, 1869-08-09
the PULPIT.
The Church Of Christ and the Ciyll
Power.
Sermon by Rev. J. ). Sweeney.

Sermon by Rev. rs. Sweeney.
Rev. !. 8. Sweeney, pa4:or Of the Christian
Church, corner Of Wabash avenue and Sixteenth
street, last evening" addressed very large cousre-
CATION, the subject Of his dscntson beng popular,
and attracting many persons not members OF bis
congregation. The Buhlect Of h!a ecrDDn WAS
+Thc Church Of Thirst md the CiEu Power" He
said:
THK sERNnN.'
Agrceably 70 appointment, shhll speak to you
this eYeuinK Of the Church Of CHRIST and the civil
poweE have eelected no portion Of Scripture
iha1 NAY properly be called the text Of the scruon
but shall call your attenton 70 sesera! Passlgea
lament scriptures. The phrases, "Kinsdom Of
Heaven aud .Gnasra Of Christ" generally
mean The same thing: I DO not say that they a..
have no sncn d'rcrcsce Of meaning as TO warrant
the conclusion That they arc two desinct 1nstltu-
osA .ns position ns ~ es iii ?eaa txo asp passases 81
IA: say a.so anto thee taat mon
Just ut,esedl viii bulid my Church. nnd the ga,ed
ol hell shall not prevail against II: snd Will give
unto tLee the keys o. the hiagsom q Aeaee,t, and
In teavrp. aud whatsoever thou shalt loose o.
earth rhal. tie loosed 10 heaven" Church aad
k.ngdon msan &c sane n snts rassase Agsin
Unto ne CITY .! The l!ynE Co.. the ,f,; heavenly
eH,,.Id oI The arst born. Wherefore
wp rert fytnu q iin1Gom which cannot be moved.
lei u have grace" &c think you vii allow
that these tso ~; ssses warrant ne post.oa
especially rs II Is q matter IN which Christians
WV generally agree,
shall rsreec.i, in The next place. 70 notice
sSe ea eaen Cd he Rnsdom oi m MeaTen Ind
Romsp m % uoreIpoS, to seea1e i,s oonaemnafson and
s1es1,sn asy lala aSs.pst I'm 9o1na .n; 81 ve nDa
nas1att,rg Ihs nsIIt,n and f,rntTinV r. rire
ITnn1e 70 Cesar, savipF that {!e himself Is Christ
KIns." Jesus DID not deay, Sut conlessed, tha,
Wns INV fingdom ia moi or this Eortu.;. Want
nM IL 1nea1, ~ fnis snsweT- Tn,s wnrr5 H. tfe
~ tn1r,1 ~ r1NuI =, ies.f nsrt Al I'm III. Sfns
Hnn, i},s iaws ar nrhi.sneti in Tits ward and
~ xn3,t.cts ~ thsm anrhew9lIrn ~ ma
Eor:a' yeryc him in this word. How "a it. II then
4a IT. ,1aan M X, nis ns W. - W. srnn 1ts
re ne mean ~ lA1S snsHG suppose ne aieant ",
NJ M essentially di5esent character from world:
yor,a sr;va, rans ront,c; 9Hs nona
@ ssn, al ,,, hpae m n, VIII an n
ogpos.loa ~ 70 es;saT; j ~ ozasE kips q poseae
and hsnce h. ' drsine mi mi m iaui IN ths IsN man
An, ha he nns heer, to- mich af r. I,ot1cian 10
allow lis own Conscience and his vie to lnau:
md i1tnfi1s yea,ons ennstiturnry he never wnnli
h1qs~ rnnstnien 10 Ibe neath II Jrsus Jesus.
55e;s'9Fs a no, s ns asa'a Of snnot
1n1, Thrn rhrisI ie n RELIGIONS King, and mi,
epa Of his reign Is he salratioa Of ,neS lrotn er
ea., cnnn,rt Inn any T.ne r,v,i cnrern,nrnt =
"a ~ n n,rnn,yat11n I:hrist,s rhnrrh "a s,r,ct,v
cnnrrecnt,nnSl This t,nIj tn ~ 1nscentile n
ths clearesi pruof hy lie New Testament,
ana d sustained also hy Church history.
