Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1892-12-22

name partisan pTeluQlee an nS
the less liberal and thus impair
the power of the minister for good.
The Times did not criticise the
Presbyterian ministers who dis
cussed politics recently at an in~
formal meeting, because they chose
to discuss politics. In point Of
fact, it did not criticise or dispute
any of the many startling partisan
assertions made there, 1t sims
ply reprinted, after nearly
week of cooling time, what had
been said, or the material SUBJ
stance OF the utterances, and called
the profession to a sober consideraa
ticn of the effect of s1ch obviously
impassioned utterances upon their
great work of promoting religion.
Among the positive statcnl snis
made in the course of the discuss
sion were the allegations that the
Pope had given orders to the
Church in this country to vote for
one party; that there would be a
Catholic Postmaster General under
the new administration, and that
all the Post offic Of the country
would be filed by Catholics.
These statements, if true, would
warrant a tidal wave of popular
revolution, just as it would be wars
ranted ifit were known that the
Presbyterians, the Methodisfs, the
Episcopalians, the Baptists, the
Lutherans or any other church had
voted on religious lines and wou d
be installed in oyer5O, O,00Opub.ic Of
fc:s to the exclusion OF citizen of
other religious faith; but the vital
question is-Are these statements
true? That those who made them
believed that their grave allega-
tions were correct, we do not doubt;
but while the simplicity of faith IS
one of the jewels Of religion. the
same simplicity OF faith plays FAM
tastic ticks in modern politics.
In 1884 two Of the leading Minis
isters Of the country preached two
sermons on the political contest
within a week or two OF time
One declared, on the authority of
the sacred word, that the Interests
of morality and religion demanded
the defeat of Mr.. Blaine and the
other declared, On the same sup
RENE authority and from the same
consecrated desk, that tae interests
of morality and religion demanded
the defeat of of Mr.. Blaine and
the other declared, on the sanfe
supreme authority and from the
same consecrated desk, that the in~
terests of morality and religion
called for the defeat of Mr.. Clevee
land, These sermons, coming al-
most tugether and from the same
high religious authority, did not
harm either Mr.. Blaine or Mr..
Cleveland; but was religion uns
harmed?
There is a clearly defined and a
grand distinction between politics
in its best sense and partisan Effort
in its common sense, and that is
so often forgotte n when politics
and religion are mingled by relig
ious teachers. They have great
field for gospel work, for public
morals. for religion, in the political
conflicts of the ago. Religion is
the foundation stone Of safety to
government, to public morals, and
to social order, and 80 far from the
lips of ministere being sealed on
politics, they should speak freely
when occasion offers; but the bigo-
Try, the passions, the prejudices of
the partisan deform our statesman
ship and our political discussions,
and they must much more daform
the teaching Of the pulpit.-Phll-
deLphia Times,