The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1910-04-29
THE PULPIT AND POLITICS.

when grave issues are at stake, VIII
course should the pulpit pursue?
is question that gives deep concer
to every preacher of the Word VIII
would be faithful to his mission.
There are weighty reasons why th
pulpit should not be used for politics
discussion. The preacher is a either
1t is true. but he is also rightly esteem
ed the mouthpiece of the church
When he speaks from the pulpit, hi
throne" his words carry more thai
the expression of member, and thi
moral power he should not use to al
unspiritual purpose. 1t is a wise pro
vision in our country that separate:
church and state.
A minister who does his duty viii
find that the demands of his own pecu
liar field take all his time and require
his whole mind When: he enters poll.
tics it fills the mind with temporal con-
concerns it tells on the spiritual
tone" Of his life, The ordinary man
cannot hope to be proficient In more
than one sphere; and the preacher Of
the Word who has given himself to the
ministry Of the spiritual has found no
time to learn the intricacies of poll
tics. II he. now tries the unknown
path he will show himself ignorant,
an6 will lose the respect Of
all thoughtful, citizens. He has aban-
doned a higher for lover calling;
he has laid down the mighty weapon
Of the spiritual to take.;up the yuIner-
able armor Of the world.
Moreover. politics means compro-
mise; the church stands for truth and |
in the. absolute. The |
power Of the church is greatest and |
ler position unassailable so long as
The holds eternal principles before
mem and calls on them to square their
ives thereby. This power is surren-
Iered when this vision of the abso-
ute is lost and but partial results are
aimed. When the political battle is
yon, the great work of the church re- n
Mains as ever-the moral and spiritu-
| transformation of the life
But every great political struggle
bottom is mora! one; it is the
resence of high moral issues that
lakes it great And in such time
len have a right to look to the church
,r moral direction. Gladstone re-
arded the church as the conscience =
! the State. The principles of Christ
lat ought to control in social con- I
lct should be announced with no I'm S
srtain sound. The soldier in the line n
ust hear the trumpet and feel the v
aver of it's appeal to his soul 7
The church is not to live detached f,
'e in the world-a post at the cross s
ads with the hand pointing to the Il
". 1t used to be thought so, when s
e church was the "Old Ship of Zion t.
bear us all home" but Jesus mix Il
with men to show them how to live m
organized society, so must the insti- c,
iton he left us continue the divinely ST
man work. II
So that wher an issue arises of such n
oral value to a community as the SUI e
emacy of law, endangered by mob OF
lie, as recently occurred at Cairo, ILL.,, th
is nothing less than treason to the OF
III cause Of Christ for the ministry re
the church to condone and palliate 10
; crime, an entire silence is little G'
tier. And condition may arise in pl
v government, In a State or even do
ton that calls for denunciation of OF
4, warning of judgment, and call
all right-minded citizens to be true N
high moral ideas. ~
some preachers interpret this duty
orally So good man as Phillips
)OhS openly pISdCu0u Oh bhS loouS0
the war when his Convention main
led an attitude of non-committal. Az
ding ministers in the Free Church
In England today do not hesitate to
,uss the duty of supporting the Lib
party on the ground that the Es-
Iished Church is already in league fir,
h the State and recognition can be an,
ned for certain great principles ems
' by Liberal success. But it is mn
N noted that corresponding de- wo
e in spiritual power accompanies at
a course. Many preachers abo
ing us conceive 1t their duty to
ak and work in the cause of State 800.
hibition. To teach its principles w
lid be done; but 1t should be mat
Of deep regret II laymen cannot be
Id to carry out those principles
Iout the active participation of the
lstry. HE