The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1864-1911, 1867-10-23
Tbe PuIpit,s Opportunity.


to the husks of the prodigal, ihfidelity ha
increased alarmingly. Where at one tim
it was considered disgrace to be an infidel
now infidels form a respectable portion o
the congregations OF the ''priests of tn
Radical gods. Where at one time church
es and preaching awakened serious thought
in the minds of the hearers, and induced
men to leat better lives, under the balefu
influence of political preaching, nearly al
| the influence of such clergy is weakened OF
| destroyed, and unbelievers augh in mock,
cry. We hope to see, before many days. 4
return to the story of the Cross. Read the
article:
| [From the New York Journal of Commerce.
Now is the time for ministers of the Cos
pei to give up political preaching. We are
satisfied that the majority of those pastors
who have mixed politics with their theolo-
gy in the proportions of nine to one, for
some years back, have done it against their
better judgment. They have yielded to
tie fashion of the times, to the example Of
powerful and successful preachers, to the
real Tor supposedl irresistible current of
feeling in their congregations. We have
always held them, as class, to be above
the sordid aims of politicians. They have
not preached politics for money, nor for
vulgar applause; but because they had not
sufficient moral strength to resist the tre-
mendOus pressure which was brought to
bear upon them by church conventions and
ass mblies. and by active and influential Oc-
cupants of pews. In some instances the
pressure from the pews was not real, but
imaginary The pastor, observing the tens
dency in other churches, sought to antici-
pate it in his own, and, with unnecessary
precipitation, put himself at the head OF
his flock and led it into politics. Still, as a
general rule, the motive power, when it did
not originate outside of the church, came
from the pews and forced the pastor to
write political addresses under the name of
sermons, and pray for the success of a par
ty more than for the coming of Christ s
kingdom. Their Bible was their text book
their point OF departure, chiefly in the
sense that they departed from it-but their
BODY of theology was too often taken from
newspaper editorials or from the platforms
of excited public meetings held during the
previous week. Many preachers reflected
truthiully that by stepping into their church
rs pu DuHudy d pCISpH Cuulu lcdIh tnG COIN
dition OF the political atmosphere as from
a barometer. There was little garniture
Of religion in the reading of the scriptures
mot always selected with reference to top
les of the day. in the short prayer possibly,
and in the formal benediction beyond any
doubt, but these were merely trimmings to
the huge hot joint of pure politics, at which
the preacher cut and came again.
This political preaching has been the
shame and scandal OF Christs church. 1t
has been the prolific cause of infidelity not
only outside of the church, but within. its
pale; not only in the psws but in the pull
pits. AT first it was curious novelty, and
pastors found their congregations increased
perhaps hundred fold. Men focked to
the political churches as they went to the
opera, the theatre, or the circus, to be ex-
cited and amused. They could applaud
and they could laugh there at every smart
political hit, freely and without rebuke. 1t
was religion made easy, and like virtue
made easy, there was very little OF it left
when you came to look for it. Newspapers
were used to advertise these political ser>
mons in advance. Partisan journals pub
lishcd the sermons the next day, not or it.
ting the cheers and laughter where they
came in. and fattered the preach
ers in editorial articles. A great deal Of
the hard work OF the campaign was put up
on their 81 oulders. SotDe of them talked
politics not only two or three times every
Sunday, but odd evenings during the week.
They were too willing to work, they were
too Jealous in their new cause, and they
over did it. Safety in the congregation
soon followed excess in the preacher The
outside attendance fell off, many Of the pew
owners who had liked the thing while it was
new. got sick of it at last, ard these preach
ers finally found themee in the condition
Of men who, having taken false position,
feel compelled, out of regard to onsstenuy,
to maintain it at all hazards. In this re-
solve they have been encouraged and sns-
tanned by mall but active knots OF polltl
clans, who give tone to many Of our church
es. There are clCrgymen who have seen
their hocks scattered beyond recall, and
their churches sold out or turned into places
of amusement before they would consent to
retrace their steps to religion pure and un-
defled
Now is the time for ministers to weed out
politics frori their religion. The political
reaction, of which We see the signs all
around us, is protest against political
and numerous other errors and
lallacics. The reactonary feeling affects
all c.asses of society, III all their relations.
We believe that if show of hands were
called for in the churches next Sunday, q
majority of votes would be found in favor
of excluding politics from the pulpit; or,
should be equally divided, we believe that
. E1 ale
cance in the pastors determination to es-
chew politics tor the futme. Pastors would
be surprised to discover how cheerfully
their people would now follow their lead out
OF the miry paths Of politics back to the an
cient trodden ways. They must, by this
time, be satisfied that it is impossible to get
out OF rational politics by going to the end
of it--tor it has no end. The possible
crotchets of the Radical mind are Infinite.
Political preachers never can say that their
their work is done, and lay off their har-
ness Excelsior is still the cry, and
always will he, Of the frantic, of the fran
tic agitators who occupy the van of Radi
ical movements. They care nothing for
the church, except as it aids them in their
dangerous ve;turcs. While they use it
they despise it. This fact is made very
clear in the last number Of Wendell Phil
lips organ, which says: -"Churches and
the clergy are, as formerly, Tor the most
part but make>weights or a positive drag
where they should be foremost in leading
the nation in the light of immutabie, fun
damental Christian principles through its
present difficult and dangerous pass" -
This is the gratitude which the political
clergy receive from those who have sought
to dictate their style of preaching for q
number OF years. How much longer will
ministers Of the Gospel submit to these
hardest of taskmastersl
--------=azdh- Go