Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1865-07-14
Miafallal
RELIGION IN POLITICS.

/ II nad ceased TO satisfy the religious wants
/ of the writer's In AL Of them The complaint
was thar the paper meddled with politics,
/ and did not confine itself, as it should, ex-
elusively to religions themes In two cases
the animus was sufficiently plain, One Of
/ the writers spoke Of our sacrificing to the
Moloch of abolition; and the other consid-
cred our expressions of gratitude to God, on
the taking of Richmond, as an unchristian
exultationin bloodshed, and in triumph over
suffering brethren The other, in its form
at least, was the expression Of desire to
meet IN religious paper with only topics
pertaining to the divine life-with sweet
hymns, and passages of scrlptural xposItion,
and practical experience The two former
while protesting to crave higher tone Of
plety n the paper, We're written in spirit
which showed that they did need some
stronger and more effective religious infiu-
ence to be exerted upon the character Of
those who wrote them than had hitherto
been done. The latter seemed to be wholly
honest and sincere. These communications
gave rise to some thoughts and feelings
which we Proceed to express.
The hypocrisy of the former was so gross
as to be disgusting. Unchristian to thank
God for the capture Of Richmond! Joy in
the emancipation of race from bondage, a
sacrifice to the Molo0h Of abolitionl And
this sympathy. for slavery and rebellion veil
ing itself under the pretence of a higher
style ct piety, which could not tolerate mum
dane themes in a religious journal, but cray-
ed that which was more spiritual and expe-
rlmentall How unmanly! How sneaking!
How pitifuE The veil was too thin The
anilnus shone through as brightly as bur-
nished copper through thin gauze. If these
men had said We drop your paper because
we sympathize with the rebellion and slave
ry, and YOU do not; we think that the reli-
gion of Christ sanctions the latter, and that
the former IS to be yindieated on moral and
political grounds there would have been
candor and honesty In the proceeding. But
to read us homilies on the sin of meddling
with politics in connection with such unmis-
taxable Indications Of what was the real
ground OF objection to the paper, was as un-
slilful as il was gross hypocrisy.
Its sufficiently humiliatlng that we should
have had this style OF thinking and feeling
in.the free States at any time--bRt that it
should Jlnger even now among us Is deplor-
able That any one can nor write about
the Moloeh Of abolition, and ao,o SYM
pathize with or apologize for the spirit in
which this rebellion originated, is passing
strange That the old way of calling vindi-
cations Of slavery religions and combinations
Of it koht5cal-that the old mhdel spirit
which considers the state not divine, but
human, and obedience to it not matter Of
religious obligation, but of expedieney and
Of interest, should have outlived the tre-
nlendouS demonstrations Of the last four
years is indeed wonderful it is true.
Dr. Seabury and Bishop Hopkins may write
Bible vindications of slavery, and that is le-
eitimate Christian exposition; but when DR..
Goodwin answers it in a book on exegetical
grounds, and Phillips Brooks shatter 1t from
the pulpit BY the simple everlasting princi-
pies of the gospel that is politics. w hen one
cants upon the horrors of war and the evils
of fraternal strife-meaning thereby a lam
entation because our Southern brethren
we're not permitted without molestation, to
seize the Government, and extend slavery
over I'LL the land--that is pious reflection,
even if it appears in a secular journal; but If
one denounces treason, and thanks God for
triumph over IT, that is meddling with poll
ties. But enough--this mean hypocrisy is
not worth the words which we have bestow-
ed upon it,
Bur there Is another sort Of feeling on
this subject which we fhink is mistaken, but
which is entitled to resne,a a pious and
earnest heart, which l,h es t41 Saviour, and
Is weary Of the sorrows and conmotions of
the time would have all reference to them
excluded from the religious journal 1T
seems to regard our national affairs, however
they may be treated or contemplated, as es-
sentially secular topics They persist in
calling them DoJtficS, and all writing and
preaching about them, political They
would Ike to see the Recorder filed with
lust such matter as ii would be. if there had
been no rebellion. no war no Christian, and
no Sanitary Commissions They would
have religion applied only to Church life,
and individual Christian life, quite apart
from all other life. The thing is impossible
The war has opened new fields, created new
duties. thrown Christian life itself into new
channels. The true idea of Christian life is
that it should throw its influence into all the
activities of the time, whatever they may be,
and penetrate them all, and turn them ali to
holy uses Nothing is secular but that into
which men pnt secularity The State is NOS
secular in itself, and viii become 50 only
when the pulpit and the press abandon it
wholly to worldly and unholy hands. The
expectation that religious journal, whose
| high and special function, it is to look at all
things that transpire in the world in reli-
eiaus light, and TO show the duties and re-
/ lations to them of Christians and the Church,
Should ignore the sublime and awful trans
actions that are going on In our country, and
limit itself TO. sweet devotional poetry and
precious, experimental and spiritual ex-
tracts. is puerile aud preposteruus. As
surediy. while We hold the editorial per, we
4 shall WELD it with all the vieor that we pos
sess. in vindication Of Christian ethics, in
4 their application alike to States, and fami-
4 lies. aud to individuals Assuredly no eva
1 siye apologist for slavery and rebellion shall
stay our hand, by raising the cry of poll
ticsf or even by the terrifying message
Stop ny paper,
Most earnestly do we recognize, and de-
sire to fulfil the function of ministering to
/ the divine life in our readers hearts, as the
most solemn duty and the highest privilege
/ of the religious press, But q religious news
/ paper is not a manual OF devotion. Ii Is to
/ teach the truth and expose error. 1t Is to
/ be a guide in public opinion In all matters
4 where practical life involves religious prln-
/ ciple. II Its friends concur with its enemies
lin the effort 10 keep it from exercising a
moral and religious influence IN the field OF
| political life, and succeed in the attempts
4 then they viii change Journals into little pc
riodical books, which will not. perhaps, Gre
! ate dissatisfaction among their patrons-lf
+! they shall have anyrand will be perfectly
4 satisfactory TO all those advocates of pre-
scriptive wrongs, who now hate their testi-
mony and fear their power = Episcopal Re
cord.