The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1861-09-18
Political Prenenlnw. - s.

tNa -a-N For the Sentinel.
,'s''as -. Political preaching. 80 -.
nEv, Ma. GAINES, Pastor Of be Pre.gyeoia
lJr ChErobia isruress -, II
70. Dear Sir:--I despise political preaching a
much as can despise anything. No doubt yo
consider that fairly and squarely in the indica
live mood. So il Isl and why not? tits tins
the people were taking this matter in hand be
foie It Is entirely too late. II the Bible is to b
ignored altogether, or only searched all througI
for the sole purpose Of findinga passage out o
which political not a religious sermon is to b,
twisted; it is time we knew it, that some. othe
means may be used to have the gospel preach
Time was, when the ministers of the Chris
tian church ia this country, were respected and
yenerated as something above and purer thar
the common run of men, who were continually
moving in the dirtier spheres of life. And while
the truths Of the gosee ell from their lips up
on our ears, we felt aid believed that they were
holy men, and We all had faith in them, just
like Go.dsmith's parson, -sl-r
"Unskiiltul he 10 fpw1 or seek Tor power, 3
By doctrines fashioned to the varying hour; ID
| Far other aims his hedrf had learned to prize,
More bentto raise the wrefched than TO rise.''
How is It now? You have marked the chan :
ges as we'll as have; and how often do we hear
the sneeripg sentence now a days, 'wsl!, we'll,
preacher is no better than anybody else."a Is
that sentence true? Why do we let preachers
preach? Because they are, as q class, better
than the rest Of us. Bu.if they are not better
than anybody else, where IS their right to
proach? They have no right, that's all. And
when a community begins to think that way,
tell you there is something wrong. You may
say that "the world is growing wiser and wick
cder every day" Perhaps that is true. But if
the Bible and religion can stand when the touch
stone Of philosophy and progress is applied to
them, as | have heard yeu say, why should
wickedness be the eoncomitant Of wisdom; why
does not the world grow better as it grows wi
ser? IL won't do to say "human depravity"
and all that sort of stuff; for if we were not de-
praved, where would be the use Of the Bible
and the preachers? We must take men and
things as they are, and not as they ought to be-
What then causes this deplorable change? l
have no lear of error in saying that it is poiti
cal preaching. ssss ... -, ,s...
How certain it is, that a disrepdtable adyo-
cate Of a good cause will bring that cause into
disrepute. | know that we should not blame
the canse for the.crime ofthe advocate; yet we
are human and we do 1t. Is it any wonder,
'hen, that we cease to have faith in religion
when we have none IN its ministers? But you
may say that we ought 10 have faith in them.
To be sure. That is what the Pope and his
Jesuits used to s&y Fnatno dark ages And II
any one refused to have faith in them, they
were denounced as heretics; and then came the
thumb-screws, extension racks, dry pan and
gradual fire, etc. to help their faith. But all
these things are 'played out" now, and men,
now a-days. consider that they have the right
to combat every opinion put forth byany other
man, il they want to. Notwithstanding some
mental thumb screw now and then.
liza missionary, sent to the South Sea Islands
should mIngle and take part in all the little
petty quarrels of the natives, what would be
the consequence? The party he favored might
think well enough of him, and might not eat
him. But how about the others? Would they
not hate and desp'se him and the reIis ion he
taught? And would they not hate baked mis-
sionery for supper. Just as soon as the could?--
And would it not be natural for them to do so
and would it not be right? mean except
ing the baked missionary. is@ n-s49
Why should you, or any one, think it strange
that when we go to church to hear the gospel
preached, and are disappointed, grieyed, and
may add, disgusted with long political TRADE
against the Democratic party---sentiments that
we know are alsehoods, (and we certainly
know as mnch about politics as the preacher
does, that we should stop and ponder Do
YOU think that all the mental thumb screws, or
hard names that he can put upon US would
make us believe bin? And not believing him
in that particular, would we mot naturally
doubt his word in every particular, religious as
we'll as political; and is il possible to honor or
venerate man when we have no confidence in
his honesty? gal2 ~
II would be small matter if no one but the
political preacher suffered; but religion suffers,
the church suffers and morality suffers. And
the minister himself wrings his. hands, and
cries out "human deprauty,' and ""the world s
growing wiser and wickeder every day." and
iumedia ely projects protracted meeting in
the winter to get new converts, only to drive
them out again by political preaching in the
summer. Ft .-, ,,.ss s,sg.g.. ,., A. ,.ses
OF course there are many noble exceptions
among the clergy and | delight to honor them.
Iremember very distinctly, when, on that. bright
summer Sunday morning. amid the fierce polit-
ical campaign OF 1856, when. ministers were
alling everywhere. Of hearing you utter from
your pulpit these Words May my tongue
cleave to the ioof OF my mouth, If ! ever prosti!
tute the pulpit down to the level Of political
rostrum." And only last Sunday. from the
same pulpit, Rev Mr. Moffitt said that it was
| his duty to preach Christ and him crucifed,"
and that he would never preach anything else.
Noble words, all Of them, and no Bible will ev-
er suffer taint from the fingers OF the men who
uttered them, 8 Els gFss
4, Notwithstanding the exception Of your
lchurch-how is 1t elsewhere In this neghbor-