Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1855-09-20

But we Will not say that such a popular
charge Is unjust without giving a reaso for
contradicting il. think it groundless, from
the consideration that the ministry, as class.
are men Of discernment aud must see that
was this their present position, it would EN-
barrass their ministry with half Of the Ieople
of the State, and possibly with half the mem
bers of their Churches. | cannot, and will
not believe that as n class, We are go imprn-
dent rs thus to act. know not how Others
feel on this subject, but declare with my
previous convictions and feelings, / shall be
slow to vote in any election hereafter.
| have exercised this light but twice 10
voting for State and county officers, and vet
have not escaped the tongue of SANDER /
voted once in New Albany, when in charge
OF church in that city, and once in Indian
apolis, whilst in the active colonization agency,
during which | regarded your city as head
quarters-in those cases voted for members
OF both political parties, and vet an attempt
has been made by one of your journals to re-
present me as exercising this right In an un-
scrupnlous manner-bnt | shall not dwell on
those personalities in this connection; I shall
dispose of them in another place. What
wish to say is that no true minister of Christ
can see eight or ten men in each county in
this State, alienated from the church Of God,
possibly forever, carrying their meanness into
their families and amongst their kindred,
without casting up religious account of
profit and loss, after such an election as the
one we have just passed through-and the
question must recur, how much did it cost
our fathers in the ministry to attach those old
men and their families to the faith, and how
much has the cause of religion gained as an
offset for this loss.
That something has been gained in secur-
ing good temperance system, or the basis of
such system, is not to be doubted; and we
must present this issue as an apology for
much that has been said and done by reli-
gious men and ministers during the past year.
But have always maintained that in State
like ours, where the moral sentiment pre-
dominates, such measure could have been
carried at a much less cost of feeling and re-
ligious influence, as this reform had friends in
all parties
But we do not sorrow over the past loss to
the church, as much as We dread the future,
for political managers having discovered the
energy of the public mind, when under the
influence of moral appliances, now seek to
keep up the same system of tactics, 10y drag
ing in the religious question, and rousing the
public mind against men of foreign birth, and
our Roman Catholic neighbors. With the
light have on the subject, for one am not
ready for that kind of work, and / mean to
say SO in clear terms. and if my friends quar-
rel with me for it, they must quarrel on.
But to return to the question of profit and
loss"-what are we TO gain as christian
community by keeping up the system of
tactics which will throw the political power
of the christian ministry all on one side OF
such political issue as that of race and reli-
gion-in my opinion little, very little will be
gained to the cause of God-whilst still
greater havoc will be made in the ranks of
the religious; for those who are now aliena-
ted because Of the former canvass, will become
confirmed in their opposition, aud carry with
them many of their friends and families; and
as to the effect, we fear that most of such
will make shipwreck of faith-"wo unto the
world because of offences; it must needs be
that offences come, but NO unto that man by
whom the offence cometh." Sir, with this
scripture warning before us, you should be
slow to believe that there are many religious
mon who would wilfully and wantonly of
fend, SO as TO drive to ruin the weakest be-
lever In Christ-that there are some such
do not doubt, but they are few-I speak
the conviction of my heart when | say that
your Indiana ministry love to win men to
Christ, and are deserving OF your confidence
because that elevated aim.
But have a second reason for saying that
the above popular charge is unjust. Before
the late canvass, il will be admitted that the
religious men of our State were equally di-
yided, between the great political parties, and
it is possible that your party had the majority
of such men, say in the same ratio that the
parties themselves stood. 1t has been my lot
to DO some of the hard work for that branch
of the church with which am connected, by
the aid of Providence, and by the lberality of
the public, | have been enabled to secure few
houses of worship for our people. and place a
few thousand dollars in our common church
funds, and have done but little compared
with what some other ministers have done,
but enough to know that the material wealth
Of our Indiana churches came not from one
party alone-but that your political friends
aided to at least one-half in constructing eight
hundred church edifices, which our denomina-
ton boasts, and the fipeloe hundred which other
denominations have erccted-costing in the
aggregate 81 ,529, ,585, aud undoubtedly they
have borne an equal part in creating pro-
ductivs University fund yielding an annual
income Of S45, $50. In those facts and fig
ures you have the basis of a second reason
cannot believe that the ministers of our In
diana churches, have lost sight of their old
! friends entirely, and under the furor of polit-
ical partisans have permitted their influence,
position, and sacred functions, to be booked,
and invoichd as 50 much political "stock in
trade"-by any one political party, for the
| furtherance of such issues as Know Nothing
ism to the great and continued prejudice of its
opponent, the members of which have done
as much to constitute the financial and mate
rial platform on which these men stand to
proclaim the truth. No! political equity for.
bids-if ministers are to turn politicians, then
equity requires an equal distribution of the
influence derived from that sacred position
that all parties unite in sustaining. But thi;
I is not the correct view of the case: equity, il
there is such thing in these days, requires
that whilst ministers NAV have their private
opinions on all questions of state, and may
with propriety express them at the poles, OF
Justify in the convention of citizens, (this lat
ter seldom) as it is sure to embarrass in some
direction. Yet they should never intention
ally introduce them into the pulpit, or legis-
lative or administrative courts of the church,
much less should we permit partizan ol
this or that party to place our ministry oI
churches in the front rank of any mere politi.
cal contest; this is our opinion ''in a more ex-
cellent way
Nor should church courts be perverted
from their legitimate work to revolutionize oil
political subjects, much less should stringent
resolutions be passed thereby designed to di
rect christians in any given civil election, fo
surely such use of church courts is a diver
sion Of such institution from the objects o
their construction, and undoubtedly the dis
cussion of political duty belongs, not TO eccle
siastical, but to properly organized political
meetings, conventions, or civil councils; II
| which latter auy christian or church officer