The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1866-08-10

4
you the right to say that John Brown
was better than any other thief or
murderer, merely because his crimes
were committed against pro-slavery
men?
| think the minister, in his pulpit
discOurses, is forbidden to touch at all
upon that class of subjects which are
purely political: such for instance as
/ the banking law, tariff, railroad char
! ters, State rights, the naturalization
! laws, and negro suffrage. These are
questions of mere political eXpedienCy
/ religion takes no cogniZance of them /;
! they come within the solejurisdiction
| of the statesman and the church has
no more right to take sides upon them
/ than the civil government has to use
/ its legislative, judicial or executive
power for the purpose Of enforcing
principles wholly religious.
/ In short, if | am not entirely mista-
/ ken, a Christian minister has no au
! thOrity to preach upon any subjects eX-
cept those in which divine revelation
has given him an infallible rule Of faith
and practice; and, even upon them he
/ must speak always for the edifcation
/ of his own hearers, rightly dividing
/ The word Of truth" soas to lead them
/ in the way of all Righteousness. When
he does more than this he goes beyond
his commission, he becomes scuryy
/ politician. and hisiutiueuce isaItOgeth-
| er Dernici0us.
The Use 0f the clerical office for the
! purpose Of propagating political doc
trines underany circumstances, or with
any excuse, is in my judgment not on
/ ly without authority, but tits the high
| est crime that can he committed against
/ The government of God or man. Per-
| haps ought MOTTO make this broad as
sertion without giving some addition
/ al reasons for it.
In the first place it is grossly dishOn-
est. employ you as minister, pay
your salary, and buiid you a church
because ! have confidence in your the
0logicaI doctrines. But You may be at
thesame time wholly unfit for my po-
iitical leader. Now, you are guilty Of
a base fraud upon me, if, instead OF
preaching religion, you take advantage
ui the position / have given you 10
Ventiiate your crude and ignorant no.
tiOus on state affairs. | have asked for
bread and you give mea stone; instead
OF the fish | bargaincG for, you put IN
to my hand serpent that stings and
pOiS0ns me.
Ii destroys the unity Of the church.
TheTei Is no room for rational dispute IL
bout the great truths Of christianity;
but men will never agree upon polite
al subjects, for human government Is
nj best bat a compromise 0f selfish IN
tcrests and conflicting passions. " len
y Ou mix the TWO together you break
the church into fragments, and instead
Of zone Lord, enc faith and one Dap
tism. " YOU create Il thousand warning
sects, and substitute the proVerbial Bit
ternes5 Of the odilGn theOlogjcjaB tor the
charity which thinketh 10 evil"
No one Will deny that Union of
Church and Stateis always the cause Of
bad government, perverted religion
and corrupt morals. / do not mean
merely that legal union which exists
in European countries. This is bad e.
nOugh; but YOU have less common
sense than | give you credit for, il you
do not see, That this adulterous conneX-
i3a :ssssutuys its no~t lOilutlng iQTm
when the church is voluntarily prOsG-
tuted by her own ministers to Il polite
al party in a popular government.
The evil influence of such cOnneX-
ions upon Church and State is easily ac-
counted for. Both OF them in cOm5i-
nation VIII do what either would re-
coli from ii standing alone. \ politi-
elan backed by the promise Of the cer-
gy 10 sustain him can safely DEFY hon
! esty and trample upon law, for do what
he may, he Is assured Of clerical sup
port here and OF heaven hereafter. The
clergy, on the other hand, and those
who are under their influence, easily
acquire the habit Of praising indiscrim-
inatey whatever is done by their pub
lie men. Acting and reacting on one
another, they 90 down together, in the
direction OF the pit that Is DOttOmless;
and both are found to have "a strange
aiacrity at sinking"
No man can erVGtWO masters faith
fully; for he must hate one if he loves
the other. \ minister who admires
and follows such men as those Who
have lately ruled and ruined this cOuu-
try must necessarily dcspiSG the char
acter Of Christ. If he giorities the
cruelty, rapacity and ta!schOod of his
party leaders, he j. compelled by an in
IleXIb!e law Of human nature To deny
the Lord who bought him."
The experience of fifteen centuries
proves that political preachers are the
great curse of the world. More than
half the bloody wars which al different
periods have desOlated ChristendUm,
were produced by their direct instiga-
I ton; and wherever they have thrust
Themselves into contest commenced
by others, they always rnNen0med The
stri and made it more cruel, savage
and uncOmprUmising. Tie religious
wars, s0-caiIed, had nothing religious
/ about them except that tiiey We're Hiss
/ cd up by the clergy. Look back ana
see ii tins be not true.
The Arian controversy thCtirst great
. schism was followed by wars in which
millions of lives We're los. DO you
suppose the real quarrv WAS ior thg IN
sUIuOn or omission OF .fiOqlIe in that
part Of the creed which ttcCrlbeS the
/ procession OF the Holy Ghost. lid q
. hOBi00HSjCl12 slaughter his brother be-
! cause he was Il hOBO0uSs0R? No, it
I WIS not the difference OF a diptaOng,
/ but the plumber Of an empire that they
! fought for. 1t was the politics
OF the church, not herrcligion, that in
furiated the parties and converted men
into demons.
The Thirty Years War in Germany
/ is often supposed 10 nave been a lair
Stand up fight between thetWo leading
/ forms OF Christianity. 1t was not So.
/ The religious diHereuceWas false pre-
/ tense OF the political preachers for The
/ promotion o1 IheirUWH schemes. There