The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1914-12-24

siteh court vas established at Salem
1ass-. n 1851. that preciSitated legal
saaocssst Threatening to reAsce the
population to ashes and which Vas en-
:iaguished By the Aynea uniting and
pit.
The greatest peril TO the church to-
lay il politics. The temptation of the
ministry to throw dova the cross OF
Christ and pick up the club Of the
policeman: to substitute the penalties
'f the Law for the power Of the altar
and to legiSlate religion into human
hearts. never was greater.
| The world never needed q religious
ministry more nor political preachers
ess than it does today We need min
lsters to teach us how to live; We
know how to vote.
The religious preacher is the most
capable servant and the political
preacher the sorriest master the world
las ever known. Wherever power il
placed in the hands of the latter they
invariably become intolerant. bigoted
and vicious and resort to the whip and
| lhe faggot to enforce their opinion.
Civilization has many times been
compelled to drive incOrrigible preach
ers back to the pulpit at the point of
he bayOnet. Many OF the pages of
history are wet with blood shed at the
lands OF political preachers who wrote
avs on the statute books that com.
nitted arson upon mankind. MANNED
human beings with the hatchet and
sent helpless women to the torture
'ack. all because they disagreed with
heir views. When in control of gov
ernment. the pulpit politicians invari-
ably undertake to perform Legislative
MIRACLES such as casting out witches
With the fame of a torch, suborning
conscience with shackles and enforc-
ns opinions with the guillotine.
Mixing Politics and Religion.
Politics and religion will not blend
No free government can long exist o.
the church perform it's mission to
society when preachers and politicians
temporarily exchange callings, and a
civilization that will countenance
such conduct will soon decay. Such a
:raffic in occupations is as unsound in
principle as the white slave trade is
IMMORAL in practice.
The hand that passes the sacrament
should not collect slush funds for DO
litical purposes. The gentle voice that
comforts us In sorrow and pronounces
The last sad rites upon our departed
owed ones should not rave and rant on
the hustings. l do not believe a
preacher can manipulate political ma
,hinery and be righteous any more
han he could become burglar and
De honest. l think it as immoral
'or preacher to seek to lobby while
he prays as It would be for him to
gamble while he breaches.
A preacher can no more preach
political sermon without converting his
pulpit into a political rostrum than
le could sell Intoxicating liquor from
he altar without converting the
| church into bar-room. He can no
more purify politics by playing the
game than he can sanctify gambling
,y running a lottery
l join in the oft-repeated suggestion
hat preacher has as much right in
political brawls as a saloon keeper and
We also admit that he has as much
light to get drunk as anyone else,
out we would rather he would not do
| so for the greater the saint the great
! er the sim l think political bishop
IAN turkey trot in the name of christ
anity as consistently as he can erte,
| nto a mud-slip ging political contest
| % the disgrace of his church.
1t is my opinion that when this
world ID saved it will he through r..
| liSious sermons and not through poll
teal speeches. Salvation must come
to us from the Bible and not from
The statute book: it will come through
holy councils of consecrated ministers
and not from caucuses OF political
preachers.
The Problem Of the Laymen.
There never was time when
preachers and politicians formed an
lnholy alliance that civilization did
aot Shrek out and christianity cry
aloud. Since the beginning Of gov
arnment. politicians have sought to
1ecoy the ministry into the meshes of
politics and make them carry banners
in political professions They have
taken the ministry to the mountain
.op of power and offered to make them
monarch of all they surveyed, and
while most of them have said. get
Lhee behind me Satan" few have
| allen with crash that has shaken