Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-07-08

Pohtics--Olaims That the Savior
was a Politician.
At the English Lutheran Church, last
night, Rev Dr. Schwarm delivered an
excellent sermon to a large congrega-
ton on the subject, Good Government
and Good Citizenship" The reverend
gentleman read the following quotations
from the Scriptures: Let every soul
be subject to the higher powers, for tbs
powers that be are ordained for God.
Whosoever, therefore, resisteth the pow
er, resisteth the ordination of God; and
they that resist shall receive to them
selves judgment. For rulers are not a
terror to good works, but to evil doors,
Romans 1912. Put them in mind to
be subject to principalities and powers,
to obey magistrates, and to be ready to
every good work, Tit. 81; also l. PeteA
213-14.
Among other things, the reverend
gentleman spoke as follows: This be-
ing the Sunday nearest TO the anniver-
Sary OF the independence of our cOun-
try, a day generally used by the min
listers of our churches to inculCate les
sons Of patriotism and obedience TO law,
/ will speak on Good Government and
Good citizenship. / very well know
that there are many people who have
a prejudice against trying TO mingle
religion and politics. and who think the
minister of the Gospel should keep as
quiet in regard to political matters as
an Egyptian mummy. Ii is undOubt-
eddy true that the minister of the Cos
pei should have nOthingStO do with the
corrupt and ungodly means resOrted to,
in the name of politics, for the advance
ment Of party and private ends, except
in the name of decency, morality and
religion. 10 rebuke and denOunce them;
but with politics as the science of good
government no man has a better right
than the preacher Of Righteousness.
Religion IS the foundation Of ali good
government Human society properly
constituted must repOse TO religion.
Civilization without religion as its
basis would be like the northern lights
"a momentary flash over the face Of
the darkness Of eternal night Wit and
| wisdom. sublime poetry and lofty phil
| oSOphy. cannot safe nation, else an
cient Greece had never persisted. Nalor,
law and ambition cannot of themselves
preserve the people. else Rome would
still be mistress of the world. No good
government has existed for any length
of time without having some form OF
religion on which it rested. Religion
must reveal q supreme being as the
world ruler, and give the reasons why
governments among men should exist
and why laws should be obeyed.
The nation that has no faith in
supreme being is shorn of her strength
and despoiled Of her glory. The god Of
the Christian is the god Of the State as
| we'll as of the Church, hence Paul says
| The powers that be are ordained Of
Cod etc. and he tells Titus, a preacher
of the Gospel. Put them in mind to be
subject to principalities and powers, and
TO obey magistrates, and the minister
has no more right to neglect this in
junction to teach obedience to the State
than to neglect any other portion OF
Gods word.
This. Of course. does not imply that
the minister of the gospel is to NEEDLE
in party politics for the advancement OF
any man or set Of men. Just so soon
as the minister does this he is shorn OF
his power. The minister, while he
should refrain from descending into the
arena of party politics, should not hest
tate to tell men Of all parties what their
duty is to God and through Him their
duty TO the State In this sense the
Savior was a politician, as was Martin
Luther and many other persons. They
did not hesitate TO rebuke the rulers
for their greed, nor the peasants Tor
their restlessness and INSTRUMENTATION.
In this sense every preacher may be
and ought to be a politician.
AS have already said, all good gov
eminent must rest on religion; 1t IS
therefore necessary that we understand
clearly what the word Of God teaches in.
regard 10 the State. 1t teaches that the
state receives its right to exist from
God Himself. Human governments eA-
ist bv the sanction of the Almighty ana,
consequently. their laws ought to be re-
snected and obeyed / know that TINS
Is contrary to the teaching of the rabid
socialist and anarchist, but 1t IS never
+heless the teaching OF Gods word. Inc
word of God plainly teaches the true
aim of all government-the punishment
of evil doors and the praise OF them
that do well. Rulers are not to be a
terror to good works, but TO the evil
The civil officer is to be the minister OF
Cod. a revenger to execute wrath upon
them that do evil. Hence the END OF
he government should be the encour-
agement Of right doing and the preVeA-
ton of evil. -,
that entertained by most politicians.
They seem to think that the govern
ment exists merely for the purpose OF
dispensing public pap to hungry poll
ticians. Very little do they care ABOUT
the advancement of right and justice So
long as they have soft snap. Know
that that mis- is a contemplate idea Of gov
eminent and yet it is one that is prac-
ticaIIv held by not few. 1t is low
lived mean and abOminable view Oh
government and ought to be spurned