Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1861-10-16
pnIirIes ~ !. .1lsuf II'piT

been set mart for tbe WORK Of lie niaistFy s3ze
copy them from DR. Hoge's fareieeH discoslrss %
the Congregation of the Brick Presbyterian Church,
New York in which he was associate Pastor ith
the Rev. Dr. Spring Il is sometimes asked IS tic ere
nothing like politics IN the Bible? -Rieh- On rfS
O6serrer.
Did not Jesus say, /" Render unto Csesat the
{ things which are. Csesar's and to God the thu ngs
which are God'sf" And does not Paul say. %. The
powers that be are ordained Of God thu re-
fore ressteth the power ressteth the ordinance of
Cody" And are there not similar passages and
must not these be preached? =
To all say, decidedly, yes. We must mot s. iun
to declare all the counsel of God" These passa ges
are of great importance. They put government on
its right basis. They beget law and order, pc
and happiness. They make good citizens. ave
time now for only three renIa cks on them
The first is: That the true Interpretation Of them
is atrGys true. Therefore either they do not T. ach
the doctrine of passive obedience and conden all
revolution, -(as some have heidi or they copdernn
the revolutions of 1913 and 1858, in England and
the revolution of l776 in America. -.
Ny second remark is: The true interpreted on OF
these passages is true ereryUAere. Eternal truth Is
universal The Bible is for all the earth, Fh' Sc
passages do not inquire into the origin rghfun IS.
or excellence of any government; nor do they give
the preacher in expounding them, the smallest
thorty for such inquiries. They take every gov
eminent on earth as is. 1t may be good or I'D ;
founded in right or wrong These passages say not
word of that and if the preacher sticks to his t.xt,
he will not say word of that. In Rome or Pa rs,
in England or Hungary in Sardinia or Austria, in
Washington or Richmond if he speak according to.
the oracles of God, he will say the same things.
Once more: These pas ;ages do not bind the cIh-
to approve every of his government, even N
time Of war. Did no GOO d citizens in England DIS
approve of their war upon the colonies? or thtE
opium war with China? ar the Crimean war? Did
no good citizens of this city diSapproye of orr war
nit ED md IN al nj of all
acts Of his government when he wrote the passage
TO the Romans already quoted? If he did he aP-
proved Of the acts Of government at which 1t has
been thought virtuous ought ever since TO shud-
der.
What is righteousness Perfect obedience to
law. The angel. whose obedience TO Gods law is
perfect, has Divine righteousness The CHI Id, who
perfectly obeys every parental law, has fla right
cousneSs. The citizen, who perfectly obeys every
law of his government, has political rights BUSINESS.
That righteousness claim Today.
But may not an argument for political preaching
be drawn from the example of fhe ancient prophets?
BY all means, when two things to pass to
make the parallel.
When we live under a government in which the
Church and State not only united but identified.
we shall enjoy the first circumstance nee eSSary TO
complete the parallel and make the argument valid.
They lived under Theocracy, in which God
king The church 1.-THE visible church, 'ods the
State Even after the pure Tbeocratic form was
changed, according to the provisional cor stitutIon
laid down in the 18th chapter of Deuteronomy. verses
fourteen tn twenty, the essential features were the
same God was Head of the State that is the Church.
and human kings were but his yicerOys. CDdrr
such government what was political was also &C.
clcsiastIcal If this is not condition. the argu
ment from the political preaching Of the ancient
prophets fails.
Again: When God inspires any Of MS to declare
some special political doctrine or Decree we shall
II
phets. When He reveals to me something about
England France, or the United States, and bids me
utter it. hope shall have courage TO obey. Until
He does so, | hope shall have grace to stick, in
my preaching, to what He has revealed.
3 Political preaching is mt needed. Political in
struction is otherwise provided for. Many learned
and excellent gentlemen devote themselves to this
work. in may forms. They have given us histories
of our Constitution, and formal exposItions of Its
provisions. Grcas statesmen have keenly debated
its articles and the people have easy access to their
opinions 1t Is the special work of the secular press
to give political information and advocate political
theories. Halls everywhere open for such dis
cussonS, and six days of the seven may lawfully be
devoted to giving and imparting political light.
All experience, too, shows, that men rarely lack
zeal in attending to their secular concerns. Nor
will they lack capacity fidelity, if only their Pety
is kept vigorous and pure. And how shall this be
done? God has revealed but one way. "Sanctify
them through thy truth" says Christ, and adds,
thy Word is truth" Therefore, when the living
ministry faithfully preach the living Word, Gods
living Spirit pledged to produce the fruits Of grace
and holy life Therefore if our aim is that men
shall attend best to their secular interests and du
ties the directeSt, surest and divinely appointed
way IS to preach them = pure gospel
And if it be said that such good men preachers
ought to have this instruction in their hands, it
makes sad TO confess that instead of the preacher
lifting politics up politics generally pull the preach
the MI nit tr;CS In bpCnme n
it is in danger Of getting lower than the platform
1t is common remark that more invective and
fierce ephetS to be found in the political sermon
than in the political speech.
8. Political preaching is not desired How often,
of late has the lament been heard all this city,
ais there no escape from politics! We attend to
politics all the week, and hear little else; may We
not have respite on the Sabbath? Through the
parched sand we walk six days, and see from
afar the palm trees greenly waving over the cool
wells of Elm. Shall we be Knocked when We draw
near and still find sand, arid sand?
| tell you. friends, there men and womenwan-
dering sadly about this city, hunting for places
where they shall be sure to hear the gospel, and be
safe from political preaching not because the poll
tics differ from their own but because they long for
the consultations of the gospel grace,-long more
than ever in these days Of distress and calamity.
And who docs not every day hear of uncoverted
men abandoning their churches, and doubling even
the reality of religion, because Of this political
preaching? / speak what | know and bitterly
mourn; and the churches will bitterly mourn ere
long, If this be not changed. Our children will
grow up hardened goddess, inidel-
4. Political preaching is despised. How ludicrous
learned Senator's often look when they attempt a lit
tie theology Nor do we appear better in their robes
But mean more than this. The preacher of
Gods Word standing where his Master put him.
and cleaving fast His sacred message is clothed
with heavenly authority. Men feel that God speaks
by his messenger. They bow and tremble. But
when he leaves his great commission, the preacher
is, like Samson, shorn. His hearers are inwardly
replying, ave know much about these things of
the world you, and sometimes a little more
Don't pretend that you have Bible authority for de-