Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1889-09-21


As their risen Lord they view,
And long to be there!
long to rise to that world of light,
And to breathe its balmy air,
long to walk with the Lamb in white,
And shout with the angels there.
o, long to be therel
Wherefore we must needs be subject, not
only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.
Romans Is: 5.
AS human government is an ordi-
nance of God, and not a device of
man, whatever brings us into a
loving obedience to God, brings us
also into loving obedience of every
ordinance of God. The Church is in
its sphere no more divinely ordained
than is the state in its sphere. There
fore duties faithfully done in the
Church are no more acts of piety than
duties faithfully done in the state.
To the Christian the motive in both
is exactly the samoa desire to please
God in the way of obedience. The
duties themselves are different, be-
cause the nature of the governments
are different; yet in both God lays
upon us the command: be subject.
Subsection to lawful authority nee.
essarily implies:
1. A faithful discharge of all duties
imposed by law. The government OF
this country is Gods ordinance to
us. Every christian is, therefore,
bound by Gods law to discharge
every duty imposed upon him by the
law of the land. The popularity OF
our government is that it is by the
people. All sovereignty is in the
people. All law makers, and law adj.
ministers are the representatives Of
the people; chosen by them to act fol
them and in their name. Now this
is Gods ordinance to me, as a chris.
tain man. BY this ordinance God
imposes upon me the duty of helping
to choose the rulers. If / refuse tC
do so, / resist the ordinance of God
and become a sinner in this thing
So in regard to military, road, wit
ness or jury duty, or duty of any
kind imposed upon me. The plea
for conscience against any of these
duties is worthless and ought not tC
be regarded by the courts, or admin
istrators of law. Conscience is not 8
standard of right and wrong. Goo
has never given to human conscience
the right to make law. God can only
make the law, and this He has done
and published in His Word. The
only Office of conscience is to gather
up the law out of the word, and APP
ply it in the individual heart and
life. The Word of God is the only
standard of right and wrong; and
we are to discharge all these duties
for conscience sake, not use con
science for refusing TO do what is
commanded. A christian man who
would keep a conscience void of of
fence toward God, must be faithful
citizen, honestly, earnestly discharg
ing every duty. If bad men are put
into power, by my refusing to dis
cherge my duty to vote against them
| am just as much responsible for il
as if l had voted for them; and l am
partaker with them in all their evi
deeds. AS christian l must dis
charge every positive duty mot only
for wrath, but also for conscience
sake.n
end. / must abstain from every
thing forbidden by mans law. re
illustrate-if mans law says thai
money shall be loaned for only 6 pei
cent, and l loan money at all, l mus
loan it for the legal rate, or l sir
against God. The law may be a fool
ish law; it may be q very injurious
law; it may be very unjust law, all
the same, as a christian l am bound
to obey it, and obey it cheerfully
Certainly may refuse TO loan mon.
ey at all, but if l loan it, then ]
,,,,,Sf non forr, 70 tbo low Rut I will