The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1865-05-25
MlstfllantOnsy
tFrOm the DanvIllo CKy) sPre,byteriau--oopled by
Request.
THE SECULAR AND THE sPIR-
-@"r r.. .I ITUALa ''I -""'.


The State aud the Church are, both |
'f them, ordinances of God; the State is
His ordinance for the temporal welfare
'f man, and the Church 10 His ordinance
Tor the salvation of sinners. Each of
these Institutions has its own separate
province; and it is a usurpation for
either to. assume the functions Of the
other. Thus far all is plain. But here
,prlngs up the difficult question: viz:
What subj ects belong to the Church
and what to the State; or, where is the
line to be drawn between, the secular
and the spiritual2 .s 49,
Il, It will be admitted that subjects
which are purely secular, in their ma.
ture, belong exclusively to the State.
Questions, Of the tariff, of banks, of in.
terpal revenue, stamps, income tax, >, the
organization and, pay of the army aud
navy, and such like, fall under the class
OF purely secular afflirs aud the juris
diction Of them belongs to the State.
Any attempt on tho part of church
court to determine questions of this
kind would be a gross usurpation.
These things are Cesar's--let him set
tie them.
2. 1t will be admitted, that subjects
which are purely spiritual, in their ma
ture, belong exclusively. to the Church.
Questions of divine truth, such as the
Trinity, the last state of man, and the
way of redemption; questions of our
duty to God; such as repenta nee, faith,
prayer; questions. of public worship
such as the sacraments; these and SINH
lar subjects fall into the category OF
purely .spiritu i afflirs, and the juris.
diction of them is solely in the Church
Any attempt on the part of a civil
tribunal 70 settle or determine ques-
lions Of this kind would be gros,
usurpatiou. That is Erastianism, ant
is cordially renouuced by every body ia
this country. The introduction of sucI
subjects into political canvass, or into
body of men met as citizens would be
simply, impertineut.
3. There is third class of subjects
which may be called mired; being in
some of their aspects secular and in
Others religious. Here, also, the prin-
ciple is plain. Thus: In subj which
are mixed in the sense just defined, all
those aspects which are secular belong
to the State and must be determined by
its tribunals; all those aspects which
are spiritual belong to the Church and
must be referred to the spiritual courts
Take as an example the law of marriage
and divorce. Marriage is, in one as
pect, civil contract between the par.
ties. In so far as it is civil contract
and in so far as it affects the rights Of
property, maintenance, protection, &c.
&C., the State is bound to regulate it by
law. But, in another aspect, marriage
brings with it very high religious duties
and obligations. Those duties and ob.
are defined in the word of;God
andit belongs to the spiritual courts to
enforce them.
J.; The Scriptures teach that marriage is
to be between one man and one woman =
as against the Mormons; it is lawful 70,
AL sorts Of people to marry rywhO are able
with Judgment to give their consent, as
against the Papists; marriage ought moi
to be, within the degrees Of consapguin
Iity and affinity forbidden in the word
as against the incestuous, aud soor
through the chapter. Now, on the ont
hand it is not competent for the State
to alter or spt aside any of these divine
ly revealed principles; nor, on the 9th
er, is it competent for tho CHURCH to in
fere with the marriage relation eonsid
cred as civil compact. If "a church
court should define the rights of a mar
ried woman ip the property OF. her hus
band, or attempt to settle the doctrin
of the wife's dover, that would be
minglirg 6 Of the spiritual, With the secu
lar in . form thoroughly preposteroui
lSo if the legislature of Kentucky, Q
one of our courts ofjustice, should al
tempt to expound the word of God upo
the mysterious analogy between th
marriage covenant and Christ's relatio
to the church ( (Eph. 8; 22-23) tht
Prpceedipg would be an unlawful a
tempt on the part of the secular pow,
to handle and conclude matters spiritr
FaI. The principle is pIain in mike
cases all that is of . secular nature b
: longs to the State, all that is Of a rsli
5 iOus nature belongs to the church,
pst here the qVlsti0P meets vs. !