Weekly hawk-eye and telegraph. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1855-1857, 1856-10-15
For the Hawkeye.
BURLINGTON, Oct. IL. so.
Mr.. EDIrO

MIR. EDITOR
Hoping you will pardon this intrusion must
ask room in your columns to notice sermon,
delivered last evening in the LIST Presbyterian
Church.of this city.
The minister had been appointed by Synod,
(now in session here to preach upon the sub
jcct of Domestic Missions" as it is their custom
at each meeting of Synod
went there, sir, expecting to hear sermon
upon that subject-expecting to hear recital
of the restitution and wants of our Western
Country-of the difficulties which lie in the way
of Domestic Missions, with an account of what
our Church has already done in this matter
and an appeal to the ministers and members
for increased exertion &c. Judge then of my
surprise, after listening to very .foacery intro
duction, portraying in vivid colors our greatness
as nation, both present and prospective, to
hear the Rev. gentleman pitch into the political
excitements of the day-to hear him denounce
remodel our domestic institutions-which was
composed of sectional fanatics, and which de-
manded "new Constitution, new Bi6le, and a
ne,c God p And, ut the same time, hurting
his anthemas at political demagogues-sayin
that even the Pulpit had been prostituted and
made the place for the delivery of political har.
angues-that ministers, instead of preaching
Christ and him crucifed, tried to inhame the
passions Of men thus forgetting that while he
was attempting to pluck the mote from his bro
A.. ~ Al Nd s,, Sc
Forgetting that he was the only Presbyterian
minister, who in addressing that congregation,
had descended into the filthy, polluted arena of
politics, and become the champion of OUTLAWS
and Border Rn6fdns who. continually raise the
cry of "law and order," and whose only argu-
ments Qike the Rev. gentleman's,) consist in
such epithets as Sectional fanatics" s'disunion-
lists" sc.
Truly my cheek burned with very shame to
think that the Presbyterian Church should be SO
disgraced-that the pulpit should be SO prosti.
| tuted and that the minister should so far
forget his calling and the solemnities OF the
| morning, when he with others gathered around
the Lords table to commemorate His dying
love to fallen, guilty, helpless man, as to indulge
| in such bitter denunciations Of class to which
he himself belongs, viz Political Preachers.
Allow me, sir ,as a Presbyterian to express
my disapprobation Of all political preaching,
but especially of such political discourse in a
Church which las the gentleman said} had always
claimed to be conservative. sincerely hope
the Rev. gentleman will not again attempt to
L =,
spoil Her fair fame and destroy his ospn influence
by INDUCING in such strains of bitter, vindic'
tive hnaticism, but that she will remember the
lines in the concluding hymn:
/ preserve these States from every foe,
From party rage, from scenes Of blood"
and, acting upon them, let politicians indulge
in bitter .party strife, while he as Presbyte.
rian minister is using all the means in his power
to spread that Gospel to which We are indebted
for all our privileges, both civil and religious.
4 yours &c.,
A PRKssyrERIAN.