Columbia democrat and star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1867, 1866-11-07
Politics in the Pulpit.

Ihe parsons having returned from their
Summer vacation resumed their pulpits on
Sunday for new political campaign. They
appear to be refreshed with the waters of
fashionable resorts, salt and fresh but the
waters of life do not appear to have in
spired them much toward the ful6lment of
their supposed missi0n-the spiritual regen-
Grafton of their flocks. With few exceptions
the sermons preached on Sunday were polit-
ical harangues, some covert and insidious,
some open, bold, and almost blasphemous.
DIR. Bellows, while taking his text from the
Bible, descanted, not upon the duty of man
to his Creator, but upon the elections drag
ged into the pulpit the ''glorious news from
Maine and Vermont )" speculated upon the
prospects in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indi-
ana and concluded by prayer to the Al
mighty that He might guide the people to
vote the Radical ticket at the coming cleo
tons
Such language one might expect to hear
IN the gatherings at street corners or in bar
rooms but your political parson thinks that
they are subjects good enough for the house
of God. These rejoicings over elections past
and prophetic, auguries of the result of cleo
tons to come were mixed up with the most
undignifed abuse of the President Of the
United States and his Administration. Are
there no souls at all to be saved in DIR. Bel
lows Church Of Ali Souls p Are the ways
of the politicians of more importance to his
congregation than the way, the truth, and
the life, which he is supposed to lead them
to? Rev. Theodore i. Cuyler, too, opened
his discourse with prayer that the Presi-
dent might be led through darkness into
light, that Is to say the darkness which en-
velops the upholders of the Constitution to
the ethereal light of Radicalism, with its
symbols of blood and fire and a new civil
war. The other political preachers were
more delicate in their illusions Dr. Tying
informed his audience that he had his TRADE
bottled up, but would open it on future
occasion. With such an example before
them in the pulpits filed by white preachers
we cannot be surprised that the poor blacks
of Zion Church we're entertained by their
colored pastor with somewhat similar, though
muchmore moderate and Christian language;
nor that when he announced that the Sa-
viour had died for colored as well as white
sinners, one Of the congregation cried out
Bully for him" and the whole crowd rose
to their feet, shouting, stamping and scream
ing This was, no doubt, most unseemly
conduct in church, but not a whit worse
than the indecorum of the white parsons
who introduce politics, profanity, a spirit of
uncharitableness, and frebrand of discord
into their pulpit speeches. 1t is the gener-
al opinion that the business of ministers of
religion is to save souls and promulgate the
doctrine of charity to all men but ministers
of Or. Below and DIR. Cheever's, and DR..
Tying stamp despise all such old-fashioned
notions. They evidently regard the pulpit
as a political rostrum, and instead of being
the mouth-piece Of the gospel they have be-
come the agents of politicians and the Evil
One.-Nee0 York Herald.