The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1914-09-04
.TRICE'S TRUMPETEER
ARTICLES Published under this Heading fur
nished by M. p. A. Bureau. jacksonville
"cAN 1T BE FALSE"

The above rather striking caption
is the title of book published by the
Methodist Publishing House, South,
which ought to be read by every
-churchman, of whatever faith. For
q correct statement of facts and logi-
cal reasoning it surpasses anything of
it's kind | have ever read Colonel
House, the author, himself conspic-
uous churchman, speaks from wide ex-
perience and seasoned observation.
Following is a few excerpts from the
book:
1T has always proved an evil day
for the church.. when, losing faith in
the efficacy of the gospel to contend
with the powers of darkness, she has
stretched forth her hand to the state
and asked her aid and assistance in
suppressing evil and advancing the
cause of God. The hand af Caesar
has never been anointed by God to
take charge of His church and lead it |
on to successful warfare against the
sins of the world. And wheneved the
church seeks an alliance with the
state to advance the kingdom of God
and His righteousness, the results is
a much larger infusion of the spir |
of the world into the church than of
the spirit of God into the world"
Whenever the church, in her strug
giles against the crimes and the wick
edness of the times, falls back upon
her entrenched position behind the
word of God and calls on the state
for re-enforcements, the world de-
rides her faith in God, and instead of
advancing her cause by these forbid
den means, she lowers her holy flag
until the world no longer respects its
sanctity."
Whenever the minister of the Cos
pei leaves his pulpit and mounts the
stump to harangue promiscuous
crowds as to how they ought to vote
on questions of state policy, or stands
in his pulpit and instead of dispen-
sing the Word of God, takes a text
from the holy scripture and warping
1t from it's true meaning, compels it
TO do duty in enforcing some political
question, telling his congregation how
he proposes to vote on the question
and endeavors to prove from his vio-
lated text how they ought to vote
whatever his motives may be, what
ever evil he may seek to repress,
whatever Christian virtue he may
seek to promote, he will find in the
end that he has inflicted upon him
self and his Masters cause an injury
Tar transcending any good he has
been able to do by the more than
questionable course he has seen
adopt. No matter wha- evil he de-
sires to remove by inducing the state
to pass laws for it's suppression he
can not pursure the course indicated
without impairment tf ministerial
character and influence"
IF the suppression of sin. if the
spread Of tie gospel, If The conversion
OF the world depended, or had ever
depended, on such laws, as the church
might induce or compel the state to
enact, the grave of Christianity would
have been located so far in the dim
and forgotten past that the finger of
tradition would hesitate to point out
the spot where it slept"
THE men who have been the in
struments of the greatest reform and
the profoundest results in their en-
deavors to establish the kingdom of
heaven in the world have been those
who, holding themselves aloof from
all entangling alliances with political
and civil affairs, have preached the
gospel of Jesus Christ in it's purity
and simplicity. And when thus
preached it has always proven to be,
and always will prove to De, the pow
er of God for the salvation of men
from sin of every CHARACTERIZED.