The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1856-09-20
a Protest from II Clergyman against Po.
iiticGi Preaching.


The Charrh Joarnat of New York, one of
Inc eo.est aud most popular Protestant pa
pers IN the country, handles in a mastery
s'yie t"e SUBJECT OF political preaching. In
lis publication It makes an earnest protest
against the Introduction in the pulnit NJ
what 1t humorously calls ''texts from tho
Gospel according TO tie daiiy papers" The
| article opens with the following impor ant
truth, which some Of our JEALOUS religion.
lists are apt to forget:
The Lotl -Je.y., when on earth, de.
clared that bis Kingdom was not Of this
world He mcddied not, therefore, in the
political atia!yS Of the country. lie knew
that the Children of the Kingdom" were
rightluiy free yet He paid tribute TO the
Roma"s; not ony 50, but He considered
that payment of sufficient consequence to
"cfk miracle for that purpose. lie knew
ileIoJ TO be a crafty fox aud the murder.
er ol John the Baptist; yet he touk no part
~ the influencing against ilgrUd sngl: in.
dlvldaal OF all the luuiitudes that followed
hnn ia Gaircr
The heirmtiye Church trod closely in the
footsteps Of the Lord.'
Alter reviewing the practice Of the Apos.
Ties and the carly Christians, it refers to tho
pracli.al questions Of our day:
The Church is indeed bound TO proclaim
unto al. men the duty of exercising their
political ri.ht, as all their other privileges,
under 4 sgn,e of iul responsibility 10 God.
Religious duty and religious principle under.
lies ri the paris ard provinces Of day life,
whether aS 20 business, or pUlitirS or social
intercourse, OF the conduct Of the family
ls.Hfa -
tiuns must be Giyei; ON general principlrs,
and cannot descend into details without
defcatiu. i.ee'f The things OF Ca AR wcre
to be rendered unto Cesar, and -. Paul re-
echoed the same when lac commanded 10
"Il'nor the hing,' bat he did not say whe-
thcr BtitgnujcI- should be supported as Ce-
sar rather than the biuoly stan,d Nero.
And 50 ia our own day, W. hear on eve-
~ ~iie of us here ut the north, load Y, that
'tie spirit OF the Gospel Is opposed to slave
ry.' Npw, this l. either true, or II /, not
tue. II 1t j. not true. thyn there i not
even decent prctrnce for the cry that i the
duty of ministers of the Gospel to preach
against slavery. II, on the other hand, il il
true, that the spirit OF the Gb,p.i l. oppo ed
to slavery, then lei the clergy devot. them
selves wholly 10 promoting the irit of the
Gn>pl; for that spirit o: tne Gospel, If thus
oypusei. wil do away slavery t,rli, a. soon
a. it j. sufficiently strong. This Indirect in
fiucncc wilI operate more surely and rapidly
han direct agitation. Every diversion from
the pure Gospel into the field Of politics,
therefore. Inu-t hinder the growth Of that
very spirit of the GnSpcl, which alone, after
al, can IF .ctuaOly work any chang; for the
better. Whether, Therefore, the spirit of
the Gospel bcoppQ,cu to slavery. Or not, it
i stthsr ,caH the houndcn duty oi the clergy
to ooniine themselves 10 preach the Gospel,
and to let politics alone.
The writer next alluded to the conse-
ouenccS OF departing from the true rule VI
Scripture ~ illustrated at Philadelphia.
The result j. splanthi specimen of the
wa- such experiments work. Ilt, il helped
On the ki"gaou, OF Christ? Has il con-
Terted any sous from the slavery of Satan
unto the trae .ani ,h-t - ." 'S-u~! ilis IL
brought forth faiti toward q ID, or iIve
ward man or even made friends for agta-
ion against the SnuJi: No! it produced
Dissatisfaction and disgust in his own flock.
Il had added fresh fuel to contests winch
were fiery enough bcforc, and it has not
lone one single iota of counterbalanciny
good With such a br,l lnt example of Suc-
,rs>i,sl mischief it j. not likely that there
ail be many anon. u TO follow.
We close with the following short para
graph condennin- 1t to those wh" feel any
impulse to change a conserratcd church into
l Republican hea lquarters, or to desrad o
pulpit 10 4 stump.
We all know what would be the result at
mass meeting ca | d to ct Ier hy Democrats
" Republicans, If one of the Invited speak
rs instead of takin. the sort Of politics
expected OF him, oui take the opportuni-
y OF great crowd to preach sermon in
avor of the Bapti-t. or the MethodistS, or
he Pycsbytcrians, or defending the ',lis.
inctivc prin,i iplcs OF the Church" And
.hurcamrn have very wisely been Of the
opinion that it - cutie a. intolerable abuse
If opportunity on the part of any clergy.
man, VIXEN HAT position which is gwen him
,olelv to preach the wordan administer the
is perverted TO the advance
ucut of those opinions which distinguish
,Re political party OF his fellow citizens from
another. The Cnurch has, therefore, pre-
errrd herself free from all entans !euent
with politics.