Another Movement by Dudley Marvin Canright

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 20, 1870

Another Movement.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

A NEW movement has been lately made, headed by the Methodists, and seconded by other denominations, for a reform party in political affairs. They do not propose to start an independent party, but only to cast their vote and influence with that party which shall nominate what they think is the best candidate. Methodist papers and ministers are urging their members to be on hand at nominations and elections, and to take a zealous part in it. The following, from The Methodist, will give a good idea of what they are doing:

CHRISTIAN CITIZENSHIP.

A noticeable feature of the proceedings of the recent Pennsylvania Methodist Convention, was the thorough discussion, of the “Duty of the Christian Citizen to the State.” Three capital essays upon this theme were read, one of them by a minister, and the others by laymen. The ground was broadly taken that the ends for which the State exists are moral, and that the duties of the citizen are moral duties. The first essayist, Hon. H. S. Richmond, of Meadville, took the position that “every Christian should be an active and energetic politician,” using the term “politician,” of course, in its purest sense. In this opinion, the Convention evidently concurred.

The Christian Statesman hails this movement with joy, as indicating that it will soon have help in its great object of making this a religious government, with none but religious men to hold office. Certainly it is a good index of where the church is drifting; viz., into the vortex of political strife. Then will come up religious questions, and the Sabbath will manifestly be among the first. Things are slowly but surely adjusting themselves for the great and last contest. May it come soon. D. M. CANRIGHT.