East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1862-06-17

! England church any Sunday in the yea
the chances are at least even that yol
: will hear a political harangue, which par
J Of the audience will be moved TO ap
plaud and part to hiss.
J What we have been saying has partic
ular reference to the subject Of slavery
on which this country has been growing
stark mad for the past two years Th,
clergymen of New England are all, OF
nearly all, anti-slavery in sentiment and
feeling. We don't object to this; i
needs no ghost from the grave to tell MS
that slavery is a great social and econom
ical evil, and that every patriot and every
Christian should be glad to see it re
moved. But most of the New England
clergymen are also Republicans, and
here the trouble begins Republican
ism involves two very distinct elements;
first, that slavery is an evil, wherein we
all agree; and second, that the republican
method of dealing with slavery is the
true one, wherein we are not agreed by
any means. But the republican clergy
men cannot or will not see the distinct
ion. In this view, the man who is not a
republican is not opposed to slavery
is pro-Slavery, in short. And this mar
rowness and intolerance comes from the
fact that he mistakes emotion for insight
moral instincts for intellectual per-
ceptons;--a mistake under which the
universal New England mind is now
suffering,
A religious congregation is not and
ought not to be formed on the ground
of unity in political faith. The same
religious truths--the same warnings,
expostuations, cncouragements, con
sol ations-arc tG he addressed to wings,
democrats, republicans or ative Amer.
leans. Before the throne of God these
distinctions melt away like those of
station, wealth or dress. 1t is one of
the most beautiful elements in the
Christian faith, that it brings together
men who on secular topics differ most
widely. In the congregation of the
over Jealous republican clergymen there
will be, or may be, some persons who
are not republicans They are just as
conscientious in their anti republicanism
as he is in his repubicanism. But they
are constantly exposed to the chancee of hear
ing their conrictions denounced, their motires
i0,pagea, and hariny their blood stirred
By insulting iasinuation They are obliged
TO SIT still and hear aclerical dogmatist, from
his raatags ground Of tae pulpit, attack Mom
Vith ainsy arguments, whose falacity they
have long since detected, and could
easily show, if it were proper place
for discussion. They are sent home in
a frame of mind anything but sabbath
cal, if not muttering halfsuppressed
curses between their teeth The nata
raj result fohoWs; heyrsf,se TO 90 10 church
WAsrs heg are vis,ted BY denmciation and
eraspSrated By abuse.
Nor do we put the objection to polit
teal preaching solely on the ground that
such preaching offends the earnest polit
cal convictions of portion of the con-
gregation, and thus keeps them away
from the church. The objection exists
in hardly less force as to that part of
the congregation who may agree with
tho preacher in his views. The preach
~'s duty as to teach religion and not polotics.
The general sentiment of the public
would ddlscountenanc a ciergymen, who,
instead of sermons, should give essays
on banking or agricultural or political
economy, detetlcs, on the use and abuse
of medicines; why should such pccu
liar latitude be given to partisan poll.
tics? Laymen do not wish on Sunday
to have their thoughts disturbed and
their temp.rs tried by the heating dis.
cussions and jarring conflict of the past
six days. They go into the house of
God to escpae them.
"Sleep sleep to-day, tormenting cares
OF earth and folly born"
is the hearts natural language. On
Sunday n man seeks to clear the soul
of tho dust and soil of the earth, and To
garnish it with pure ahoughts, tranquil
aspirations, ETHEREAL hopes, flowers that
have sucked tho dews of heaven and
how Ican he do that if his spiritual
guide insists on mixing with it the rub
Dish of politics?
The effect upon the clergy themselves
Of this habit of preaching politics is
most injurious. 1t acts upon the mind
in much tho same way as dram-drlnk'
ing acts upoa the body. 1T BEeErs A
CRAVING FOR COARSE, VULGAR EXCITE
MENT, UTTERLY INCONSISTENT WITH
PROPER INTEREST IN THE APPROPRIATE
MEDIrATloNs OF THE PASTORAL OFFICE.
The moro engaged the clergyman be-
comes in political issues, and the sue
cesses of this or that political party, the
more coldly and languidly will he turn
to religious themes and spiritual con.
temptations. Once upon time, a world
" man, who was wholly absrbed in the
accumulation Of property, was gently
demonstrated with by his c'crgymen,
and reminded of the necessity OF pre-
pairing for another world. Don't talk
to me of another world" was the re
ply; "one world az time is as much as
can attend to There is frank
ness, freedom Of hypocrisy, in this
answer which we like. 1t includes ar
obvious truth. No man; be he clergy
man or layman, can be wholly absorb
ed in tho interests and issues of this
world, and leave due space in bis heart
for those Of another.