The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1861-08-29
Communications
FREEDOM OF TEE Punprr.
NO III

q
. NO. III ....
4 Ma. EDIToR'-IIns IL not come to bo
a strange thing that men may err 10 av-.
erything else but in the politics Of their
Party2 The Minister may portray tbeir
errors and misdoings before them in ova
erything else, and hold up their crimes
in dark array, until they weep aud con-
fess like q child But only once name
their POLITICS, or any politics at an,
then like NebuChad6ezzaf, theynre full
Of fury, and tho form Of their visago is
changed against the poor preacher, and
but for the want Of power we refrain TO-
say what might be his miserable doom.
Il is surprising TO sec with what rosig.-
nation men will place their spirituaZu and
eternal interests into the hands Of their
Minister In regard 70 these things
his sermons are orthodox, bic e2hortar
tons are evangelical his prayers arc
nvailiug bis reprOofs are healing, his
warnings are timely, and his example
salutary But if he dare say from The
pulpit that public liberty is endangored,n
the glorious Constitution Of his country
is infringed, the bulwark Of freedom is
tottering to its fall, aud as political pow
er must be lodged somewhere, aud in @
republican form Of government must be
with the people, gives his congregation
the alarm and calls upon an indignant
and virtuous public sentiment to repel
and put down invasion and rebellion in
our midst, instantoE the cry goes round,
"He's preaching polticsl the preachers
Ir5aching war sermons! Better let poli-
tics alonL That fellow ought to be ST.
lencedl I declare it's too bad-Ill nev-
er hear him againl I'll give no money
to support such preaching as hau He
1oas quite popular among us for while,
and thought him a pretty clever fell
low, but he has killed himself nowl'
All me! How radical aud how mar.
, velOus the chungel Pious soulsl but a
moment ago resting in calm hope and
resignation, or fred into holy Joy at the
prospect of seizing a crown of iumor.
] tality while the preacher points them
to the seats of the blessed above, and
bids thom, as Cumming has it, "beat the
b holy path until the grey and misty dawn
of grace is lost in the unfading splen.
, doris of that Sun that shall no more 20
down" But now that he turns their
J attention in another direction, and re-
minds them they are still in the church
) militant, and that their country and
their God may call them into warfare
more literal and real than anything they
had ever experienced before-how is the
crown fallen from their hoadl how is The
glory Departed how is The Rne gOld be.
' come dim, and the visions of the Heav.
enly City faded from their view bod.
By our objeetors why is it that a
minister may be held TO be faithful in
J everything else and faithless here2 Arc
/, men infaHible in their pOlitics2 Is 10
impossible for them to err? Is there
never a necessity for change? Is a.
mans political creed perfect? Is it
t like the laws Of the Medes and Porsiang,
, unaltoFablep Or like the canons of Sa-
cred Writ, curse to add thereto or
take therefrom2 Because a man is o.
2 Wing, a Democrat or Republican, must
he forever remain such2 Do parties
never become corrupt If so, is there
not p,qral issue involved? II moral
issue, Is thore not sin2 If II p uot
D Gods law violuted? If Gods law is visr
e olated, must not the minister speak? Or
do you still persist in saying he shall
not open his Iips2 If 50, then give us
the benefit Of law, attach thepFeciso
penalty aud fE the motsure Of our
o guilt and condemnation, that We may
know for what We are to dio. For If
The principle Of gag law isTight at all,
/ hold IL tisright to carry it into our
I Legislative code aud proclaim it Law Of
o the land, or else be oobsislenl aud iroWn
upon that spirit Of dark aud hellah
2 prescription which is now digging .tho1
q grave of constitutional liberty in th6
. South, and hanging the drapeTY Of LAM
Q OntatiOn, mourning aud woe over an the
! land. ..I-. ."."r t' E"aauoo af.v i.5.
Another objection urged is, Eve hear
b. enough on these subjects through The
d week, aud want 10 hear somotbing olso
on Sunday" So We might say Of many
other evils abroad In the laud. We oooo
and hear enough Of drunkenness pro-
! fame swearing, gambling, cheating ly-
J, ing, SANDER dotraotion, evil speaking,
aud so on, through the week, but is thib
y any good reason Why they ere not 90
i subjects for pulpit discussion on tho
+ Sabbath Day3 Surely not, aud % ops
Il thinks Of Objeoting to the minister boz