Year: 1875

Notwithstanding the repeated deniais and
explanations Of Bishop Haven and his friends
of the Methodist Church, in reference to the
recent Boston nomination Of President Grant
for a third term upon the platform of ''true
Christianity, we cannot fail to see q strong
religious current setting in that direction.
This current takes its source from the Meth
odist Church 1t is natural that conscien-
tious Methodists and those who respect the
dignity and purity Of the Church would
shrink from anything that would look like
attaching their organization to the fortunes
of any political party or leader. The pru-
dent men who govern it cannot fail to see
that any success in politics would be small
compared with the evil that would fall
upon it from such an alliance We do not
know that the mind of Bishop Haven is
calculated to search deeply into the hlstori-
cal relations between churches and govern
ments but unless the character OF Bishop
Simpson is misunderstood he must have seen
frequent instances in history warning him
from the policy that would place his Church
under obligations to any party or party
leader We cannot recall an instance in his
tory when an alliance of politics with relig
ion, and especially the dependence of religion
upon the State, did not in the long run
bring disaster to religion.


Observing men in the Catholic communion
see the effect Of this relation between Church
and State in the prosecutions which have
fallen upon their faith in Italy and Germany.
The root of the trouble between the Vatican
and the German government lies in the fact
that the Roman clergy insist upon direct
connection with the government. If they
had maintained their independence they
would never have invited persecution. The
government accepted the old relation partly
because an established Church is the rule in
the larger countries of Europe and partly be-
cause of the belief that it would enable the
rulers of the State to influence the Church,
Now, whatever advantage may accrue to
Methodism as q religion or to Methodists
personally from the reelection of President
Grant, or the election of any other member
of the Church to the Presidency, in the end
the evil will be widespread and fatal. AL
ready the Methodist denomination, one of
the most powerful and most respected in
this country, has fallen into scandal because
of the preference shown to it's bishops and
priests by the President. The fact that any
denomination, Methodist or not, becomes
the favorite of the dispenser of political
power unites against it every other
denomination. Other churches see
with envy what has been done for
their brethren. They feel that every
attention shown to another Church by
the authorities is a slight Therefore if Presi-
dent Grant were to succeed in winning the
White House as the direct result of this
nomination of Bishop Haven the immediate
advantage would be limited to few Metho-
dists who might be in his graces, but the
evil would fall upon the Methodist Church
and last for many generations.


1t may be that these considerations have
led to the explanations and denials which
have attended the Convention in Boston
The practical fact stands out unchallenged
that this Convention has opened the canvass
for the Presidency by the nomination of
President Grant. Counsellors like Bishop





of Church. A fiery, reckless unthinking
prelate like Bishop Haven, with a popular
war cry and knowledge fclaptrap oratory
could do more to carry with him the opin-
ions Of the Church than any moderate, we'll
intentioned, patient leader like Bishop
Simpson. The Methodists showed in their
Convention in Boston that, however the
cooler heads might dissent from any attempt
to Introduce politics into the Church, it was
a strong emotion with the Bishop. He and
his friends meant to follow it as they would
an article of their faith. To use his own
words in the Tribune, he desired the Conven-
tion to pray for the denomination Of Presi-
dent Grant. This is the sentiment which
grew up in England when Cromwell be-
came the Lord Protector. There were
wise and pious men in that time
who deplored the attempt to use the
Church Of God for the elevation Of q
military adventurer But Cromwell had
soldiers about him like Babcock and priests
like Haven. Behind these soldiers and these
priests were powerful parties-a compact
body Of supporters, whose interest was in
his triumph. 1t was the custom of his time
to underrate Cromwell as a weak man, to
libel him as cruel and false, to paint him as
a tyrant. butcher and hypocrite. 1t is now
the fashion to paint General Grant as a
stolid dark-mnded, stupid accident, blown
into the Presidency by whiffs of cannon shot
and seeking reelection by pandering to
religious enthusiasm. This picture Of Grant
does him as much injustice as the contem-
porary pictures Of Cromwell did the great
Protector. The President is strong man
in any point Of view. As politician he has
shown courage and patience and foresight
which throws into the shade all of his rivals