The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1867-05-09
Hours with the Newspapers.
Number E3.
BY pH1DELTA.

The religious newspaper is the result OF
christianity as established in society, ex-
panding its influence, keeping pace with
the times and with the social wants OF
men. Although christianity is estab-
lished in society it is not fossilizcd; il
has its current literature-its weekly
newSpaper-the same as other depart
ments of human thought and experience.
The christian must think from week to
week as well as the statesman. Indeed
it is not improbable that the day is not
far distant when we shall have the daih
religious newspaper with the kilograms
ofmissionary items from India and China:
the ocean-telegraph may speak the
breathings of the Spirit that "moyes on
the face of the waters.' The expanding
influence of christianity calls for all the
modes Of expression known among men.
The church can not consent to speak
but once or twice in such century as
this, or only in ponderous volumes; it
devotes the Sjn days Of the ,ceek to the
social wants Of men and in keeping time
to the march of events, while the scceath
day is devoted more exclusively TO the
purely spiritual wants of men. Ofcourse
the religious and social elements in man
are blendedin somerespects; you would
as well attempt to separate religion and
life.
The religious newspaper can not en-
tirely ignore tie 'poIjtjcS" of the country.
To do so, christians must be the most
ignorant of men, To exclude from the
religious newspaper everything that, in
these days, may come under the tern
political, is to suppose that there can not
be any Identification Of political ques-
tons with moral questions. Imagine a
religious newspaper silent on all the ques-
tons of the day called political; what
would it be-? 1t would be like nothing
in Heaven nor on earth. 1t would be q
cowardly, unmcaning thing. In the yo.
cabulary Of many persons politics means
the art Of getting office; and tits a part
Of the artifce Of this kind of politicians
to assail the religious newspaper when it
touches the opposite side of questions on
which men may vote. Leta "Christian
Witness" touch the other side of the
same question, and the cry is "Holy!
holy" The political questions of these
times are of vital Importance There
are questions affecting the rights of mer
and the stability of government. The
religious newspaper can not ignore suct
questons-it would be contrary both tc
religion and to human nature-it mus
take one side or the other 1t has chosen;
and the opposition, if they claim to be
men, must battle its arguments like men
and not undertake to force it to say only
what they suppose heacen would say
through the press; applying the term
hypocricy to earnest convictions will only
injure the accusers.
The religious newspaper performs {
service beyond the sphere of influence o.
the pulpit and of the secular press,
"What service?" may be asked with {
sneer. Probably he who asks is not {
christian with Christ-like views of hui
manity. The secular press does no
occupy the same stand point as the re,
ligious. 1t can not speak as the organ o
any religious denomination, and thereby
stimulate its philantropic plans. Each
christian denomination has its press, an(
its managers are intimately acquainted
with the purposes and plans OF the or.
ganization and the modes of though
and feeling of its members, The christian
world expects them to be denomina
tional, while the secular press can not be
Perhaps the aggregate of the beneyo
leuce of denominations exceeds what W.
should expect if there was on y one un'
wieldy, christian organization. Henc'
the religious newspaper, since it must
be the organ of a denomination Qor w
must consider the christian world as
iS) performs a function which the secula
press can not perform. And in sucl
circumstances we can not reasonabl,
expect the religious newspaper to ignor
those political questions which are al
the same time moral questions. 1t woulC
not be a christian paper if it should ig
more them. In the discussion of po
litcaI questions-even those which hay
a moral bearing-the religious news
paper has more freedom than the pulpit
There are still more urgent themes thai
those of political morality, that deman,
the attention of the minister of the Cos
pei He has to deal more with tn
purely spiritual" and personal Will
we can not surrender the right of tn
christian church to discuss politics
questions we see in the religious news
paper the champion of those principle
which are at the same time called polit
ical and moral--not the preacher of th
Gospel in the services of the sanctuary
We say this of the preacher not becaus
he has not the right, and may not some
times feel it to be his duty, but becaus
that service may now be performed b,
another agent Of the church leaving t,
the minister the peculiar services of tn
sanctuary.