The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-04-06
Fighting Preachers.

'iH'N i'tI'n NdII IL
Gently II find that the most warlikc
men arc the clcr~ymrn.
lliislS Il Very sweeping remark, but
it is true that the preachers of the
gospel of peace have been among the
most heroic soldiers Of history.
Cromwell! was !iut exactly :. ~;,r,ac:.
or. but he was very nearly one. in
our day he would be called il class
leader or cAhortcr. Carlyle classes
Cromwell with Hannibal and Ca.sar
rs II of the greatest soldiers of the
world. and the estimate is Just. There
were in ~Cromwcll's inyinciblc army
many men who had rrcacir ed in l'uri-
tan churches. Cardinal I,irlclicu al
ways displayed more pride in his
record as Il soldier than in his fame as
a priest.
One Of the ,hiuing heroes OF the
revolution was John Peter Gabriel
Muhlcnburg, Of Pennsylvania. lie
was the Episcopal clergyman at Wood
stock, Virginia. when the war Of indie
pcndcncc began. Washington knew
he had fighting blood in him and Of
fercd him a coloncl's commission,
which he promptly accepted. He
took leave of his congregation in a
patriotic sermon of great power in
which he set forth the wrongs of the
colonies at the hands Of Great Britain,
and III conclusion said:
There is Il time for all things-a
time TO preach and a time to pray;
but there is also II time to fight and
that time has now come. lie then
pronounced the bcncdiction, threw off
his sacred robe and appeared in full
military uniform before his congrcga-
ton, whom his cln1ucnce had wrought
to 4 high pitch Of patriotic ardor. lie
served with great distinction through
out the war.
Pennsylvania has placed Il statue of
this prcachcr-Soldicr in the statuary
hall of the Federal capitol, which
represents him casting aside his robe
and displaying his uniform and sword.
The Confcderacy had no more gal
liant officer than General Lconidas
Polk. who resigned MS Bishop Of
Louisiana to fight for his country. He
w.as killed at Lost Mountain IN Johns
ton retreat toward Atlanta. There
were in both the Confederate and
mon armies many chaplains who laid
down their Bibles AID took up mus
kcts whenever they were in the neigh
borhood of IL battle. One Of these,
the late Rev. y. NJ. Thigpcn, Of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, South.
WAS known in the Sixth Georgia rs
the Fighting Chaplain. There were
many charlains in both armies like
him. ready to fray, preach or fight, as
suited the occasion. Rev. Father
Nelly. me Of the most beloved Catho-
lie priests i'll the South, and one whom
atlanta regretted to give up not long
ago, was one Of the most heroic of the
soldiers who followed Lee.
We might mention other preachers
who have a similar distinction. The
best and most useful preachers are
those ~hcsc human symrathics are
warm and quick. 50 long ms we have
such clcrgymcr We shall have fighting
preachers. One OF the most delight.
full characters in Bulwcrs novclsis
the country Clergyman who taught
kcnclym Chillingby that muscular
Christianity was the true article.
Mr.. Depew remark was probably
called forth by the numerous warlikc
sermons which huve been delivered
recently by preachers Of almost every
denomination and in all parts Of the
country. One Of the most otablc of
these III was that of the Presi-
dents pastor Sunday before last, and
the President heard it.
1t may be set down as certain that if
We have to whip Spain n good many
preachers vii! help MS do it. t|nn.o
.Inrnri.