The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1861-08-15
Communications.
Freedom of the Pulpit"


Freedom of the Pulpit"
Mr.. EDrToR:-In this age of free in
vostigatiou, free inquiry and free
thought, why should not tho Minister
Of the Gospel be allowed to speak as
freely as other men2 Does not the
Spring rotufn, 1and the rain pour, and
tho earth bio ON and beat, TO bless him
as well as others2 Was not tho same
glorious Constitution framed-with its
equal laws and equal rights, proclaiming
life, liberty andsthe pursuit Of happi-
ness-for him as we'll as for othors2-|
Why, then, is tho spirit Of prescription,
deep and dark prescription, so rife in
many parts Of our land? Is the age of
.Sylla and Marius to be revived among
as? Or, rather, has it not passed into
history that Buoh,an age is already up
on us? Do not the dark clouds of tyr
amy and despotism that now cover and
shroud the entire South, crop out and
skirt to some extent tho atmosphere Of
tho free and boosted North2 1t is not
freedom to speak against the Constitu-
tion and Laws that VIC ask, but it is
freedom to proclaim moral truth. It
is often brought up as an objection,
and also intended as q reproaoh, that
the present crisis has been brought up
on the country by the Ministry of the
North, and especially by that of the
Methodist Episcopal Church. So far
as its moral bearings are concerned, in
opposing truth to error, We are willing
to accept the declaration. Hero is our
answer. Whatever evils or sins stand
opposed to the onward march of truth,
aud are left to inject their poison
through the fratnc Of society, a Ministry
that would not if need be, turn tho
world upside down to reform it, is not
worthy Of tho age in which it exists and
Of the civilization it is called to repre-
sent. 1t is unreasonable to believe that
men whose lives are spent in planting
churches and building houses of wor.
ship, and helping forward the cause
of civil and religious freed ON, are the
men, moro than any others, who are de-
strOying the Government in which they
live! Or is it not moro reasonable to
believe that it is opposition to moral
truth which is bringing upon us this
destruction: "For the nation and
kingdom that will not serve thee, saith
the Lord, shall perish, yea, those ma
tions shall be utterly wasted."-Isa. lx,,
I12.
Objection. It is urged by some
"that the Minister is the public servant
of all, and as such he should servo all
parties alike;" that is, he should be ST.
lent. Are not men in all other profess
sions and oallings of life the public ser
wants of all, as we'll as ho2 Must his
conscience, then, and his constitution
al right to speak, be sacrificed? The sa-
cred duties of his Office may often re-
quire that he speak against the moral
obliquitos of political parties Then,
ask, "is the word of God bound"2-
Dare he not speak, because it is some
political party that sins? Or arc mems
sins no sins at all, because they arc the
sins of the party? All others can speak
and do as they list, but he must speak
no sentiments at all on these subjects
All here is either so saorod, SO pure, so
immaculate, in the eyes Of some men,
OF else so rotten, corrupt or abominablo
that tho Minister, Of all others, is the
man whose duty it is to be silent.
Oh, no, no, says the objoctor, we
don't mean that at all. But Paul, you
know, tells us he caught some with
guile; and also, that if "cating meat
make my brother to offend, I will eat
no meat while tho world stand, and it's
no use, you know, to preach so as to
make people mad.
Answer. People have no business to
! get mad because tho truth is preached.
We grant that in matters merely indBer-
eaL such as eating meat, the Observance
Of holy days, and so on, Paul accom- =
modatod himself to tho Innocent preju-
dioss Of men. Bat where did no or any
other Prophet or Apostle, ever sacrifice
any great principle to the ,0icked pref
udtces of men? We grant that it may
be common in these days for men 20 do
such things, but pronounce it worse
than saorilege to hold up Prophets and
Apostles as our examples for doing so.
No doubt Elijah could have appeared at
Ahab's court and eaten at Ahab's table,
had he been willing to spare JozobeI's
altars and Jezebel's priests. Aye, for
aught we know, he might have been
made prime minister. Daniel could
have continued in favor with the Priu-
ces Of Babylon, had he pandored to
their wicked devices, met in their mid