The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1874-08-05
LET ALL THE ENDS THOU AIMST AT, BE THY GODS THY
WAYNE COUNTY, INDIANA, AUG. 5,

have never been without sense of the
of the favor of men who
we're to be respected; but. as God is
my witness, this has never been the
motive Of my action. | have never
sought influence nor praise, as the in.
spring motive Of my ministratiOn.
I have worked from three consider
love that have for God,
the love that l have for my fellow
men, and because | could not help
myself It was in NE, and it had to
come out. Twas made to be preach
er, and have preached just as foun-
tains run. The Apostle said, "Woe
is me if l preach not the Gospel and
I suppose my experience may come
somewhat within the scope Of his
meaning. l was held back from do
ing anything else. From the begin
ming of my ministry [ think | was
graciOusly led to accept as my breth-
rem all who named the name of Jesus
Christ, and whose faces were set as
though they would 60 to Jerusalem.
This was good deal; because was
born into litigious country, and in a
litigious age. My father was arraign-
ed before the Presbytery and the
Synod for heresy; and distinctions in
theology were made subjects for strife
and contention. All that controversy
which is SO fascinating to the young
Imagination was going on; and [ went
into the field just after the division
took place between the Old and the
New School Presbyterians; and the
Campbellites were active, each sect
struggling for livelihood: and yet it
pleased God, from the beginning of
my ministry. to breathe upon me the
spirit of sympathy and love for the
whole brotherhood Of Christians. And
though | did by my pen, as l recollect,
before l began to preach, write some
articles against the Roman Catholics
(Which, By the way, will never come
to light; for they were printed in a lit
tie evening daily, in Cincinnati) | be-
lieve these were my only utterances
against any other sect Or any church
of another denomination. l have aim
ed to treat all sects and churches with
manly frankness, criticising them as
l would the churches of my own de-
nomination; but I do not think ever
| preached a sermon in my whole life
that was aimed to put down any Chris
tian sect.
l look back upon that with great
deal of pleasure; for, as l thought all
sects, in various degrees, were near to
the truth, some being nearer to it than
others, interpreted Pauls declara-
t;on 10 annlvinU to fham all
what. then? Notwithstanding. CIV
cry way, whether in pretense OF in
truth, Christ is preached: and l there
| in do rejoice, and l will rejoice"
He rejoiced, when he was in bonds,
tina. some preached Christ Of conten-
ton, hoping to add affiiction to his
bonds; and that others preached
Christ of love, knowing that he was
set for the defense of the Gospel.
Either way he was glad that Christ
was preached. And | had feeling
that the preciousness of Christian
truth was such that if you broke it in
to fragments, and any denomination
had fragment OF it, the SAVIOR OF the
love Of Christ in fragmentary condi.
tion in any sect was such that ought
to rejoice in it; and in the main l have
done SO.
Early in my ministry was called
to consider the question OF slavery
and this appealed in my nature to tn.
tendency of universal fellowship will
all men-a feeling which l had lonl
before the philosophy of it had franco
itself in my mind | could not hell
it. never, from my boyhood-fron
the time that l was eight years old
heard the question of liberty and in
dependence spoken of, without havin!
a feeling Of enthusiasm awakened il
me. 1t was the subject Of my dream
and of my waking thoughts. AM
when the question of American Slav
cry came up, l could not help. thoug
l made no choice, heing put on tn
side Of the weak and mute and help
less and that at a time when youn
men just emerging into public lif
found that all the heads OF the church
and all the dignitaries in other depart
ments of lie, were running the othc
way, and were greeted by them wit
the warning, You must come wit
US, or be unpopular" 1t never cos
me a thought. | made no sacrifc,
| could not make any. l did not ca
culate nor reason about it. was {
necessity on the side Of freedom, heal
and soul. The only consideration tn;
ever came into my mind, as | remen
ber it, was, how 10 effect the create.
good, and was not for moment o
which side l should act.
In that movement, by which W;
called to study largely the politic
!, economy and history OF liberty in O,
country. and the effect of slavery
the different States, my mind insens
bly, grew more and more patriotic; ar
I loved this whole land. Iloved Nc
England, because was of it, and b
! cause all my early associations al
education were connected with it; b.
: | learned to love every part of tn
country. until my love for it becan
an enthusiasts; and no man, on
God, knows how much my pride h
suffered to think that l lived in
! great land into more than half of who
e States l could not enter for fear of Il
| halter. Nobody can tell the intensi
OF the sorrowful indignation wi
!, which / contemplated the fact that
r more than half Of this land the pre-
h could not speak, the pulpit could n
y speak, and l could not travel 1t W
: not bitterness-it was something i
concievably higher-that felt l b
o pride for my country. | had 10
: for it which was akin to the love of
:, mother for her child, or of the Low
d for his mistress.
a So othat tsentiment of religion, acror
s ing to the working of Gods pro,
IS dence in my nature, became so assoc
> ated with my whole country, that
u could not separs.e one from the 9th,
. and l could not analyze them.
y Well, the gr,at war passed, and Ii
y erty came; ana from that moment