South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865 · scan page 106

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96  MINISTRY    OF    REV.    MR.    CARROLL.
attendance.  Congregationalism  had  the  ground,  and  would
have  kept  it  if  there  had  been  no  drawback  upon  its  admin-
istration.
"  Now,  to  bring  the  subject  home  to  ourselves, — we  have
a  minister  who  does  7iot  deem  it  his  duty  to  preach  politics,
but  who  does  deem  it  liis  duty  7iot  to  preach  them.  He
prays  for  our  country,  our  rulers,  our  civil  institutions,  our
liberties,  our  officers  and  soldiers,  especially  the  sick  and
wounded,  but  he  does  not  cater  to  the  appetites  of  politicians
of  any  party.  He  pursues  the  one  great  object  for  which
he  was  commissioned  as  an  ambassador  for  Christ,  leaving
secular  topics  to  secular  days  and  secular  men ;  or  perchance
to  those  ministers,  if  sucli  there  be,  who  desecrate  the  Sab-
batli  and  the  pulpit  by  nuiking  both  subservient  to  political
ends.  AVlietlier  Mr.  Carroll  remains  with  us  for  a  longer
or  shorter  period,  there  is  no  probability  that  he  will  change
his  course  in  this  respect,  as  it  is  founded  upon  settled  con-
victions of  duty,  and  these  cannot  be  yielded  to  friends  or
foes.  Now  suppose,  to  gratify  a  few  of  our  members  who
require  a  different  style  of  preaching  and  praying,  we  con-
sent to  give  up  our  minister  after  his  present  engagement
shall  have  expired — what  then  l  Are  we  to  have  a  man  in
his  stead  who  will  give  us  political  preaching  and  praying  ?
Is  this  Church  to  have  such  a  man  for  its  Pastor  in  place
of  Mr.  Carroll  ?  If  it  is,  I  greatly  fear  that  our  prosperity
is  near  its  end.  But  if  the  Church  will  regard  itself  as  an
organization  for  strictly  religious  purposes,  everything  will
be  likely  to  move  on  harmoniously  and  prosperously ;  for
there  a]ipears  to  be  no  other  subject  of  difference.  On  this
basis  all  can  meet,  on  equal  terms,  and  work  together  for
the  common  cause : — Parthians  ami  Meues  and  Elamites,
and  the  dwellers  in  Mesopotamia  and  in  .Judea  antl  Cappa-
docia,  in  Pontus  and  Asia,  I'hrygia  and  I'amphylia,  in
Egypt  and  in  the  parts  of  Lybia  about  Cyrene,  and
strangers  of  Rome,  Jews  and  Proselytes,  Cretes  and  Ara-
bians,— Democrats  and  Republicans,  Abolitionists,  Seces-
sionists and  Traitors.  And  the  greater  sinners  they  are,
the  more  they  need  the  pure  Gospel  of  Christ,  which  is
able  to  make  them  all  wise  unto  salvation.
"  It  is  worthy  of  remark,  that  the  men  who  arc  loudest
in  their  complaints  against  Mr.  Carroll,  are  those  who  know

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Silent Grounds Collective, Church Burial & Death Records, CH-P004-0106. South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865, printed page not verified, PDF page 106. Hallock, Gerard, 1800-1866; digitized copy contributed by University of California Libraries https://archive.org/details/historyofsouthco00hall/page/n110/mode/1up Accessed September 8, 2026.

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