Year: 1862

The EpAscOpalian C0nventAon--Tho RAJ
dicals and tho Rebellion.


Ever since Satan succeeded so well in his
raid upon the Garden of Eden he has displayed
an extra ordinary disposition to enter into and
destroy all godiy communities. In the charao-
ter of an abolitionist, intent upon abrogating
the DEGREES of the Almighty, he persuaded poor
Eve to her ruin. In the character of an abo-
ltionst he has succeeded in breaking up
almost all of our Protestant churches His
last attempt in this line is now making in the
triennial Convention of the Episcopalian Church.


in session in this city, and it takes the form of


series Of resolutions condemnng all the


Epscopelans Of the seeded States as schisma-
tics guilty Of treason to the Church as well as
to the State.


The object of these resolutions was evident


from tho very first The fact that they were


announced in the leading abolition organ in


this city before they were brought to the notice


Of the Convention and that all of the abolition


organs have pressed their adoption by every


argument OF cntreaty and menace, shows


clearly That they are the result of concerted


plan, and are intended for political effect.


That such men as the Reverend Doctors


Clarkson and Tying should allow themselves


to be the Instruments of political schemers is


not at all singular. Undoubtedly they sup


pose they are doing God service; but it is no


new thing to find Satan appearing in the garb of


an angel of light, and fighting his battles under


the banner and with the war cry of Jehovah.


Many c!ergymen, rs pious as Drs. Tying and
Clarkson, have been deceived into upholding
aboitionism at the expense Of Christianity for
years past. The history of every Protestant


church in the country is full of such examples


of self-deception. One has only to recur to the


debates which disorgauized the Trac: Society


few years ago to find precedents for the course
of action pursued by the clergymen named and


their clerical and lay abettors in the Conven-


ton. Piety is no guarantee against folly. With


out at all impugning the religious merits of the


supporters of these abolition resolutions, there
fore we do not hesitate to declare that they are
fair samples of those deluded churchmen who


make the Almighty God subsidiary to the
almighty negro, and prefer to destroy the
Church rather than not to destroy slavery.
They have their fac SMILES in the fanatcai
politicians who love the negro better than The
nation, and are willing to dissolve the Union if
they can only secure the emancipation Of South
crn slaves.


The province of the Episcopalan and every
other church is not Of this world. 1t is the
duty OF the Church to try to save the souls of
men. not to attempt to reform their politics
JEFF. Davis, although traitor. processes to be
Christian. and has recently joined the Elpisco-
pal Church very large number of Southern


men and women, though avowed rebels, are


nevertheless Christians and EpiscopaIians. No.


all the resolutions this Convention can pass


will make jeff Davis and bis followers atheists


and shut the door Of Heaven in their faces.
Not all the churches in the world can make
treason an unpardonabIe sin and send the souls
Of traitors to eternal torment. Whether treason
and piety are Incompatible, only God, who
alone can Judge the heart. truly knows, and He
only eau decide Whatever this Convention may
resolve. the Episcopalians OF the South vii!
still bc Christmas, and will still claim to belong
to the Episcopalian Church. The only diler-
ence will be that. if the abolition resolutions
are adopted. we shall have permanently an


Episcopal Church North and an Episcopal


Church South. This, in plain terms, is wha:


the abolitionists desire They have severed al


most every other bood between the North and


the South. and now they wish 30 sever the bond


OF q common church. They ask the Episcopa-


lians TO do what even President. Lincoln refuses


to do-reaouuce the idea that the secessionists


arc our brethren. During his recent visit to Gene


raj Mcclellan. President Lincoln went to the


hospitals, and, approaching the wounded


rebels shook each OF them kindly by the hand,


rcniarking that they had probably been de-


ceivcd into the rebellion. ana were still his


countrymen. This act, according to the ideas


Of abolitionists, was hcinous crime; but ac-


corling to The ideas OF every sane man il was


noble, patriotic, sublime. Let the Convention


take 3 lesson from the President, and declare


that, although rebels, the Episcopa.ians Of the


South are still brethren in Christ


TIE only precedent adduccd by the'aboition-


lists thus far has been the fact that during the


Revolutionary war many of the American Epis-


copaians were loyal to our cause. But, if this


precedent proves anything at all. it justifes the


Southern Epscopaians in what is called their


schism; for we were rebels then. and bad se-


ceded from England where the Church and State


are united as they have never been here Be-


sides this, the congratulatory address from the
Epscopalian Convention to President Washing


ton. quoted by the radicals, was not written until
1882 when the independence of the several
States had been acknowledged by England.
Therefore, if this address proves anything, it
justifcs The members Of the Convention now in


session in waiting until the present contest j.
decided one way or the other, before taking
any action in regard to their rebel brethren
All Of tie other arguments OF the radicals
are quite as fimsy as this, and have been ably