The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-01-27
REPLY TO
HAWTHORNE
DR.. Kerr on the Pulpit and
Politics."
PREACH THE GOSPEL
Pastor of the First Church Says the
War Between the States Was
Brought on in Part by
Political Preaching.
PREACH THE GOSPEL

A largo audi ence heard DR.. r. P. Kerr
preach Sunday night at tho First Pres-
bytertnn Church on The Pulpit and Pol.
iucs''-a sermon OF tho nature OF re-
ply to DR.. J. B. Hawthorne and others
who have commended for an application
OF the Gospel to corlent evell
Christ was tried before Plate. said DR..
Kerr, for meddling with politics. and he
repeated the charge made at tho judE-
ment Of our Saviour whom tho Jews cried
out. 1--WE found this fellow seducing the
people, and forbiddlng them to give tri-
buto to Caesar, saying that he himself is
Christ q King. He that maketh himse elf
king speaketh against Caesar.' But
plato acquitted him. saying he found no
fault In him. for Christ had told Plate
that no was a king, but that his kingdom
was not OF this world. II como to bear
witness, he said, ito the truth" So 1t
was that PLATE decided that Chrlst's
kingdom was but sect of Judaism-a
religion. It was completed. spiritual
Judaism. with Its Messiah come and Its
p1ophesies fulfilled
In the second place. DR.. Kerr said.
there were two things that Christ meant.
First Of all. that His kingdom was not
OF this world. not a worldly but spirit
ual kingdom. It had to do FIRST OF all
Will HILL ISldllOI W INbtl, anu, seSVdANS
~, with His relation to his felow-mnn.
1t had no material rewards and punish
ments and nothing to do directly with
worldly kingdoms. In tho second place,
It was propagatod only by the truth Ee
came into the world to bear witness to
the truth and thus establish Ills king
dom.
Tho commission to the church and to
tho pulpit, SAID DR.. Kerr. Is to preach
the Gospel to every creature. teaching
them to observe all things whatsoever I
have commanded you. Tho Gospel. then,
Is whatsoever Christ commans@d by word
or deed. In his life, teachings, death and
resurrection. The apostles prearhed no
politics but St Paul said. II determined
to know nothing among you save Jesus
Christ and Him crucifed." And from
the Acts and the Epistles we learn no.
thing about the government policies OF
the time.
The third point DR.. Kerr made was that
tho Gospel means morals and saliva
ton through tho blood Of Christ; morals
because his teachings and his book cover
every relation OF life. MS ruler, subject.
employer and employe, father, mother.
husband, wife, parent, and child. The
Church, said DR.. Kerr has everything
to do with morals, and must everlast-
inEly preach the moral code of Christ,
But II a political party be organized, or
government measure adopted for moral
reform. the ministers have nothing to do
with the party or proposed legislation.
1--WE must go on as ever he said.
preaching the morals OF Christs law.
In conclusion, DR.. Kerr contended thai
tho war between the States was brought
on In part by political preaching. In the
church men Of all parties should come
together to hear tho Gospel OF salvation,
righteousness, charity. and under the
cross to have their passions cooled. their
judgment sancrihed.
We have as nation, said no. difficult
questions to settle-captnl and labor the
race question, and many others. The
Church must furnish men Of broad pa
triotsm and Christian character to set
tie these questions, and this is done by
the preaching OF the Gospel OF Christ.
II the pulpit turn aside from this, the
great and only hope of tho nation is
gone. for the Gospel is the power oel God
unto salvation. and the cross is the only
thing that can lift up humanity from
sin, degradation and woe: teaching and
enabling every man to "love God with all
his heart, and his neighbor as himself"