The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1890-11-29

An Important Subject Discussed by Bap-
fist Ministers.-At the meeting OF Baptist
ministers in Baltimore ON Monday last the sub
ject discussed was "Ought Church Property
be Exempt from Taxationp' and nearly every
one present favored such taxation.
Rev. DIR. Franklin Wilson opened the dis
cussion by reading paper in favor oftaxatlon.
He favored it because non-taxation tended to
hide the truth as to the value of church prop
erty as it would not be assessed. He thought
the silent growth of such property to immense
proportions might endanger the state, and tend
to union of church and state which would be
dangerous to civil and religious liberty. He
thought it was liable to great abuse. 1t bears
unequally on denominations. He also pre-
sented the arguments in favor OF exemption, as
and had the approval of centuries: 1t was OF
the nature of benevolent work, and conserved
the peace and security of the state. DR.. Wilson
claimed that as Baptists it became them to
favor taxation of church property, and he cited
instances to show that was the general record
cious of trying to keep state and church sepa-
rate.
Rev. DIR. Frank Ellis, Rev. E. Y. Mullins and
DIR. Harvey Johnson took strong grounds in
favor of the taxation of church property Dr.
Ellis said he wished to be heard with no uncer-
tain sound in favor of the taxation of church
property. He based his position on the texts
of Render unto Caesar the things
which are Caesars, and unto God the things
which are Gods" and ''My kingdom is not of
this world" He thought the whole matter
could be summed up in the question whether
they should serve Christ or the worldp' As
Christians it became them not to ask favors of
the world, but to raise money for the churches
expenses and pay their own way. The chart
ties and educational institutions of the churches
should not be subsidized by the state. The
churches should keep themselves free of the
world and not owe it anything for favors re-
ceived then it could be free to fight the liquor
politicians and all other evils
Rev. DR.. A. ]. Rowland suggested that taxa
ton without representation was wrong, and,
therefore, if church property was taxed
churches in their corporate capacity should be
represented in the councils of the state, and
this would lead to union of church and state,
which would be greater evil than non-taxa-
ton. For his part he strongly favored gradu-
ated income tax, and was perfectly willing to
pay tax on the salary he received from Frank
lin Square Church as his share towards running
the government, which served him as well as
other citizens. He thought that any church
institution that was making revenue ought to
betaxed, but others ought not. Ifthe churches
were taxed, he thought, they would become
more interested in electing good men to office.
His remarks were put in the form of sugges-
tons, and he only expressed himself as partly
opposed to taxation of church property.
Rev. E. Y. Mullins expressed himself as
such as occurred in the French revolution of
1889, when the revolutionary government con-
fiscated church property on the plea that, as 1t
had been free Of taxes, it had been granted in
that form from the state more than its original
cost, and, therefore, in confiscation the state
was only taking back what it ought to have
collected in taxes in past years. Though this
might not occur now, yet it might some time
in the future.
Rev. DR.: Harvey Johnson was opposed to the
church taking money in the form of taxes, as
one would beg money from door to door. Let
the Lord take care of his own and the state of
its own. He wanted the church, as Christian
body, to keep clear of all state and church en-
tanglements, so it could preserve its perfect
freedom to act as it pleases. A minister said
that the people on the Eastern Shore called
ministers tax collectors. Christians should
support their own literally with their own
money. not depending ON outsiders or the state
to aid them. nor relying on fairs and all kinds
of schemes to raise money. If Christianity is
what it is then it is worth paying for.
Rev. A. J. Hires thought taxing church
property was like taxing charity, and therefore
it was questionable, as churches work for the
good of the people.