The southern aegis, and Harford County intelligencer., 1863-11-27
.,,u JAMES B, Fry,
.ProSo,t' Marshal General.
Political Preaching.

the Vmlcy Spirit, WHO Is u great curiosity
in his way. The antiqnared Old chap posi-
lively refuses to preach on politics for
the reason, as he alleges, that he is euga-
g"d in the more important business of
saving souls Why, he must have been
reading that obsolete ork, written for
othsr times, the New Testament, and
found out, some,low, that his commission
was to "go into all the world AMI preach
The Gospie (n't p"litica)to every creature y
lie deserves immortal fame for rcsctYug
lthis precept Of the Divine Teacher from
the oblivion into which it had sunk-an
oblv on SO complete that even those whose
duty it is to expound the Scriptures had
completely lost Sight of it. He must
have rad there also of a very respectable
body # men, who lived little over eigh-
teen hundred years ago, who went about
doing good; whp never bothered them
selves about politics or civil institutions;
who never insisted that the master must
give up his slaves or be damned eternalIy;
who, instead of melting the slaves to rise
and murder their masters, said "servanta
be obedient to your masiers;' AID who.
devoted themselves, with singleneSs of
heart, to the great work their Master had
assigned them. Surely the ancient Bos-
ton preacher must be thinking of these
people, with their old fogy ideas, aud try
ing to initiate them. But he should be
careful not To carry the imitation too far.
We are not very certain that "a body of
men, believing and acting as this honora-
Bile aud desplsed ectdid, would fare much
better in this nineteenth centuary of ours,
than their fureruuners did il their day.
1T he I yes too coselyin accordance with
the modeles they gave US, or abides too
strictly by the precepts they laid down,
be may expect t" hear the cry OF 'curciiy
hinfp raised by the seribespad ptarisecs,
who "dcvour Widows houses aud for
prttence make long prayers" :" Should he
ve'pure an4 ,blanieiess, acco' ding o the
sacred doctrins Of christianity, as he uu-
derstahds them, his life would b. ii standing
reproach to the modern article, dispensed
in SO many sarctuAres; and their devo-
tees wou uld be sore y tempted to folL'w the
exanlplc' II wicked old Jerusalem, which
"killed the prophets aud stoned them 4,
- How Strangely in contrast with the con
datt:ot the Boston preacher is tic GO rse
of'thdse religious bbdi ) which have rtsoI.
we'd theiliselves into Drawing political con-
vgutiuns, and ASSUMED to sit III judgement
upbn(the poIirlcai opinions Of their fellow
meh Instead Ut ~rtudering unto Caesar
hethings that are Caesar I, and unto God
the things that are God's,," Cesar seems
to9nuiiopolIze all their time aud lob0rs.
We5dt Hbt reAelilbef to have read that
Peter aid Paul aud James and John ever
engaged in the very reputable business of
shndering their neig ghbo,s- calling then'
'copperheads,' or "sympatbizers," OF "reb-
els" Wheiiin the synagogue they preach
cd of chrlihg eternity, aud lefi the trifing
vanitesu Of the time ID the hands ct the
politicians These p{litical dtclarati "a Of
clerical bodies are even at The best incon-
patible with the cause they represent; and
when athty are shoru Of all dignity, cahdor
and Cliristian charity, they seem almost
to profane the 't,igh calling Of the church
When the church condecends to soil her
garments iii the dirt aud filth If the pohti-
cal'afeiia, she wealaelis 'ber influence and
power Above all she should dscards bit,
ttrness and tevillug, passion aud hatred.
She should ever remember the injunction
Of Saint Paul: Although l speak with the
tongue Of men and of angels, and haze
not charity, am, Become as sounding
brassaor ID lilkEng scynibal.." a 2l-s