Year: 1867




from the Episcopal Methodist


Our old friends, the Quakers, who had been
for two hundred years an organized anu uni
formed constabulary Of peace, witnessing with
bi seyal voices and symbolic garments, and
honest, forcbe proof and practice against the
wickedness and folly and anti Christianity OF
war-now that the grandest opportunity OTTER
ed to empty their long-neg glected oil upon The
surging waters of strife, suddenly appeared
with their distinctive raiment, hind part before.
The conventional bonnet, every plat OF which
used to suggest soothing to the troubled spirit,
no longer disclosed the calm and comely
countenance where serene assurance OF domes
tic supremacy, blended with the comfortable
consciousness of soul at peace with God and
man. The bonnet was there, but the face was
gone The round, unfeeling crown had got in
front OF it. The male Friends too, were false
in the time of need We looked in vain for
the reserves of charity which we fondly be
lieved to lurk beneath those open, natty coats.
The comfortable alimentary regions could no
longer be seen. The coat was hind part be-
fore. The head was turned. The eye saw
no violation of love in ruthless war, aod cruel
devastation and damning blood. The nose was
turned away from the field of death, and the
varied and ungoverned utterances of the mouth
were delivered in reverse of all that the heart
protessed, and often, of all, the hands were doing
When we cav the coat-tails of the Quakers
going to meeting before them, we cried "EttM
Quoque," and gave ourselves to the onerous
task of preserving our own sanity, at least to
the extent OF capacity for termination In some
better time to come.


Methodists were more numerous than Quak-
ers, and therefore worse. They had, too,
more objects in Wow moro passions involved
The Quakers haye been grati6ed by the aboli
tiCn of slavery the Methodists disappointed,
that freedom Of negroes has not been found in
separable from Methodist absorption of them.
The end of one was phianthropical and vindic-
tive; the end of the other more vindictive,
very slightly philanthropical and very largely
speculative in the line Of denominations glory
and honor and power The Quakers are,
therefore. composing themselves and in then
retirement getting their clothes turned right
again, with as little observation as possible
We are beginning to see the womanly lace
once more, as it used to look, when the crimp
ed drab and scientific grey betokened a sister,
hood of charity, such as the sad earth had
never seen since primitive Christian days. The
male Friends, too are gradually getting thelr
semi-lunar coats in the position fixed by the
fathers, and are beginning once more to pre-
sent to the restless world their rounded gastric
recommendation of peaceful life. But the
virtue is gone from Quakerdom. The nose OF
the Jew does not make Abraham. 1t Is to
Christian eyes only sad nen1oTy and per
petual regret of him. We want his talth'
not his nose There are hlood-:spotS on
the once pure white bonnet. There is Il scent
Of unfaithfulness hanging to the brown coats.
TO the world hereafter Friend, will no longer
be the same as Quaker But Methodism
seems to show little sign of ali effort to get It's
head right again. 1t seems to be stitfenlDg IN
it's new position threatening final anchylosls
and permanent brain, wrong. Bishops and
editors and all officials, seem to do little else
than hold the distorted head in its unlawful
place, and make of a temporary twist an incur
able and monstrous deformity. The editorial
article from the the Methodist, on the LIBERIA
ton of Mr.. Davis, repubished. as We are In
formed by searchers tor out OF the way htera-
ture, in the Baltimore American, shows 4 RI
pidity of neck, and foreshadows difficulty IN
coming lte sufficient to create most serious
anxiety on the part of all interested in the u-
ture of Methodism.


Emerging from such wild epidemic
Of mental and moral distortion, one has
reason to examine his own head, and as
certain whether it might not have rot
more or less out of place while everybody
was pulling at it, and while it trequired to be ro-
tated to the full extent at natural facilities TO
see the faces OF others, Which commonly con
stituted the back of their heads. The Ken
tucky jerks set many to twitching who did not
make rams Of their skulls. In order to see
ourselves We must use the Gospel glass. No
mirror made of earthly flint and caustic will
show US the truth. There is no truth but as
it is in Jesus In Him there is no guile; no
darkness. Our principles are correct only
when they are His principles; our philanthropy
and charity are genuine only when they copy
His. All that differ from His are miserable
shams and swindes Of the soul. Let Us hold
up this mirror to men, if We would make them
wise and good. II We would make, ,orkeep, them
foolish and evil, We may hold up anything else
we please. Examine the political articles in
the Methodist papers, and see how often
the they enforce their wishes by the words and ez-
ample Of Jesus of Nazareth Let us all ex-
anime ourselves, whether and how much we
be in the faith.