The Gospel, Not Legislation
SINNERS are not converted by act of Congress. Evil desires are not taken out of the heart by legislation. Religion is a matter between man and God, and depends upon individual choice. It is the mission of the ministers of Christ to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God, not the gospel of this world, and men are regenerated as individuals rather than collectively. The troubles in the world are the result of sin, and the gospel of Christ is the only remedy for sin. If ministers neglect to preach the gospel, and undertake to cure the ills of the world by some other means, such as by changing the environment or securing favorable legislation, they will meet with a double failure; for the gospel will not be preached, and the ills will not be cured. Neither Jesus nor his disciples attempted to reform Roman society, then most corrupt, by combining all those in favor of good morals in an effort to improve the laws of the empire, but they went everywhere preaching the Word of God as the agency for true reform. We can not improve upon the methods of Jesus.