Mexico Missouri message., 1900-12-20

man left or not, but Mr.. west
might also have added that one
cause for thankfulness is that we
don't all have to do as some self
important preacher directs.
People have a right to criticise
the administration of our govern
ment. They have right to criti-
else preachers. Even DR., West,
while he preached against fault
finding, found fault with all those
who did not accept his political be-
lief.
DR.. West is not the only Metho-
dist preacher who has seen fit to
drag politics into the church. The
practice is becoming prevalent and
is not conducive to the best inter-
est of the church. The man who
defends the hellish work of the
trusts, who sanctions the slaught
err and rapine in the Philippines,
who breaches for American saloons
and beer gardens is Il defamer of
his pulpit. The church should
get out of politics. The ministers
have a right to vote their opinions,
to work for the interest of the
party to which they belong. No
one objects to that. But when II
minister advocates his political
ideas from the pulpit some good
old elder should lead him to the
church door, out to the gates of
the city and send him in search of
another pulpit
There are no fault finders with
our government. The fault is
found with the manner of admin
istering that government. We
find no fault with the statement
that this is II Christian Govern
ment. We believe it is and we
are proud of it; but we find no
Christian sentiment in the motive
that leads to the shedding of hui
man blood and the destruction of
human life for ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of
either Il religious or political nat
IRE. We believe there is more re-
al Christianity in deprecating such
a condition than in advocating it
from the pulpit. The Filipinos
may, as DR.. West declares, think
their acquaintance with American
customs a foretaste of Heaven,
but many of them have been hur-
ried into eternity without much
chance to prepare for heaven or
any other place. The man who,
on an occasion of Thanksgiving,
takes advantage of the pulpit to
boast of the victories of sword and
bayOnet, is an unsafe man to min
lister to IA Christian church. Such
men would willingly plunge the
nation into bloody warfare in or
der to spread their religious belief.
They are, however, cautious e.
nough to refrain from shouldering
IA gun themselves.
People are beginning to feel
that some of the church denOmi-
nations, particularly the Method
list, are becoming too much con-
cerned in politics. 1t is not the
church, but the indiscrect utter
ance of its ministers, which causes
this opinion, Men who feel it
their duty to preach in the interest
of any political party, have not
the least interest of the church Mt
heart. They forget that it is not
necessary for man to be Il Re-
publican in order to be Il Chris
tan. Those interested III the
church should see that such fell
lows are properly instructed in
their duties. Men who stir mp
strife and rebellion in the hearts
of their congregation havca wrong
conception of Christian duty.
They are to blame if people accuse
the church of insinccrity. They
cause innocent people to be ac-
cused of hypocrisy. They are an
injury to the church and church
people. Theirs is II mission of
peace, yet they preach war! war!
war! They profess temperance,
yet they glory in the support of II
policy which is not only running
American boys but dehauching the
minds of those thev term heather.
We are told that one of the
most flourishing businesses in
Manila since the advent of Ameri-
can soldiers is the liquor traffic.