This short paragraph is as fallacious as any equal number of lines ever published. Every position it lays down is deceptious. When the writer emphatically states, that manufactures are "precarious in their nature," he must mean, by way of contradistinction, that commerce is blest with absolute security. Both are arrant errors. Commerce is proverbially insecure. No degree of prudence affords full security in that department. Manufactures, prudently managed, have as much certainty as any other human undertakings whatever.

One word more. What dependence can be placed upon the assertions, the insinuations, the allegations, on subjects abstruse or difficult to decide upon, of a man who makes such an aggregious, such a momentous error in a case where detection treads so closely on his heels?*

CHAPTER LVI.

Pulpit politics. Prostitution of the sacred functions. Massacre on board the Ocean. An anthology of sedition. Success of the war.

"Politics and the pulpit are terms that have little agreement. No spund ought to be heard in the church but the voice of healing charity." [What a divine idea!] "The cause of civil liberty and civil government gains as • little as that of religion, by this confusion of duties. Those who quit their proper character, to assume what does not belong to them, are, for the greater part, ignorant both of the character they leave, and of the character they assume. Wholly unacquainted with the world, in which they are so fond of medling, and inexperienced in all its affairs, on which they pronounce with so much confidence they know nothing of politics but the passions they excite. Surely the church is a place where one day's truce ought to be allowed to the dissention and animosities of mankind." Burke.

Or all the abominations that disgrace and dishonour this country in these portentous times, I know nothing more deserving of reprobation than the prostitution of the pulpit for party or political purposes. No man of correct mind can seriously reflect upon it without shuddering with horror.

A clergyman, whose functions pre-eminently require him to preach "peace and good will among men," ascends the pulpit among a congregation assembled to unite in praising and adoring their Omnipotent Creator. He holds in his hands the Testament of Jesus Christ, which breathes nothing

* I here make a public apology for having erroneously ascribed these seditious and inflammatory publications to the late amiable judge Lowell. My distance from the place of their publication will, I trust, apologize, as well as account for the error.

but peace-he pronounces, and has for a text, the words of Jesus Christ, or of his apostles, of the most pacific tendency: and as a suitable accompaniment, for an hour long he employs ali his zeal, all his talents, all his influence, for the anti-christian, the inhuman purpose of enkindling among his hearers the most baleful, the most furious passions of preparing them for insurrection and revolution for all the horrors of civil war!

"The alternative then is, that if you do not wish to become the slaves of those who own slaves, and who are themselves the slaves of French slaves, you must either in the language of the day, CUT THE CONNEXION, or so far alter the national compact, as to insure yourselves a due share in the government."

This elegant and sublime morceau, which breathes so much of the spirit of St. Paul, let every soul be subject to the higher powers," is taken from a sermon preached in Boston, by the Rev. Mг. Gardiner, July 23, 1812. The christian injunction of " cutting the connexion," that is, Prebelling against their own gov ernment, wonderfully accords with the declaration of the text, which, gentle reader, is "Iam for peace." Psalm 120, v. 7. Never was there a more wonderful association-" Cut the connexion"--and " I-am for peace!" From such apostles of peace, good Lord deliver us!

It is impossible much to aggravate the hideousness of this procedure. But when the preacher commits himself by falsehood, even undesignedly, as sometimes happens, it caps the odious cli max. On the eve of a general election a few years since in Massachusetts, to answer the purposes of party, a fabulous story was circulated, that the French had massacred the erew of a vessel called the Ocean. It was one of the thousand falsehoods invented to answer momentary purposes of the same kind. A clergyman, whose name I spare, seized the story with aviditywove it into his sermon-and invoked the vengeance of heaven on the murderers. But mark the end of it. The holy zeal of the auditory had not time to cool, when, to cover the preacher with confusion, a résurrection of the murdered crew took place. They returned home, safe and sound, from the stilettos and daggers of the blood-thirsty French and held out a strong memonto the preacher against a repetition of such an anti-christian procedure.

The practice of preaching political sermons is utterly improper, even when a congregation are all united-all of one sentiment, if such a case ever occurred. But when they are divided, as must necessarily almost always happen, what a view does it present? That portion of the congregation differing from the politics of the preacher, are reduced to the alternative of either absenting themselves from divine worship, or sitting patiently silent under the undeserved reproaches, and abuse, and maledictions of a man who flies in the face of all his duties, and to whom they cannot offer a reply.

