National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1876-12-02
rrLPl1,s THANKSGIVING DAY.
Rev. DIR. willis.

POLITICAL PREACHING.
At the Western Presbyterian church the serv-
ices were conducted by the pastor, R9v. David
Wills, d. D., assisted by Rev. G. B. Ramsiell,
pastor of the North Presbyterian church, who
made an earnest and impressive prayer. Rev.
DR.. Wills preached from Prov. siv:3i: Right
eousness exalteth q nation; but SIN is reproach
to any people," He said the sacred desk is much
more than mere political foIum. Its functions
are purely. spiritual. As an ibassador of Christ,
his ministers have no authority to pronounce on
am system of science, Philosophy, politics or
even Of aesthetics. AS citizens they have the
same rights and privileges as other citizens.
They ought always to discourage a spirit of dis
they lawfully can to brOmoteeivil and religious
liberty; but in the pulpit they are to know moth
ing but Jesus Christ end him crucifed. There is
broad distinction between the functions OF
Church and State. The atm Of the State is the
preservation Of social order; that OF the Church
the promotion Of the spiritual welfare Of men:
and immutable will of God; that of the State is
necessarily dependent on the wisdom of men,
anu T The duties of the STATE are Evil and not
sacred. while on the other hand the duties Of the
Church are just as distinctiyely sacred and not
civil.
2. Ministers not only have not authority, but
they have not the ability to discuss political
questions TO edfcation. Politics, in the highest
sense, involve the idea Of craftsmanship, which
is one of the most abstruse branches Of knowl
| edge, to be attained only by years of special
| study. and tine faithful minister oil the Gospel.
who devotes himself to his Masters work, has no
time to qualify himself to teach politics. Hence,
people are not bound to receive his views, should
he attempt to thrust them upon them.
3. Political preaching is nevercomforting to the
| anxious and troubled soul. The man who has
been bored and worried with politics through the
week does not wish to hear the subject discussed
from the pulpit on Sunday, and is only disguised
| when it is done; while it is like pouring oil Of
vitrol upon the excited passions ofmen.
1. The effects of political preaching upon the
public mind in the past are SO we'll known that
| this alone is a sufficient argument against it. 1t
| has done much to plunge the country in blood
| shed, to infame bad passions, and it was COM
| mon saying during the war that the preachers
had much to do with inaugurating hostilities be-
| tween the two sections of the country. We are
now in the midst of a momentous national crisis,
Of which no one can predict the issue, and it i'll
becomes the minister of Christ to thrust his okin
| iops upon his people or the public.
L DIR. Wills then, referring to his text, spoke OF
some iI OF me ans o. wnGh We as sh PsSse were
The degradation of the pulpit by political preach
ing: men king text from st. Paul and preach
ing from the newspapers. 2. The love Of money.
8. The rage for fashion. CThe ladies here came
in for little plain talk. 4. Profane swearing.
5. Dissertation of the Sabbath. 8 Murder. The
insecurity of human life is absolutely fearful,
and he believed capital punishment was the only
etectual remedy. Z. Theft. By this he meant
berry and fraud practiced by Government officials
and great commercial houses. s. Falsehood
The general want of veracity leads us to ex-
claim, with Falstat, Lord! how the world is
given TO lying" 9. False-witnessing. 10 In
temperance, which carries 1900 annually down
to dTunkard's graves.
He then proceeded TO consider the other side of
the picture-the righteousness spoken Of in the
text This might signify, first simply rectitude
or moral honesty in oar intercourse with our fell
low man, which was certainly a thing to be de-
sired and promoted. But in this instance it evil
IDENTIFY included the righteousness of the believer
in Christ, received as q gift from God, and as
such is synonymous with true religion. God
grant that we, as people, may possess this, and
we shall indeed be exalted among the nations of
the earth.