The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1867-05-08
, distracted land, it is that of the king

in distracted land, it is that of the king.
dom of righteousness, and peace, and
10y in the Holy Ghost" The world it
self expects, and has right to expect,
that the official servants of Christ, above
all others, will bear in mind their Mas
ter's proclamation: "Blessed are the
peacemakers for they shall be called
the children of God" Is it to be won
dered at, then, that the clergy of the
land, as class, have lost much of their
moral power over the public mind, when
their recent practice is contrasted with
the requirements of their religion? In
stead of "peacemakers," many of them
have proved the fercest and most sangui-
nary advocates of war. Instead of al
laying animosities, many courts of the
Church have done more than political
conventions to irritate, exasperate, and
embitter existing feuds. Every discrim-
mating reader Of the Gospel discovers,
that while Christians, in the capacity OF
citizens, owe duties to their civil govern
ments; yet to Christ's kingdom they owe
a still more important service. Its in
terests should be paramount in their at
fections. Especially does this hold true
of that class of Christ's subjects, who by
their very Office profess to be wholly con-
secrated to his service. But where
Christian ministers are drawn into the
vortex of political turmoil, they are un-
der the strongest temptation to reverse
the divine order of things and to exalt
secular above spiritual interests. So it
ever was in days of old, when cardinals
and bishops were the prime ministers and
chancellors of Kings. So, to some ex-
tent, has it been of late in our land
Many minister has evinced fervency
and intensity of zeal in behalf of civil
interests and military movements, which
he was never known to discover in mat
tiers spiritual and ecclesiastical. Uncon-
sciously to themselves, Church courts
have reversed the'relative Importance Of
the interests of Christ's kingdom, and
those of the State, by sacrificing the for
mer to secure what they regard as the
true interests of the latter. Rather than
forego their deliverances on matters po-
litical, they resolved to risk the division
of once united church. By this devo-
ton to affairs strictly secular, they have
hopelessly rent the Church, by driving
off from their communion body Of
Christians, who, in point of piety, of self
sacrificing labor, and of attachment to the
doctrines and order of the Church, are
the peers Of any ecclesiastical commu-
MON in Christendom. Nor is this all.
Having driven off into justifable schism
those whom they once acknowledged to
be the soundest portion of the Presbyte-
rian Church, and having done this simply
and solely for reasons political; we now
see them making overtures for reunion
with body, from which they once sepa-
rated, because of their alledged detection
from the doctrinal and governmental
standards Of the Church. None who are
familiar with the history of this move
ment can for a moment doubt that its
real cause is as purely political
affinity, as the other was a political
antagonism. Verify, before the Church
can regain her former commanding po-
sition, as an institution purely spiritual,
a "kingdom not of this world" she must
purge out the political leaven that has SO
largely pervaded her, repudiate her re-
cent policy, and restrict herself to the
work allotted her by her divine Lord
And, as one of the great lessons taught
by history, it must be borne in mind that
if the Church adventures to intermeddle
with the affairs of State, the State inevi-
tably will invade the province of the
Church. One great reason, if not the
reason, why both in Scotland and in
England the Church's independence of
the State was resisted and refused, is found
in the fact, that ministers and church
courts were disposed to intermeddle with
the affairs of the State. 1t should not
be forgotten that the interference Of the
civil magistrates, or rather of military Of
fcers as their instruments, in the affairs
of the Church, did not precede, but fol
lowed the Church's interference with
matters political. If. therefore, the
Church would enjoy spiritual indepen-
dence, she must allow the State to main
tain an exclusive control over her own
affairs.
Ny limits forbid me to educe and en-
force many of the great lessons suggest
ted by our text. Ere I close, however,
I may remind you, that # GArist's King
dom be not Of this aOorld, then we may see
how incongruots IN such Kingdom Is
the car7.al policy and .fnesse, By which
aUorldly kingdoms are sustained and adj
RANGED.
AS the world begins to feel the leaven-
ing influence of the Church, and in a
measure to become assimilated to it, the
Church itself becomes conformed to the
world. Hence the danger of resorting
to worldly expedients for promoting its
ends. This has been abundantly exemp-
lifted of late years in our Church courts,
and especially in our supreme Judicatory.
Much which was formerly done only in
open court, is now contrived and digest
ed in secret caucus That which in civil
legislatures is styled "wire-pulling'' and
"log-rolling," has been introduced into
the courts of Christ's house, and to such
unhallowed maneuvering and secret man
agement, may not a few of our recent
troubles be traced. The temptation to
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