Washington sentinel., 1854-02-26
p0LITIcAL PARSONS.

Those ranting Parsons who are seeking to
withdraw political questions from the halls of
legislation and to transfer them to the sacred
desk, and who, instead of preaching the gospel,
have taken to preaching abolition, deserve to be
scourged from their sacred callings which they
so shamefully dishonor. Like the men of old,
they would make the church of God den of
thieves. They would profane its sanctity with
themes only fit for a court-green, and violate
its solemn stiffness with angry clamors that
would better suit bull-fght. They claim that
they have commission from the most high to
preach his pure doctrines, and men respect them
as the representatives of the maker Of all things.
But they have no commission to debase their
holy Office by allying it with political factions
and corrupt secular organizations. When for
getful of the sanctity of their calling they dare
to enter the arena Of political strife, they should
be stripped of their pastoral habiliments and
expelled from the church they dishonor.
We are also sorry to see that many the re
ligious papers of the country are intermedling
with the exciting questions involved in the Ne
braska and Kansas bill. Whilst this is much
to be lamented, it is not yet so reprehensble as
the first. The sacred calling was inaugurated,
the ministry instituted, by the Divine Author Of
the christian religion. But the press does not
claim the same origin. It was established by
man. Yet is it better that paper established
to promote the cause of religion should keep
itself aloof from politics. When it becomes the
channel through which human passions and po-
litical acerbities and asperities pour their red
hot current, it ceases to accomplish the object
for which it was instituted. 1t becomes fierce,
when it should be mild; it ofends, when it
should conciliate; it divides, when it should
unite in bonds of pleasantness and affection.
When the parson is cursed with the low am
bition of the goddess demagogue, when he is
moved by the evil one to plunge into the
brawls and strifes Of politics, he should quit
the pulpit and take the stump, where he will
always find some one to meet and to cudgel
him to his hearts content That is bad enough,
in all conscience; but not quite so bad as desc
Grating the sanctuary of the Most High by
preaching politics instead of religion, in it.
The moment a preacher becomes ranting,
brawling, speech-making politician, that moment
he becomes not only useless, but hurtful to the
cause of religion. His piety is distrusted by
all. Men feel that he has quit his proper
| sphere, and invaded one that does not belong
to him. They feel that he is one of them, with
the same passions, the same infrmities, the
same SINS but not with the same courage.
This tribe of teachers ought to remember that
men choose them for their religious expounders
and advisers and not for their political leaders.
A man may be a good parson, but wretched
politician. Certain it is, that, however skilful
and able and eloquent he may be in both
characters, he will not get much credit among
his flock for true piety, Christian meekness,
and lamb-like gentleness. We view this COM
bination as an attempted approach to reunion
between church and State. Certainly the same
objections apply to both.