PULPIT POLITICS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 705, 3 January 1910, Page 5

PULPIT POLITICS.

' PRESIDENT WARNS WESLEYANS. POSITION OF PASTORS By (Roc. January 1, 9 a m.) London, December 31. 'The' President of tho-.We'sleyan Conferenco warns pastors- tbat .their position ...cannot : be. used for party purposes, . and; remindspthem:ofthostanding orders; of - the Wesleyan \ Conferenco forbidding: ,tho use of churches for -political purposes. . .. ' . ... . .NONCONFORMIST ANTI-SOCIALIST UNION. F; The'political ;teudencies: of ;the Noiicon-' formist churphfes g'enerally and: the 'opposition; of Wesleynns to such a movement .int6:-notic6..by a cablegram isent-from oh; 'Decern-.' ,beiV.2i: : wbich stated r "Sir.:R6bert'PerkS : (a. leading • Wesleyan' and Liberal M.P., who /disagrees '.with: .the Budget, and '.who has' -' threatehed .to : stand ' again for ;Louth),/-in- criticising '.thej:action lofj'Free; /Churchmen/ at - Mr.; .Lloyd-George's;. meet- ' irig ;at .tho Queen's Hall/comments- on the; imarked'abstention 'of the.WesleyahS." .-The': -AVosleyans,-. said Sir. Robert, will not'tolerate .-politics - in tho pulpit;; Inother - wordsi •> clerical j' dictation."/Mr;":; Asquith's programme is Home Rule • for Ireland, Socialism for.tlib Labour, party,.'.and nothing for tho Nonconformists." '.. 1 ■ .'i J ■i. r ".j''A : ; fetettt "•iSsti6l'6f--.thß-""Stdn'datd J -'- ; \Con. ; :v /tairib - tbb' ; ; ;the^N6iicoitf6.i I mist::;Anti-Sobialist.';U.iiiqn i' /.^d , dbmb&t;the"-aldi i ralbgttaiidi>ttoy.Jaid(|tag. NoncoMbrinllt':ministers ' .to',./make 'Use.';'of.. ! '/tlieir.JpUljits ifot chiefly ■: for: tho propagation; of; Socialism; the; Noticbifo'rmist /Anti-So'cialistSUttibri has .beeit; formed;; and is no\V' ■ perfecting 1 need'/forsUcli - a Snibri'caiinpt.bo ; di^ute'dj' I cpnsi.dering'-that, probably fCOOfKflf /the 12,000 X^dnraiifptlbir. ".ldt; : S' ift" V Itißtnr . ings • Socialism/; and v m any '-ft'dm--bers of. their churches arb'boingi.driveil ,in toth e/' Established ;Church 'bficauSe, in-' otead : of receiving Spiritual teaohing from the (pulf ity ;: thfey- hiive - to,; listeti-while the /fallacies ; ; /of V/^hte.y loudly','prbr. claimed. ': Very- influential - support has already:>been -accorded ..to the -movement. - ; .ahd:(letters;. havb ibeen'-received from':Mr., hßalfouf, /Mr.;. Chamberlain/, and-. /Lord Rosebory,' expressing approval ■ of; the 'scheme. Ihcluded :on' the. council ore; the' ■Rev. \Di)isdale. T. ■ Mr* Carlyon Bellairs, .M.P., Mr;: E. Parkcs, M.P.,- Mr.. J. J. Oddy, M.P, and others" Objects of the Union. v.; The union is / interdenominational, l-'iipii-^litifealj'/ and '/ahtifSocialistic/'iV said ; the Rev. Gebrge Freeman, tho •; secretary l.bf; .'.of, Westbourne ..drove'. "I want to make it perfectly; clear from the., begiliiiing' tbat' wef areV, absolutely; I non-party, in,.our politics, and fof this; : rettSoii;:'we; ; .hAve-stayed {oUr'hatdihntil.; we; !'have'SecuM x'opresen-. tation on our council. v/TVe- intend v.to;. contmue. .along i- .that line,, taking.- our: stand,- upon .• the -tliteo - -great: principles I havo c[uoted. Oar : ob-' Ejects;;are:t-- : 'v -To/fight-Socialism in-alii-its/forms.-,/Toi withstand the . encroachments of So-/ : cialisii' amongst- the meiJibers of thß Noiiconformist Church. V'£6:protest/'agdihst -thevuSe';of>tha{;pilU : pit for political ends. ■- To watch the movemehts of other,bodies established to -the ends of Social-' ism or other political propaganda/in Non.. conformist:. churches, aild.-to - take such tsteps .-as-: may.'.bfl; advisable -to . counteract the same. t i ■/.;To meetings and lectures, ..appoint officers and agents,, print l and , circulate /literature,.and.do:all'Shoh things as;the '.executive :: may - ;, determine;;; in \ ;further-;. ance of these objects. To,-.band,.together men,and women: ■who- approv? tlxe objects of the society. •/ To - cneck, and ' prevent- the use of the 'Free . Churches >as - party political : instru- / tri enta; v vyVv;/ .ViTo preservo the preaching of the Word .of, 'God'from loss of - Jiower- by th'e :introi' party political utterances. To iidiscourago . .the.- uso.; of.; chapels- and fcliappr^Bclioblrobms' i Vfori';;)politicalo:,.-'m a ngsii i;];:';,;.'-KJ p: ; )-'Wv5 ; .iJ'^i/; , /-/p; ' /.-To free/the pastorates "of /Nonconformist establisli>Va■:.'rule i inr!the. chuTcneSthat: ;niiniSters'!:under:-iConsideratibn , ;:;'te subjedtedvtb/iiiquiries-'as"/to. their folitical opinions.