Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1852-11-06


who plow together in tic field. One urges
tile machine forward aud directs the motion:
the other is mere dead weight upon the han
dies, 10 press them down and retnrd the the
mot on. Yet still what importance in his
| position let him relax his hold, the share
trips in the lurrow aud all is oycrlirown.-
! Ltt us not he too vain of our rcformntory
spirit. We need son. resistance if the work
is TO he wisely aud thoroughly DONE One
might almost say, II there were no conserva-
| iivcs in the community ! would myself br n
| MISUNDERSTANDING with nacrity that
dlsngrceahc duty; so seldom do we see rad.
icasm wise enough aud pure enough TO
take care of itself without the instructive
antagonisin of this stubborn aud often sci.
fish power.
Sin looking for n rcconciling Influence
between these 'WO forces, ! do not know
where we can more reasonably demand it
than in the church-tnt institution which
should bC the medium to men alike of the
lOyest aspirations, the most solid thinking,
and the most puugent moral stimulus. The
Church IL, in short, the representative Of
religiOn--.sOle rccOnciler OF the ideal and the
practical. Without the religious spirit,prnc-
iical reform becomes Incorporate and vim
dctiye. With mere abstract religion there
is 10 practical reform at ALL The present
revolt OF rcinrmcrs against the churches can
never be pncifed-nor yet the errors chnrg.
ed On ihcs" rcyolutioniSts corrccted--unlrss
the churches can expand sufficiently to take
the heroic rebels in. We need more radi-
cnlisn in our religion and more religion in
our rndcaSm.
"The circumstances of the last few years
aud the selfish aud nhumnn attitude nsum-
cd 10y much of the conservatism of the com
munily, in It's relations to politics especially
have brought into great prominence this
question of the position of the church, or
religious element. When the highest officers
of state venture TO say publicly that religion
is an excellent thing ia every Thing but pol
itics there it only makes men mad it is
time to grow serious time for Religion to
reproduce the experience OF Paul aud inquire
whether her prosolylcs are really nud,
(most noble Fcstlis) or speak the words Of
truth aud sohcrncss still.
" For consider the consequences of doc
trinG so nutcring TO each mans peculiar
propcnsiics aud temptations. The politician
limits this disclaimer 10 politics, because that
is Ills pursuit. but how easily niuiatis nluidndis,
u The definition made available for all. Re-
ligion is good IN everything hut politics. de-
clnres the politician. Good in everything
but law suggests the lawyer; Good in
everything but the retail trade in dry goods
observes Tie dry-gonds retailer; In every
thing but blarksnlilhiug,' adds the black
smith. Aud so, through every trade ard
profession in the community; every man,
with the utmost Difference for religion in the
abstract, respectfully signs or from religion
in behalf Of his special employment. Aud
so nj Inst, cat Oft from all occupations of all
men, what is left in which religion is excel
lent! Nothing, apparently, except in s0stuin-
ing Sunday worship aud paying the salaries
of the clergy while they denouncs the sins
Of the Jews aud let those of Americans
alone.
For il is very convenient in this way 10
make conscience merely las Milton snys in
his uneqlmIlcd satire upon this very suhject),
"a diyidunl mu,Gmenl.' mean that it is
much easicr To give religion n divided sew
enth pnrt oI each week, Than to give it the
undivided proportion of every instant. IL is
easy To separate life into periods, aud pay
tilhcs To Gu,, on condition of non interference
with the rest As Inmarlne says that Louis
XVIII on his restoration, gave the old Roy
nlls his treasures aud his toys, in order more
10 refuse them his politics so men concede
To religion Sunday, the hymn-book aud the
cInIrch-in order TO escape from giving Mon
day, the ledger and the cducus.roonI.
"But this subdivision of conscience re-
quires n skill which is not commonly taught
in Thcolngical Schools, it obviously bears
rather bard upon the young clergyman. IL
does not seem TO him TO lie the theory of his
position. ! would not so much object 20
inir declaration that politics and trade are
more Important than mere theology, Cor per-
inps they are las II church-commiliee man
once rold me that what they wanted in n
cernin pulpit was u moderate Whig; hut
II the minister may not after the day of his
ordination, even think for himself enough TO
lie moderate or n Wing except as the major
iIy of his supporters define the terms from
month lo monlli--il he must daily represent
each new phase Of local opinion, merely
piece of church maclinery-if, IN short
there is 10 he no difference between min
lister aud n weaihercock, except that one is
outside the ncetingllouse and the other in
inside then | think the sooner we all be-
come non -cOniormists and come-outers the
better.
1t is in thinking of such n clergy that
we understand why Pyihagoras on his mis-
sionnry tour went first 10 reform the places
where there were most temples and priests.
IL is of this view Of The clerical position that
mn eminent conservative divine once candid
ly admitted to me that, if continued, it would
make the ministry a refuge for scoundrcls.'
Strange decenden,s would these be of thai
Puritan race of whom Cotton Malher laid
down as an established maxim that, Now
England being n country whose interests nre
remarkably enwrapped III eccleastcul cir
cilmslances, ministers ought to interest them
selves in poihcs.' But | rejoice 10 think
that the picture have drawn'is one not yet
realized in the New England pulpit. can
not endose quite Hll the reproaches of our
reformers All that eau be fairly proved is
this, that our clergy do largely share the sins