Weekly hawk-eye and telegraph. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1855-1857, 1856-10-15

nv Yyartstuiur course a. ocsiea, by applying
The general principals Of t,e Word Of God and
fccnnson sense to the suhject..essg
TIE example OF Jesus Christ and tho apostles
cana,ot i,c quoted IA authority for or against
minister 81 che Gospel interest;ng himself and
taking an active part in the discussion Of ques-
4 lions connecsed With politics. Jesus Christ was
4 4 4eart,ep,er and Paul wss teIt-u,aker, but
! who will affirm that every minister oaghs to DE
! suche Neither OF them ever sustained the re-
| lations OF either husband or father, but who
ipfers from their example that no munster OF the
| Gospel should sustain such relation. There Is
/ no evidence. that Jesus Christ or Paul ever
/ went 10 the ballot box, or took an active part
in politics, but there is no propriety in conclu-
ding from that fact that no minister OF the
7 tiosnel should do it. Eirii government in this
/ country is based on different principles, IN
/ some respects, from the government Of the old
/ world. and IN ancient times.
/ Here .eYerg man Is king EVERY man IS
/ responsible in 4 measure for the laws and IN
stitutions of the country and the effect OF their
I operations on the present and future genera
/ tons The primary power is lodged in the
4 hands of the people. Every mini ter OF the
Gospel is one Of the people; and be does not
1 and cannot, by becoming minister, annui has
obligations 10 society, or free himself from tue
duty of doing all in his power, and by every
means not opposed to the Bible, topromote and
! secure good order, sound morality, and the
highest good, temporal. spiritual and eternal, OF
all classes OF persons in the community.
II the Waterman upon the walls of Zion sees
| evil coming upon the people, he must lit the
voice OF warning, and do all in his power TO
avert il. and ii ne fails to do it, God will hold
him responsible for the evil resulting from his
neglect.
emolument and power, the minister has nothing
10 do, except to condemn, as did the great
Teacher, all such striving among themselves
who shall be the greatest
With questions of mere crpediencH such as
bank or no balik-high tariff or low tarifl-sub-
treasury or otherwise, the minister may venture
| to look on with indifference. But when poiti-
Clans and deInagogues drag great moral and re-
iig;oas questions into party politics, the minister
OF the gospel can no longer hold his peace ana
be guitless. Under such circumstances MS
voice must be heard for truth-tor the right.
He must not only pray, but preach, and III al,
appropriate ways act, to secure the flShc anu
prevent the wrong; aud ifhe neglects to do IT.,
he proves himself recreant to God and to duty.
So thought our fathers of Revolutionary times.
The clergy did more than any other class OF
men, 10 secure our national existence ana lhGe-
pendence was first proclainied aloud ny Con-
gregational minister OF Connecticut. He preach
ed politics and revolution, and then went forth
with our army to secure independence we
refer to Timothy Dwight. Sss Others pursued a
similar course AS the war progressed, a can
WIS made for more troops; another distinguish
ed clergyman OF the same State, heV. oaihhei
Eels read the call from the pulpit, and request
ed such of his congregation, as were willing to
. enlist to meet OH The green immediately alter
) the close OF the sermon The people met IN
large numbers and elected their pastor as cap
tain He accepted, and led out his people In the
service of his country. III we turn our eye TO
, another part OF the country-to old Virginia,
we shall find the same views cherished there,
and similar course pursued.
At the battle of Yorktown, i'll Oct, 1881,
when our forces were ariayed against Lord
CORVALLIS in that deadly conflict which virtual
ly terminated the war, and gave peace and ma
tonal independence to the Colonies, you might
have seen upon large black charger flying al
most with the speed OF the wind from one part
OF the battlefield to another, bearing dispatches
, from the commander, aninlatlng the troops, en-
coura.ing their hearts, ncrving their arms, and
urging them on TO victory, one whose form and
icatures-whose zeal and love OF country could
never be forgotten by any one who bore arms
on that eventiul day. And who was that OBJ
served of all observers? 1t was Col. or Rev.
