Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-05-29
SHOEMAKER, STICK
TO YOUR LAST"

To the Editor of The Journal:
The Rev Walker Lewis is one OF the
most prominent Methodist ministers in
Georgia. He is a man who has accomplish
ed a great deal of good by preaching the
gospel, and a gentleman who Is held IN
universal esteem by his many admirers.
This gentlemans influence has been ere
ated through his service OF the Lord. and
not through any admiration of his ability
as a statesman or politician. But II seems
that he Is not content with his influence
as a servant of the Master but. ike Alex
ander he longs for other worlds 10 con-
quer, and no consideration for the dignity
Of his high calling or the vast neld OF Ia
Dor which the Lord has laid before MIN
can stop him, and we find him preaching a
Query sermon in Macon few Sundays
ago.
This attempt to proclaim Guerry from
the pulpits as the vicegerent Of the Air
mighty is sacrilegious. 1t is a prostitution
of the most sacred things and emotions
and places to the personal politics of the
day. This tendency of some preachers TO
make their sermons into stump speeches
and to turn their pulpits into the hustings
is a sacrilege of divine and sacred things
The Baptist preachers have got just as
much right TO preach Terrell from their
pulpits as the Methodist preachers have
got TO preach Guerry. Mr.. Terrell is
MEMBER IN ROOQ SIdIullB the DdpAi9t
church. He Is an aYowed prohibitionist
He has lived prohibition, voted prohibit
ton and talked prohibition, and the moral
forces of this state have just as much
right to use him as a biblical text as they
have to preach Guerry; more So we be-
lieve. And yet Mr.. Terrelrs supporters
among the ministry have too much sense
and too much religion and too much re-
spect for the sanctity of the pulpit to
prostitute the house of God by turning it
to mere Secular things.
This thing is wrong. There is utterly no
palliation nor excuse for It. 1t violates the
lOftiest conceptions of right thinking peo-
pie. It drags down into the vituperation
and abuse of politics the stainless mantel
which should cloak the preacher. 1t is no
use to try to excuse this thing by saying
Mr. Guerry is advocating prohibition. So
Is Mr.. Terrell What right has the ser
want of the Most High, with his COM
mand to Judge not laundering in his ears.
TO set up Guerry on pedestal to be
worsnipped. and to consign Terrell to the
realms of outer darkness2 This thing Yio-
lates the inherent conceptions of right and
proper conduct in every sensible and
right-thinking man.
1t is bad enough when the preacher neg
lects his pulpit and goes out on the
stump. but when he turns his pulpit into
the stump. we do not believe that the
Eternal spirit QWellS IN Inat CnuTCn dur-
ing that discourse.
The attempt to confuse politics and re-
ligion is as old as time, and as wicked as
sin. The ages back are covered with the,
dry bones Of dead religions which have
fallen through a mad attempt to carry
this incubus. The native sense of humani-
ty has eternally revolted from this pre-
posterous marriage, and the spirit of love
and charity has divorced itself from all
persons and religions which have ever at
tempted it.
II Mr.. Terrell was a man Of the most
vile life, OF corrupt habits, of ideas of
government which were a stencil in the
nostrils of decent people, whose election
would be a disgrace and dishonor to his
state. perhaps in that great emergency
the preacher might become the stump
speaker, but even then we have grave
doubts of the propriety of the utilization
Of the pulpit as the place from which to
hurl his philppics.
But at such a time as this. with the pub
lie endorsement of his own pastor, man
himself Of pure and lofty life, to attack
under the cloak Of the minister a man
whose life has been an open book in
which all who know him read lessons of
temperance. Of sobriety. Of honor, of in
tegrity, Of manliness. Of courage and of
ceaseless and unremitting labor even from
his boyhood-to turn the pulpit of the Lord
into the secular battle ground against
this noble gentleman is shocking to our
sense of the eternal fitness and propriety
of things. o. g. cox.
LAGRANGE. Ga. May 20. 1902.