The gazette and Democrat. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1860, 1860-05-03
NO 5.
The supremacy of The Blbble IN Polite.

feel deep Interest 10 the political action
Of his county. He should be the Bible
in Ills matter--tbe living epistle Of the
trulh--to speak as.it speaks, to act as d.
rects. TIE Bible does not Withdraw the
Christian from intercourse with men, or
from the eTeIliOn Of i,.fuence in political
affairs. 1t counlenances no mOnkisb log
ic, no ascelip superstition. II brings the
disciples Of the Savior out INTO ,he light
4nd forward into the front rank Uf effort,
and makes them an example to others in
all the legitimate action Of our Hord. Ito
des 'gn is 10 tfiIshteti and sanclify men
"a fl them for their duties as social, intel
lectuaI aud moral beings; to make Il en-
good riirens, wise ard pure. Hearted pat
riots, and through them 10 ttaeh others,
tc show tI,eih what true patriotism is,and
how tie high functions of citizen are TO
be performed. Christians, there fore, must
g into the arena Of political scIion.
They must 20 into tie pr Inary meetings.
o the people, ard help to give tight :
formation to The first elements of Political
Influence; t.ey mus! 60 to The polls, and
make the ballot box tell in favor Of truth
and righteousness. 10 a word, they are,
by their ,zample. to tpach men what they
are to do as good lit gems, and the spirit
with which they are to ehya ge in politi-
cal actioh.
Christians should fee An intense inter-
est in the election of rulers and exert all
their iLAueuce in having that Ell elton con.
tgolsc by the grea! pIincipI laii down
iC the Bible. They sEould do ~ they
can do, in order TO have good men elect
ed to office: Tie pol tical areDa. we
know, is indeed full ofperlI. The Orjeal
is fiery one. But Christians cabnot be
excused from tie duty on that Account
Otler duties are attended wi b PERIL but
thy must be performed SO must this.
They owe it to lht tinselves, TO lier coun
try, and TO lie world, and ,Ley will be
kept from he evil If tleyTus On tie whole
armOr Of God, no one Las thing 10
fya: while acting in accordance Sith the
commands Of The Bible. And lie Bible
is imperative here. II bids every fitah,of
course the Christian citizen, t. do What
he cEn to have gaQd men put In the place
of power, and for obvious reasons. The
place Of the power is the center OF all Ian.
mense circum Iersnce Of influences. aciing
upon the minds OF men either 10 elevate
or debase them. The whole process Of
elecling rulers leaves It's own image upon
those engaged in 1t. The principles up.
on 3hiJh ii is conducted affect the char
acter Of men. Is there no corruptihg in.
luence at work when all is felt TO be right
in politirs; when AL tie arts Of cbnning
and overreachiDg men are ptactised; ;wheh
votes are bought and sold, VIXEN men are
hired TO lay iu wait 10 deceive? Is there
no evil done Wien a wicked man is elect
ed to Office; when some Sabbath. breaker,
some unblusLirg abettor Of intempetancs
and profanity, some NO oridus aud corHbt
profigate Is put up as a candidate for the
place Of power? No eyil done when men
palliate and endorse that xirkeJness in
voting tor such a man, and doing ii iu the
face Of the positive forbiddings of the Bi.
BILE? And is there no evil done 10 the
election ofsich d skeleton Of what ruler
should be? In the place Of power fiat
man is like tie deadly Upas. His infu-
ence is killing TO every bud And blossom
of virtue around h IN. The land will
mourn under his influence.
Christians must also feel an ihtstfse in
terest in the legisla ion Of their country.
The laws e$ett silent but mighty ipfn-
ence ID forming the character Of those who
= live under them. The laws of Lyeurgus
left their own impress upon the Spartin
miDd-had much to do in making that
people what they were. The legislation
of ally couhtry is an embodiment, so far
rs it goes, Of the public, sentiment Of that
county; aud while it affects directly the
civil conduct only Of men, yet in con-
trolling this. it affects also The thoughts
: and feeling, Of all The external bears
upon the internal, The minds acted up
on by what it creates. In framing rule
T of lie il gives beiug to That which imparts
direction TO thought, existence to feeling,
. and character 10 the whole life. Laws,
a Therefore, are something more than meIe
: outward regulations. They have an in
ward bearing They act upon the minds
e of men. They are 10 men as citizens
what the doctrines fthe Bible are TO men
! AS Christians. They lie at the founda.
n ton, They affect tie entire supers,ruc:
: ture.
The Christian, therefore, ought 10 feel
e au Intense interest in the Legislation Of
i bis country. He ought to sEsEt every
h energy he Las in bringing the laws Of the
. land into sympathy with the eleyatiaa Of
;. men in all the agpecta Of their existence.
+ Every arrangement in the civil condition
r should be subservient to the good Of the
: inner life, We do not say that govern
e ment should undertake to legislate for the
: heart, Or attempt to extend its domlnious
e over Thought and feeling. But we do
y contend that it ought not 10 legislate
. against tile heart; that il ought not to le-
e galize lniquity. or to countenance that
u which sinks men in social intellectual and
Il moral being. The Legislation OF the earth
lie should he in harmony with mans whole
= being. 1t should haye on it the impress
OF Christianity, and every feature of it the
p spirit Of true wisdom and exalted benev-
y oience. For this the Christian can and
;. ought to labor. For this he should exert
+ all the powers of example, OF precePt, and