To enable the reader to form a correct estimate of the abomination which I have here denounced, and of the justice of the denunciation itself, I present him with an anthology, selected from the sermons of three clergymen, the Rev. Messrs. Parish, Osgood, and Gardiner, to whom no small portion of the seeds of insurrection, rebellion, and civil war, so plentifully sown in the eastern states, is justly chargeable. Never, since the first establishment of the clerical functions, were they more miserably employed-more contrary to the divine injunctions of the meek and mild Jesus, whose disciples these reverend gentlemen profess to be-whose doctrines they profess to teach-and whose example they profess to follow, and to hold out for imitation,

From the Rev. J. S. J. Gardiner, A. M. rector of Trinity

Church, Boston.

"The British, after all, save for us by their convoys, infinitely more pro. perty than they deprive us of. WHERE THEY TAKE ONE SHIP, THEY PROTECT TWENTY. Where they commit one outrage, they do many acts of kindness." Discourse delivered April 9, 1812, page 15.

"England is willing to sacrifice every thing to conciliate us, except her honour and independence." Idem, page 10.

retences, against

"It is a war unexampled in the history of the world, wantonly proclaimed on the most frivolous and groundless pretences, a nation from whose friendship we might derive the most signal advantages, and from whose hostility we have reason to dread the most tremendous losses " Discourse delivered July 23, 1812, page 3.

"So far from there being British partizans in this country, it is difficult to find an individual candid enough to do that nation common justice. Idem, page 10.

"Every provocation has been offered to Great Britain on our part, and our resentment has risen in proportion as she has shewn a conciliating spirit," Idem, page 12.

"What consequence is it to you if they be repealed or not, if you are sold to Napoleon, as you have reason to believe, by the slaves who have abused your confidence!!" Idem, page 11.

"Let no considerations whatever, my brethren, deter you at all times, and in all places, from execrating the present war. It is a war unjust, foolish, and ruinous. It is unjust, because GREAT BRITAIN HAS OFFERED US EVERY CONCESSION SHORT OF WHAT SHE CONCEIVES WOULD BE HER RUIN, Idem, page 15.

"As Mr. Madison has declared war, let Mr. Madison carry it on. Idem, page 17.

"THE UNION HAS BEEN LONG SINCE VIRTUALLY DISSOLVED: AND IT IS FULL TIME THAT THIS PART OF THE DISUNITED STATES SHOULD TAKE CARE OF ITSELF." Idem, page 19.

From the Rev. David Osgood, D. D. pastor of the church at

Medford.

"The strong prepossessions of so great a proportion of my fellow citizens in favour of a race of demons, and against a nation of more religion, virtue, good faith, generosity, and beneficience, than any that now is, or ever has been upon the face of the earth, wring my soul with anguish, and fill my heart with apprehension and terror of the judgments of heaven upon this sinful people." Discourse delivered April 8, 1810, page 40.

" If at the command of weak or wicked rulers, they undertake an unjust war, each man who volunteers his services in such a cause, or loans his money for its support, or by his conversation, his writings, or any other mode of influence, encourages its prosecution, that man is an accomplice in the wickedness, loads his conscience with the blackest crimes, brings the guilt of blood upon his soul, and-IN THE SIGHT OF GOD AND HIS LAW IS A MURDERER." Discourse delivered June 27, 1812, page 9.

" Since the period of their pretended repeal, SCORES, IF NOT HUNDREDS of our vessels had been seized in French ports, or burnt at sea by French cruisers, while many of their unoffending crews were-manacled like slaves, confined in French prisons, or forced on board French ships to fight against England." Idem, page 11.

Our government, with a hardihood and effrontery-at which demons might have blushed, persisted in asserting the repeal." Ibid.

"My mind has been in a constant agony, not so much at the inevitable loss of our temporal prosperity and happiness, and the complicated miseries of war, as at its guilt, its outrage against heaven, against all truth, honesty, justice, goodness-against all the principles of social happiness" Idem, page 12.

