The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-09-23
Priests ANA Ministers.

From the Nation.
One Of the scmi-religious papers has
suggested during the week and the rug.
gestiOn has been re-cchocd by a portion
Of the daily press-that the interference
Of the Catholic clergy in politics, such ~
has been recently witnessed in New
Jersey, was fair aud unobjcclionable, be.
cause the Protestant clergy did the same
thing. II ministers uphold the common
school system in the pulpit, and urge
their maintenance ~ one Of the duties Of
their locks, why, it Is asked, should not
priests urge their 4locks to ovcrtmrn ii,
and even distribute ballots to such Cath.
Olics "a are willing To do their bidding
The Protestant clergy discuss nearly all
the prominent topics Of the day in their
churches now and again, and do inSIigatC
their congregations To take n particular
line Of action nj the polls. They have
done NJ with regard 10 slavery, with re.
gard to the late war, with regard 10 tent
peranre, with regard To marriage and
divorce, with regard To donations OF pub.
lie money To Catholic institutions, and
there itno sorl 0flombt that II our com.
mon school system should bU seriously
threatened In the interest Of any party nr
denomination, they would make their
churches resunnd with exhOrtatiuns to
vigorous opposition. The conclusion is,
therefore, that the interference of the
bishops and priests in the decisions Of
questions Of contemporary politics Is but
part Of u legitimate game Oi church
against church, in which all ccclcsiastics
have u right to participate ~ long ~ they
violate no positive law.
This has sOmucll the look Of being "a
broad view" that II will doubtless find "a
YOr with great many sentimCntalisls, IA
we'll "a with some hard.hcndch people,
who plume themselves on their love Of
fair play and think everybody il entitled
10 n hearing, and that a. long as priest
or anybody else refrains from physical
coercion his efforts To persuade people Oh
any subject ought not IN he resented. In
reality II il, however, u very narrow aud
one-sitled and misleading view, and fur.
nishes Il good illustration Of the way PEG.
pie are imposed on by names. II is II de.
ducLion from m assumption which has no
foundation in fact, viz: that Catholic
priest and Protestant minister are both
pastors OF the same sort and stand in the
same relation to their llocks. We have
no doubt that for the purpose OF political
agitation the Catholic clergy would he
very glad TO have this notion Of their
character and functions gain currency,
but IL would be n very unfortunate thing
for this community II il were allowed to
do 40. The Protestant minister address.
sing his congregation does 80 "a an Ameri.
can citizen, whose highest allegiance Is
avowedly due to the American govern.
nent, and who acknowledges that his
highest political duty is To obey the law
Of the land. lie addresses them, too, as
iellOw.citilen, and as in all respects
man like themselves, whose duty
II Is to lead them III certain re-.
ligiOns exercises, in which, however,
they take part, Or may take part, as
fully AZ he does. Some Of his functions,
such "a the administration Of the sacra.
ments, are peculiar to him, but they do
not clOthe him with supernatural author.
lily for other and different purposes. The
ecclesiastical tribunals, too, to which he
Ia amenable, are composed Of American
citizens, and are only in part clerical
the laily are fully represented in them.
Though last, not least, the sermon or 9th.
err address OF the minister to the people
always has been in the Protestant
Church, and IL now more than ever, lis.
cussion Of some topic by man Of cSccp.
tiOnal qualifications, in the presence Of
the congregation and by no means an Ut.
tefance OF the divine orncles. II the au.
dience do not like his methods or do not
agree with HE conclusions, they dismiss
him, and provide themselves with an.
other orator, and the attention they give
him IL the attention VI critics rather
than disciples. They are guarded by ira.
dition, by education, and by temperament
from ascribing to his words any author.
lily beyond what the force OF his argu.
ments and their general estimate Of his
character and ability give them. His
preachinga political sermon, or his offer.
ing political advice in the pulpit, there
lore, has never been serionsly objected to
on the ground that II was likely to exert
40 unhealthy or unlawful influence on
his flock, or force upon them considera.