The Tupelo journal., 1911-04-21

kingdom which IS not Of this world.
He has devoted himself to that. has
been set apart for il, and that ought to
be his chief business.
In the third place. the people all
wish 10 have equal claim upon the sym
pathies Of the preacher. and political
DIVERGENCE is supposed. by many, to be
one Of the most serious obstacles in the
way Of such sympathy. As for polit-
ical preaching pure and simple. in the
partisan way, as that is commonly un-
derstood. permit me to say that | have
no respect, and that | do not wonder
that it should be strongly objected to.
!. With these remarks let US proceed to
consider the relation which religion
sustains to politics.
WHAT RELIGION is.
But let US first consider what religion
is.
1. Ii is not a sort OF conventional
theory, or a set of abstract doemas, or
decent observances, which have no
concern with social or political life.
Let us Danish from our minds the idea,
if such exist, that religion is merely a
thing for the churches. and for Sun
day. and that it has no connection with
the farm. the shop or the office. and is
impracticable on ordinary days.
it is not a thing to be humored and
~patronizsd AMI kept in a corner If it
is to be anything it must be everything;
if it has not suffered to be supreme
and absolute it might as well cease to
be at all.
| sometimes fear that some of us are
so taken up with the metaphysics Of
Christianity as to neglect its morals.
There are many persons who do not
know the meaning of the word meta
physics" but they will not be kept out
Of heaven on that ground. When !
speak Of religion | do not mean the
shibboleths of Baptists, or Methodist.
or Presbyterians. | am not speaking
of our Catichism, Articles of Faith, or
system of Theology. l sometimes fear
that We have been too hard on the
broth er who could not pronounce our
'Shib boleth" with a good emphasis On
the h" We have been inclined to
limit the Christian religion to a set of
rules, forms and ceremonies, These
things may be carried into politics.
Do not understand me to speak
lightly of the ordinances of the church,
or to underestimate the value of cor
rect teaching. but the religion of which
| am speaking today is the recognition
Of the Divine will as the eternal prin-
ciple of morality. mean the love Of
goodness made identical with the love
of God. ] mean what Habbakuk meant
when he said that The Just shall live
by faith" | mean what Micah meant
when he said that God requires Of US
nothing but to do justly, and to love
mercy. and TO walk humbly with our
God mean what Paul mea1t
when he said "Abhor hat which is evil;
cleave to that which is good or when
he said Let every one that nameth the
name of Christ depart from iniquity."
mean what Christ meant when he
said, If yoi love me keep my cor-
mandments." In short, | mean to sac
riice to the law of righteousness every
disobedient impulse or passion, every
dishonorable rule Of expeiienoy. every
mean interest of gain.
The man who puts his trust in Christ
for salvation, ard surrenders his life to
Christ fol- service can afford to carry
his religion into politics. or wherever
else he may 60. Such a religion has
nothing narrow and nothing selfish
about it. 1t is the qleenly mother of
all noble thoughts and of all generous
actions. 1t is rich with all the wealth
of passion ana Of intellect in their
grandest exercise. In true religion lies
the principles which are needed by our
town, state, and nation to make them
truly great. Let US first be SURE that
we are poss sssi of the true, pu e
Christian religion and then carry it in
t. politics.
POLITICS.
What politics is.
l. Politics is not the trickery. OF the
-, NkME