The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1895-11-05


The Kingdom of practice into tn,
wastes and solitudes of mere profe..
sion'--it can not be done. Christian.
| ity is in the world, in every part and
permanent plan of it and yet ever
above IT, and, what is more. it is in the
world to stay as long as the world
stays.
| Some one has said that "The contri.
button that this age is to make Chris.
tan thought, is that practical Christi
anity is Christianity. Why, there il
no other kind of Christianity. 1t is az
superfluous to add that term practical
to Christianity as to talk of practical
blacksmithing. What other aim has
Christianity but to make men better
life richer and the world place in
which Gods will shall be done as il ID
in Heaven. The great need of the
times, the great task of the teacher ID
the application Of more of the princi.
pies of Christianity to the common life
of man; to bring men to the inevitable
and irresistible conclusion that righi
thinking will never save MN, an
less it makes him live right.
No one ever urged the application
of the gospel 10 life but he met with
opposition. The man with short
yard stick, loaded scales and scant
measure, or with an pnsound horse TO
sell is opposed TO it. Dishonest bus
inese Of every kind j, opposed 70 il So
the saloon-keeper is opposed to it, the
ballot-box stuil6r aud the gambler is
iopposed to it. There are multitudes
OF people who think religion is good
thing and enjoyable as loug as il is
not applied to their daily affairs and
pet projects. When conscience is
aroused, they cry ont with horror.
l believe there is nothing SO sensiye
to the touch of religious principles as
citizenship or politics. We are told
that il won't do TO bring religion in
here, but Daniel did and there never
was greater statesman or finer prime
minister. H6zekiah and Josiah did,
and where can we find grander sover-
eigns. Paul did and no nobler man
ever lived and Christ, himself, did.
Ii the Christian minister speaks out
boldly in regard to the application of
Bible principles to the public affairs,
instantly the cry is raised the pulpit
is lowered! The ministry is out of
place But this is very careful
and sensitive age and if we hearken TO
the public, we have little to talk
abont. The gospel is made to revolu-
tionize. They complained in Paufs
day that it turned the world upside
down. This is its mission. The
world was upset at The Fall. The
right side is down and Christianity is
ment to put the right side on top
again, and will have Paradise re-
stored.
There are three theories of Church
and State. The first idea is that the
State exists by the consent of the
church alone. This idea was illustrat-
ed when Henry w., of Germany
stood for three days barefoot and
and barc-headed in the snow of
the courtyard, doing penance to
atone for his rebellion against
the theory Of the church being su-
preme over State, and he only received
pardon and return to State power
when he promised allegiance and on
condition that he should devote him
self to the maintenance Of the clerical
power.
Contrasted with the clerical idea is
the secular idea. The secularist has
declared that there is no relation be-
tween Church and State as to the
function of government, the motive
and the object to be attained. There
fore, they have said there shall be an
eternal divorce. Apart from these
two ideas, there is the idea of Chris
tian Americanism, which emphasizes
the idea forgotten by the others. The
freedom and responsibility of individ-
ais. dominated by the thought "No
man liveth to himself but must glorify |
God in all things" which gives US
nation whose God is the Lord.
/ believe that government is an in
stitution of God or ordained by Him
for specific purpose. read its char
ter in this Bible: Let every soul be
subject to the higher powers, for