The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1866-08-31

quail ac1 lor Tue ueStructl0n OF 0tnerS.--
He rouses and encourages to the utmos
OF his ability, those brutal passions whicl
result in riot, bloodshed, spoliation, civi
war, and general corruption of morals.
You commit grieyous error in sup
posing that politics and religion are s.
mingled together that you cannot prcacl
one without introducing the other
Christ and his apostles kept them perfect
ly separate. They announced the grea
facts OF the Gospel to each individual
whom they addressed. When these wer
accepted the believer was told to repon
and be baptized for the remission of hi
sins, and afterwards to regulate his OWL
life by the rules Of pure and perfeo
morality. They expressed no preference
for one form of government over another
they provoked no political revolutions
and they proposed no legal reforms. L
they had done so, they would have fatty
contradicted the declaration that Christi
Kingdom was not of this world, anG
Christianity itself would have died out il
half century. But they accepted the re.
lations which were created by human Law
and exhorted their disciples to discharge
faithfully the duties which arose out OIL
them. Though the laws which defined
the authority of husbands, parents, mas
ters and magistrates were as bad as hu.
man perversity could make them yet the
early Christians oontented themselves
with teaching moderation in the exercise
of legal power, and uniformly inoulcated
the virtues of obedience and fidelity upon
wives, children, slaves and subjects. They
Joined in no clamors for or against any
administration, but simply testified against
sin before the only tribunal which Christ
ever erected on earth that is to say, the
conscience of the sinner himself The
vice of political preaching was wholly un.
known to the primitive church.
1t is true that Paul counselled obedi-
ence to the government of Nero; and |
am aware that modern clergymen inter-
pref his words as a justification of the
doctrine that support of an existing ad-
ministration is "part of their allegiance
to God" Several Synods, and other &c.
clesiastical bodies have solemuly resolved
something to that effect. But they for
get that what Paul advised was simple
submission, not active assistance to Nero.
The Christians of that day did not en-
dorse bis atrocities merely because he was
"the administration duly placed in pow
err They did not go with him to the
theatre, applaud his acting, or praise him
in the ohurches when he kidnapped their
brethren, set fire to city, or d,solated a
province. Nor did they assist at the
apotheosis after his death, or pronounce
funeral sermons to sbc'v that he was great.
or that Scipio, NOR. 'tuous than Cato,
and more eloquent tina. Cicero. Politi-
cal preachers would have done this, but
Paul and Peter did no such thing.
There is nothing in the Scri ptures to
justify the church in applying its discip.
line to any member for offenses purely
political, much less for his mere opinions
or feeling on public affairs. The clergy
are without authority, as they are often
without fitness, to decide for their con-
gregations what is right or what is wrong
in the legislation of tho country. They
are not called or sent to propagate any
kind of political doctrine. The Church
and the State are entirely separate and
distinct in their origin, their object, and
the sphere of their action insomuch that
the organism of one can never be used fol
any purpose of the other without injury to
both.
Do therefore say that the Christian
religion is to have no influence on the
political destiny of man? Far from it
Notwithstanding the unfaithfulness Of
many professors, it has already changed
the face of human society; and i,
will yet accomplish its mission by spread.
ingpeace, independence, truth, justice, and
liberty regulated by law, "from the sea tc
the uttermost ends of the earth.' But
this will be accomplished only by reform
ing and eevating the individuals of whom
society is composed not by exasperatina
communities against each other not by
any alliance with the governments of the
world not by any vulgar partnership
with politicians to kill and plumber theil
enemies.
Every time you reform bad man and
bring his character up to the standard OF
Christian morality, you make an addition
greater or less, to that righteousness which
exalteth nation, aud subtract an equal
aum from the sin which is 8 reproach to any
people. Sometimes single conversion il
extremely important in its immediate ef-
feet upon the public interest of whole
nation. No doubt the acceptance of the
truth by Dionysius the Areopagite had
much to do in moulding the subsequent
laws and customs of Athens. The con-
version of Constantine was followed by
the instant abrogation of all laws which
fettered the conscience. In the regin of
Theodosius the people of Thessalonica rose
against the Roman garrison and killed
its commander. For this act of rebellion
the Emperor decreed against them the
curse of an indiscriminate war, in which
the guilty and the innocent were contour
Inl kha Il