North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1866-08-08

teach them that polygamy is the worst fea-
ture of Asiatic manners, inconsistent with
Christianity and dangerous to domestic hap
piness; bnt 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
yo1. If the holding of slaves, or bond-ser-
wants be practical question among the
members of your church, know ofnothing
which forbids you to teach whatever you
conscientiously believe to be true on that
subject. But in community where slav
cry is not only unknown but impossible,
why should any preacher make it the sub
ject of his weekly vituperation? You do
not improve the religion of the slave-hold-
er by traducing his character, nor mend the
spiritual condition of your 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 tie State in
which he lives, shall need your instructions
to regulate this personal conduct towards
the slave, You are bound in the first place
to tell him, that as long as that relaxation
exists he should behave with the utmost
humanity and kindness; for this you have
the clear warrant of the Apostolic example
and precept, In dealing with such per-
son you may be as much further AS your
own conscientious Interpretation of the Bi-
bic will carry you. Ifyou are sure that
the divine law does, under all circumstan
ces makes the mere existence of such re-
lation sinful on the part OF the master, you
should induce him to dissolve if by the i'm
mediate emancipation of his slaves; for
this 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 privilege
can You show for exciting servile insurrec-
ton ? 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-slavery
men? '.
| think the minister, IN his pul pit dis
courses, is forbidden to touch at all upon
that class of subjects which are purely po-
litical, such for instance as the banking
law, tariff, railroad charters, State rights,
the naturalization laws, and negro suf-
frage. These are questions of mere polit-
cal expediency; religion takes no cogniz-
ances of them they come within the sole
jurisdiction of the statesman; and the
church has no more right to take sides up
on them than the civil government has to
use its legislative, Judicial or executive
power for the purpose of enforcing princi-
piles wholly religious.
In short, if am not entirely mistaken, a
Christian minister has no authority to preach
Upon any subjects except those in which
divine revelation has given him an infalli-
BILE rule of faith and practice and, even
upon them he must speak always for the
ediication Of his own hearers, rightly di-
viding the word Of TRUTH" so as to lead
them in the way of all righteousness
When he does more than this he goes be-
yond his commission, he becomes scurvy
politician, aud his influence is altogether
pernicious.
The use of the clerical office for the pur-
pose'of propagating political doctrines un-
der any circumstances, or with any excuse,
is in my judgment, not only without au-
thority, but it is the highest crime that can
be committed against the government of
God or man, Perhaps ought not to make
this broad assertion without giving some
additional reasons for it.
In the first place it is grossly dishonest.
| employ you asa minister, pay your salary,
and build you a church because have
confidence in your theological doctrines,-
But you may be at the same time wholly
unfit for my political leader. Now, you
are guilty of a base fraud upon me, if, in
stead of preaching religion, you take ad-
vantage ofthe position l have given you to
ventilate your crude and ignorant notions
on State affairs. | have asked for bread
and you give me stone; instead of the
fish | bargained for, you put in my hand
serpent that stings and poisons me.
1t destroys the unity of the church,
There is no room for rational dispute about
tho great truths of Christianity but men
will never agree upon political subjects, for
human government is at best but a com
promise of selfish interests and conflicting
passions When you mix the two togeth-
er you break the church into fragments,
and instead of" One Lord, one faith and
one baptism" you create thousand war
ring sects, and substitute the proverbial
bitterness of the odium Meologicum for the
" charity which thinkcth no evil"
No one will deny that a union of Church
and State is always the cause of bad gov
ernment, perverted religion and corrupt
morals. l do not mean merely that legal
union which exists in European countries.
That is bad enough; but you have less
common sense than I give you credit for, if
you do not see, that this adulterous connex-
ion assumes its most polluting form when
the church is voluntarily prosttuted by her
own ministers to a political party in pop
ular government.
The evil influence of such connexions
upon Church and State is easily accounted
for. Both of them in combination will do
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