The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1863-07-23

LANCASTER, July sth, 1861.
Messrs GEORGE SANDERsoS, p CARPENTER, 6EoEGI
KAUFMAN AND OTHERS:
GENTLEMEN find no good reason
for refusing your kind request transmit a copy o
my discourse which is at your service
With great regard, remain, yours respectfully,
c 4. VAN ANDA.
''Let every Soul be subject unto the higher powers
For there is no power but of God the powers thai
be are ordained of God Whomsoeyer therefore re-
sisteth the power, resisteth the ordnance Of God
and they that resist shall receive to themselves
damnaton."-RoM XIII, LIZ. :
If the gospel is adapted to our pres
cnt condition there must be some re-
cognition in it of our relations and
obligations to civil government, be-
cause we do sustain such relations, ,and
are under such obligations. 1t is the
duty of those who preach the gospel to
make known that feature of it, as GER
tainly as any other. Indeed, whether
he will or not, is not a matter ofchoice
with the minister, he must preach the
whole truth. And in doing so, he is
following the example and obcying the
commands Of Christ and his apostles
Christ said: "Render to Caesar the
things that are Caesars; and unto God
the things that are Gods Paul wrote
upon the nature Of civil government
and the duties of citizens, as we see in
the text and its connections and wri.
ting to Titus, a minister, whom he had
left in Crete, he says: "Put them in
mind to be subject toprincipalities and
powers, to obey magistrates" &c
Hence, in preaching upon the nature
of civil government, and the obliga-
ton of subjects to it, the minister is
simply doing his duty.
And if there be party issues, involv'
ing moral questions, as that Of the
observance of the Sabbath, intempe'
rance or slavery, and these be discussed
from a religious standpoint, and not u
political one, the minister is moi
chargeable with political preaching as
the phrase is generally used. That is
as certainly the gospel as repentance Oh
faith, or the reciprocal duties of pa
rents and children.
Ifever there was time when our
relations and duties, to thegovcrnment
ought to be specially and religiousIy
considered, the present is that time
All that is valuable in that form Of
government, bequeathed to us by oul
forefathers all that is dear and sacred
under the protection of that govern
ment, is threatened with destruction
What is our duty? and how is it to be
performed, are questions ofthe highest
Importance.
The text teaches that government is
divine ordinance, and that it is our
duty to be subject to it. After estab.
fishing these points, l wish to show
their application to our present cir
cumstances.
l. Civil government is a divine or
dinance. The text reads: For there
is no power but of God; the powers
that be are ordained of God" And
that reference is had to civil authority
is evident from the context. In the
Sd verse we read, "For rulers are not 8
terror to good works, but to the evil"
and in the 9th verse, "For, for this
cause pay ye tribute also, referring
to taxation.
That civil government is ordained
of God appears from the necessities o
mans nature. We are social beings
and demand society in order to secure
and preserve our interests. A mar
has not the physical strength, mol
swiftness of foot nor acuteness o
sense, which many ferocious animals
possess he must therefore combine
with his fellow men in order to defent
himself against them.
Again, men demand an education
While animals enter upon life with
instinct fully developed, men who are
reasoning beings, must have time fol
development; must have observation
and example and experience. For
number of years the members Of th'
human family have no power to pro
vide for the necessities Of their exist
ence. They must be taken care Of by
others; hence the institution Of thu