The Gavelyte, December 1908

CEDARVILLE COLLEGE . 167 in civil rulers and if such qualifications are required, have not the people a right to know about them? "Moreover, thou shalt provide out of all the people, able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers." ''He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God." Ar.d many other passages. ''Thu , it appears that three distinct classes of qualifications are neces~ary in civil rulers- natural, moral and religious. Rulers are required tr> be men of go~>d abilit;es, of unquestioned character anct' of true piety. "Wea'k and ignorant, drunkards, libertines, Sabbath breakers, profane swearers, ungodly men, shouid 11ot rule over a Christian people. The president has fallen in with the too common feeling of our day that rulers as such have nothing to do with religion. And how often doeR it happen that men of no religion are unblushingly preferred to those who have a well known reputation for godliness? "Civil rulers are called "ministers of God." How dishonoring it must be to him to et up _as his ministers those who deny his authority! "Hence the great importance of having the public mind deeply im– bued with pure moral sentiments, and correct religious principles. Never should the Chri..~tiar. suffer himself to forget that he is bound to act up to his character at all times. He should never drop the Christian to act the civilian. He must conduct himself as a Christian, when acting as a member of the church; at tlae ballot box as well as at the Lord's table. We have a right to know the religious belief of our rulers.'' - Rev . ,. M. Ramsey in Los Angeles Morning Herald of Nov.16, '08. A Minister's Protest. The reading of your editorial on "The Character Test" and the rom– n,unicationR fron, ~ume of The Interior's readers with respect tu tlw religiou,., views of the different candidates for the presidency, leads me to make a prote~t against the attitude of those who question the right of -their fellow-Christians who have declared that, they cannot vote for Mr. Taft because being a Unitarian he denies the deity of Jesus Christ. The writer in making thiH protest is not setting forth his own views in thl' matter, nor is he doing it to help or hurt any candidate. The writer lias not made up his mind to vote against Mr. Taft; neither has he made up hiR -rnintl to votP for him, hnt hP ha !=' grPat rPRpPrt for t.hosP who ha\'P