St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-03-16
MORRILL'S IDEAS.
He Defines HIS POsitiOn-The
Preacher i'm Politics.

Preacher in Politics.
Rev. G. l.. Morrill, preached last even
ing at Calvary Baptist church on the
subject of Saving Faith" Following
is his prelude on "Christianity and Leg
islation," suggested by the proposed
patrol limit extension, and the crit
clsms which have been made upon the
church and clergy for their relentless
opposition in the matter: -
The liberty American citizens enjoy
tonight was born in stormy times, era
died on the rocks of New England, hap
tlzcd in the blood of heaven, and has
grown into freedom of conscience and
speech which no political NJ AHA can
silence with shot of criminal libel or
shell of silent contempt.
I'VE are here just where we expected
to be, and to say just what we intended
10 say III the spirit of truth and love, as
God shall help us. There are three ways
in which Christianity comes into reIa-
ton with the organic life Of the people
as expressed in the state.
ClericaliSm, believing Chris to be SUI
preme and that the church is His vice
gevent, says a nation is only Christian
when it submits to her control. In the
spirit Of Pope Hildebrand to Henry ".
at CanOSSa, it seeks to ChristianiZe
America by saying the nation has no
moral and spiritual possibilities in
itself, and must be merged into the
Church of Rome. The papacy. which
has been the implacable foe of Italian
| Independence and unity, and of repub-
licanlsm in Mexico, South America and
the United States, is trying, by immi-
grafton, parOchial schools, whisky in
| tluence, control of public school boards
N IN nd
elections, to repeat the old world game
of cleIicalSm in the new world. The mis-
take of this imposing, beautiful and
powerfully organized church is its as
sumption to itself of the work that be-
longs to Jesus Christ. Degenerating
from spiritual force into purely secu-
lar institution, it stands in relation to
Professionalism not as one religious body
to another, but as political
body. which denies the freedom
and responsibilities of men and
| freedom and responsibility to all. Sec
III arism. stung by the logical out
come of the papal position. says re-
| igiOn is one thing and politics another.
| State and church are organized for diff
ferent purposes. They have nothing in
common. Let them be far and forever
separated. Men may be Christians, but
| not the state. Cultivate religion in the
home or in the church if you will, but
let us have none of it directly or indi-
| rectiy in the affairs Of city, state or ma
| ton. Secularism repeats the same fall
| lacy that clericaliSm does in assuming
| that the nation has no character or re-
| sponsibility of its own and it is not
susceptible TO the formative and pres
ervative influences which emenate from
| Christ.
Commercial politics. which bind ana
| blind some officials to Christian, and
even moral elements in legislation, may
deny the formative, furnishing and
| final principle of Christ in all good gov
eminent. Demagogues, who are cow
ardly compounds of self-conceit, self
| delusion and illusion. may malign and
| threaten the church with her members
and ministry; may trim their sails to
| every whisky wind that blows, but
| their Thou mayest'' is opposed by the
Thou shalt not" of the Almighty The
religion which gave us the republic has
| preserved it from clerical and secular
| death, and under God is leading US on.
| Government does not make the people.
but the people make the government,
| and true liberty comes not from booze. 8
| Doodle or bulldoZing politicians, but
| from the prophetic "Ye shall know the
| tiut biiO u iIItthC yOu
full" The way to mitigate wickedness
then is to multiply virtue. You get
purity in the state when you get it in
| the citizen,
The preacher in politics. has been
| hOoted ndhOwled at this week by words
| as weak as the prOfaning breath was
strong. The minister of Christ is not
and never shall be a professional politi-E
clan, malOdorOuS with schemes in which
morality and true patriotism are so often
wanting, but he must preach the gospel
which touches life in all its points; he
must be man, and not door mat.
Public sentiment is born of action;
discussion is necessary to rouse men.
| and some editors and delegations whose
| fear is not God and whose aim is less
| than righteousness, will try in vain to
apply the stop gag to minister, who. of
all men. must be leader III morals.
! Ministers give enough culture and
conviction on what is for the best and
] highest good for the men and morals in
volved to assert their ministerial prvi-
l:ge on all needed occasions. any dele
CATION to the contrary notwithstanding.
Where moral Issues are involved shall
| we be dumb lest we mingle in politics
and exert an influence which makes
| politicians swear?
The pulpit is not luxury, but a ne
ceSsity ordained to rebuke everything
that binders the uplifting of society,
| from the refined doub bit, dressed in sci