Peter Mullenburg, WHO alter preaching politics
led forth alarge portion OF his par shoners to
battle and to victory. large majority OF the
evangelical ministers of that day were IN the
, habit OF educating their people in the great
principles OF civil government or preaching pol
itics upon the Sabbath. . .-.-,
, Dwight, Eels, Edwards, Witherspoon, Camp
: bell, Muhlcnbu:g and Davies were among the
most able aud devoted ministers, and at the
same time were the most active and Jealous
politicians of those days. For the clear aud
scriptural views OF Patrick Henry upon the sub
, ect of civil government, and the noble impulse
) | given TO the cause Of liberty by that devoted pa
triot. the country is indebted to the political
preaching of the Rev. Samuel Davies, his beiov-
ed pastor. But it was rot enough in the estina-
, ton Of the ministers Of that age, that the duty
S of man to his fellows should be preached upon
the Sabbath by individual pastors, but in their
associated capacity they preached politics.
The SYNOD OF New York and Philadelphia,
/ which then embraced the entire body OF Pres
3. byterians in this country, at their annual meet
ing fourteen months prior to the Declaration OF
independence, issued pastoral letter to be read
F., in all their churches, i'll which they urge the
pc pie to engage in the holy cause OF freedom,
and defend their rights, their liberties and their
! fircsdes*
There were some then, as we have some now,
who accused these servants OF God OF leaving
their appropriate duties--me ddilng with po!ltles,
preaching scdition, and planning resistance TO
y
: finders were called by the British loyaliSts lau
! and order men, but by the people OF tins country
TORIES. ts-t!..-a afr. 4s s-.-.5
The good sense of the present generation finds
not a man to condemn the clerical politicians OF
, the Revolution. But now if minister OF the
. gospel procanis the great principles Of civil and
. religious liberty-thc inalienub!e rights OF man,
:. as they were preached by those OF The Revou'
ton whose praise is in all the churches, there
= ,l,rfn, iptilplS ga
TO become the special conserHatorS OF the
churches and defenders ofthe purity OF our holy
h religion. We suppose that the noise OF these
special conservatots may perhaps deter some
lmerous men from dischatginS their duty IN
such crisis as the present, but we are OF the
opinion it will stimulate others TO greater yea |,
/ so that the cause OF truth and Righteousness Will
/ be thereby promoted. 71.
The spirit which animated the best men in the
q mnstry-he spirit of l776 which, as we believe,
# was the true spirit OF the Gospel, should animate
. the breast of every minister OF Jesus Christ i'll
Y our country at the present time. i>5@ s-
. The burdens imposed upon the country by
@ Great Britain were .'trihes hight as air" .conpar
G ed with the outrages and crueues practlced ay
. the armed bands OF Missouri and other slave
O drivers, upon the unotendlng citizens OF Kansas
d Ministers OF the Gospel cruelty and shanleiuily
treated and driven from the counIry-a ban.
ditti, sustained by those in authorlty-peaceable
citizens deprived oil their constitutional and un.
$ al.euable rishts-tIeir DIV eliiugs pl!aged and
o then burned-lawS enacted and attempted TO he
! enforced which would Disgrace and hurl from
his throne the worst ,despot OF the old world
t and the people Called upon 10 conquer their
e pr,iudices aud tanley nit. oy---s
}, Thus every principle OF humanity, morality,
e and religion is strIckea down; and shall the
e ministers OF religion remain silent? If these
should hold their peace, the stones would cry
l. out" saa4 .ss.. s.........,s .44.,z
e But do not in smeA crasis as Ms, .JaH 10 raise
d mportutate prayer for or bleeding eouatsg, a,d
o be sure to VOTE AND Aer AS You PRAY.
Il ,sss...t. s4.. f,srz.es. *. ..ss,- SENEx.
/ copy OF this letter may be found in the library q
the New York HISTORICAL oi.ety. American Archives
! Ali series. Vol. 2 page 1859. 7+-s5iA