Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1895-05-22
wooLLEY ON POWER.
Continued from last week..

Continued from last week.
There is a beautiful church with a
beautiful steeple pointing forever to
God, testifying of Him highland day.
Fine; but a steeple is not all. There is
o preacher. How does he pointp He
doesn't point at all. How does the
people pointp They point every way,
like a paper Of tacks. Do you wounder
that men Of the world look on and say,
It's a toy, a myth, a fraud; they don't
believe in it themselves Better that
church were empty, with just the
steeple pointing Godward and telling
the people Of him. But when the tes.
timony gets mixed, God sends war or
pestilence or the cross. So His children
may get their bearings for time and for
eternity.
From the power of testimony turn
for a moment to the nature of testimo-
ny. l have sometimes thought that
when God made man that he cut him
off from all dealings with Him except
by testimony; He made the world a
court and put himself on trial before
their intellect. Jesus stood on the
bare facts of testimony. John, in
prison, deserved the best answer Jesus
could give when the messengers came
for another positive u that he
was the liessiah. Tell John that the
lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and
the poor haye the gospel; on this testi-
mony l am that I am God will not
usurp. Whatever the logic of the
truth brings you to, there stand-to
die, If need be.
" come to ask you Christians, are
you the power of God2 Dare you send
me back to say: Blind men are tripped
up, lame men staggering through the
streets, lepers trampled under foot of
men, the dead violated, the poor layed,
stripped starved, murdered-and the
church stands by holding the garment
Will you send me back with the testi-
mony: We Christian men are what we
are?
Now for the instruments of testimo-
ny. The world is a great court for the
orderly trial of cases. 1t is no slogan
of a political party, but the cause of
Jesus Christ before the world. Acourt
is a thing of the intellect. You would
not hope to win in court by singing a
gospel hymn to the jury. A witness is
a person who proves something. If
the world is won, it will not be by pro-
fessional, but by individual livings.
"Who is on trial-the Republican
party, the Democratic party, the Pro-
hibition party? No. Christ is ON trial.
The spirit of Pontius Plate bestrides
the political throne. The event de-
ponds on you. You shall be witnesses.
What do you proven
81 am a Christian man. Sorry for
us, that is the most mysty term in the
language. Ninety eight per cent. Of
the Christian men at general elections
vote silence. That is, it is not neces-
sary to be dead square. Listen. Silence,
the pious party al spelling license
the same letters a little differently ar
ranged.
What do you provep Not what do
you feel, how do you sympathizeY The
ballot is the ingot of power out of
which statutes are cast. Look to your
testimony On election day.
THE saloon holds over until its par.
ty successor comes Its name is not on
the ballot, but the saloon has, under
the curse upon Satan, crawled on its
belly to the throne and Kisses its orders
to the Christian church. Christ is the
Christian voters candidate. Who will
stand for Him against the saloonp We
must be true, Will you choose Jesus
or B~arabbasp
Here is a crowd with banners, spoils,
protection, including protection for the
hyena, the saloon; gold and silver;
wise and we'll regulated sympathy.
Here is another: Free trade and tariff
reform, spoils, silver and gold, no
s%umptuary law.
l will join no party that will not fly
this flag: For Jesus Christ and his
Church; Down with the Saloon; Away
with Tariff Hypocrisy and Chickering's;
Protect the Public School, Protect the
Home; Up with the English Language;
Another Chance for the Drunkard; An
Equal Chance for Women; Respect for
the Sabbath; Obedience to Law
There is a silent, grim, determined
force well in hand of $50, 900 saloon keep
ers. Here are the Methodists, with
songs and hymns and declarations
against sin; the Presbyterian resolu.
tiers against any party which does not
antagonize; the Disciples, Baptists and
the rest Of them, singing, Onward,
Christian soldiers
1.-THE day after election, what? Two
hundred and seventy thousand votes