Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1860-06-09

Bibles and preach the straight forward
principles Of right and wrong. II they
do not know enough to do this, they do not
know enough to be ministers.
proceed to present some reasons why
ministers ought thus to preach. ]. The
Bible treats largely of political subjects.
1t contains the political history Of a ma.
tion from its origin to its overthrow It
exposes the causes Of its growth and Of its
decline and fall and declares the princi.
pies on which its prosperity depended. 1t
contains that nations constitution and code
Of laws, which embodied many Of the sound
est principles Of civil polity and jurispru-
dence, and secured-to a degree eqnaled
by no subsequent government except our
own--the liberty and rights of the citizen
and an equality Of civil privileges. A
large part Of the Bible is occupied with d.
vine admonitions through the prophets to
the Jews and other governments pertaining
to the administration Of their respective
governments. Elsewhere in the New Tcs.
lament as well as the Old are interspersed
isolated passages declaring the origin and
foundation Of government, the source Of
its authority, the end for which it Is admin
istered, reciprocal duties of the rulers aud
citizens, the conditions of national prosperi-
ty, snd the providence Of God in the affairs
and destiny Of nations Thus Milton
speaks of the sacte writer's
As men divinely taught; and better teaching
The solid rnles Of civil government,
In their majestic unaffected style.
Than oil the oratory OF Greece and Rome.
In themiS plainest taught and easiest learned
What makes a nation happy and keeps it so,
What ruins Kingdoms and lays cities fat.
With snch Bible to preach from, il is
simply absurd to say that the preaching of
the gospel has no proper application to poll
tics. 1t is sometimes laid down as rule
that minister should give to every subject
the same proportion in his preaching which
it occupies in the Bible. I do not think it
wise rule, but il that rule were followed.
the number Of sermons on political subjects
would be greatly increased.
2. Preaching must refer to current poll.
tical events becanse these are intimately
connected with the advancement of Christ's
kingdom.
Daniel Webster complained that minis
ters should take their texts from the Bible
and their sermons from the newspapers
There is considerable occasion for this caus
tic remark. Preaching which leaves the
truths Of eternity TO arrest curiosity by
the excitement of the hour is only offensive
But the remark is injurious when used to
enioin silence respecting the momentous
events of the day. These are Gods voice
speaking in his providence and the minister
must interpret them. The movements Of
Parliaments, dplomatists. and armies, the
changes and revolutions Of nations are the
wheels on which God rolls on his cause
The minister must understand the age il
which he lives must study the relation O.
all its movements to the church mus
note and declare Gods hand in them. Thus
he keeps alive in the community the awe
inspiring knowledge of Gods providence
and sovereignty among the nations, subor.
dinating all political changes to the ad-
vancement of his kingdom. Thus he i'm
presses the sublime sentiments Of inspira
tion "God standeth in the congregation
of the mighty, be judgeth among the rulers
He leadeth counsellors away spoiled anC
maketh judges fools. He lOoseth thu
bond of kings. and girdeth their loins will
a girde. He leadeth princes away spoiled
and overthroweth the mighty. He pouretl
contempt upon princes and weakeneth tn
strength of the mighty. He increased
the nations and destroyeth them be en-
largeth nations and straiteneth them again
He tsketh away the heart Of the chief o
| . he pnar1a nf ha aarth nj oanoafh ihaU
to wander in wilderness where there is N
way. They grope in the dark withou
| light, and he maketh them TO stagger lik
a drunken man. He will oVerturn it, ant
it shall be no more, until he come who's,
right 1t is, and he will give it him."
8. The necessity Of applying the primo
Piles of religion to politics is evident fror
the wide range Of political subjects. Prom
nent among the political topics Of the da
are Mormonism, Polygamy, Slavery, tn
sale and use Of intoxicating drink. TIL
Sabbath is political subject SO far q
laws for its observance are enacted or p
titioned for. Romanism involves politics
questions las the right to have the Bib
read in schools) The right to public wo
sup Is pOlttiCdl llSub Su"t uhsSSN "s vi
constitution in this country, variouSly r.
stricted in others. If the minister mus
not apply the gospel to political topic
every topic whatever is or may be thus fo
hidden him. 1t is simply absurd, tn
claim is not for moment TO be tolerate
that, Whenever any subject is discussed j
Congress or Legislature, whenever ever
a convention or caucus passes resolution
upon it. thenceforth the subject is to be la
beIIed politics and under the taboo to b
forever exempt from the scrutiny OF rel
gion.
Similar remarks may be made OF privat
political action There is a maxim whic
have sometimes heard avOwed that oil
fair 10 politics. Certainly the most reasoI
able explanation of the action Of poll,
clans too often is that they 10 acting p
litically adopt this maxim. A man of hip
political standing, as we were once conveT
ing about political measure said TO m
Talking now with you in friendly way
. man to man. admit so and so but il / b.
. my political specs on should not see it
nor make any such admission. but the co
trary. As q man he would affirm o.
thing, as a politician he would affirm q
contrary. Yes, and when the poll
oian Il oaot intn, tka hnPn5no, b.ka with ,