The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1863-04-08

Political Preaching Condemned
by Rev. Adam Clarke, the GPeat
Methodist Commentator on the
Scriptures. s
ADAM cLARK's OPINION OF POLITICAL
PREACHING. ,. ,t.
The great Methodist commentator
and preacher, Adam Clarke, has left
on record his opinion of political
preachers, which we give in his own
words: a sofia s -lIar
ait was the lot of Mr.. Clarke to be
associated at this time with two en-
minent men who unfortunately took
opposite sides on this great political
| question; one pleading for the lowest
Republicanism, the other exhausted
himself in maintaining the divine
rights of Kings and regular Gov ern-
ments to do what might seem right in
their own eyes, the people at large
having nothing to do with the laws
but to obey them. His soul was grie-
we'd at this state of things; but he
went calmly on his way, preaching
Christ cruciied for the redemption of
a lost world; and though his abilities
were greatly inferior to those of his
colleagues, his congregation was equal
to theirs, and his word more abund-
antly useful. Political preachers nei-
ther convert souls nor built up believ-
ers on their most holy faith; one may
pique himself on his loyalty, the other
on his liberality and popular notions
of government; but, in sight of the
great Head of the Church, the first is
a sounding brass and the second a
tinkling cymbal. .a... 9 ''.." ai ..n9
"When preachers of the gospel be-
come parties in party politics religion
mourns, the Church is unedi6ed and
political disputes agitate even the
faithful of the land Such preachers,
no matter which side they take, are no
longer messengers of glad tidings, but
the seedsmen of confusion, and wasters
of the heritage of Christ. Though
Mr.. Clarke had fully made up his
mind on the politics of the day, and
never sweryed from his Wing princi-
pies, yet in the pulpit was nothing
heard from him but Christ crucifed,
and the salvation procured by bis
blood. Life of DR.. A. Clarke, vol.
l, page 160-161. u..D
The above extracts, though written
in the third person, are from DR..
Clarke's own pen. The quotation is
literal, as reference to the book will
show. For our own expressions of
disapproyal Of political preaching we
have been called an infdel. Our po-
litical priesthood will be gracious e.
nough to allow that we are at least in
good company. We have no desire to
injure them, but would earnestly labor
for their benefit. May they forsake
the error of their ways, SO that it may
not be said of them, in the language of
DR.. Clarke, whom We again quote:
"They neglected their pastoral duty,
SO that the hungry sheep looked up
and were not fed. T" .......
OPINION OF POLITICAL PREACHING BY
EDMUND BURKE, THE GREAT BRI-
TIsH ORATOR AND STATESMAN.
Hear tthe grave and weghty words
of Edmund Burke:
"Politics and the pulpit are terms
that have little agreement. No sound
ought to be heard in the church but
the healing voice of Christian charity.
The cause of civil liberty and civil 60
vernment gains as little as that Of reli-
gion by this confusion of duties.
Those who quit their proper character
to assume what does not belong to
them are, for the greater part, igno-
rant both of the character they leave
and of the character they assume.
Wholly unacquainted with the world
in which they are so fond of meddling,
and inexperienced in all Of its affairs,
on which they pronounce with so much
confidence, they have nothing of poli>
tics but the passions they excite.