The New Testament knows rothIcc of ecc!e-
elsst,cal council., ryno.s, general assemblies, or
Jions Win nnxpr 10 III Snosn 10 Il j. sf1jntur-
aliJ o1gantzed CONGREGATION, In any city Of gwen
locality. And, as have said, The END q all scsh M
nai1 or nsnai,es ~ un"n INV ~ iSeiF narS
essn TSsy + y , rsse. suen ., .as
be ber. t,cs. and w,61aw 81 rom s' sueS mai walk
dlso1deils.ihat i. dmply reuse W TO fellowship
them And even tais = to be done ~ means u
nnsse ai0n ~ eaagsee % tuu tas gan ~ rhi
faih. ana. tne,e1ofe, fSpsat; ,hat nc ena o. AZ
may J. Gongtessslons o. Chlsass ase antnosssea 70
~ ~ ~ n rhnrr " ]0n' '"' '" oucn - 'ae ea
! win 70 speak IN the second place. o1 the END
2, , e'i , ssScfnnep dNa' .oe scriptures teeog
~ @ au orataance Of God, Christians are 1er5 gen
c1ny Bgreed, and the truth Of this 1il suttlceut-
y appear nom paasaGe NJ "laa now 70 Introduce e
els1l eosernnent Is ordained. Submission 70
christ does moi, az few Cht1atiacs have heI. nlt
man entirely out Of hls !elatons to the GIRL gov
eInnent under Shicn he iives, 1ut sasher accents
lhose relations anu tne obligations Eso"lQx our o.
them. Eit The scripture now read is found ~
Aohans 1M. enapHr, beglnnlnH attne hlst: LEI
For there Is no power bat oI God the powers that
he are ordained Of God- Waosoeyet, therefore:
tesitteth the power, tessststh the oEuinanGe OF
COD; and they that resist shall receive to them,
seFes Hatnnatt0n r or E1l!eES are nor teslol 10
Rood WorEs, nut t9 the evil WIZ thon then not
s good, and thou. shalt hive praise
or Lee same; LOT ne Is the minister
o. 99a 10 iae m foI good of souSa 20 that ht
the sworn ~ VEN; 1or nc Is INC minister o. Goi
areyenEer, to execute wrath upon him that doeth
owl neteftc ye nnst need he suoleci. nor
los this cause pay ye tribute also; for they are
Geas mlnisicfa: as1chaihG con'1naaliy 1non ms
ser5 I tnsns From ms passage We lealn me e,a "
!enseess esasnSt eFa! uoels: AMI II nas hoset also
~ .nhiG. penats s. apen nnenueEs ~, eseIu's =
no, ou1 The chr e4s;ans duty 10 oneS W but 10 soss
..ord aSatnht eTil dosIs - mlst BE- sostaine,L 4 \
may, therefore, become the duty VI Christian to
use the cWord. Know war ls Notwithstanding
to fhe finest feettngH Of a chlistiau's heart !;
but can conceive Of . moro shocking
civil EorctnmenL conclude, then. has the right
10 coptro the acs!ona OF men As they relate to So
cie!y. to The STATE and Z therefore, exclusively
lated to another world. Men arc religious beings,
IneE may be sieptlca's hus they must be reg5onA
They are made that way. II they fejec1 the
the lible, they must nevertheless nave SOME Bort
q religion, II i he on;y calieu "Efse and Se!en-
science, IS rcspecta taeir du,y soWards God. cisil
government has no legitimate coherol. il may
only sec that their GrionH arc not hurtfut TO soci
", Anu this It must do, Or 1t fails Of the ouly
pJrpose for which II was ordained OF God.
II secms to me, thereforr, thai there can be no
connict between Church and state a. long as