New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-12-31
TIE CHRISTIAN IDEA or CTvIL
GOVERNMENT.
CIVIL
A sERMcN
BY TIN: REV. FRANC, vrSrcS, q. i.

who preaef ed q DISCOURSE the Christian Idea OF
Civil @" .scrnnent We give the sermon ent're'
them In mind to be subject, municipalities and poTe'si
SsY ~ ,i i. be- ahoc not ouy wrath brt
for COZ science tske."-RosAss. shl D
Tie Christian religion PRESERVES tue DUTIES o. men
In All ;be relations of human life. When II. Paul
s,i,ued liz az hop Of the church in the Island OF
Crete the inslired apostle incorporated the instruc-
tions a The Hcy Ghost in the Epise to Titus, where
:, ,ol;tiesl dpfies cnioned among tho rect: Put
thrr, IN mind to DO subject TO priuipal,ies and pow
era 10 obey msgistraes SO likewise, IN the Epletie
10 tie Romans wherein Gods will reveals itself in the
aicbty sweep of His eternal purpose toward mankind
oar subsection to civil government s duly enjoned |
Let every soul be subject under the higher powers
For there is power but Of God the powers thai he
are ordained of God Wbo@oever, therefore, reSiseth
shs power resirietb the ordinance Of God: and they
that resist shall receive TO themselves damnatlon
f,F rulers are not terror 70 good works,
but 10 the evil. VIII thou then be not AFRAID
Of tie pOwerl Do that which is good and
,lou shsl, have praise Of she same. For he l. the mn-
ister Of God 10 thee for good But if thou do that
With Is evil te afraid: for be bearetb not the sword
g. ain: Tor he Is tie Minister OF God revenger 10
execute wrath upon him that doelh evil. Wherefore,
you must needs lie subject not only for WRATH bat for
tonsci sake For for this cause pay We tn6nte
abo; for they God ministers attending coniiD9
1lly upon tlis veIy thing. Render therefore 10 al
cir due: ibuie 10 whom tribute 10 due: custom -
WI ON custom: honor 10 whom honor. tRom. XIII;
ISL II is evident from this Holy Scripture, without
reed nj Argument, that civil government Ii divine
i'm ttuton over mankind; that the magistrate IL mia
ileI OF God; and that submission TO established gJv-
enlnents and obeGiente 70 magistrates Is religious
Obligation TIE duty of civil obedience Is made TO rest
or cons. eDce because God personally rules over the
ration, IN he lowers and princiPaliics; thai IS,
in thOse abstract aud flnoanentsi principles winch
VIZ eau col sii-ution, aud Ia the Laws Of The nation
.nd Lv Ria MINISTERS the magistrates of the naOu
Tie word ordained expresses definite, spec hc ap-
pois,n enr; something deliberately planned and spe-
d. Nv Instituted CVinnenia do moi dler IN asslgn-
ing tts rleiuing 20 tie term. " The powers that be
are orda ed OF God" signifies that God governs the
nation ~ is constitution and laws and By Its officers
Lot by Lis pennIssiye VIII, by way Of mere tOer;i
asHe ucrLits evil in the world; nor in virtue of
tie will If The 1eoI lo; by Withholding His inter-
ventioi-but by His positive ordnance by His con-
staIt presence aud by His perpetual decree. Hence
tie Apostle, in tie text, commands bishop in the
cluCh "to put men in mind 10 be subject to civil
governments" because men prone 10 forget their
sii Obligation; and because set"ili, or some iran
,eieut grievance, or fancied hardship, prompts 10
seoiion and rebellion. tie distinguishes powers
ara pineipalties from magistrates; because
tsoee are the abstract principles embodied 10 the
Cotsti utiCu and laws: and these are executors OF
the law Hence, To tie constitution and laws OF
tie state We must he subject; 10 the magistrates
Nc must be Obedieut." "Put them in mind TO be
subject 10 pinciwGties and powers and 70 obey
MAJ iststes" In short he inculcates allegiance and
con- ance. ipd lie further bases these duties Of 10y
atty The ground OF piety. " He ID the minister Of
God thee Lot Of thee nor from thee, but 70 thee
Tor good God gives authority n the civil magls-
trat, Lot man. lie is " God minister not " the
servant Of tie people And, therefore. ye must
only for wrath from fear Of punishment from the
swCrd Of the magistrate" but for conscience sake,
as d religious outy, obligation OF piety. S1ch
