Rensselaer Gazette, Volume 3, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 March 1860 — OLD LINERS DISTURBING A RELIGIOUS MEETING. [ARTICLE]

OLD LINERS DISTURBING A RELIGIOUS MEETING.

LFor the Rensselaer Gazette.

-Hanging Grove, March 3, 18€(X j Messrs. Editors: The earth has made one 1 more revolution around its orbit since I ! wrote you from this part of the county on the subject of “-education.” Tire immediate ! cause of writing at this time, is the effect produced on society by the different kinds |of education. On the 2d of this month the ! Rev. Mr. Shockey preached at our Grove, to | a somewhat promiscuous congregation, upon the subject of Christianity and the redemption of the human family. At the close of his sei mon he remarked that he was an agent , for a Missionary Society to establish a missionary in Kansas, to “proclaim liberty to ; the captive and to bind up the broken-hear-ted,” and that he would now receive donations for that purpose. This was too much j for the self-styled Democratic portion of that j Church; one saying: “Yes, and Sharp’s rij fles,” another that “my Bible says nothing I about slavery, but let it alone.” Whereupon Mr. Shockey remarked that that was what tbe devil said7“let me alone,” and the , next morning Mr. Shockey remarked that j he thought the gentlema-rr had gotten tlie idea from the Cincinnati Platform and not I from the Scriptures. A third said that his Bible taught him that slavery is right. A . fourth, that Mr. Shockey ought to be assaulted with rotten eggs. By this time the

| congregation was in one general uproar, j However Mr. Shockey was not to be terrified by all of this parade and ado; he conclu- ! ded to stay and give them another sermon ;on the day following, agreeing to preach a I sermon on the slavery question; and that he would prove from tbe Bible that slavery is wrongj-and that he would answer all of the supposed pro-slavery texts of Scripture. The news spreading through the neighborhood | that Mr. Shockey was not afraid to proclaim from the pulpit that slavery is wrong, brought in a considerable congregation. However, the gentleman, who on the evening before quoted from the Cincinnati Platform, ns his Bible, and some of his confederates did not appear, perhaps thinking they would be bad- | ly used up in the way of argument, coneluj ded to stay at home. Mr. Shockey made a ! very masterly discourse; answering all of the objections from Genesis to Revelations, in a very able and satisfactory manner, shivieringhis opponents from head to foot. It ; was truly amusing to see them writhing and 1 twisting under the operation, frequently i:iiterrupting the speaker, and one descended Iso low as to give Mr. Shockey the lie. Mr. i Shockey stated that a self-styled Clr.i ::.in, I down South, had sold one of lfi.s fellow men j fur thirteen, hundred dollars, and appropriated the proceeds of the sale to the preaching of pro-slavery doctrine in Kansas, and . that he (Mr. Shock y) certainly had as good j a right to preach anti-slavery doctrine, i Messrs. Editors, thus we see that the selfstyled Democratic party are not content with j the extension of slavery, but want to distort j and pervert the Scriptures into its support, and even insult tbe minister who would dare raise his voice against this hydra headed monster. May the time come when this whisky and pro-slavery spirit shall cease to dictate for State and Church, and be buried in or.e common grave of oblivion and forgetfulness. Mr. Shockey will be heartily welcomed by the law-abiding and order-loving portion of our citizens, at any time he may see fit to give us a call. An Eye-witness.