The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1861-05-11

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There i no more solemn placs under heaven
than that occapied BY the man Who seeks 70 save
a soul from death and hide multitude Of sins
Norman should be more holy, or more absorbed
in his work, than he who voluntarily assumes
such position. His levity or neglect may cost
incalculablc misery. and stain his skirts with &C
cusing blood. Nothing ignoble, nothing for eff
feet, nothing beside the mark, should pass hslips
when he stands between the living and the dead
to stay in q more terrible woe, and point to .
more glorious relief. than Asronic priesthood
ever could. Assuming these propositions, let us
see whether the introduction Of 20 called politics
arc compatible with the place, the message, and
the man alluded to.
II by politics We understand the 6ne shades
OF difference which in ordinary times give occu-
patton and excitement to little minds. which
form the basis Of. stump oratory, and the life of
lotteries, We feel disposed to say that we can
hardly conceive of an occasion upon which their
introduction would not deserve the apprehension
OF every chaste and christian spirit But if on
the other hand we mean BY politics those funda.
mental principles which constitute the founda
tons Of Empire. affect its righteousness, and
limit or prolong its duration, then We think po-
litics legitimateiy claim not only occasional re-
mark, blu. enforcement from the lips of him who
is TO declare the whole counsel Of God concern.
ing men.
We know that preachers are proverbially
M IN ansr az liz
education makes them 90. In their initiatory
studies they do conflict in imagination, with the
heresies of long forgotten days; and according
70 the school to which they belong either ac-
cept or refute the subtities and re6nements Of
men whose works deserve no better than the
graves which hold the ashes of their authors
Then when in active duty, the greater part Of it
is viewed in the light of a conflict, and so per-
petually are the qualities of watchfulness and
pugnacty cult waited, that when there are no
living heresies to refute, or gross wrongs to re-
buke and destroy, they are sometimes raised by
the militant pastor in order to rout, pursue and
destroy them. Its no wonder then if with this
direction Of mind impaired by education, even
when not derived from nature, ministers Of rei-
sion should feel tempted to enter sphere in
which there is such variety, and 50 mpch to kim
die in themselves and in their hearers the love
Of principles, it would be sinful to smother, and
which would involve the ruin of the world, to
destroy-the love OF country, respect for law,
the worship of liberty, and the divine origin OF
democratic institutions
There are some hearers who forget that from
1.-The whole duty of man" land the whole will
of God" They narrow down . work of such
magnificent proportions to periodcs' dose of
predestination to one class, and of damnation
to another. They sit through year after year,
and if they are included in the first class, and the
preacher spares not the others, they fold their
hands in coniplacency, smile appreciation on the
faithful" effort, feel that all is done within the
sphere of that grandest Of calngs, and pay the
slender salary with pious cheeriulness, Thus
tho pulpit has become so generally what it Is
Few men can resist the moulding hand of the
class referred to, when they begin their career,
and spend the days Of their usefulness in reiter-
ations Of doctrines or sentiments which are to
the masses of men distasteiul and effete This
is the reason SO many feel that the pulpit pos
sesses no sympathy for the peculiarities of tseis
life, and resembles more strongly an Egyptian
mummy than the spirit which animated the life
and teachings of the Divine master len need
to be preached to as mortals, as well as immor-
tails, and since the life to come will receive its
tone from this, the objects that interest and the
rules that govern it, snonla receive no inconsid
cradle attention. Men are citizens as well as
saints, and they should be patriots as well as
men of prayer We recognize with gladness
the view which the pulpit has taken of the pre-
sent crisis. From almost all, SO far az we can
learn, sentiments which only christianity could
teach, have been uttered, praise TO the manly
spirits who spoke them, and righteous stimu-
lus to those who heard. That in this hour, when
the pulse of tie Nation beats audibly at peril
which was never contemplated, when all that
we associate with and derive from christianity is
at stake the only wonder to us is that any man can
be found so dead to every noble impulse, that he
haa no cry to heaven for the right no word of
fire to quicken and inspire the brave. Such for
get that in the worlds political history (if they
will SO have III the servants of God have always
led the van. They have unfo!ded they mysterious
future, raised the fainting spirit of the host,
stood on the field Of battle like pillar of hope
and not seldom grasped the devouring sword
They reproved Kings and councils, and preached
the right in reference to governmental affairs,spd
mad divine sanction for so doing That Chris
tianty can be less mindful whether man is bond
or free, cursed by despotism Or living in sunshine
and peace, ignorant or enlightened, than was
the ancient dispensation We cannot believe, and
when we glance at the line of political preach
ere, who protested in the valleys of Piedmont
who moved the world from the cities of Germa-
ny, who rose to heaven from the blood stained |
heaths of Scotland, and who first raised the |
standard of liberty amidst the wilds of this our |
land, we hope never to find the genius of christi |
anity insalted BY one who wearing the vestments
ofherservice will shrink from telling us ourduty IN
whatever exigency it nay please God in his pro
Vidence to place US.
A CORRECT VIRw.-A gentleman writing as