The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1879-04-02
. THE PULPIT AND POLITICS. >
the Editor OF the Morrlatown aazstts:


d. Elliott with the heading quoted
above. My unknown benefactoF has my
thanks for his kindness.
The article in question seems to have
been called forth by a sermon recently
preached by DR.. Kelly, of Nashville, on
the Ualidity Of contracts. 1t touches sever
al other matters besides the sermon; and
I write, not in defence of DR.. Kelly,
for he is quite able to take care of him
self, but to say something in regard to
the rights of preachers to discuss public
questions.
The article in question fills three
quarters of column with opinions, as
sertions and mistakes, written in bad
spirit, bad taste and bad grammar. The
writer expresses various opinions about
Gods DEGREES, purposes, Davidson coun-
ty magistrates, the Interpretation of the
Scripture, etc.; declares that Nashville
will not receive the command, "Thou
shalt not steal, " as applicable to politi-
cal acts; deprecates the failure of the
local option law, in which most hearth
~ join him, but attributes that failure
to the ministers of the Gospel, from
which most emphstically dissent. Mr..
Elicit says: 81 will now say to the
friends of temperance, if you lose your
local option law, the loss to the State will
be entirely due to the preachers, as such,
meddling with matters which do not
belong to their calling" This is a very
unmanly and contemplate declaration,
and is as unjust to the Legislature as
it is to the ministry. Does Mr.. Elliott
mean to say that the Legislature, which
he eulogises SO highly for its wisdom
and morality, was Influenced by spite
full desire to oppose preachers, as such,
when it defeated the local option law?
Does he mean that those wise men were
80 narrow and illiberal as to oppose a
good law simply because all over the
State the preachers favored it, spoke for
it, petitioned for it, and urged its pass
age, as they undoubtedly had a right
to dor Does he mean that the Legisla-
ture, in which there are so many ''pray-
ing men, as he says. seized upon that
opportunity to snub preachers, as such?
If so,-and his language admits of ne
other construction, he makes that body
out a worse set of men than its fercest
detractors have yet done. He presents
it to the country as arraigned in hostility
to preachers-simply because they are
preachers, and for no other reason what
ever. I do not believe this. l have a
few personal friends in that cody OF
both political parties, and of them l am
sure such things are not true.
Mr. Elliott evidently belongs to that
much mistaken class of persons who
think preachers ought to be neutral on
al legislative questions. The public
discussion of questions of partizan poll
tics they should, of course, avoid; but
no mar of intelligence or patriotism
ought to be, or can be, silent or neutral
on grave questions affecting directly the
moral and material welfare of his coun-
try. Ministers are the advocates and de
tenders of public morals and virtue. 1t
Is their duty to endorse, or at least not
to oppose, such measures as will pro-
mote the prosperity of the country. 1t
is their duty to seek in all legitimate
ways to impress the principles Of Chris
tianity upon the laws and institutions of
the country.
What are the legitimate ways Of do
ing thisG Certainly by preaching the
Gospel of Christ, which is the Gospel Of
honesty, virtue and sobriety; by advo-
eating in sermons and lectures the cause
of Christian temperance; by joining
their fellew-citizens in petitioning the
law-making power to enact such laws as
will be for the moral and material vel
fare Of all the people; by casting their
individual votes for such men as will
use their legislative power to promote
the same ends, and then oppose those
men and measures that promote intern
perance, immortality, ignorance and
crime.
Ministers would please Mr.. Elliott's
class of thinkers if they confined them
selves to the discussion of dry and stale
questions which nowhere touch the vital
issues of the day; if they would confne
to exposing the gins of the
mummied Egyptians, and to showing
the defects of their civilization; or if
they would abuse the parched and
drowned sinners of Sodom and Gomor-
rah, his class would find no fault with
them, but might even, in a patronizing
way, speak kindly of such efforts. But
only let them speak against dishonesty,
corruption and fraud, State and national;
only let them denounce the liquer traffic
and trafhcers, and advocate prohibitory
only let them denounce the
sins of living sinners and Immediately
the cry is raised that they are ''meddling
with matters which do not belong to
their calling.
1t is true that "the wounded bird fut-
tiers, the 1utterlng producer Dy the
of honesty and temperance in
this State shows that the preaching has
not been in vain.
Only let the friends of temperance
take courage and wait. Public senti-
ment is growing in their favor. Ere
long the Christian principles of honesty,
and virtue will rule, and our
much maligned State will emerge from
all her embarrassments the sun of her
with unclouded ray will
again beam upon her, and patriotism
will reign in the breasts of her strong
and sturdy sons. Let us hepe that her
and her honor will net be
upon the altar of cupidit4 and
and that her fair name, un-
sullied by any foul stigma, will be trans
nitted by the men of our day to the