The Gavelyte, December 1908

I (:5<1 THE GAV ELY'J'E, feel it to be his duty to instruct the people int.he suhject of their religious beliefs. He de<'lan·, freerlom nf religiuus helid must be ·upheld in this cnuntry, and yet he would restrain the workings of religious belief. ·'He !~ most liberal in his feelings toward certain classes, and most illiberal in hiH feelings toward certain other classes. With him it depends upon what a man believes whether he should be tolerated. Among other things he says : "You are entitled to know whether a man seeki_ng your suffrage is a man of clean and npright life, honorable in his dealings with hi::; fellows and fit by qualificaLion-,1 and purpose to do well in the great office for which he is a candidate . But you are not Fmtitled to know matters which lie purely between him 'elf and his Maker.'' "That is, according to bis views, we hav6 no right to enquire into the religions belief of anyone seeking office . He may be an atheist, infidel, a scoffer and a reviler of religion, yet this should make no difference with the voter. But what does the Bible say in regard to the matter? "To the law and to tne testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." "The pn-'sirlent vf>ry properly teaches it is not every individual who is qualifiect to holrl office in a ,,ation . He should lie fit by qualifications and purpose to rlo wPII in th1-- grer1t officP for \\ hich he is a candidate." Good natural talent:-:, a eult ivatt:-cl mind, U!! aC'quaintanc:E' ~ ith the principles of govPrnmf•nt and with thf> c••nstitution an<l la\,·s of the country, are very nPcessary to fit one for the filling of r1ny important office. The Bible, as wp]] as co:nmon Pnse, i' opµosPd to s~lecting persons of feeble intellect to rule: "Woe unto the(:,, 0 J;rnd, when thy king is a child." "Thvu shalt prv– vidP out of all tliP pP11plP, able men ." "The µrPsic!Pnt ahw very properly t,Pacht:-, that moral qualifications are nerpssary. But tht• prPsident,, aia many others, is n-'c1cly to a k, ''Of what u e is religion tn a ('ivil ni!Pr?" Civil governo11Pnt. ha:--: nothing to do with a man'~ reli)!."ions viPw.~, uut 1\ ir h hiH political ;1ctionH. Its test are not the– ological, but rolitiral. He F:,1y' we havP nothing to <lo with the private eharactH of public me'1; th11t iJu are nc,t entit!Pc! to know matters which liP pnrely between himself and his 1 1aker. ''Is the presidl•nt right in regard to thi ? The Bible has somethin~ to say about this, as well as other things . It reqnir8S religious qualifications