Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1866-10-17
Politics in the Northern Pulpit.

The parsons uaNllS lclullleu lloA l!iSil
summer vacation resumed their pulpits on
Sunday for a new political campaign. They
.nnear to be refreshed with the waters Of
fashionable resorts salt and fresh but the
waters of life" do not appear to have inspired
them very much towards the fulflment Of their
snnpOsed misson-the spiritual regeneration
Of their focks With few exceptions the ser
mons preached on Sunday were political har-
rangues, some covert and insiduous, some open,
bol6 and almost blasphemous. Henry Ward
Beechcr, more cunning than the rest of the
potical preachers, did not refer directly to
potics, but the whole tenor of his address had
marked political significance. He dealt
rather with historical IDEAS and the great men
Of history than with. local events, prospects or
issues, but nevertheless there was no mlstak-
ine .he direction in which his thoughts were
turning while his philosophy was relieving
itself in eloquent words, His sermon was a
calm, dignified and statesman-likc effort, alto
getber at variance with those Of the other
5rlpit agitalors. Bcecher discourse indicates
the man Of thought: those of the others the
illusions of men Of troth, cant and illiultabie
uncharitableness Take, for example, the
language of Dr. Bellows, who ought to have
sense enough TO appreciate the duties of his
profession as he once before appeared to com
prehend the value Of another calling as an
e!evating element Of education and morality
Dr.. Bellows while taking his text from the
Bible, dcscanted, not upon the duty of man to
his Creator, but upon the clcctlons, dragged
into the pulpit the glorious news from Maine
and Vermont" speculated upon the projects
il Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana, and CON
Guided by prayer to the Almighty that He
might guide the people to vote the radical
ticket at the coming elections
Such language one might expect to hear in
the gatherings at street corners orln 5ar-ro0ms
but your political parson thinks that they are
subjects good enough for the house Of Cod
These rejoiciugS over elections past, aud pro-
phctic augures Of the result Of elections to
come were mixed up with the most undigni
fed abuse of the President of the United
States and his administration. Are there no
souls at all to be saved in DR.. Bellows
''Church of All SouIS?' Are the ways of the
politicians Of more Importance to his congrega
ton than the way, the truth and the life, :"
which he is supposed 20 lead them to? Rev.
Theodore L. Cuylrr too, opened his discourse
with prayer that the President may Ue led
through darkness into light" that is to say,
from the darkness which rnvclopS the uphold
cTS Of the Constitution tn the ethereal light Of
ladicaTSm, with its symbols Of blood and fire
and q new civil var. The other political
preachers were more delicate in their illusions.
Dir. Iyng informed his audience that he had
his TRADE bottled up. but would open il Oil
future OCCASION With such an example
before them in the pu!pits filled by white
preachers, we cannot be surprised that the
Door blacks of Zion Church were entertained
by their colorcd pastor with somewhat similar,
though much more moderate and Christian
language: nor that when he announced that
The Saviour had Gied for colored rs well as
white sinners, one Of the congregation cried
Out Bully tor Him, and the whole crowd
rose to their feet, shouting, stamping and
screaming. This was, ~ doubt, most un.
Scemly conduct in church, but not a whit
worse than the indecorum ofth white parsons
Tho Introduce politics. profanity, spirit OF
uncharitablencss and ire brand Of discCrd
into their pull speeches. 1t IS the genera!
opinion that the business of ministers Of reii
gIoN is 70 save souls and promulg gate the doc
trlne Of charity to all men; but ministers Of
Dr. Bellows and DR.. Cheevcr' sand DR.. Tying
stamp dcspise all such old fashioned notions.
They evidently regard the pulpit as a political
T0strum, and instead of being the mouth piece
1.-THE Gospel they have become the agents Of
the politicians and the Evil One. --Ne1c York;
HerQH.