The Republican journal., 1871-03-09
From the Logan (Ohio) Gazette
Politics in Sunday School.

n the columns OF your Journal, OF De- |
eember 9th, 1870, on the subject of ''Po-
litical Preaching,' and commenting spe-
,ially on the late Thanksgiving discourse
Of one Of the Bellefontaine clergymen.
1t is matter OF surprise that the politi-
cal preaching of late years is not oftener
publicly criticised and denounced. All
who desire the restoration of peace and
harmony in the church will unite with
6 Justice in condemning course which
has tendency to drive out, and keep out
of the pale OF the church, all the mem
bers of one Of the political parties which
composes about one half the population
of the country We do not charge all the |
clergy with having more interest in the
Radical party than in the church of Christ. |
There is still q remnant Divided in polit-
ical sentiment) who are striving to preach /.
Gods gospel in its purity.
But every candid observer must admit |,
that majority of them are too active in
politics to be useful in the church They
are prompt in attendance at every Radi- !
cal caucus, or convention, whether the
nomination be tor Congressman or vii
lage Councilman, and often support the
worst men in their party for nominate
and anybody at the polls, who may be
candidate of their party. Having become
enlisted in politics. they easily drift with
it from the polls to the pulpit. A Apreach-
er has the same right to advocate and
vote his political sentiments, as anybody
else. We can meet and answer him on
the stump, on the street, or at the polls,
but he has the advantage when he fires ut
us from the pulpit. How unlike the ven
cradle DR.. Alexander Princeton, who
said he did not cast vote for twenty-five
years, ''lest it might offend ;" and how
unlike the Apostle Paul, who would not
even eat meat, lest it caused a brother
offence. The evil influence Of the ''politi-
cal parson' was experienced, short
time since, in neighborng county by
the mother of a brighteyed little boy
The bulletin boards announced the COM
inc of theater, in flaming posters, to en-
tice and allure the young. ''Little Ed
die was all excitement on the subject of
going to the promised entertainment.
"No! no, my son; good people don't 90
to theaters." ''Why, ma, President Lin
coin was killed in q theater, and our
preacher said he was great and good
man, and had gone up into heaven" 1t
has been deeply and teelingly taught byl
politicians, clergymen. and Sabbath schoo
teachers, that the spirit of Mr.. Lincoln
Immediately passed into the realms of uu-
speakable glory, from the private box in
Ford's Theater, where the fatal bullet did
its sudden and murderous work.
The people have imbibed this teaching
though the countless poems, sermons,
and speeches. 1t is lamentable to add
that the corps of Sunday school.book
writers have undertaken to incorporate
the same idea into their books. For eX-
ample: A little Sunday schooJbook, late
ly published by q daughter of Professor
Phelps, of Andover, thus refers to the cur
rent belief, in speaking Of heavenly
scenes: II wonder if Roy Ga soldier who
died without having joined the church,
has seen President Lincoln? Aunt Wintord
says she does not doubt it. She thinks
all the soldiers must have crowded up to
meet him. and 90" she adds, '.Wha
glorious sight to see!" We ask if this not
blasphemy9 Happy spirits in heaven
crowding up TO meet who? The savior Of
their souls No, Abraham Lincoln, who
was not even 4 professor Of religion, and
who died III a theater The belief has
sometimes been announced from the pull
pit, that all the soldiers of the ''Union"
army are in heaven. And indeed, during
the war, when recruiting WAS done in the
churches; when political harangucs were
substituted for the gospel Of Christ, and
war-songs for the melodies of Zion, the
certainty of future bliss has more than
once been held out as an inducement to
enlist in the sacred cause Of the Union,
and of freedom" Concerning the pres
ent condition of Abraham Lincoln. or the
soldiers slain upon the battle fields Of the
late war, or any other war, we can only
judge by knowledge oftheir inner lives
For ''lIe that hath the Son, hath life
and he that hath not the Son of God, hath
not life !"
1t is sometimes claimed by the Radical
clergy. that the exigencies of the times
ought to excuse the many ugly things
they said during the war. 1t may next
be asserted that the way of salvation, rs
clearly taught in the Bible, was Temporal
rily suspended "during the war" We
advise and exhort parents to read care
fully the Sunday school books and papers
put into the hands of their children, and
to attend more diligently to home train
ing. The vast Sunday school movement
the children's church, has dropped Its
original characteristic feature as mis-
sionary enterprise, and is being received
as an easy substitute for the divinely ap-
pointed system of f;nnily instruction. We
love the Sabbath school for the good it
has done. and may vet do. if the mana
gers can be induced to return to the good
old times. There are many pious Christ
i,,t
schools, who desire, and ought to receive
the sympathy, support and prayers ofall
Christian people. But while we approve
the good, let the bad be condemned,
whether in books or in teachers.
During the political campaign of 1868,
q female teacher put her hands over the
mouth Of little boy on Main street, Belle
fontaine, and told him it sounded very
ugly to hear a little Sunday school boy
hurrah for Seymour" ''You!must hur-
rah for Grant," she said. The boy could
not be induced to return to school the fol-
lowing Sabbath, and his parents would
not, and ought not. to compel him to re-
turn to suoh a teacher, who is unfit for
such q position either in Sunday or Union
schools.
The child was instructed to "hurrah
for Grant" who is not 4 professor of re-
ligion, and who spends much of h is
time with fast men and horses, and |
smoking fine cigars; and who has been
charged by Rev. Tilden, Lieut.. Gov
Stanton, and other high Radical author
ity, with drunkenness on several occa-
sions; while the character of Governor
Seymour, for morality and religion, is
The following is cut from a late copy
IF the Bellefontaine Republican:
ga son of one of our farmers in an adjoining
own, a little boy five years old, after repeated
was permitted to sleep up stairs with
he hired man, one night On coming down in
he morning, his parents asked him if he said
lis prayers on going to bed. He frankly an
wered he had not. Did Jim say his prayersT
was the next inquiry. 'Oh, no y replied the
title fellow, with the greatest simplicity, he's
Democrat 7 "
Mr.. J. @. A. Campbell, the author and
of the above, is Superintendent
If Sabbath school, and it is not difficult
o tell where the boy got his training.
We suppose the large and respectable de-
nomination which placed this bigoted
oharisee, Campbell, at tho head of its
school, will expect Democrats to rush
up with their children and put