Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1855-01-31

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! should take them for his God, and fear and
| please them. What right has he TO con-
| science of his own! they have hired him
| What business has he to think for himself, or
to exercise his own Judgment, they have hired
! him. What has he to do with serving God,
and saving his own soul, and keeping himself
unspotted from the world they have hired
| him to preach their preaching. Let minis
ter obey God, rather than man, and they will
do to him they did to God. ''If they have
called the Master Of the house Beeizabub, how
much more they of his household -
Da0id-But Uncle Zedckia, thee are too
severe. When preachers meddle with poll
ties they affront people. and they wont hear
them that they can do them good, they
ought to mind their own business, and let pol
! iticS alone.
! Zsd.-Who has made politics the business
of any man, if not God; and he has made
| it the business of all men. One man IS not
| born with the reigns of Government in his
| hands, and another with the yoke OF bondage
on his neck. One man is not born with a
| golden spoon in his mouth, and another with
/ a leather apron about his loins. And now to
| speak ironically, if ministers should not preach
| politics, what would become of the politicians
who would save their souls? When ministers
| preach politics, what a general revival OF re-
! liGion takes place all over the country. The
members of Congress become exceedingly
| devout and begin to speak with other than
| their accustomed tongues: the political press
| becomes exceedingly religious and begins TO
| preach TO the preachers, and even the iglcy7Ts
| themselves to receive the spirit, and go forth
to publish what thcy believe to be the duty OF
preachers and church members and they be-
| come very dexterous at handling the word
| Why so great was the awakening last fall, that
| even WM. f. PACKER was so powerfully ex-
| ercised, that he delivered Il sermon of two
hours length in our Court House wherein he
went over the bible from beginning to end TO
! prove the Know NOthings were auti-ChriSt, Or
| Mystery Babylon, the men Of sin, or the
great dragon, or the bear with three ribs in
his mouth, or some other horrible beast men
toned in scripture.
D1viI-Why my dear Uncle Zedelil, thee
seems to have changed thy sentiments very
much on the subject of hired ministry. Thee
seems now to be their advocate and defender.
ZeE.-By no means, David, 4 hired ministry
is the object Ofnly greatest aversion. have
no language TO express my UtteI aIhorlnce OF
the whole class. a man that will profess to
preach Gods word, and hire himself to preach
to this people Or that, what they may dictate,
is the most deSpicabie Of all feiOuS. The
heartess, unprncipled pollution who will sell
his votes in the legislature to the highest bid
der and thHs barter the best interests Of his
constituents for his own gain, is i SAINT in
comparison with HIM No upright, christian
man cln, for a moment, think Of selling, or
hiring out his right of private judgement or
his individual accountability, or his liberty to
obey God for himself and 10 keep his own
conscience, an'l 10 do his own duties. The
man that can do these things. c2n commit any
crime. But I can tell thee, David, some min
listers that thee, and others ike thee, call
hired preachers, have never, and will never
hire ont a heir Of their helds. They are con
secrated to God, and viii think speak and act
for themselves as s.ChTistans may,-is free
men cam Their great offence, is, they will
not sell themselves. Their congregations, the
would be polititions, the pIundcr hunters, and
spoil seekers, and all, can neither caioe nor
drive them from their high position of con
scienciOus upTightness and integrity. The
whole front IT their offending is that they can
not be bribed nor liiret to sw2rra FROM their
own views Of right, that they will, (stUbborn
iy rs they iuige,] persist in acting according
to their own Judgement and conscience.
DGri3-But Uncle, while thee talks pretty
well, and appear to make the wrong the better
side, thee have not answered my objection
shat il is wrong te mix religion and politics.
want thee to answer that.
Zei.-Iwish thee hal brains enough to under
stand what is religion. Religion is not thing
that n man may pHt into Il band box. 1t is
principle controlling a mans life. As told
thee before, God has rot separated religion
and politics, ana man clnnot without destroy
ing all true religion in himself. Religion re-
quires that man shall ct all times do all things
in reference to his accountability to God, and
this accountability extends Just as much TO his
political actions as to his social or his donex-
tic. Now. David, God is the author of re-
ligion. and Jesus Christ is the head OF the
Church. Therefore: when any government or
political party will attempt 10 dictate rel
gious duties that Girls the head of the church
has not assigned. and that are inconsistant
with his laws. it is the duty-of every man who
owns allegicPcs to Christ to resist, and TO
preach against it. Religion must foster gov
ernment; must infuse pOiitf~rf homes " into the
hearts of governments. and parties. 1t is the |
basis of al right political action and it is the
duty of every minister TO preach against pc
litic1l sin, and enforce political duty. | would !
not listen to 4 man preach that would b. SO |
far racreant to his God, as 10 lay aside his /
own manhood, his own conscience, his own |
sense of wright and wrong. to preach what the |
people say, TO please political sinners to sue |
conf, TO wicledneSs in high places either for |
the sake of the Edolars and dimes'' or to |
avoid the repr0lch of Gods enemies, or to I
keep his place in the church. any ct her low,
sOrdid motive. That man has not gtjt honesty |
enough to be my preacher-I cannot trust him. !
If he will keep back the truth from others, for |
fear of offending them, for the sake of plea |
sing them, he will keep it back from me for |
fear of offending me,-yes he would sch me to |
the devil for either my good opinion or my
money Why not let preachers, if they are
honest and intelligent, (and none should preach |
but those who are) utter ali that is in their /
hearts. W. need some person to tell us the |
truth and the whole truth. None dislike to
hear the truth, but those who are determined /
to have their own way, without regard to the !
right. Those who take the right as their rule /
OF action, want TO hear the truth and those |
who wish to accomplish their selfish ends by any
means, right or wrong, do not want to hear it. |
There is another thing. David, want TO tell |
thee. Thee seems to have quite di- like to