" Were not the authors of this war in character nearly akin to the deists and atheists of France; were they not men of hardened hearts, seared consciences, reprobate minds, and desperate wickedness, it seems utterly inconceivable that they should have made the declaration." Idem, page 13. One hope only remains, that this stroke of peridy may open the eyes besotted people: that they may awake, like a giant from his slumbers, and WREAK THEIR VENGEANCE ON THEIR BETRAYERS, by driving them from their stations, and placing at the helm more skilful and faithfu! hands." Idem, page 17.

of

a

"If at the present moment, no symtoms of civil war appear, they certainly will soon-unless the courage of the war party should fail them!!!" Idem, page 14.*

"A civil war becomes as certain as the events that happen according to the known laws and established course of nature!!!" Idem, page 15.* From the Rev. Elijah Parish, D. D.

The Israelites became weary of yielding the fruit of their labour to pam per their splendid tyrants. They left their political woes. THEY SEPARATED. WHERE IS OUR MOSES!!! Where is the rod of his miracles !! Where is our Aaron !!! Alas! no voice from the burning bush has directed them here." Discourse delivered at Byfield, April 7, 1814, page 18.

"There is a point-there is an hour-beyond which you will not bear!!!" Idem, page 12. "Such is the temper of American republicans, so called. A new language

These sentences are already quoted infa former part of this book. bey are nevertheless repeated here, as peculiarly appropriate.

must be invented before we attempt to express the baseness of their conduct, or describe the rotenness of their hearts."* Idem, page 21.

"New England, if invaded, would be obliged to defend herself. Do you not then owe it to your children, and owe it to your God, to make peace for yourselves?" Idem, page 23.

"You may as well expect the cataract of Niagara to turn its current to the head of Superior, as a wicked congress to make a pause in the work of destroying their country, while the people will furnish the means." Idem, page 8. "Alas! WE HAVE NO MOSES TO STRETCH HIS ROD OVER THE SEA!!! -No Lebanon, nor Carmel, nor Zion invites us across the deep!" Idem. page 14.

"The republics of Rome, and Venice, and perhaps another, which alone exists, have been as oppressive as the despotism of Turkey, of Persia, or Japan." Idem, page 3.

Of the law of Pharaoh, which condemned to death the first born of the Israelites, this reverend gentleman says--" A thousand times as many sons of America have probably fallen victims of this ungodly war, as perished in Israel by the edict of Pharaoh, Still the war is only begining. If ten thousand have fallen, ten thousand times ten thousand may fall." Idem, page 7.

Those who take the trouble of multiplying, will find that ten thousand times ten thousand make 100,000,000, who are to perish out of a population of 8,000,000 !!!

"Should the English now be at liberty to send all their armies and all their skips to America, and in one day burn every city from Maine to Georgia, your condescending rulers would play on their harps, while they gazed at the tremendous conflagration." Idem, page 8.

"Tyrants are the same on the banks of the Nile and the Potomac-at Memphis and at Washington-in a monarchy and a republic." Idem, page 9. "Like the worshippers of Moloch, the supporters of a vile administration sacrifice their children and families on the altar of democracy. Like the widows of Hindostan, they consume themselves. Like the frantic votaries of Juggernaut, they throw themselves under the car of their political idol. 'They are crushed by its ploody wheels." Idem, page 11.

"The full vials of despotism are poured on your heads, And yet you may challenge the blodding Israelite, the stupid African, the feeble Chinesse, the drowsy Turk, or the frozen exile of Siberia, to equal you in tame submission to the powers that be." Idem, page 12.

Here we must trample on the mandates of despotism!!! or here we must remain slaves for ever." Idem, page 13.

"You may envy the privilege of Israel, and mourn that no land of Canaan has been promised to your ancestors. You cannot separate from that mass of corruption, which, would poison the atmosphere of paradise. You must in obstinate despair bow down your necks to the yoke, and with your African

*

After the reader has perused this uncharitable effusion of prejudice and virulence, let him compare it with the following declaration, made by this reverend gentleman, in a sermon preached at Cambridge, April 8, 1810 : God is my witness that Lwould not upon any consideration, willingly or unnecessarily wound the feelings of, or give offence to, an individual in this assembly."