The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-12-16
The Theology of Politics and the Politics
of Theology

The Theology of Politics and the Politics
of Theology.
The recent Thanksgiving day here and in
New York, was devoted by several clergymen
to the delivery Of sermons on the Union.
We are not very jealous of pulpit influence
nor inclined to insist on rigorous restriction of
preachers in their topics. Religion undoubt-
edly prcsides over all the duties Of life, and we
know of no class of temporal duties more
amenabe to religious sentiment, than the po-
litcal We shall therefore not complain OF
clerical admoniton on political subjects. But
shall reel procate, and respond, we trust, in q"
spirit as benevolent rs that which has led to t. e
recent political sermons.
Our attention has been more particularly d.
rected to the sermon of Rev. c. NJ. BUTLER in
Trinity church, of this city, by seeing copious
extracts published in the Union. The chief OBJ
iect of this sermon, it seems, is TO prove that
Union is Gods gift"
This is a very comprehensive generalization.
and needs so much qualification that it becomes
rather vague and intangible. Men are divided
by many natural causes /: by mountains and
seas, by climates, by color and by race; by many
artificial causes to which they are subjected at
birth, to an extent as great as natural causes j.;
such as difference Of government, classes, Gus
toms, interests, and opinions. But there is one
great division incompatible with national unity,
which was made by direct rrovidential interpo-
sition, and that is diversity of language. And
this was the second great event of that kind
after thesAood-the first being the subordination
of Canaan to his brethren.
But there was one great political union nsti-
tuted by Providence, and the origin and charac-
ter of that may throw much light on the nature
of such an institution in all subsequent ages,
even the present. 1t was the Hebrew common
wealth 1t was composed Of the people of one
race, of ore language, Of one religion in all its
forms.
So strictly was the principle Of unity as to
blood preserved, that the descendants of Ishmael
were not included, because he was of different
mother, and she servant And it is remarka-
bic that the government exercised over this fam
ilv, the first by Joseph, the second by Noses and
the last or kingly, were given to tie tribes OF
sons of the wives Of Jacob, who were akin to
linn by blood-to Joseph Levi, and Judah.
But the government Of this people so closely
connected by blood, by language, by religion,
and living in small territory, was Federatire,
the first federative government ever established
1t consisted of thirteen tribes and half tribes, the
same MS the number of our original colonies.
And VIC had two half States, Rhode Island and
Delaware, like the two half tribes of Mannasch
and Ephraim.
The most effectual provision was made to
preserve the federative character Of the Hebrew
commonwealth, by preserving the distinctions
of blood and of property, between the tribes
And how was this federatve system destroyed
How was this union dissolved! Why, Solo
mon had made new conquest, that Of Edom,
as we have of California.
Edom was on tie sea shore, and opened the
way to Ophir, the Land Of Gold, TO which Solo
mon sent his ships, as we do to California for it,
But the gold of Ophir, like that of California,
was appropriated to the favorie-the ruling
tribe, the tribe of Judah. Silver became rs
plenty as stones in Jerusalem, M we are told.
but not elsewhere in Israel. On the contrary.
the taxes were made heavier than ever ~ OURS
are, to be expended at Jerusalem among the f.
vorite tribe, as ours are. Solomon not only
built the temple as he was commanded, but
built palaces for himself and wives, and temples
TO false gods, and brought large bodies Of for