mgkortus
Puritan Board Freshman
A friend passed along this quote, which I thought was worth sharing with a broader audience. In it, Samuel Miller gives words of wisdom for ministers on the matter of political debates. This is worth keeping in mind with election season bearing down upon us.
"It is a serious fault in public prayer to introduce allusions to party politics, and especially to indulge in personalities. As the minister of the gospel who leads in public prayer is, as it were, the mouth of hundreds, and sometimes of thousands, in addressing the throne of grace, he ought not, if he can consistently with duty avoid it, to introduce into this exercise any thing that has a tendency to agitate, to produce secular resentment, or unnecessary offense of any kind in the minds of any portion of the worshippers. In the house of God persons of all political opinions may meet, harmoniously and affectionately meet, provided they all agree in acknowledging the same Savior, and glorifying in the same hope of Divine mercy. They may differ endlessly in their political creeds and wishes, and on a thousand other subjects, and yet assemble in the same temple, and gather round the same altar with fraternal affection, provided they are of one heart,and of one way in regard to the great system of salvation through the redemption that is in Christ. Why, then, should the feelings of brethren in Christ be invaded in their approaches to the throne of grace by unnecessary allusions to points in which the strongest worldly feelings are painfully embarked? It is impolitic. It is cruel. It often presents a most serious obstacle to the success of the gospel. it has a thousand times produced distraction and division in churches before united, and constrained many to separate themselves from their appropriate places of worship, and from all the means of grace.
Having been myself betrayed in early life, on various occasions, into a course of conduct in relation to this matter, I resolved, more than thirty years ago, never to allow myself either in public prayer or preaching, to utter a syllable, in periods of great political excitement and party strife, that would enable any human being so much as to conjecture which side in the political conflict I leaned. This has been my aim; and this is my judgment still: and this course, unless in very extraordinary cases, which must furnish a law for themselves, I would recommend to every minister of the gospel. The more those who minister in holy things are abstracted from political conflicts, even in common conversation, and much more in their public work, the better. They have infinitely more important work to do than to lend their agency to the unhallowed conflicts of political partizans. 'Let the dead bury their dead.’"
From Thoughts on Public Prayer, by Samuel Miller, p. 191-192.
"It is a serious fault in public prayer to introduce allusions to party politics, and especially to indulge in personalities. As the minister of the gospel who leads in public prayer is, as it were, the mouth of hundreds, and sometimes of thousands, in addressing the throne of grace, he ought not, if he can consistently with duty avoid it, to introduce into this exercise any thing that has a tendency to agitate, to produce secular resentment, or unnecessary offense of any kind in the minds of any portion of the worshippers. In the house of God persons of all political opinions may meet, harmoniously and affectionately meet, provided they all agree in acknowledging the same Savior, and glorifying in the same hope of Divine mercy. They may differ endlessly in their political creeds and wishes, and on a thousand other subjects, and yet assemble in the same temple, and gather round the same altar with fraternal affection, provided they are of one heart,and of one way in regard to the great system of salvation through the redemption that is in Christ. Why, then, should the feelings of brethren in Christ be invaded in their approaches to the throne of grace by unnecessary allusions to points in which the strongest worldly feelings are painfully embarked? It is impolitic. It is cruel. It often presents a most serious obstacle to the success of the gospel. it has a thousand times produced distraction and division in churches before united, and constrained many to separate themselves from their appropriate places of worship, and from all the means of grace.
Having been myself betrayed in early life, on various occasions, into a course of conduct in relation to this matter, I resolved, more than thirty years ago, never to allow myself either in public prayer or preaching, to utter a syllable, in periods of great political excitement and party strife, that would enable any human being so much as to conjecture which side in the political conflict I leaned. This has been my aim; and this is my judgment still: and this course, unless in very extraordinary cases, which must furnish a law for themselves, I would recommend to every minister of the gospel. The more those who minister in holy things are abstracted from political conflicts, even in common conversation, and much more in their public work, the better. They have infinitely more important work to do than to lend their agency to the unhallowed conflicts of political partizans. 'Let the dead bury their dead.’"
From Thoughts on Public Prayer, by Samuel Miller, p. 191-192.
