Year: 1863




The Unconditional loyalty which tht
Methodist Church make the test of Ch urcl
membership is in singular contrast with tn,
higher law which the Abolitionists and ever
the moderate Republicans advocated yea
ago. 1t of course makes great difference
who owns the OK and who the bull. But
no one was prepared to see Church bod '
go the whole length of asserting that 10y
alty' could admit of no conditions whatever
Hereafter we may expect to see the Meth
odist ministers disciplined, suspended or ex-
PEELED, who shall preach or teach that the
law of God may impose conditions on hu-
man loyalty to human government. We
can inns CINE some poor martyr ofthe Church,
who shall have submitted to persecution iu
Russia or il Turkey, appealing to the
Methodist Church for sympathy; and their
sharp reply, Served you right; loyalty is
and ought always to be unconditional, and
that means that there are no conditions, re-
ligious or political, that could justify you in
dsloyalty or enmity to the Government of
Turkey or Russia, or even the King of the
Csnnihsl Islands,


When we remember the higher law doc
trine of the last few years we may well
wonder at the revulsion of sentiment that
has overtaken the radical people.


The truth is, the Churches are making a
great mistake. which they will soon appre-
ciate, in this whole matter of loyalty Church
and State are not one here. IF they were
one, and the Methodist Church were the
Church then the Methodists would probably
adhere to their dogma for some time. But
as soon as they find an Administration in
power which happens to hold opinions con-
trary to the Metbodists' notions of right
eousness. they will suddenly find them
selves tired Of unconditional loyalty, and
the Church will then suffer the disastrous
effects of it's present loyalty to the Head of
the Church.


For no Church can be uncouditionally
lozal to a human power and not be disloyal
at one or another time to the great King Of
che Church. Human institutions are weak
and liable to error. Human requirements
are never iofallible. The Church, when it
declares unconditional loyalty to human
government, makes itself the servant of
worldly power, and becomes q worldly IA
chine. Patriotism and piety are not syn
onymous. We can not but look with pity
on the delusion that has overtaken many Of
the clergy on the subject of the position of
the Church in these trying times-with pity,
because they are iguorantiy, yet none the
Sess guiltiiy, traitors to their Master. and
rendering aid and com fort to the great enc
my of the Church and its Leader.


We look for a terrible detection OF these
very men from the Church. Within ten
years they will either repent their present
course in great bitterness, or they will aban-
don the Church entirely. They can not do
otherwise. The first moment that. their
subsection of the Church as a machine to
worldly purpose shall require of them to
sustain acts OF an administration which they
believe sinful, instead of, as now, acts which
they think holy and right, at that moment
they will open tbeir eyes. Then they will
reflect; and. attempting TO retrace their steps,
will either do it in humility and sorrow. or
they will in disgust and desperation aosn-
don the religion they have reduced to such
disgrases E1.- 1- -- ----