The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1892-09-02
CITY AUTHORITIES.
Criticized in Sermon by Rev. =. J.
Duncan.
Officers of Church and State Responsibl,
for Much violation of Law.


Rev. r. J. Duncau's text last Sun
| day morning was from tue 7th ch"p
! ter, Sth verse OF Luke; For ] also
am a man set under authority" The
centurion, said the preacher, recOg-
niZeu his obligation 10 higher pow"
! er. his duty TO obey those i'll auuthori'
| tv over him, 50 Christ proclaimed
his mission 10 do, not his own VIII,
| but the will of his Father VINO seuL
him. Each was submissive To law,
| To authority, God-ordained authority,
and all authority is GOd-ordained. a
weak, even a wicked man, may sOnle-
| times became the executive OF Gou h
wikeIy appointed laws; but this r0-
| leases no one from his obligation to
obey. The government as II IS, with
its de fdctO auth hority, Is oi Goo, anu
should be reveTenLly Obeyed, without
regard to the personal character OF
it's Officers He who fails 80 to obey,
whether in matters civil or ecclesias-
astic is a member of a mob who
would subVert the essential princi-
plies of social, civil and religious
liberty. Liberty is not license, but
submission to law and mob violence
is everywhere and always 10 be dep
recated as antagon.stic to true liberty.
The members OF a Christian Pro-
testant Church, who go into a
saloon and drink, to the ball room
for dance, to the card table Tor
pIav, or v ho scaudalizes a neighbor,
are members OF mob, that would
destroy the law OF the church which
he or she has voluntarily aud public
IV pledged himself or herself to obey.
The frequency OF such IIObs among
church members Is largely the cause
and seeming excuse lOr The loTm.--
ton of mObs IL violation Ot civil law.
If church members would admire t"
the VOWS made at the altar, the men
quit drinking, the women quit gossip
ping, and both quit dancing and play
ing cards, the world would soon ue
taken for Christ.
Those in authority are to be held
strictly accountable for the way il.
which they use their power. II
should he used promptly, vigorously
and ,ffectiveiy in behar OF law and
order. A preacher should, in OLE
dience TO his bishop, be a. ready 10
travel a circuit as to I'LL station
hut on station or in circuit should br
fearles, ly ready TO do his utInOst to
suppress mobs If every kind.
TO the laXn' SO, care!esness- or un-
efficiency of officials, in both church
and state, much or nearly all OF the
VlOl1tIOHS OF law may bc Cil't SC'';
"If our Mayor, who sits here, and our
B g Three, one of whom is yonder,
ana our policemen, who sometimes
come here, but whom don't see now,
would prOpe. ly use the authority
they have they could easily stop all
the gambling, public drunkenness,
and nearly every other violation Oh
| the laws of cur town. Will they IL"
this?" Until they do 80 act, We must
expect these evils to continue, even
| to grow. There is no way to escape
this mObocracy either in church or
state, except by the perfect sub
mission of every individual TO the
powers that be, which mean9 Chris.
ianity app. lid to civil and SOCIAL
afaiP-.
| The p. e. cher docs not expect to he
appreciated by this generation, no
does he seek such appreciation; hut
his work is for his own boy, AMI that
boys's children, and other children
who must yet live here. In behalf OF
these he begs that Christianity may
rule.