; every mans work shall
DC made manifest: for the day Shall
declare it, because it shall be re-
yealcd by fire; and the fire shall
try every mans work Of what sort il
is. II any mans work abide which he
hath built thcrcupon, he Shall receive
a reward. II any mans work Shall be
burned, he shall suffer loss: but he him
self shall be saved; yet SO ms by firc."
| Cor. 3, -: Is.
AS to the burning Of churches, this
is implied in the covenant with dcstruc-
ton which both parties make when
each takes the sword against the other.
And as each party is rclgiously obcy-
ing "the powers that be-" all such burn
ing is religious. The honorcd old
Washington Street Church was burned
under the auspices of o war religion,
because its friends were not able, with
the same sort Of religion, to prevent it.
IN the bloody game Of war, VIC lost,
with other and very much wealth and
thousands of precious lives, our dear
and venerable church. And to-day is
to be laid, with reIipious coromony ~