The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1902-07-08
PUBLISHED BY REQUEST. I

Patriotic interest in The times
when was fred "Ihe shot heard round |
the world" must not wane in land |
whose free institutions can be per
petuated only by an intelligent and !
Conscientious Christian citizenship. |
IL is well for us 10 traverse again and |
again the annals which record the
beroism and self denial of our sres.
Probably there are bnt few who
realize how vast W as the contribution
OF the church 10 our national indie.
pendence The Baptisis point proud.
ly 1" The early utterance of Roger
Williams that 1.-The civil magistrate
should restrain crime, but never con.
troll opinion" The Methodists con-
graduate themselves that John Yves
ley, lin spite of lobg.rooted prejud.
ices" came to sSmpathize with the
cause of the cOlonists. All gladly
recognize the sple ndid services of the
New England Congregationalists
The Episcopalisn church furnished
liberty some of our nOblest champions
But without disparagement of other
denominations, and in no spirit of
sectarianism, we may glory in the
fact, stated by Hon. Richard Wright,
speaker of the Pennsl wanna House
ot Representatives and himself an
Episcopalian, that "the American
War of independence was Presby.
terian and Scotch.Irish measure"
the Presbyterian was the one church
that was unanimous in espousing the
cause of freedom. There was no
record of Presbyterian Tory. Hor.
ace WalpOle said There is no use
crying about the matter. Cousin
America has run nf with Presby-
terrain parson, and that is the end of
it."
In l774 the Baptists were few,
though nearly all devoted patriots.
The Methodist church was Just be-
ginning its splendid career. The
Quakers were non-combatants In
New York, and all the provinces
south of New York, except Penn.
sylvania, the Episcopal church was
either established by law, or espec.
ially favored in the aid of the royal
governors or the support of the pub
llc taxes In Virginia there was
close union between church and stale.
While large proportion of the laity
may have joined the revolutionists,
the Episcopal clergy, born or educat.
ed in England, and salaried from as.
easements levied upon all citizens
naturally antagonizel the popular
views.
The churches that modled public
sentiment we're the Congregational
Fnd Presbyterian. The Presby terian
was naturally dissenting church.
Her ministers were often fined for
Illegally preaching the gospel When
the rupture came, the Presby terrain
clergy. standing for a system of doc.
trine which Bancroft has called
"gradual republicanism," we've unan.
imous tor independence. There
were more than 10000 Presbyterians
emb0sOmed in the Congregational
churches of New England, and Mr..
Hanna, in his recent volume upon
the Scotch Irish, gives list of FIVE
hundred and ten organized Presby.
terian churches existing in the colo
bies before the end of the year 1875.
No student Of Calvonism can fail
20 be convinced of its natural affinity
for civil and religious liberty. AS
Dryden once wrote:
But as the poiHons of the dead
Hest kind
Are tn their own unhappy cJasts
confined,
30 Presbytery, in its pestilential
zeal,
Can flourish only in common
veal"
The h istorians have all borne wit.
ness that Calvanism has never dis.
played sught but compelling sympa
thy for freedom in both church and
state. In Switzerland, HOLLAND, |
France, Scotland and America, It
hred men with an intense passion for
liberty.
CONCLUDED NEXT wEEK.)