The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1866-08-31

church and induced him to humble his
diadem in the dust for eight months in
succession. The conscience of the Empe.
ror was thoroughly awakened; his sub
sequent reign was distinguished by JUS
tice and mercy, the integrity of the EN-.
pire was preserved in peace, and the great
Theodosian code, the product of that bit.
ter repentance, is still read and quoted for
Its admirable union of humanity and poll.
oy. Ambrose produced these consequent
ees by acting in the true capacity of a
Christian minister, for he reformed the
criminal by direct appeal to his own
heart. A political preacher in the same
circumstances would have inAamed the
sangulnary passions of the monarch by
exaggerating tho treason of tho Thessa-
lonians aud couuselling the military exc.
cution Of all who presumed to sympathize
in their sufferings.
You will see, I think, the distinction I
would make. A gospel preacher address
es the conscience of his hearers for the
honest purpose of converting them from
the error OF their ways a political preach
or speaks to one community, one party or
one sect, and his theme is the wickedness
of another. The latter effects no religious
purpose whatever but the chances are
ninety-nine in hundred that he excites
the bad passions Of those who are present
while he ISLANDERS the absent and the uu.
defended. Both classes of preachers fire..
quently speak upon the same or similar
subjects but they do SO with different OBJ.
ects and aims.
will make my meaning more clear by
taking your own illustrations. You be-
lieve in the first day Of the week as
Sabbath, and so believing your duty I'M
doubtedly is to exhort all persons under
your charge to observe it strictly but
you have no right to preach crusade
against the Jews and Seventh.day Bap.
fists, to get intoleraut laws enacted against
them for keeping Saturday as day of
rest. If drunkenness be sin which east.
ly besets your congregation, you may warn
them against it, and inasmuch as absti-
hence ia always easier than moderation
you should advise them to taste not, touch
not, and handle not; but your position
gives you no authority to provoke violent
hostilities against tavern keepers, liquor
dealers. or distillers. Ifany of your hear.
ers be Ignorant or coarse enough to desire
more wives than one apiece, you should
certainly teach them that polygamy is the
worst feature of Asiatic manners, incon.
sistent with Christianity and dangerous
to domestic happiness but you cannot
lawfully urge them to carry fire and sword
into the Territory of the Mormons merely
because some of the Mormons are in this
respect less holy than you. IF the hold
ing of slaves or bond.ssrvants DO practi-
cal question among the members of your
church, | know of nothing which forbids
you to teach whatever you conscientiously
believe to be true on that subject. But
in community where slavery is not only
unknown, but impossible, why should any
preacher make it the subject of his week
! ly vituperation You do not improve
the religion of the Shareholder by tradu-
cling his character, nor mend the spiritual
condition fyour own people by making
them thirst for the blood of their fellow
men
If any person, to whom the service of
another is due by the laws of tho State in
which he lives, shall need your instruc-
tons to regulate his personal conduct to-
wards the slave, you are bound in the first
place to tell him, that as long as that re-
lation exists, he should behave with the
utmost humanity and kindness for this
you have the clear warrant of the Apos-
tolic example and precept. In dealing
with such person you may 60 as much
further as your own conscientious inter-
probation Of the Bible will carry you. If
you are sure that the divine law does, I'm.
der all circumstances, make the mere ex-
istence of such relation sinful on the
part of the master, you should induce
him to dissolve it by the Immediate
emancipation of his slaves for that is
truth to you which you believe to be
true. But where is the authority for
preaching hatred of those who understand
the scripture differently? What privil-
ege can you show for exciting servile
insurrection ? Who gave you the right to
say that John Brown was better than any
other thief or murderer, merely because
his crimes were committed against pro-sla-
very men?
think the minister, in his pulpit dis
courses, is forbidden to touch at all
upon the class of subjects which are pure
ly political sL,h for instance as the bank
ing law, tariff, railroad charters, State
rights, the naturalization laws, and negro
suffrage These are questions of nero
political expediency; religion takes no
cognizance Of them they come within
the sole jurisdiction 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 exec
utive power for the purpose OF enforcing
principles wholly religious.
In short, if | am not entirely mistaken,
a Christian minister has no authority to
preach upon any subject except those in