UNCLE TOM'S CABIN

PART
IV.
done seems in some sort to bringthe sin
CHAPTER I.
of the omission to their door.
We have
THE INFLUENCE OP THE AMERICAN CHURCH
spokențhus far, of the clergy
ON SLAVERY.
alone;but in America,where the clergyman
is, in most denominations, elected by
TnERE is no countryin the world where the church, and supportedby its voluntary
contributions, the influenceof the church and
that of the clergyare, to a very greatextent,
where the clergy are more powerful.This identical. The clergyman is the very ideal
is the more remarkable,because in America
and expression of the church. They choose
religion is entirely divorced from the him, and retain him, because he expresses
state, and the clergy have none of those more perfectly than any other man they can
arfificial means for supporting their influence
obtaințheirideasof truth and right. The
which result from rank and wealth. clergyman is supported, in all 'cases,by his
Taken as a body of men, the American church,or else he cannot retain his position
clergy are generallypoor.
The salaries in it. The fact of his remainingthere is
givento them afford onlya bare support, generally proof of identity of opinion, since,
and yield them no means of acquiring property.
if he differed very materially from them,
Their style of living can be barelythey have the power to withdraw from him.
decent and respectable, and no more. The
the religious influence has a greater ascendency
than in America. There isno country
fact that,under these circumstances, the
American clergy are probably the most powerful
by the free consent of the understanding
bodyof men in the country, isof itself
and heart of his church,is in some
a
argument in theirfavor.
respectsgreater even than that of a papal
strongpresumptive
It certainly argues in them,as a class, priest Ṭhe priest can control onlyby a
both intellectualand moral superiority. blind spiritual authority, which, very
It is a well-known fact that the influenceoften reason demurs,while ityieldsan
of the clergy is looked upon by our statesmen
outward assent; but the successful free
as a most serious element in making minister takes captive the affectionsof the
up their political combinations ; and that heart by his affections, overrules the reasoning
that influence is so great țhat no statesman
powers by superior strength of reason,
would evqr undertake to carry a measure
and thus,availing
againstwhich all the clergy of the country reason, conscience, and the entire man, pos-
should unite. Such a degree of power,
a power, from the very freedom of the
though it be only a power of opinion, argument
organization, greater than can ever result
and example, is not without its dangers
to the purity of any bodyof men. To
by political partisans
always
be courted
a dangerousthingfor the integrity and
spirituality of men who professto be governed
by principles which are not of this
world. The possession, too, of so great a
power as we have described, involves a most In speakingțherefore, of this subject,
weightyresponsibility ; since,if the clergywe shallspeak of the church and the clergy
do possess the power to rectify any great as identical, usingthe word church in the
national immorality,
American sense of the word, for that class
the factof itsnot being
13
and choose another.
The influence of a clergymanțhus retained
from
himself of affection,
minis-
blind spiritual despotism Ịf a ter
cannot succeed in doingthis to some
sesses
goodextent in a church,he is called unsuccessful
; and he who realizesthis description
most perfectly has the highestand most
perfect kind of power, and expresses the
idea of a successfulAmerican minister.