Year: 1861

A Reminiscencc of n Little Bit OF
Church History and its Sequel.


A few years ago, when the minions Of
James Buchanan, aided by that weak old
man to the extent of bis official power, were
endeavoring to force the infamous Lecomp
ton measures through Congress, and when
the men who are now in rebellion to the
Government were striving to force Slavery
upon the people of Kansas, and sowing the
wind that has since ripened into the whirl-
wind which is now being harvested, brave
and God-fearing young minister occupied
the pulpit of the aristocratic Church of the
Epiphany, Fifteenth and Chestnut streets.
The Rev. Dudley A. Tying, deeming it to
be bis dlty to denounce the national crime
and otfenses against the religion of fhuman-
ity, even though they were committed in
the cause of Slavery, preached sermon
upon "Our Country's Troubles" during
which he committed the then unpardona
bic offense of telling the simple truth
The sermon caused great sensation, and
excited the ire of the eminent doughfaces
of the congregation. One very respectable
member of the vestry stood up in his pew
and denounced the sermon and its author
during its delivery, and another, who then
had large interest in the peculiar institu-
tion, put himself at the head of faction
to drive tho brave young minister from bis
pulpit. This same pious STAKEHOLDER Pieice
Buller) afterward sold out to the highest
bidder his stock of black chattles, and sub
sequent to the sale he bid for a cheap rep
utation for generosity by giving each chat
tel a bright new quarter as his or her share
Of the thirty pieces he or she had drought"
under the hammer. The pious slavedealer
and his party prevailed, and Dudley A.
Tying was driven from his pulpit for daring
to tell the truth. The Rev. William Otis
Prentiss, of South Carolina, holder of
slaves and warm admirer of the institu-
ton, was chosen as his successor, and he
preached id-gloved and knock -soflly-relig
ion to his hearers, taking good care to
smother the truth, when it was in danger
of giving offense to the highly respectable
portion of the congregation who did not
follow the brave Tying to the Church ofthe
Covenant, which he found, but which he
did not long adorn, having met with sad
accident that resulted in his untimely death.


There have been many political sermons
preached, not only in the Church of the
Epiphany, but in all the other churces of
the city and the country, since the night
when poor Dudley Tying had The courage
to tell the truth to the aristocratic slave
dealer of twenty -fve-cent-piece dispensing
memory. On last Sunday night a scene
was witnessed in this very church of the
Epiphny that brought back the memory Of
Dudley Tyng's martyrdom, and which
seems almost providen,ial in its retributive
character. -.


Mr.. Prentiss some time since returned
to his native South Carolina, and Mr.. Cra-
craft, the present rector, was his successor.
On last Sunday evening, at the close of his
sermon, Mr.. Cracraft referred to the fact
that during the present week he had paid
visit 10 the City of Washington, and
while there he had ascertained that among
the Rebel prisoners taken at the battle of
Bull Run, the Sunday previous, by Con-
necticut regiment, was young South Car
Gilman officer. who proved to be the son of
the Identical Rev. Mr.. Prentiss. Mr.Cra-
craft continued bis remarks by declaring
that he wished the reverend father of the
young traitor was in the same safe keeping,
for he (Mr. c. had obtained, while at the
seat Of Government, the most complete
and incontrovertible evidence that while he
(Mr. Prentiss) was occupying the pulpit Of
the Epiphany, in Philadelphia, he was in
correspondence with Southern traitors, and
that he was actively engaged in plotting
treason against the Government. Mr.. Cra-
craft did not mince words nor did he spare
traitors or those who sympatbize with them.
Mr.. c., although occupying the same pulpit
from which poor Tying was elected for do
ing what he conceived to be solemn duty,
but few years since, can now speak the
simple truth fearlessly. The day Of mean
ly trucking to smooth -tongned treason has
gone by, and the wounded spirit of Dudley
Tying would have been appeased had it been
present in his old church on last Sunday
night, and known The history of the events
which have taken place since it winged its
way upward from the mangled form of its
earthly receptacle.-PAH. Dispatch.