The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-04-09

IL,
your principles by his command to slay oil the child
rem that were In Bethlehem, and In ali the coasts
thereon, from two years old and under. II was .
command Of the king, founded ON reasons Of state,
and Peter tells you to submit to every ordinance Of
man for the Lords sake, whether of the king as su-
preme or governors a. sent by him. And Paul tells
you that wh0soever resteth the power ressteth the
ordinance Of Cod and that every soul must be sub
Ject TO the higher powers. According to your inter
probation 1t was right, in obedience to the king to
murder those children; 1t was an act of obedience
70 God; and according TO your theory, if the child
mand L would have been tight and iuss and Who
ever was commanded to put the Babe in Bethlehem
to DEATH was bound in conscience to do it, and he
had succeeded, would have done a thing acceptable
to God. My friends, there is a rule in regard 20
obedience to state policy in such rule that
ever and anon, in the case of any extraordinary
wickedness, is heard like the voice of Satan to his
friends, Prepare my way before me "a rule pithy,
terse and comprehensive Go 1t bind" If yon
will obey government in executing unrighteOus de
crees under pretence Of obedience to God, you
must " go it blind but remember one declaration
of our blessed Lord in such case-that II the
blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch"
UPPER AMP NBTBBa MILLsTONEs OF SCRIPTURES.
Now, put these two things together Paul's decla-
ration in the 18th chapter Of Romans, "Let every
soul be subject unto the higher power" and
the same Pauls declaration in the second chapter
Of the same epistle, that "God will render unto
them who do not obey the truth, but obey upright
eousness indignation and wrath, tribulation and
If the higher powers command evil, and man obey
them in such unrighteousness upon every such soul
there is the sentence of indignation and wrath from
the Almighty. Why then, you may perhaps ask,
were these strict innctons as to obedience to the
powers laid down. and the exceptions not given, so
that this part of divine revelation has served
quarry of despotism in the hands of tyrants and
obedent ministers for the building of the Bastilles
Of Illuminated, irresponsible, jure dirine tyranny
When they would grind to pieces the oppressed,
and break the very bones of Purtanic insubordina.
ton against commanded unrighteousness, they put
them between these upper and neither millstones of
Paul and Peter torn away from Gods living temple,
and wbirled round by unjust judges, for grinding
into powder every lima gioation of resistance against
tyranny. When they would crush the grapes of
servile theology itself for an intoxicating draught of
full license TO oppression they threw them into that
wine press But wisdom il justified of her children.
The exception is given, and is part of the rule, and
from the fear Of man, ana Jealous for Gods right
eousness and the supremacy of Gods law, cannot
fail to see it. Obedience to the powers that
be, from conscience toward God, does not
permit you to do one single thing forbidden in
Gods word, does not permit you to 60
contrary, in any respect, TO the universal law of
pety and love. But these iDjunctions were written
especially, in the first case to persons in the new
and unaccus toned freedom Of the gospel. who had
been commanded in nothing to suffer themselves to
be the servants of men, but to feel and realize and
cauy on. their entire independence of all human
thori;y, and their dependence only on God. The
whole tenor of the Old Testament was to train them
in such freedom. But some among them imagined
that in coming into the kingdom and liberty of
Christ, they we're freed from all subsection to hui
man governments, and especially had there been q
sest amor the Jews teaching such nsubos dination
walking after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness
and despispg government, promising men liberty,
but themselves the servants OF corruption. And iG
was necessary, with strong arm to chick such per-
nicious heresies, by the strongest possible state
ments Of the truth as to Gods own establishment
and authorization OF human governments, as clothed
N. sD1.a
and the fnflment of all righteousness For the
sake of God for the sake of the gospel for the sake
of commencing Christianity as a religion,o purity
and peace; purity first aud peace in consequence;
religion of order Of obedience TO magistrates; q
religion, the best possible and only permanent
support of the state in freedom and pros
perity, such obedience was carefully TO be main
tanned, was ID be carried even 70 an extreme
of passive nonresistance, wherever IL could be
d,re with a good conscience towards God.
Island fast, therefore in tie liberty wherewith
Christ has made us free and be not entauged again
with the yoke Of bondage. For brethren ye have
been called INTO liberty only not liberty tor oc
casion TO the flesh but ty love 10 serve one another
For ali the law Is fulfilled in word in this:
Thou shall love thy neiahbor as myself" Thisw was
their freedom under God and the gospel, freedom
Of righteousness and love, and freedom Of obedi-
ence 20 human government and law 30 far it full
filed Gods own great Law OF righteousness and love.
Not a freedom of the government TO bind and -.
press them but freedom for them to sustain the
government and obligation to obey II for the sake
Of liberty AMI love, and TO advance the kingdom OF
God which is rchteousI and peace and joy in the
Holy Ghost. These principles constitute the only
steadfastness and permanence OF authority and law.
The security both OF constitutions and Of laws Is In
the fearlessness ard independence Of righteous
conscence II lies IN the fear OF Cod and not In the
liberty, Algernon Sidney rightly declared, In his
discourses ON government, insisting on a perfect
conformity to the laws OF God, that II hath been
ever hereupon observed that they who most precisely
- lie. Cf la1A .lt,s4.
ceinipg the commands Of men, unless they are well
grounded; and those who most delight in the glo
rous liberty Of the sons Of God do not only subject
themselves 10 him, but most regular observers Of
the Just commands OF man, according to the will Of
Cod
DIsoBrDrENcE DUTY.
The usurpa,ion Of power for selfish and unrighte
Gus objects, for oppression, in5lstce and cruelty Is
not the ordinance Of God, but OF sin and Satan. In
such case It to be the duty Of the people TO
obey; |, is the duty OF every one TO dsobey, mas
much as the very declared purpose and object for
which God has ordained the powers thst be are set
but forms Of treason against God, and as such the
very allegiance of men 70 God requires, for obedi
ence to him. the punishment OF such treason and the
restoration Of the powers that be, as God has or
dained them. Fer the power Is the minister Of God
for good, not evil and bears the sword Tor good, not
evil and they who WELD the power for evil and not
good are themselves resisting the ordinance Of Cod
and they who thus resist shall receive 70 themselves
science towards God commands you as positively 10
disobey, when the government orders unrighteous
ness, as IL does 10 obey when II orders righteous
ness and for the same reason, because God has laid
the sole authority Of government in conscience
towards him. If, therefore, obey God, II they obey
government out Of conscience towards God, they
fever viii permit an unrghteous government to
exist over them-they are not permitted OF God ID
permit such thing. And who does not see that
when the consciences Of men are thus fastened 70
God and faithful 20 him, misgovernment and ty-
rainy are rendered impossible; FOR no government
even supposing usurpation for wicked purposes
possible, and the passing OF wicked laws possible
could find any instrument 10 carry out their &C
cursed designs. Where whole people are under
the teaching Of Gods word, and the power Of an en-
lgbtened conscience binding them to him, and
making them faithful, in vain would tyrants rage,
since they must imprson the whole people or cut on
ell Their heads, in which there wJud be no sub
ects left but, In fact tyrant tyrannic power
can possibly be sustained against the united con
scentious determination Of q whole people. The
at~ nj