Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1856-08-15
Freedom Of the Pulpit.

| Atchison, X. T.. June 9th, 1886.
Freedom of the Pulpit
The Freedom Of the Pulplt-lhat is.
the right If clergymcn to discuss in
their regular ministrations such topics
as they believe vital to the moral san
ity and well-being Of their hearers
is one Of the most important questions
debated in our day. Let Us briefly
outsider Ii:
That clergymen should "preach the
Gospel is vehemently insisted on one
side. and not denid on the other. But
What is "preaching the Gospel"
When John the Baptist said to King
Herod. cit is not lawful for thee to
have thy brothers wife," did he stray
from the line Of his duty as divine
messenger into preaching poIitics?"
We think not.
Suppose Christian pastor to-day
were To End among his flock thrifty
shrewd. influential. far-seeming man,
who claimea to be the husband of two
wives and maintained that, under the
peculiar circumstance of his case, he
did right to take second wife-his
irst being helpless invalid--wouId
1t be wrong in that pastor to discipline
that bigsmIst. and drive him either out
Of the church or into decency?
But suppose the law Of the land per-
mitted and sanctioned bigamy. would
that excuse the professedly Christian
bigamist. or any wise affect the pas
TOPS duty? Who says yes?
Every act is either right or wrong.
permitted or forbidden. in the light of
Gods law. or that law, the Chris
tan pulpit is the exposition. Many
acts permitted by our civil laws are
forbidden by the divine. The laxity
Of the former-perhaps wise and pol
itic, for the State does not attempt to
punish every injurious actin no
manner requires corresponding lax
lty in the application Of the latter, but
rather the contrary.
Our State formerly did not punisl,
seduction nor adultery as such. Noa
it does. or tries to. Was it any less
the duty Of clergymen to denounce and
reprobste those ofenses formerly than
it now is?
We see no solid ground on which
the Pulpit can stand but that of a
faithful. fearless. unsparing testimony
against every kind of iniquity, whelh
er condemned by the State or rot
whether chroni: or casual. corporate
or personal, common or peculiar. Ii
this be not the true ground. who will
say what is? II a clergy man may
wink at certain iniquities bec~use they
have long passed unquestioned. or are
tolerated by the State. or are upheld
and committed by respectable people.
we apprehend the Church will soon
become mere cloak for cherished
and conyenientsins. with no more NOR
al power or saving grace in America
than it exhibils in Abysinia.
OF course. the pastor who holds il
his duty to assaiI every form or shade
of mora evil will sonnet mes err. and
,ttsck as wrong that which is really
right. He is not infallible. end will
denounce where be should forbear. or
perhaps even commend. But what
then? Is stagIation preferable to pro-
gress-the calm of despolism to the
agitation of liberty? Russia and heI
sister church in Turkey furnishes the
fairestexsmple Of Christianity which
renounces all right to revise or scruii
nize acts which have the sanction o.
the civil power.
al hold hat Politics and Religion
should be kept entirely distinct" is 3
current maxim. which We have heard
uttered even in Congressional debate
We hold, on the contrary. that mans
Religion and Politics must both b,
radically unsound when he wishes t,
ketp them at arms length from eacl
other. If a man have any gen ain,
Religion, his Politics will be apt t.
slow it; if his Politics are what they
should be. he will not shrink from
bringing them to the test Of Religion
We wish every clergy man in th'
land would. at least once a year
preach sermon on the Moral Aspect
Of the Political. Social. and Economi
cal questions from time to time agita
ted in the country. Doubtless, mucI
prejudice. ignor nee. misinformaiion
uarrowness of views and conformity L
local sentiment, would be evinced in
lportion Of these sermons. but thei
] general effect would be good. Tn
fact that they were to I've breaches
would compel politicians, in layinl
their plans and making up their issues
to consider and respect the ligiou
and moral element. which too man
Of them now utterly ignore. 1t woul
cause devout citizens to consider NOR
thoroughly than now that they hav
country to serve and cherish as we
AS souls to save. In short, we hol
that Religion most benefcent whie
does not cloak fashionable iniquit
under an aifectation of avoiding Pol
tics, and those Politics most worthy {
acceptance which court and do not d.
precate the searching scrutiny Of X,
Iigion.
The Cock that Crows"