POLITICS AND THE PULPIT; AN ESSAY ON THE RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF THE CHRISTIAN PULPIT BY A MINISTER OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. PUBLISHED BY THE AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY, No. 28 CORNHILL, BOSTON. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1860, BY THE AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. CONTENTS. Politics defined, as including three departments; the administration of Fage. 9 11 I. Of matters purely secular. The pulpit not concerned with these. . 11 II. Of the moral principles lying at the foundation of national pros- Civil government being of divine origin, and designed to promote the public welfare, must have regard to moral principles ... 14 This true in respect to man's temporal interests, and much more his The aim of civil government and of the gospel so far identical Government is administered by moral agents who are responsible to And doubly responsible because invested with public trusts . The relation of the pulpit to politics in this view of it. 1. It is bound to explain and enforce the word of God, which pre- 2. Also the duties of the ruled. Discussion of the question, Shall immoral laws be obeyed? 23 3. To pray for rulers—which implies an intelligent cognizance Reasons for public prayer for rulers 4. Governments have habitually invoked the aid of the pulpit. (a) In appointing days of fasting and thanksgiving, and creat- ing chaplains for their navies and armies (b) In calling for its offices on special public occasions (c) In relying upon it to instruct the people in relation to their 32 History of politics in past times View of politics at the present day. The duty of the pulpit to politics thus viewed. The nature of wrong-doing not changed by its political connections. 41 The rebuke of it by the pulpit no intrusion into the field of poli- tics; rather its introduction into politics is an invasion of the The pulpit responsible to God for the rebuke of all sin Special occasions requiring extraordinary efforts of the pulpit . |