Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1865-11-20
G6s AaiIa 5uuuaaL.
MoNDAY.......~......NovEMBER 90
Pulpit and Politics.

L.
--------- =-zzSz==z
Pulpit and Politics.
o9e Our friend of The Courier is no con-
servative. He is growing in grace and
knowledge Of the truth. He is pro-
gressive. He acknowledges our two
propositions that the reli sion Of ma
tons and its adherents always have re.
proved the shortcomings of government;
that they always viii; aud that politics
should not be devoid of Christianity
But he has fed probably from childhood
on "partisan clap-trap" and "sich'
e like" truck, so it is scarcely to be ex-
pected that he can thoroughly digest the
bread Of life, the living waters-with
which we are DESTROYS to nourish him.
He ia almost persuaded, but the vitiated
partisan atmosphere in which he has
hitherto exclusively lived renders his
perceptions of the clear light of the
word . indstinct, and the passing clouds
are constantly obscuring and perverting
his vision.
Our assertion that Christianity was
meant for the government of this world,
not of the next" is considered by the
Courier Startling revelation" and it
moats emphatically denies its truth.
What, then, does ii mean, when
more than accepting our entire argu-
ment, by saying, eve could not tolerate
politics devoid of Christianity Does it
not mean that politics and policy
should be subordinate to Christianity ?
~ More strenuous than we are in his, we
tear, momentary illumination, he cannot
tolerate what we are content to oppose.
Intolerance attempts to destroy, not
to convert, energies improperly directed.
rf Christianity appeals for the largest lib
erty. Intolerance is its utter perversion.
Oar friendly opponent has holy,
wholesome horror of the partisan poll
tics with which he has been familiar.
He has relinquished all hope of ever
seeing men who inculsate, as well as
practice, what is to be revered as just,
holy, aud righteous in political life. Ac-
cording to him, that life is necessarily
passed in sink of moral filth and cor
ruption, which holy man should never
enter or "intermeddle with" Let him
remember that, because that may have
been his experience, 1t may not neces-
sarily have been the case with all, or
that it may not be the case with any in
the future, when the final consumma-
ton of Governmental Characterization
is attained.
The member is as much bound to pu-
rity and integrity, in all his relations,
as the preacher. What the one may
encounter without detracting from his
~. Christian character, the other may.
Where the one may enter the other is
not excluded. The same law governs
both alike. One may be ''called by the
BRETHREN" or by God, to preach what
all practice, and when he perceives his
flock going astray in their political
relation or opinions, it is his
duty to warn them and show
wherein their politics is "devoid of
Christianity, 'ssor, in other words, antag-
onistic to its principles and designs in
this 1orld
$3.50 Sinners, not the righteous, are called
to repentance. If politics are so corrupt
as to continually sacrifice principle to
interested policy, so much the more do
they require the admonitive warning
and general attention of the Ministers
of God,n than man in otherscapacities.
Political life can never be devoted to
what it ought to be until its pursuits are
followed by honorable men" Of high
Christian integrity, when and where
alone the tenn politician shall no longer
-hAa be significant of tricky time serving
rascal. That can never be until it is
granted that men supposed to be spe-
cialIy called to be pre-eminently holy
are not considered to do anything de-
rogatory when adopting that life like
other people when the sway is opened"
Because Republicanism introduced
chaos, tyranny, and q hideous humanity
into France, that is no reason why ours
should not be a wise, free, tolerant,
and enlightened Republic. Neither
does it follow that because the Bible was
contemporary, and appealed to by q
corrupt or by tyrannical dynasty-be-
cause it introduced hideous forms of
belief and practice-that it is in
applicable where perversion has most
prevailed.
We shall conclude with another
startling revelation : for our friend
of the Courier:
The sends" of temporal government
and CAristiaui'y are, or should be, alike
the moral and intellectual elevation
well-being and future salvation.
D. s