1. A pastor should always himself exercise the elective franchise and
should encourage Christians to do so; in no other way can we have a
Christian government. On this continent the great experiment is in
progress of a government strictly by the people, and in the absence of
religion and virtue it must prove a failure. Christian men should not
neglect their duties as citizens; it imperils the life of the nation
and the welfare of the Christian cause. The pulpit, therefore, should
press on the church the duty of seeking the elevation of good men to
official station. 2. As a pastor the minister is bound to refuse all
party obligations and all partisan use of pastoral influence; for he is
pastor of the whole church, chosen and supported without reference to
political distinctions among the members. But as an individual he is
entitled to his political preferences and his just political influence;
with this the church has no right to interfere. At the same time, it is
wise for the pastor to avoid excited political discussions, especially
in public places, and quietly to exercise his political rights and
perform the duties of a citizen. 3. When public questions have a
strictly moral side, I think the pulpit should not be silent, but
should seek, as on moral questions in general, to give direction to
public sentiment in favor of honesty, truth, and virtue. Occasional
sermons, therefore, presenting the obligations of citizens and applying
the moral teachings of Christianity to questions on which Christian
citizens are called to act, are the duty of the pastor; but the time
and manner and spirit of such sermons require the exercise of the most
careful judgment.