are tie poliis o. ST. Paul Civil government Is Dl-
institution, and is administered by Divine anthori
ty. The mode If appointment is indifferent. II may
l.. BY lecti n NAV be by descent; IL may be by the
swoid. At the lime when the New Testament was
written, every OF municipal government prevailed
within the circuit despotic rule Of the Roman
kuIiI Yet, the powers that be ordained Of
Coz, was Il truth alike of all, exacting the same
LyAty fOT o@ass'ooeo --ke - Ite mode Of og
Pt,ataent is Indifferent; but the 0d@iaistras,6a Or
the government is of God" 81. Paul does not
cay The IeisOns thai be, but the powers that be
are ordained 4 CO. NJ GhTyasssS3,s -, -, A. ls
nane " The apostle refers says be, not TO per
sDs but pow ers." " He does not say, for there IL
30 rv,r but OF God but it is tie thing ne speaks of
and SAW there il 10 poarcr but of God And the
pgrcrs that be are ordained Of God" (Hpuiiy,
.Ain.) And tits distinction is important rs evneng
the allacy in that theory Of civil government which
j, known the divine night Of kings" and that
OlpoIent theory denomnated " the sovereignty Of
~ peolle" II is real distinction, Of winch the
Bille gives the inustr,liJn, in the most august
lion on record, VIZ: the establishment OF the
Il eocracy When Jehovah took upon III nseh the
Immediate political administration Of the Jewish ma
ton, tie leope Mre s, w ana ac'1siS cav
tie Lore called unto him ont of the mountain, say
ig thus shalt thou ray to the house OF Jacob, and
tel lie ci1Ien Of Israel: We have seen what j did
unto the Egg ptai,s, and how bore you on eagla :
wings ana brought you unto mysef. Now, there
fore, ii ye will Otey my voice. JUDGED, and Keep my
coVeIait, lien We shall De pecuDaT tlt0ture uo n
stove all PEOPLE; tor all the earth i mine, and g. shall
be d kingdom OF priests and an holy nation. These
are n worCs which thou shalt speak unto the children
OF Israel. AID MOsee and called for the Hers
OF tie peOIl- and lad before their faces all these
words witch the LOrd commanded him. And a the
PEOPLE answered together and ed, All that the Lord
fatb spoken we win do. And Moses returned the
wordt OF the people unto tho Lord SO that the
theocracy elective; yet II was never allegel thar
ih. election gave the theocRSy ITS divine authority
when the Jewish ma iOl, in the time Of Samuel, re-
VOTED against the direct political government Of Je-
hoyaL-ct mAnGng " a king TO judge Cs like all the
f.eatle r) nations God did not renounce HE an
tcrity, nor Withhold His presence; but vinditated
His UNSEEN, but real sovereignty, i'll every sub5e-
ouent vi i,suds of their political fortune. (See
Knes- and ChiOnices.l Wherefore, inasmuch
jehovah himself abdca,ed the visible throne az tne
Vti,e Il the PEOPLE, no human potentste may 81 AN
tie CROWN ia dehanee Of the popular conscnt, by
divine right; while, the other hand since jehovah
demanded the ent Of the natien before he Nsiby
assumed the throne Of theocracy, IL folows that The
peoll sovereignty so-caied Is all exhausted IN the
smIle exercise Of elee0g iIs rulers. The government
tecomef in either case the government OF God and
tie Ieople bre ~ made "sublect under the
"powes and Prncpelities established and Instituted
a. divine ordinances, in fundamental principles ana
laws; and are thenceforth bound, By rey nous oblgs-
II u.s. 10 obey the magistrates" Z" the ministers OF
God 10 them for good This view of the character
and authority Of ei il government represents the con-
sence the soul seye looking seeing
the sanction Of eternal judgment vndcating the duty
Of polIc4 loyalty. IL appeals 70 the conscience, rs
the judicial faculty of the sOul 10 determine the moral
obligation Of rubmis and Of obsiiepce To tho con
stJtuieG auhCri les OF the STATE. IL eevates politics
among the interests OF man along with o,hlc, and
fins around the civil government OF "A nation the
credness Of the Divine presence and the authority of
ALL ighty God. This Is the religious aspect Of civil
government. But there il furthermore, the Chris ian
aspect, and tits il embraced in the word OF the Lord