The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-07-18
STRONG SERMON ON
 RELIGION OF AHAB Rev. A. ]. Dickinson Breaches
 at First Baptist A LARGE CONGREGATION He Shows That What Most Needed Just Now is More Honest and Pos tive convictions-Women In
 Politics and Religion.
LARGE CONGREGATION

instructive ana neiplul sSt A4Oh - ~ W congregation at the First Baptist church yesterday on the Religion of Ahab." In the course of his remarks he brought out some new and interesting ideas. His ser mon follows
 .sBut there was none like unto Ahab, who did sell himself, to do that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, whom Jeze- bel his wife, stirred up"-I -iings, 2I:2o.
 Although in the first century of the his tory of the Northern Kingdom there were three changes of dynasties, yet there was no change in the public policy. The whole incentive to these bloody revolutions was lust for office. Turn the rasears out to let our rascals in was about all these so- called reformations meant Unto the vic- tors belong the spoil inspired men to seek victory for the sake of the spoils- Dynasty after dynasty, king after king came out and went only to walk in the ways of Jesebaam Nebat wherein ne sinned and caused Israel to sin.
 Struggle for Control.
 The situation was as follows; Two par ties struggled for control. the politicians and the prophets, each having come down 1 - the days of Saul and Samuel The poaitci- ans wanted an absolute monarchy Hke that of the other nations of the earth' The prophets stood for a theocracy, where in both king and people would be anke subject to Jehovah and his will as ex- pressed in the Mosaic constitution. They feared lest the king becoming all-poweriui as in other lands would suppress the God given liberties, privileges and prerogatives of the people. The Mosaic constitution granted equal rights before the lSw to prince and peasant, equal liberty and rights of person and property. These sa- cred diunely granted rights neither king nor potentate could assume. The hand of Jehovah through his prophets was stretched out to protect his people against the aggression of the king. So there was a perpetual contest between the politician and king on the one hand and Jehovah and his prophets on the other. Dynasty after dynasty would grow aggressive and usurp power towards absolutism and was denounced by the prophets and over thrown.
 Politician in Power.
 But the politician was ever in power.
 
 He alone would do the bloody, dirty work in the revelations and demanded the of fees for his pay. So twas when Baasha slew Nadab, and Zinni slew Elab and Jehu slew Joram. Any people whose political life is nothing more than con test for office will be a degenerate and | degenerating people. Among whom att tempted reforms will yield no fruit. If five hundred men in this city would band themselves together for a public policy such as to purify the civil life and insti- ute law and order, but would absolutely ignore the personal appeals of candidates except as they bound themselves to carry out this public policy, they would attain their end in one election. But we all go in to help our friends to office and they trade with the organized forces of evil to help them prey on the public. Thus they sell themselves to do that which is evil in the sight of Jehovah for the sake of office The evil forces are bound together ready for a trade, and thus they prevail. The gamblers. the municipal corporations who want graft in the way | of franchises, and the personal following of candidates make trades so that the officers-elect is sold to do that which is evil in the sight of Jehovah.
 Dangerous Office.
 The most dangerous officer a communi- ty can have is one high in church and religious standing like Ahab. but sold out to do that which Is evil in the sight of God. Commercialism for office is the organism of politics. Its chief end is to get office that we may serve ourselves with the emoluments rather than our country with its power.
 As it was in politics. so also in religion, for they were one in the theocracy. It Ben Omri He was pressed on the north by the Syrian Ben Hadad, who had taken his territory north and east of the lake of Galilee. So he sought to string them himself by an alliance with Ethbaal of Tyre. This Ethbaal was glad to do since | he too was pressed on the north by the | invading Assyrian. So '.the covenant of | Brothers" was made and Ahab took to wife the beautiful imperious. aggressive l pf1lCtSS O1 1.5ic, JcIcDCi. I<tHDddl WAS the high priest of Astorte before he slew Phelles and usurped the throne of Tyre. He was the great-great grand father of Dido and Pygmalion of whom you read in virgirs Anaeid. When Ahab | brought his queen to Somoria he built for her temple for her god Baal Melkart and adorned it with all the sacred em- blems of this Pagan cult and instituted four hundred priests of Baal to serve at the altars. So Jezekel had in Jehovah's land the clergy. the rites and sacred in- stitutions of Baal The cult was worship of wealth whose god was pros perity and whose creed was commercial ism. Wherever. it went it sent back tythes to the temple in Tyre the, commer- cial exchange of the Mediterranean world.
 Sacred Priestesses.
 Connected with it's altars was band of sacred priestesses. famous for their viciousness. It was a religion of lust, of wealth and of pleasure unrestrained by any moral law. If Ahab had left the cult for his wife's use he would not have gone farther than did Solomon. But soon his wife stirred him up on the subject of religion, a-thtng wives still sometimes dO. S6<, pfsd <rxt tx,<,,<. ho~ b,,ct,ov,1 t<I