The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1856-09-17
on Political Preaching

convert the pulpit into the partisan plat
form in these later days-he could DO
have more carefully and sagaciously lief
upon record his testimony against them
than he has done. AS peculiarly peril
nent at the present time, our attention
has been called to a letter written BY
Mr.. Jefferson to Wendover, in 1915, anc
published in his works, which We take
pleasure in reproducing.
At this moment, when from hundreds
of protestant pulp;ts in our northern
States, iniammatory and mistaken ap.
peals are ringing forth Sunday after
Sunday, against the National Democratic
party, the American Union, and the fed.
eral Constitution--when it is not toe
much to say that the clerical influence,
as a whole, is being actively and injuri-
ously exerted in our politics, cast as it is
into the scale of fanaticism and proscrip-
tion-at such a moment it is we'll to re-
cur to the calm reasoning of the philoso-
pher-statesman, and to re-peruse the
mode rate and gentle, yet decided re-
Duke which he administers to this degra-
dation of the pulpit, which in his day
was rather foreseen than felt.
MONTICELLO, March IS, 1915.
SIa Your favor of January 80 was
duly received, aftor long delay on the
road, and I-have to thank you for the
volume of discourses which you have
been SO kind as to send me. 1 have
gone over them with great satisfaction,
and concur with the able preacher in his
estimate of the belligerents in our late
war. I consider the war, with him,
" made on good advice" that is for just
causes, and its dispensation as providen-
tial, iDasmuch as it has exercised our
patriotism and submission to order, has
planted and invigorated among US arts
of urgent necessity, has manifested the
strong and the weak part of our repnbli-
can institutions and the excellence of
a representative Democracy compared
with the misrule of kings, has rallied
the opinions of mankind to the natural
of repatriation, and of a common
property in the ocean, and raised us to
that grade in the scale of nations which
the bravery and liberality of our citizen
soldiers by land and by sea, the wisdom
of our institutions and their observance !
of justice, entitled as to in the eyes OF
the world. Ali this Mr.. Mcleod has
well proved, and from those sources of
argument particularly, which belong to
his profession,
Ga ore question OILY I differ from
him, and it is that which constitutes the
of his first discourse, tie right
Of discussing public affairs III the pulpit. !
| add the last words because | admit
right in general conversation and in
writing, in which last form it has been
exercised in the valuable book yoL have
me with.
The mass of human concerns, moral
and physical, is so vast the field of
requisite for man to conduct
to the best advantage is so extensive,
DO human being can acquire the
whole himself, and much less in that de-
gree necessary for the instruction of
others. L. has of necessity, then, been
distributed into different departments,
each of which, siugIy, may give occupa
lion enough to the whole time AID at
tention OF IA single Individual.
Thus we have teachers of Languages,
teachers of Mathematics, of Natural
of Chemistry, of Medicine,
Of Law, of Ii story, of Government. &c.
Religion, too, is a separate department,
lad happens to be the only one deemed
requisite for all men, however high or
low.
COLLECTIONS of men associate together,
the name of congregations, and
a religious teacher CT the par.
ticular sect of opinions which they hap
pen to be, and contribute to make up a
as a compensation for the trouble
delivering them, at such periods as
agree on, lessons in the religion they
profess.
If they want Ii struciion In other
or arts, they apply to other in-
structors; and this is generally the
business of early life. But I suppose
here is not an Instance of a single con-
,regation which has employed their
for the mixed purposes of lee
.uring them from the pulpit, on chemis-
'ry, on medicine, on law, on the science
principles of Government, or in any
bling but religion exclusively. When
'ver, therefore, preachers, instead Of a
esson in religion, put them off with a
lIscourse oil the Copernicau system, on
affiuities, Oh the contract, de-
their audience of the kind of
ervice for which they are salaried, aud
them, instead of it, what they
id not want, or, if wanted, would rath-
r seek from better sources in that par
ocular art or science. In choosing our
'astor we look to his religious ~qualiGca-
ions without inquiring into his physical
# political dogmas, with which we mean
o have nothing to do.
l am aware that arguments may be
oaud which may twist a thread of poll
les into the cord of religious duties.
80 may they for every other branch of
Iuman art or science. Thus, for exam
lie, it is a religious duty to obey the
avs of our country the teacher of re-
igion, therefore, must instruct US in
hose laws, that we may know how to
hey them. 1t is a religious duty to as
list our sick neighbors; the preacher
must, therefore, teach US medicine, that
may do it Understandings. 1t is a
eligious duty to preserve our own health;
rur religious teacher, then, must tell Us
dishes are wholesome, and give US
in cookery, that we may learn
low to prepare them. And so ingenuity,
~ generalizing more apd more, may
.malgamate all the branches of science
nto any one of them, and the physician
10 paid RI uioit tho oioE oiua q