The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1896-01-17
CONDUCTED RY MRS. N. +. HOBBS.
THE MINISTER IN POLITICS.

4 valuable sugge -tion a. to mn
isterInI duty in important 20 ltlcai
comes To III from the
tinc of the revolution. The Torres
i that dav were greatly mcen~ed
against the preachers who, aS thcy
said, "lnfantd tine people by tneH
political discussions in the PA ulpit
and di>graccd lhe.r high Office by
dabbling with political matters
Washington requested all the min.
listers IN the colonies 10 preach re-
latiye to the affairs 81 the country
in manner appropriate 70 'he
times. - The provincial congress ol
Massachusetts passed resolution
lby which all ministers Of the gos.
pel were requested to explain ana
enforce the duties Of the hour,
adapting their di-courScs To the
times !" History tells how well
those ministers discharged Their
citizen duties at that time. Losing
SAYS. "Their pulpits became the
tribunes Of the common people.
Bancroft writes OF them. They ma.
Irangued the people ardently ana
Inatrioticallv. The greater number
lof them showered the enemy with
sermons, tracts and pamphlets.
In a letter to his wife, dated al
Philadelphia, l71i, John Adams
said The clergy here Of all denomi
nations thunderand tightening every
/. sabbath. Headley says OF TN
election sermons preached IN thoS'
days: "Thev were regarded as po
itical pamphlets Of the day IN.
pulpit was the most direct and ei
hIiectual way Of reaching the masses.
OF Rev. DR.. MAYHEM sermon ol
: the stamp act, John Adams SAID
at Is the morning gun OF the kev
olu,ion. - "The teachings OF tn
pulpit ot Lexington caused the tlr'
blow to be struck Tor American ind'
nce''-Headley. III Chri'
ian ministers had not preached
= vel or had it broken out, II migi
-nlhaye been crushed. Y They M
with violent opposition from di
r. tracted parishes, and preached VI
der the menaces of mar'yrdon, b'
"thev seemed more like old prophe
than priests, master spirits ral-'
up to mold the destinleS oi MAJ
kind (Charles Francis Adams)
But few years ago, 70 prea'
against the sin of slavery was
preach politics, and the church b
came divided over the question
= supporting the pastors who perSi'
ed i'm praving ior the emancipa'l'
Of the slave. and in declaring 7
sin of the nation in protecting Z
7. slave :, stem. During the civil v
many ministers thought II their du
to prcach To their congregations Y
. on the questions which then invo
md ed the nations lie, but there W.
those who were free toccn>ure IN
as sspolitical preachers Tor 50
Ing. And now the liquor traffic !
Question among politicians, mn
1 ter. who teach the wickedness
rrime of it, toleration are again cr
I ri-ed as dabb!ing with politics.
! II is easy to see that the rea-,
( Tor this criticism, in all these
J stances. from Tories onward,
: The same. In the main they
! reasons which do not comm
/ either the breadth, the patriots
I ,r the republican principles Of IN
|! who offer them, and are unwor
I the serious consideration OF II
J iSter Of the religion OF Christ. :
when these cen-urcs come from
speakers and the press OF ~
5 which once commended the MI
Ter who used their rulpits IN te;
y nr the people concerning the II
( csl questions of the hour. they
come. in their inconsistency,
premely contemplate.
tee In no other place are the III
phases of reform movements J
rms appropriately discussed than ~
i the Christian pulpit. II belongs
IN. ir ministers Of the gospel To be IN
pun front Of reform movements.
i III, ~, their duty to mold and lead
il l. thou lht Of their people, not 70
for il or merely follow IT. No
Isaac rers are likely to arise to the
: "' nee Of the pulpit from such .
II b dcning in the rdngc 81 IT "P'
at al will bring to it the discussion 2
- great question Of vital lmpor'
;" - to individual or national iiie.
land il the pulpit becomes narrow
az" ts teachings to what i called
Ian. lnicallv theological, if It's spirit
lo,s in comes stubbornly conservative
other its methods intensely churchl-
ever, may be said again, a. IN
!, l aimr am, times. "the prophets have pf
h''- l 49,. \t.rI ~ MT IN IN