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

one Of the largest and most important Dor.
tions Of human life. On the contrary. eve.
ry faithful minister will aim 40 TO apply the
gospel to these SUBJECTS that the whole
community shall act under the vivid feel
ing that in the caucus aud convention, not
less than in the chruch, ia voting, in dis.
cussing politics, in all exertious prepara.
tory to election, not less than in the family
aud the place OF business, that 10 exerci-
sing the functions Of Office not less than in
private life, each individual is accountable
to God, and for all these God will bring
him into Judgment.
4. History shows that the direct appli.
cation Of the gospel to political aud social
evils has been an important agency In ame-
liorating and ultimately removing them.
The principles of equality, Of human
rights, and human brotherhood and uniVer.
sal love, which are inseparable from Chris.
tiunity first showed themselves organically
in the constitution of the Christian church
ITSELF The primitive church was congre-
gational.
The principles of equality, and love ex.
pressed n Christianity and embodied in the
congregational constitution of the church
began to pervade society. One of the com.
mon objections urged against the new re-
ligion by the heather, was that it brought
the lower classes on a level. with The upper.
Even after the original simplicity of the
church had passed away, these principles
continued effective, appearing sometimes in
curious development. Kings Mobiles went
with costly offerings to worship the relics of
q saint, bat the saint may have been slave
and kings and mobiles reyerently kissed his
moudy bones. From the earliest times it
was settled principle of the church, that
its Offices should sll be equally open to all
men-Slaves not excepted. ..-s
Christianity did much to abolish slavery
in the Roman Empire. Its contrariety to
the New Testament, was made plsin-Cler-
gymen vindicated the rights of the oppress.
ed, till Justinian nearly completed the re-
form. After the overthrow Of the Empire,
slavery came in again with the Barbarians,
and the church again performed her work
of mercy. Wherever her voice could be
heard the serf or bondman was not forgot
| tent was understood that the Bishop
was the appointed protector of slaves in bis
diocese. All contemporary and subsequent
history conspires to attribute the gradual
abolition OF the system TO the effectual aid
! OF Christianity. Take single example
Bristol was the last city in England to
abandon the traffic in white boudmen--
/ WuStan, Bishop of Worcester, visited
Bristol several years in succession, resided
months in the neighborhood and preached
ettJy SisaSay against slavery until finally
the merchants agreed to abandon the traffic
Exceptional periods of silence there were
but from the earliest time down into the
thickest night. of the dark ages. the church
acted and the ministry preached against
slavery, it was their universally conceded
prerogative to plead for the oppressed
Men of the nineteenth century and citizens
of America, is it for you to denounce this
right, and as it were to smte Christianity
herself on the mouth when she rebukes op-
preston, pleads for the equal right of all
and vindicates the oppressed
The same was the direct application Of
Christian principles to other political and
social evils. would like to trace the di
rect and persevering agency Of the church
in advancing Jurisprudence, in the reform
of criminal aud civil legislation, in givint
sacredness to marriage, in protesting agains
and ultimately abolishing trial by ordea
and by duel, aud in terminating the prac
tice of private war between the mobiles
But have not time to delay, have said
enough to show that in all history the prin.
cipes of Christianity have been specifically
applied to existing abuses and by such ap
plication the abuses have been abated-
enough to show that they who demand 81
lence of the ministry and churches on the
abuses Of this day do ignorsntly and pre-
sumptuonsly demand that the church dis
own her whole history hitherto, crush intC
deathlike silence her inmost and ever-dur
ing life, and consent to an unfaithfuInesS
which her condact in the darkest days o
past degeneracy rebukes. Especially i
, this lesson enforced by the history of ou
, own country. and the Anglo Saxon race
1t is the teaching of all history that t.
no one class does English and American
| liberty owe more than TO the Protestant
e ministry. Said john Adams "Americar
. Independence was owing more to the Re
. publican views Of the clergy and the weigh
which their opinions had with the people
| than TO any other cause" In all the pre-
vious history OF the colonies, at least /
New England, the clergy had as mnch il
, auence as the Statesmen in educating th
people for liberty. Hume, Lord BrOughaI
and other authors testify that EngIan
owes her liberty TO the Purftans anon
whom the influence of the ministers WI
always preeminent.
, The very history Of this people, ther
fore, forbids the divorce Of politics from r
ligion. Whatever others may do, for til
, nation TO repudiate with contumely Il
i teaching of religion would be like man
5 spurning the mother that bore and nurse
: him. If Columbia is ''the queen Of Il
J. earth" she is also the child Of the skies
; She is true to her nativity only when,
h oil her royal grandeur, she reverently bow
}. to listen to the heavenly voice that In DC
J, earlier years taught her the way to grea'
IS ness. a..
d S. The gospel mnst be applied to polit
o cal action to prevent national degenerate.
!. The mere working of popular goveri
"a ment is mighty power in educating Il
4 neople for good or for i'll. The constant
4. recurring elections with their attendant az
n tations aud discussions are powerful to p