The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1888-01-07
rHE cHRIsrlAN N. poLirios
REV. H. A. THOMPSON, D. D., LID.

10 De OnflStldn HMphcS the
implanation in man of sa new ma
tufe. whereby his relations to God
are entirely changed; andIas re-
suit of this he will sustain q differ
ent relation to everything else
about him5 for a man s relation
to other things is measured by.
his status toward God BY poll
tics | mean the science Of gov
ernn1srs; mans duty asa mem
Der of civil society. What re-
latiou does a man who first Of all
oweslallegiance to God and who
must do everything with refer
erice to His will, sustain to The
government which he h.lps to
make, ofswhich he is a part and
under which hs lives7
His conversion does not take,
him out of society. He is as
much member of civil society as
he was before. Civil government
is a divine ordinance aad as 10y
al subject Of Gods government
he must see tort that civil gov
ernment accomplishes iis purpose,
AS q citizen he is Under obligation
& to see that the best: mea, are,
chosen to make and administer
the lawssof the. Nation. II AS. an.
ofIicial he is under obligation to.
eeesthat the laws are enforced in
such way as will conduce to tile,
= best interests of thesamdiYldual
and advance the Masters eause !.
The theory, held by some that
Christian men must control the,
Church while politicians must
manage the government is vicious,
in the'extreme and ffasght with
the most disastrous consequences,
The kingdoms of this world are
to become the, kingdoms of our
Lord aud his Christ, and they will
not soon become such if Christian
men are to have nothing to do
with them.
,sNot would j except the Chris
tian minister from this duty. 1t
may be a question whether he
should turn aside from his MN
istry 10 hold office. Yet there
may come time when fors the
accomplishment of vital ends he
may temporarily do so. In
properly organized government
the officials are always God $ min
listers, and the man who stands
In the senate chamber or in other
halls of legislation in defense of
home and purity may be honoring
God as much as the man who
stands IN the sacred desk.
/, He MUST BE INTELLIGENT.
Before he can do the work which
has been placed in his hands, he
must have a true conception of
the nature Of civil government
and his relation to 1T. There are
well meaning people who are
utterly blind on this question.
They tell us that civil government
was organized by man for his own
welfare and protection aud that
God has nothing to do with it. 1t
is purely an affail of the world,
like an insurance company CT a
railroad corporation. This theory
of society is atheistical in its
origin and suicidal IN its tendency.
Ii reduced to its logical conse-
quences we can have 40 Sabbath
and government can have moth
ing to do with Christianity. Or
courts of justice may all be open
on the Sabbath and those cons
ceFneds must attend. Our shops
our depots of trade must all be
open and he who will not perform
his part must be discharged and
room made for him WHO will.
Thus all true Christians viii be
disfranehised and infidets and
atheists and those who do not
care for Gods laws and haye no
fear of Him before their eyes,
and these alone will be elevated
toposts OF honor and tfust Then
should We really be a nation Of
infdels.
Tho true theory asserts that
God established civil government
and is its righttdl sovereign. The
Bible clearly teaches this. 8 Let
"A = IL