The mountain Democrat., 1864-05-21
R.IIrion andPoiitios.

Inc ADMINISTRATIVE VI tue UOSpet are not
well Attepded-chnrch memberships are
decreasing in t1umbers-the ministry are
not supported-hnd worse than all, ven
Grafton for religion itself is failing, and
immortality and tnbelief are rapidly un-
dermining the foundations of society
Some OF these journals attribute this ten
dency to the excitements of the day, call
ing away the attention of the public mind
from religious to secular pursuits; some
speak of it as a visitation of Divine dis.
pleasure, and punishment for national
sins by the withdrawal OF gr4eE TaeSe
papers seem to sedulously seek for any
other than the true cause for this decay
in religious growth. They need not go
so fart is in the pulpit itself where the
evil lies, and where the remedy must be
applied il aRy is desired. This lack Of
interest in religious matters is coeval With
the interduction Of political topics in the
sermons Of the ministry; and not enly in
the sermons but in the prayers With which
the God Of Truth, Love and Mercy is in
suited weekly from ten thousand mouths,
spewing out profanity hatred and revenge.
From the time pulpits were turned into
political platforms, and the dispensers of
Gospel truths became the special advo-
Gates Of particular Administration, the
cause Of the present complaints began to
accrue. And they have gone on accruing,
and will continue to increase as long as
this course is continued.
We believe that the writings Of Paine,
| Voltaire, Rosseau, Volncy, and the whole
list Of that class OF writer have produced
a less injurious effect upon the church
than the preachers of the various denom-
| nations have inflicted upon it by their
action in this matter. Thousands of them
have publicly displayed feelings and SEN
! timents so entirely in conflict with the
/ first lessons Of the Great Teacher whom
! they profess to adore, and so inconsistent
with even ordinary charity that they have
made, in the minds Of many Of their hear
ers, both themselves and their cause OBJ
jccts Of disgust and contempt. Men pos
seSsing common sense and any knowledge
Of the world. with its errors and fralties,
cannot sit, even in cushioned pews, and
listen to these pulpit diatrbes overflow
ing with Ignorance, cOnceit and malice
to discourse such as the devil would
preach. were he in the pulpit. 1t is too
great tax upon either the good sense or
the good morals Of any community. The
consequences are seen in the universal
depletion Of the churches Thousands Of
men and women can hear more true chris.
tianity at home than they can hear under
a church bell, and they stay away. Many
m,n are driven by the icmoniacal rawlings
Of these Abolition howcrs for more blood,
70 find recreation in enjoymcnts that lead
them far from the influences Of either
home or church. The effect is ruinouS.
The destroyers Of the church arc within
/ the church, aal the age is unfortunate in
not having another Saviour TO purge them
! from the temples they desecrate.
This subject is beginning to attract the
attcn,ion OF some Of the religious journals
whose denominations have suffered large
ly from this error. They are late about
! it, but they are wise to begin now rather
/ than still later. Among them we notice
particularly the True Presbyterian. In
a late scathing article upon this subject it
remarks:
"Amid this furious bubble of politics
and war, we look in vain for the Magma
/ Charta Of the Annunciation, Glory to
I God in the highest; on earth, peace. good
will to men 1t is appalling to see the
Church nf God spuc from her mouth the
Gospel Of peace, and bawl herself hoarse in
/ stimulating the ttrociouS passions Of men
/ aud In canonizing the red.handed fiend Of
the battlefield Where is her former
hatred of .ibpiltonism, now that she is
causing her own children t. pass through
/ the fire to Moloch. and is gloating over
the prospect Of serviie inSurrcction -
What shall we say Of the distinguished
clersymen who so loudly applauded Mr..
Van Dykes sermon on that subject, and
who now lift up their hands and roll their
eyes IN pious horror at the sin Of slavery!
Shall We say, as the world says Of them,
that they have either been practicing
gross deception all their lives, or are now
basely yielding to unmanly fear. Shall
We adopt the huni!ialng charge so freely
made, that as body, the clergy of this
country have been less reliable, more un-
willing to sacrifice their positions to prin-
ciple, more shuflling, and cowardly, and
blood thirsty, than any other class of men
in it: Shall We cJrat the snccr, that
rather than give up their places and their
salaries, they will preach and pray undcr
the dictation Of a turbulent faction in their
churches; or the bitter taunt Of the SOL
dier, who on being reprovcI by one Of
them for swca' ing, replied, al will not
be rcbuked ty you, sir! have exposed
my lie for three years in this war and
but for the preachers there wotld have
been no war !" We desire to bring no
railing accusations, neither to Judge any
man, but Nv tEcir fruits ye shall know
them, and the fruit of all their labor is
that they, the Church, and religion itself,
are brought into contempt among men,
The Lord Jesus seems to have avcrted
His face, and the Spirit of Grace to have
departed from the scene Of strife and ia
naticism, and bound in the tolls Of the dcv-
il, and exposed to the hootings of the
world, nothing is left to US but Dead
Faith and an Apostatc Church. ,"
Happily there are some who still re,
member that they are called to preach
"Chrst and Him crucifed," and who
stcad(astly have preached them amid all
the tumult and clamor Of war. Fortunate
fer Christianity in this country that it
has been 50. -Marysville Express.
-S~-
VINO "PROcLAIMEp Wharf.-The New
York Times, an accredited organ of the
Administration party, devoted to the in
terests Of Mr.. Lincoln, in late editorial