The mountain Democrat., 1863-07-11
Church and state.

The Unconditional loyalty" which the
Methodist Church makes the test of
church membership is in singular contrast
with the higher law which the Abolition
lists and even the moderate Republicans
advocated few years ago. 1t of course
makes a great difference who owns the
OK and who the bull. But no one was
prepared to see church body 60 the
whole length of asserting that loyalty
could admit Of no conditions whatever
Hereafter We may expect to see the Meth
odist minister disciplined, suspended, or
expelled, who shall preach or teach that
the law of Gnd may impose conditions
on human Loyalty 10 human government.
We can, imagine some poor martyr OF
the Chu&chS rho shall have submitted to
persect n Russia or in Turkey, ap-
pealing 1Ise Methodist Church for sym
pathy ;Gdd fheir sharp reply, Served
you right loyalty is and ought always
to be nne1ndi ti0nal. and that means that
there conditions, religious Or polit-
ical, th1s e0eld justify you in disloyalty
or enIttt td the Government Ct Turkey
or RuS,|sSF eyen the King Of the Canni-
bal Islandass e[
When@we remember the higher law
doctrino pf the hast few years, We may
well u1d4sf atthc revulsion Of sentiment
that h1S oFertaken the radical people.
The truth Is, the churches are making
q great mistake, which they will soon ap.
preciate, in this whole matter Of loyalty.
Church and State are not one here. II
they were one, and the Methodist Church
were The Church, then the Methodists
would probably adhere to their dogma
for some time. But so soon as they find
an Administration in power which hap
pens 70 bold opinions contrary 10 the
MethOdists' notions of righteousness, they
will suddenly find themselves tired OF un-
conditional loyalty, and the church will
then suffer the disastrous effects Of its
present disloyalty to the Head Of the
Church.
For no church can be unconditionally
loyal to human power and not be dis
loyal at one or another time to the great
King of the Church. Human institutions
are weak and liable to error. Human re-
quirenents are never infallible. The
Church, when il declares unconditional
loyalty to q human government, makes
itself the servant of worldly power, and
becomes a worldly machine. Patriotism
and piety are not Synonymous. We can
not but look with pity on the deIusion
that has overtaken many of the clergy on
the subject of the position Of the Church
in these trying times-with pity, because
they are ignorantly, yet none the less
guilty, traitors to their Master, and rem
dering aid and comfort to the great enemy
of the Church aud its Leader.
We Look for a terrible detection Of these
very men from the Church Within ten
years they will either repent their present
course in great bitterness or they will
abandon the Church entirely. They can.
not do otherwise. The first moment that
their suhjection of the Church as n ma
chine to worldly purpose shall 'requi of
them to sustain acts Of an Administra-
tion which they believe sinful, instead of.
as now, acts which they think holy and
right, at that moment they willOpen their
eyes. Then they will reflect, and, at
tempting to rctracc their steps, will either
do it in humility and sorrow, or they will
in disgust and desperation abandon the
religion they have reduced to such dis.
grace.--[N. Y. Journal Of Commerce.
-s~SSS
T.. II.