The daily union., 1854-02-21
Politics In the PuIpi,.

Dant people,
Politics In the Pulpit.
We observe that whg and abolition conventions at the
North calling upon ministers of the Gospel TO enter
the political arena, to help them in the political en-
counter going The wiser and better portion OF
those thus appealed will wholly disregard the appeal
Some there whose prejudices and anpahies will 30
second the appeal, whose itching to do something to in
jure the democracy is excessive that they will seIze
the opportunity to out in their colors and con-
vert their churches into caucusTooms and themselves
into noisy, political partisans Let these remain the dem.
agogues they have made themselves and losing all coun-
tenance from other quarters, become the pensonares
they will have become The tools, OF their political EN-.
poyers. The contempt awaits them which has so uni.
iormly been accorded 10 theological politicians.
Nor have the efforts OF clegymen, introducing politics
into their pupits been productive in times pas, OF any
such results al all encourage future experiments
They have shown themselves bgoted and ignorant as
the clergymen OF old, who chastised Galeo for
discovering the ear,h's motion, those OF later time,
who regarded the designs OF the great Columbus as bias.
phemous, those of still later day who alluded 10
the poor victims they were hanging for an imaginary
wi,ehcrail, many "hrebrands OF hell"
We speak Of clersymen who. not content in Their vo-
cation, profane il by making 1t subservient 10 political
designs We speak OF ambitious, dogmatca oveTbear-
ing demagogues in clerical garments, who, when they
go up into the pulpit for religious purposes, and see
around them persons differing from them in of po.
ltca opinion, cannot content themselves until they have
denounced that difference OF opinion among the IN.
partonabe sins. We speak OF ordained politicians ma.
king STUMP speeches in the sacred places which they
claim TO have been called OF God-makng them where,
by the laws OF the land, no answer is permitted and
where text Of scripture at The beginning and an 'amen
a, the end, be resoried to convenient articles to
increase their effect upon the voters
In no sharp contest have we wanted body OF clerical
recruits 10 Of advanced guard for federal
politicians. They took the lead n sustaining the alien
and sedition law They were foremost in denouncing
Jefferson They pitched The sharpest note OF opposition
to the war Of 1912, and, thirty four years after. 10 the
war with Mexico. They sermonirsd through laborious
quires OF used paper against the admission Of Texas
They preached and prayed equally in 1870 and 1850
against the peaceabe adjustment OF controversy in This
country which threatened il with all the horrors Of civil
war. II theirs should be the bad activity now we
trust il will be with the same effect They return
thanks daily upon the house.,ops, for the prosperity
Providence ha, bestowed upon US but have opposed and
denounced nearly every event by the OF which
Providence has 80 favored US
OF what avail The partisan sermons Of Parish
Morse, Osgood, and Gardner in 1912 They stirred up
wrath and contention They elected Sabbath day curses
from the lips Of their congregations, heated and enraged
by frebrsRds which they hurled among them from the
pulpit. They made themselves a shame and a reproach
even in their day. and their fate should be warn.
ing 10 those who are disposed to follow n their footsteps
We have before political sermon, preached in Bos.
ton, by the Rev. Mr. Gardner, in 1905 1t is fair sam
pie OF such documents at that period It says:
There country which calls itself enlight-
ened, In which talents, properly and virtue had te in
huenco in this and yet that no county can
flourish where these qualifications The leading fes-
lures in the character Of its rulers"
Note the cold a.tocrscy OF this extract The church
con,ending that shall be chief ruler in the
government The preacher OF an humble and seli-de.
nying religion, established by a carpenters son. and first
received and preached by poor fishermen standing up 10
maintain in his pulpit that country can flourish where
wealth is not leading feature in the character of I,s
rulers The country could not well be deemed enlsbt.
ened il MONEY to have so little influence here
That light which "lghleb every man that comelh into
the world, and which sbone upon the poor and humble
places OF the earth long before reached the rich mans
mansion, sufficient illumination II was 10 be
lost in darkness which comprebended ii not. until the
money changers should come into the temple and be made
rulers in Israel
Such was the spectacle which federalism exhibited
oryhve years ago when delivering Its aristocratc SER
mons from the pulpit Your clerical politicians then
were the lckspites and aaterers Of wealhl. and III.
deamers of all parties and theories which would not ac
Il (, unho ndoI tngno ,na
passed the demened Israeles in the wilderness in their
prosrations before the golden calf They did good
vice by exempliiying all the foes which clergymen are
apt TO pefpetrae when they become declsmaiory poll
cans tsagrea pity that the les.on has not been more
generally regarded. Tha, towards are .dll found 10
6nk the weapons Of their partisan malice from the pulpit