The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1877-12-06
PULPIT POLITICS.
Thanksgiving Services 1t the New
Disciple Church.

Mr.. EDITOR: / deem it to the inter.
est Of truth and to the interest of those
of your readers who were listeners tc
the discourse of Rey. Hills on Thurs
day morning last, to note some of the
features and the effect of that politica
TRADE. That it was interesting shall
not hesitate to admit; but that it wal
an abuse of privilege, that no practi
ch good could possibly arise from
such an harrangue, that it was falst
picture with faulty colors' and that 4
was pregnant with gross exaggera
ton and false logic, I was forced to be
lieve. The speaker, at the commence
ment of his discourse, alluded to tn
license that by custom was granted t.
pulpit orators on such occasions as al
excuse for the attitude he was abou
to assume in the pulpit of q Christian
church. But custom can never licens'
a Disregard of that injunction of Hol.
Writ. "Preach Christ and Him crucifi
ed."' But custom is followed, and whel
it allows these must.be Christians t.
lay aside the mask that gives an un
natural length to their ,.countenances
to see them grasp the opportunity as I
golden moment, aud dive down deel
into the cesspool of political corrup
ton in the hope to "idrag up drowet
honor by the locks,nn only shows wha
is uppermost, in their minds anG
proves that when by chance vino
the Christian cloak that enwraps then
is rent. form ia, seen like unto Other
men, with aspirations the same, look
ing no higher than worldly favors and
honOrs that men confer. 80 ~ A5@1il
IT we give our nod Of assent to say.
ings and sentiments, let it not be be.
cause they are heard from the pulpit
but because OF the utterances them.
selves.
A large part of the audience of Rev
Hills were of the gcntler sex whose
worth and chief enjoyment consist in
the confidence they have in and mani
fest toward those on whom they de-
pend; and how that confidence
must have been shaken. and their
hearts pained to hear, from one who
assumed To know and whose words
they accept as Gospel truth, those who
were the favored Of the land, holding
the highest positions in the gift of a
great, Intelligent people, the gray
haired sires and the middle aged pa
triots, characterized, without discrim-
ination, as liars, perjurers, slanderous
political tricksters, gamblers, traitors
to humanity and enemies to their
country, and when they drew a COM
parison between those of national re-
nown who bear blushing honors thick
upon Them and their plodding, idols
at home, the merchant in the little
dark store room, the farmer at his
plow, the laborer digging in the street,
how belittled each one must have felt
to think she had lived to no better
purpose than strive TO lend a charm
and comfort to one that was undesery-
ing, and how the respect toward that
former idol must have died away, as
she beard such epithets applied to, the
favored and honored sons of America.
There are two methods adopted for
moral Instruction; The, one by the
true moral teacher, who marks out the
path Of duty. tells Of the virtues of
good land draws the line of mans
perfection the other by the teacher of
whose perverted judgment
has caused him to believe that morale
ty is taught by exciting the imagina-
lion and parading before that bewild-
cred Imagination the wees and cor
ruptions of men, going beyond the
limit of human degradation, and when
no hero is known to serve their pnr-
pose, imagine and paint one, fill him
with rOttenness from head to foot and
then set lrm up as a specimen of aver
age humanity. Such teachers always
give OF the inierential conclusion that
they are an exception to the monster
thus formed. ..s-
Such was the attitude our instructor
assumed on Thursday morning, and
such the horrid scare-crow, illustra.
tive of the character of the honored
rulers of to-day, erected to scatter
doubts and dangers, wringing of the
fears and despairs' among
the people, and cause them to believe
that. unless they, GOd's chosen, the
lew exceptions. should become the
rulers OF this nation, the pillars o # her
would be hewn down.and
we crushed beneath the ruins of her
mighty temple. He'd one been ignor-
ant OF facts he would have supposed
from this wholesale impeachment OF
honor, that this was an age
Of unparalleled crime and commotion,
that security for property, liberty and
life was a stranger, and that we, as
nation, like pious Eneas of old was
launched out into the deep, blowing
the foaming pillows of an angry sea
with shattered ship, while -Eolus,
the God of the winds, was shifting the
hollow mountains side with his spear
from which rush forth at every veut
The obedient winds and tear up the
whole deep from its lowest bottom.
But Nepture, the God of the sea, bade
the winds to fly apacc and tell their
king that not to him the empire of the
sea and the aw III trident had been giv-
Ell ;that his doninions were the mi ghty
rocks,an in that palace let king Eolus
proudly boast, and reign in the close
prison of the winds.
So while these fire eaters and politl-
cal agitators may smite the hollow
until the winds therefrom