New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-12-03
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THE CHURCH AND STATE.


Thanksgiving Sermon Delivered BY
Rev. j. c. Hartzell, of this City
ON Thursday, November 80, 1871
Mt the First Congregational Church
After an appropriate introduction, Rev
Mr.. Hartzell spoke substantially as follows
Render unto Cesar the things that are Cpsars
m sna1 unto ''' the things that are ''a''-AA7r
THE CHURCH AND THE STATE ARE BOTH
DIVINE IN THEIR ORIGIN.
None will question the divine origin OF
the Church In all ages God has had his
: people, and whatever has been the form of
the Church externally, her bond Of union
has been perfect. Christ is the contempt
rary of all ages: and every child Of God
has him for an elder brother
But the divine origin of the State is Gues-
toned. One theory is that the State is but
the development Of the family. 1t is true
that single families combine to form the
State, and that, in some respects they are
analogous, but it is also true that the power
of the State transcends that Of the family
and the right of government is different in
each, and that the family must always be
subordinate to the State. Another theory
Is that the State is but force organized, by
which the weak is made to submit to the
strong. This contradicts the very idea of
the State for its bulwarks are law and free
dom. There is in mere force nothing that
can progress, and to say that it had its ORR
gin in force is at once to transform the State
and her children into master and slaves.
The State has force, but it is the force of
Righteousness, by which the world is to be
conquered.
Another theory is that the State is the
OutgrOwth OF human impulse, lust as the
cell of the bee or the dam of the beaver is
the result OF instinct. But this can not be
true, for the primal object of the State is
the subsection OF human impulse to the
claims OF justice and practical godliness. A
more popular theory is that the State had
its origin in a social contract; that there
was time when there was no organized
society, and men by sort Of conventional
movement formed the State This theory
is based upon historical fiction, and de-
mics the truth that never was Better stated
than by Aristotle when lie declared that
man by nature is political being" The
Iudiments Of the State are in the nature of
man, and man has his development in the
the State. And again, man has no existence
apart from the State. and is always subject
to it. II the State has its origin in the
social contract, then its supremacy is fc-
ton and its continuance accidental
Still another theory is that the State has
its origin in the sovereignty of the people |
by which they have the right to rule But |
this theory rObs the State fall sovereignty. |
for the sovereignty of one company Of men |
is as perfect as that of another, SO that the |
inerest caprice of the multitude becomes
law. All these theories have germs of truth.
Between the State and the family there are
striking analOgies: the State has might and
force; patriotism is an instinct-a holy i'm
pulse of the soul; mans social nature gives
the ground work Of al relations including
those OF the State, and the people have the
right to rule
But in none of these has the State her
origin. Back of the family force, instinct,
stands the Father and sovereign of all, and
the State has for its seed the tultillment of
His purposes. The evidence of this is
The State is an organic unit,
and therefore must proceed from the one
source Of organic being. 1t is perfect
unit. therefore must proceed from no part
OF itself, but from power outside of and
Judgment, city could be more easily built
without ground than a State without faith
IN God" The State has a moral personality
which can only come from God. Its will is
law. The will of no man or set
If men outside Of the State is law; hence it's
Irvine authority. This thought permeates
history. In Judea God ruled the people J
|
of its history, in all its traditions. ,
md in the last words of its philosophy. In :
iome the relations Of family and State ;
blended with. the religion. And this recogni !
ION OF the divine origin Of the State was not q
he offspring of superstition, but was
leld the clearest when the nations were the =
trongest. Among the Jews, under Solo q
non; among the Romans, under the Caesars: r
nd>the Greeks, under Perlcles, the people s
lwaVS aSSOciate1 tho iflaos nf |
and spiritual devotion "The !,
rue symbol Of the State is that of a city =
With asiundred gates, through which there a
asses not only the course of industry and :,
rade, but the forms of poets and prophets. r
"ldlers, sailors and scholars-man, woman =.
nd child, in the unbroken procession of =;
he people. Its warrior bears the shield of u
achilles, on which there are not only fionres -
I the mart and sea and field. the loom and ~
hop and pillow, but the houses and tennlcs - -
nd shrines and affairs of men, The state ~
) the minister of God in history in all ~
ges reaching backward to the fathers and u
onward to the children. No matter what Vi
he age or the organized form of the State. :,
r what the condition of the people, wber =
YER the idea Of the State has been realized =.
18th it has been the idea of divine oritin. y,
nd when the loss of that idea has led to -
olitical atheism the inevitable result has ~
cen political ruin. The voice of freedom. ~ ~
le mighty voice Of nations has not been II
the ruler is absolute ''the people is alb n
,lute," but it has been "God and the peo- !,
e." The monarch, the President, the ~
institutional assembly or the people rule .,
Y the grace Of God. He gives the author "
Y and to him they are accountable. 81
lie CHURCH AND STATE. ONE IN ORIGIN. -
AND GET TO BE SEPARATE IN ORGANIZE, cl
TON. n-.i' 80 ''' ''i' "
Christ distinctly recognizes this In the &C
1rds OF the text when he enjoins ODE. ca
snce to both Caesar and God. Neither is ! ci