The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1856-09-24

u beecner, y1S q TO-, lHose uneasy CleIlCdl
Demagogues who convert the Pulpit into the
partisan platform in these latter days-he could
not have more carefully and sagaciouSly left up
on record his testimony against them, than he
has done. AS peculiarly pertinent at the pres
ent time, our attention has been called to let
ter written by Mr. Jefferson to Wendover in
1916 and published In his works, which we
take pleasure in reproducing.
At this moment, when from hundreds Of prot
estant pulpits in our northern States, inhamma-
tory and mistaken appeals are ringing forth
Sunday after Sunday, against the National De-
party, the American Union, and the
federal COnstitution-when it is not too much
to say that the clerical influence, as whole, is
being actively and injuriously exerted in our
politics. cast as it is into the scale Of fanaticsm
and proscription-at such moment it is well
to recur to the calm reasoning of the philoso-
pher statesman, and to re-peruse the moderate
and gentle, yet decided rebulse which he adj
ministers to this degradation Of the pulpit,
which in his day was rather ioreseen than felt.
-Pnnsylvanian.
MoNTIcELLo, March 13, 1915
"SIR:-Yo our favor Of January 80, was duly
received after long delay on the road, and have
to thank you for the volume ofdiscources which
you have been so kind as to send me. l have
gone over them with great satisfaction, and con-
cur with the able preacher in his estimate oi
the beligerents in our late war consider the
war, with him, "made on good advice" that is
for just causes, and its dsponsation as provi-
dental, inaslnuch as it has exercised our patri-
invigorated among us arts of urgent necessity,
has manifested the strong and the weak part oI
our republican institutions and the excellence
of representative Democracy compared with
the misrule of Kings has rallied the opinions
of mankind to the natural rights of expatria-
ton, and Of a common property in the ocean,
and raised us to that grade in the scale of ma
tions which the bravery and lberality of oul
citizen soldiers by land and by sea, the wis
dom of our institutions and their observance o.
Justice, entitled US to in the eyes Of the world
All this Mr.. Mcleod has wcltproved, and from
those sources of argument particularly, which
belong to his profession.
"On one question only differ from him, and
it is that which constitutes the subject Of hi
first DISCOURSE the right Of discussing public af
fairs in the pulpit. l add the last words be.
cause admit the right in general conversation
and in writing in which last form it has been
exercised in the valuable book you have GvoroC
me with
"The mass of humln concerns moral ant
physical is so vast; the field of knowledge re
quisite for man to conduct to the best advan
tage is 50 extensive, that no human being cal
acquire the whole himself and much less in tina
degree necessary for the instruction of others
Il has of necessity, then, been distributes
into different departments, each Of which, sin
gly, may give occupation enough to the who,
time and attention of single individual
"Thus we have teachers Of Languages, tea
chers of Mathematcs Of Natural Philosophy
Of Chemistry Of Medicine Of Law, of History
Of Government, &c. Religion, too, is a sept
rate department, and happens to be the onl
one deemed requisite for al men, high or Low
= COLLECTIONS Of men associate together, III
der the name of congregations, and employ
religious teacher of the particulor sect Of opir
ions which they happcn'to be, and contrbut
to make up a stipend as a compensation for tn
trouble Of delivering them, at such periods {
they agree on, lessons in the religion they pr
; tess.
"Tf they want instruction in other scicnc
orarts, they apply to other instructors; an
this is generally the business ofearly life. By
/ suppose there is not an instance of sing
congregation which has employed their preac
= er for the mixed purposes Of lecturing the
: from the pulpit, on chemistry on medicine,
law, on the science and principles of COVER
mont, or in anything but religion exclusively
$ Whenever, therefore, preachers instead of lie
sons in religion, put them off with a discour
q on the Copernican system, on chemical afr
{; ties, on the contract, deprving their audien
q Of the kind service for which they are salarie
s and giving them instead of it, what they d
s not want, or, if wanted, would rather seek frt
better sources in that particular art or scien
Q In choosing our pastor we look to his religio
9 qualifications, without inquiring into his ply
: ical or political dogmas, with which we mean
have nothing to do.
II am aware that arguments may be fou
which may twist thread of politics into &C
a of religious duties. So may they for every OF
o or branch of human art or science. Thus,
example, it is a religious duty to obey
n laws of our country; the teacher Of religi
Q therefore, must instruct US in those laws, II
a we may know how to obey them. 1t is a n
IN gious duty to assist our sick neighbor; the pr
as cher must, therefore, teach US medicine, that
s. may do it understandingly. 1t is a religi
D duty to preserve our own health; our religi
v teacher, then, must tell US what dishes
ID wholesome and give US recipes in cookery, t
b. we may learn how to prepare them And
c- ingenuity, by generalizlng more and more, n
ok amalgamate all the branches Of science intoG
Sc one of them, and the physician who is paid
VI visit the'sick may give sermon instead Of m
d. icine, and the merehantsto whom money is S
for o hat, may send handkerchief instead
K. It.. But, notwithstanding this possible cor
ed sion Of all sciences into one common Sc
in draws lines sufficiently distinct for
general purposes Of life, and no one is atsa