The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-04-16

time and paved the way for saluiary reformation not
by attempting to browbeat insult the constituted au-
thorites Of the State but by enghtenng the people 3,
Ills sermons and nlnring them by His example Ii was
thus that he prepared the way for that great revolution IN
morals and manners which gradually extended to those
distant nations % whom the light OF the Gospel was
youchSaied
Wo'dd i not be wei for those who called upon 70
preach Ills word and initiate Ills example at an humble
distance to pause beore they peryert that pulpit CON
secrated 10 the purposes Of religion the preservation
Of peace and good win 10 all mankind into Pandora
box fraught with hatred and all unchatableness? IL h
to be made instrument Of dssension aad .is,non in
stead Of peace and good neghborhood2 III such 4 10 b.
the case viii venture 10 predict THAI The exatation
but the downfall Of the Christian church at hand and
that IL win not be undermined oyerthrown BY unl
levers and n6dcls but by those appointed sustain ii
The true church only he weakened DESTROYED by
the church ITSELF and when those whose peculiar prov
incc il is TO preach its doctrines and enforce them by
their example lose sight of their sacred duties to be-
come the OF strife and contention among their el
lowezens they may he assured that these fellow
citizens will not fail in good time to detect the cloven foot
and forked tail under the disguise of the sacedotal gown
Let the 1900 political parsons OF New England and the
$50 Of New York look well 10 this. They may tater
themselves that BY thus plngng into the vortex Of poli
cal strife they may succeed 10 placing the church above
the State, but they viii be sadly mistaken. The great
gent TO be priesrddena least of New England
where there many Popes preachers Every at
tempt TO pull the rens too tight will make the hgh-met-
tied stced refractory; and to stick the spur too
deep viii only insure the overthrow Of the rider The
nineteenth century IS not the tenth, and il win take
long pull strong pull and pull all together 10 force the
world to rctrace the revolutions of eight hundred wears
| 1t is a stubborn animal 10 pull backwards.
But the $3.50 political knights of the churchhe
valiant Quixotes who have riousy attacked the wind
mill of Nebraskaeither wully nnwittingly accuse
certain senators Of denying them the rights of citizenship
and appeal 10 the world against this unheardo outrage on
the freedom of the church Now though perfectly willing
to acknowledge the civil rights Of the clergy and to ecog-
Mise them as citizens must be permitted assert that in
many respects their rights and their duties are widely diff
ieren from those of the other classes society In the first
place they exoneated from almost all civil obligations
common 10 those classes They moi called upon TO per
form militia duty to defend their country in time of war
TO serve on urie assist the civil officers in the exc
cuton Of the laws when called upon On the other hand
in the State Of New York. and many other States they
cannot hold any civil or military offices
Why these immunities and restrictions except 10 create
separate class of citizens exclusively devoted the ex
ecise of their holy functions preachers of the Cospe
and shepherds Of their ocks In this point Of yew they
not citizens in the most comprehensive meaning Of the
phrase nasmnch they exoneraed from many Of the
most duties and deprived of some of The priv
eges enjoyed by other classes of the community These ex
emptons and restrictions sufficiently identify the position
which the clergy occupy in the body polite They nd-
cate most distinctly that their functions spiritual not
political and that though in all other respects on footing
with other citizens and equally under the protection of the
laws and the constitution they recognised by either
political body They preachers of the Gospel hot
politics they shepherds of their Hoeks not roaring
lions going about TO rghten them from the fold and
would be well for them if instead of fomentng dsenon
abroad they should confne themselves their duties
home
The saluiay influence Of the clergy is in great meas
ure derived from their supposed abstinence from those
worldly pursuits and occupations which influence the pas
sons corrupt the heart and attract the attention of
kind from higher and more sacred obligations They
only believed to be better than the of mankind be-
cause they less exposed the temptations that bese
their owreaures aud whenevera minister of The Cos
pei found mngng in the strife of the world like other
devoted to the selfish sordid pursuits and wly 81.
posing himself those temptations which Others are foundto
be unable TO resist foei,s his dignity rs an of
God and sinks below the level of his fellow-men
The personal influence derived from this idea of the supe
ror purity of the clerical character is one of the great nil
lars Of the church, and those who wilfuy forfeit Ii by
becoming strrerup Of discussion instead OF apostles Of
peace Ear dangerous enemies 10 the churchtha
| the most hardy and inveierate infde.
II is much the custom Of the clergy to brand all
those who honestly attempt TO correct or restrain the
abuses and corrptons Of the church secret enemies
Whoever doubts their inbility or censures their faults
Is with them little better than unbeliever and when
ever man submits his faith the arbitration Of his reason
he ceases to be orthodox Tor my part cherish and have
always cherished unfgned respect for the Christian
church in all It's various denominations and a those who
woriy ofliciae AT lis shrine However they NAV differ
IN ceremonies and exiernas their great fundamental prn-
cples are essentially the same and they all worship one
Saviour and one God when they differ with each other
there Is too much reason TO suspect Is much about
their God above their god below. But be this as
may nm Of opinion that the faults Of the clergy and The
abuses Of The church arr inst legitimate subjects OF crti-
csm as those Of civil civil rulers Each
Is snhcct % the same yicisudes of time and ercum-
stance each exposed 70 similar temptations Parsons and
politicians are bat men and a. such, equally amenable 10
the grand tribunal Of human The faults and rans-
gressions 81 clergy than those OF
other men and the depotsm Of the church more 10 be
feared than that Of the STATE
A RETIRED STATESMAN
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