Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1857-04-24
- o litiral.
From the Providence Post.
POLITICAL PREACHING.

| perhaps with some bitterness. ltsccnleu
to us double outrago--an outrage against
the party on which its anathemas were
hurled, and an outrage, black and terri
bic, against the religion in whose name
il was volunteered. We said Of it that
it would injure the democratic party but
for moments that very soon its influ-
onco would cease to be felt in the cleo
lions; and thereafter nearly all its evil
cnsequencos would be confined to the
good cause in whose behalf it protested
to come to us.
We think the present a proper time to
call the attention of Christian men, and
of Christian ministers especially, to the
view of this subject of political preach
ing which has uniformly been taken in
our columns. The excitement which in
part resulted from, and was in part the
precursor and cause of this kind Of
preaching has passed away. The polit
zeal atmosphere has had some five months
of quiet. All the fury of partisan war
fare, so apparent from June until No
vembcr, is gone Aud men think and
speak and act with calmncss aud com
paratiye candor What better time may
We ever hope for, if we would ask the
quostion-What has been gained by po-
ltical preaching r''I
And while we are asking the question,
there certainly can be no improperly in
stating few very simple and papajle
truths. The first is, that God had moth
ing to do with this kind of preaching
We do not mean by this chat there is not
a Providence in everything, for we sin
cercly believe that there Is. But we do
mean to say that God evidently did not
ordain this preaching as ala instrument
atty by which TO accomplish the over
throw Of the democratic party. He did
not bless tho work nor did the work at
any time bear the mark of his approval
That there was human sincerity and car
nestness in much Of it we do not doubt
but there was too much that was unkind
and bitter and terrible to mark it as the
work of God We heard in it that God
had cursed and would scorch and wither
and blast portion Of our country. But
tod did not do it, and men only believed
that He would because madness was upon
them. We heard in it that God had
nominated Fremont TO make him the sa-
yior OF the nation but God did not
eject him, and it is apparent enough now
that both the fact and the prophecy were
the offspring Of an excited Imagination /
Plainly enough, God did nat command |
these religious teachers to say to Us what
they did say Even if He approved the
purpose they had in view, it Is evident
that He did not mean to accomplish it
at their time, and through the means
they had selected
And now We come again TO the ques-
ton, What pas accomplished By this
preaching? Has any other good result |
than that which the preachers promised /
been secured to us Is the country
better for it? Are the parties better for |
it? Is the condition Of the slave or the
Slaves prospects better for ii 7 is the /
church better for il Is anybody better
for it?
We can think of some good that has
come ont Of this whirlwind. The people
and the church have each learnt an inn
poriant lesson. The people have learnt
that it is dangerous to bring Church and
State too closely together; that they must
not allow their religious teachers 10 be-
come their masters in political or bust
They hage Learnt ttllsssasst sleF
geymen are fallible, as we'll as mortal
that they make mistakes sometimes
that when they depend upon Greeleys
Tribune, instead Of Gods Word, for their
information, they are quite likely TO
preach falsohood and that when they
throw themselves into the hottest Of par /.
tisan warfare and adopt the weapons Of
the depravcd, they become unsafe lead
ers, and Gil even their own hearts with
bitterness and hatred.
The church has learned that it can
gain nothing by bringing itself to the
partisan level and dabbing ia the work
Of deinagogues that it thereby increases
neither its moral strength and purity,
nor its numbers, nor is influence; that
the respect with which the world LOOKS
upon it Yanishes away: that even Che
admiration Of its dsyotees dies when it
goes in search Of other gods. u bas not
been taught the fearful lesson taught BY
the revolution in France for there was
not need Of 50 terrible a warning. IL
has not been stricken down as the church
es Of France were stricken down when
their priests had walIowed in the very
mires Of politics. But that IL has been
wounded hat il has lost something Of
Its power that it has placed fearful wen
/ pons in the hands Of its cnomlcs--tbat it
has embittcred thousands, perbap5 mil
lions, who once respected and almost
loved it none viii deny. Ia language .
| too plain, IL seems 10 ~, 30 be nsuti-
dcrstood, it has been told to wash IT,
hands Of carn1 warfare 70 purify itself
and seek then. rs less violent measures,
to purify the world.
These Lessons, taught in The loheiblo
evils resulting from political preaching
have been brought hene 10 the people
and the church. Both are wiser for Che
Great mistake made by the religious
teachers. What besides has been gainod Z
The democratic party, though not d.
fcated IN tho nation, nor dishaartcned
anywhere, was undoubtedly much weak T
one 4 in numbers by ihis movement Of