The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-11-02
PULPIT AND POLITICS,
Rev. c. G. Lasby, of Central Avenue,
breaches on This Topic.

q.
breaches on This Topic.
A stirring sermon on 1.-THE Pulpit and
Politics. was delivered at the Central-av-
enue Church last night by the pastor. Rev.
c. c. Lasby, d. d. The interior of the
church was tastefully decorated with flags.
DR.. Lasby. previous to accepting the pas
torate of this church, lived in Lincoln,
Neb.. and is well acquainted with Bryan,
but did not allude to him during his SER
mon. He took as his text. mo man taketh
this honor unto himself but he that is
called of Cod" and the burden of his SER
mon was illustrative of the proper attitude
of the ministry towards current politics
He said in part:
Churches do not pay taxes and 1t is not
their purpose to carry on any other work
than that OF educating and uplifting the
morals OF the community. They are not
Republican annexes or Democratic aid So
cietfes. All through the ages preachers
have been flying at the Threats of one an
other because of differences of opinion on
theological questions and have established
many denominations as a result. There are
many theological questions to-day on which
ministers do not harmonic as there are
political questions on which people have
different views. l remember one lovely
evening while i was aboard a vessel sailing
on the sea in company with several other
ministers discussion arose between two
on theological question. One said that
infant baptism sends more souls 10 hell
than anything else. The other asked him
ton, TO which he answered. L assuredly
do and yet to-day that minister is holding
a flrst-class pulpit in a large city.
If God calls n man to preach the gospel
that Is enough for the minister 10 do and
God will take care of the laity i'm the
pews. if the minister is faithful to his
trust. If you Will notice. when a preacher
leaves his pulpit and goes into politics he
makes great failure of IL. / know min
istor who was preaching yonder in the
third great city of the Union. His church
revoited on an opinion and the church
doors We're shut. The church said IL would
send him to Congress- and he was placed
there. He was a silver-tongued orator i'm
the pulpit, but have you ever heard of him
anywhere else; have you ever heard of him
around here? He was Rev. J. Hyde Smith.
After one course i'm Congress he came back
TO his city and his church was very ready
to retire him into private life. / am not
unmindful Of all good ministers have done
when cite these facts. Talk about what
good ministers did during the late war;
thank God that they were the strength of
Of the armies of the South.
You viii find ministers arrayed against
themselves on all these political questions
as they are on theological problems. Take
minister from his pulpit and send him
career.ng around over the country and yoi,
will degrade the pulpit and add nothing to
the effectiveness OF the party platforms or
the party speakers. Party platforms are
| inclined to be somewhat dogmatical You
may DC lIlt pOiiticdI out
you will be the poorest preacher Preach
ers always spoil everything they put their
hands on politically. l was present at that
great convention when Blaine and Burch-
ard spoke. 1 stood within twenty feet OF
Burchard when he gave utterance to thar
now famous sentence, Rum, Romanism
and rebellion IL only needed seven hun
| dred votes to give the State OF New York
| to Blaine, but those words took IL from
him. You remember some time ago when
IL was suggested TO return the nags cap
tured from the Confederates. A minister
| In sugar-coated words. said from his pulpit
that ii was the thing TO do. \ lawyer