September 25, 1889

“Back Page” The American Sentinel 4, 36, p. 288.

ATJ

THE Christian Nation of June 26, 1889, has an editorial entitled, “The Preachers and the Politicians,” in which it says:—AMS September 25, 1889, page 288.1

“The late contest in Pennsylvania over the Prohibition amendment, was emphatically a trial of strength as to who should control the people of that State, the preachers or the politicians.... It was preacher against politician, and the politician won by a tremendous majority... The lines are being drawn between the followers of the preachers and of the politicians and every moment that hastens such division is beneficial.”AMS September 25, 1889, page 288.2

This is not a correct statement as to the real fact of the Pennsylvania campaign. But admitting the Nation’s statement of the case, we say that that is precisely what the SENTINEL has been showing in regard to the Prohibition party all along. We have been saying all the time that the third party prohibition movement was only a stepping-stone to help the preachers to power over the people. Whenever preachers undertake to influence or control people by any other means than the meekness and gentleness of Christ, they are dangerous. And in any contest for political power by which to control people, they are more dangerous than those who are politicians only. The control of the people by earthly governments is political. It is properly the work of politicians. It is not the work of the preacher, an the preacher has no right to enter into any contest with the politician to gain that control. To the twelve original preachers and to all other’s who should ever come after them Christ said: “Ye know that they which think good to rule over the Gentiles exercise, lordship over them, and their great ones exercise authority upon them, but so shall it NOT be among you.” This is the word of Jesus Christ. Everybody who respects Christ should respect that word. And by that word it is proven that whenever a preacher enters into any contest with politicians, as to who shall control the people, he is out of his place.AMS September 25, 1889, page 288.3

A. T. J.