The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1866-11-24
POLITICAL PREACHING.


.gsinst political preaching was written b,
Judge BLACK, of Ps., in rely to letter IL
defence of that practice, addressed to b IN
through the newspapers by Dr. Nevin, o
Philadelphia
Ny DEAR SlR-Your letter addressed to
me through the Philadelphia Ere:iny Bulie
tin disappoints me, because did not expect
1t to come in ihat way, and because 1t doe.
not cover the subject in issue between us.
But if am silent, your friends will say, with
rome show Of reason. that you have vindica.
ted Political Preaching so trIumphan,ly
that all opposition is confounded. 1 must,
therefore, speak freely in reply. In doing so,
! mean to say nothing inconsistent with nv
great respect for your high character in the
Church and in the world. Ike admirable
style and temper Of your own com III nicatioa
deserves to be initiated.
l fully concede the right yen claim for
clergymen to select their own themes and
handle them as they please You say truly,
that neither lawyers nor physicians, nor any
order of men have the least authority to con-
troll you in thes: particulars. Bat you will
not deny that this Is a privilege which may
be abused; you expressly admit that some
clergymeD have abused it, "aud by doing so
did more than any other class of men to
commence and continue the late rebellion"
While, therefore, we can assert no power to
dictate your conduct, much iess t. force you,
we are surely not wrong when We eutrcat YOU
to impose upon yourselves those restrictions
which reason and revelation have shown to
Fe necessary for the good ul the Church aud
the safety OF civil society.
l acknowledge that your commission 10 q
very broad one. Inu must declare the
whole counsel of God, to the end that sim
ners may be convinced and converts built up
in their most holy faith. Truth, justice, tenn
perance, humility, mercy. pee, brUtherly
kindness, charity-:hc whole circle OF the
Christian virtues--must be assIduously taught
Ia your hearers !; and if any OF them be im-
ciined to the opposite vices, Won ore to de-
nounce them without fear. by private adm
milton, By open rcbnk-, or by a general
delirery of the law which condemns tn en-
Iou are not bound TO pause In tho performs
ance of this duty because it may offend a
powerful ruler OK Stsoag political parts.
Nor should you shriak from it when bad
men, for their ow n purposes,approv what you
do. Elevate the moral character, e,ilighten
the darkness. sad purify The hearts of those
whe are under your spiritual Charge, AT all
haZasss: for this is the work which your
grent Taskmaster has gwen you TO do, and
lie will admit no excuse fer neg elccrirg it.
Bu, this IL precisely what the political
preacher is not in the habit of doing He
directs the attention of SIS hearers away from
their own sins to tho sins, real or imputed, of
other people. BY teaching his congregation
that they are better than other men he fill.
tkeir hearts with self-eonceit, bigotrv. spirit>
unl pride, envy, hatred, nalace anu all un>
chsri,ab!eness Instead of the exhortatiou
which they need. 10 take the beam out of their
own eye, he Inci,es them 10 pluck the mote
from their bro,he.y He does not tell them
what they shall DO to be savsd but instrucis
them very carefully how they shall act tor The
destruction of others. lie arouseS and ems
courages to the utmost of his ability, those
brutal passions which result in riot blood
shed. spOliation, civil war and general ccr-
ruption Of mcrals-
GU commit grievous error in supposing
that politics aud religion are so mingled
together that you cannot preach one without
introducing the other. Christ and His apos-
ties kept them perfectly separate. They
announced the great facts of the Gospel to
each individual whom they addressed. When
these were accepted the believer was told to
repent and be bspiised for the remission of
his sins, and afterwards 10 regulate his own
life by the rules of pure and perfect morali-
~. They expressed 40 preference for one
form of government over another, they pros
voked political revolutions, and they
propose no legal reforms. If they had done
so they would have fatty contradic:ed the
declaration that Ch-ist's Kingdom wss not of
this world, and christianity isself would have
died out in half century. But they accepted
the relations which were created by human
law, and exhor,ed their disciples to discharge
faithfully The duties which arose out of tLcn.
ThOug b the laws which defined the authority
of husbands. Isrents, n,a.ter. and magistrates
were rs bad rs human perversitv could make
them, yet the early Christians coDtented
themselves with teaching moderation in the
exercise OF legal power and uniformly in>
culcated the virtues of Obedience and fidelity
upon wives, children, slaves and subjects.
They joined in no clamors for or against any
but simply testified against
sin before the only tribunal which Christ ever
erected on earth tina: is TO say. the cons
science of the winner himself. The vice of
political preaching was wholly unknown to
the primitive Church.
1t IS true that Paul counselicd obedience !
TO the Government of Nero; and | an aware |
that modern clergymen interrupt his words |
rs a justification of the doctrine that support |
allegiance TO Cod Several Snyods and |
other ecclesiastical bodies have solemny |
Resoireei something tc that effect. But they |
forgot that what Paul advised WAS simply /
not active assistance, to Nero. |
The Christians Of that day di not indorse his /
atrocities merely because he was ''the adj
ininistration duly placed in power They
did net go with him 70 the theater, applaud
his acting, or praise him in tie churches
when he kidnapped their brethren, set fire to
. city. or desolated a province. Nor did
they assist athis apoiheos.s after his death, or
pronounce funeral sermons 10 show that he
was greater th@n ScipIo, more virtuous than
Cato and more eloquent than Cicero. Politi-
sal preachers would have done THIS, but Paul
md Peter did no such thing.
There is nothing in The Scriptures to justi
y the Church in applying its discipline to
my member tor any offences purely political,
much less for his mere opinions or feelings
'n public affairs. The clergy are without
as they are often without fitness,
% decide for their congregations what is
right or what is wrong in the legislation of
The country. They are not called or sent to
propagate any kind of political doctri.;e.
The Church aud the State are eutirely sepa-
ate and distinct In their origin, their object,
md the sphere OF their action insomuch tb.t
he organism: of one can never be used for
my purpose OF the other without injury to
roth.
do therefore say that the Christian rcli.
ZION is TO have no influence Oh the political
,es,iny Of man? Far from il. Novith>