Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-30

ny remarks on the propriety of observing
such day as Thanksgiving, announced as
ms SUBJECT The civil side of our Christian
me- drawing 1t from the words of Christ
III matthew, xxi, u: Render therefore I'M
" caesar the things which are Caesars 50
caesar the doctor said, stood for the civil
power as distinguished from the. spiritual
and was recognized by the Savior as a part
OF the economy of God After which the
doctor discussed his text and the matter
belonging to it under the following divi-
SONS: l. the position of Caesar in the
ohristian system; ., the claims of Caesar
upon the Christian conscience and life; B.
Caesar" ~
In speaking of the position of Caesar. or
me clVll power, in the Christian system
DR. Stakely said:
me attempt was frequently made to en-
rap our Lord by an adroit application the
possible response to which on his mart
Would commit him to one side or another
OF some religious or political question of the
t1tne. On this occasion his enemies, the
Ihailsees and Herodians, felt that they
would place Him between two fires. so that
he must burn himself whichever way He
turned. Master said they to him through
on tit REPRESENTATIVES we know that thou
arr true and teachest the way of God in
truth neither carest thou for any man. for
thou reSardest not the person of men; tell
us therefore what thinkest thou Is 1t law
1ul to pay tribute unto Caesar or not?' If
lie replied in the affirmative the Pharisees
couiu charge him with subve-ting the COM
mon teaching that according to the divine
Jaw II was wrong for the people of God to
pay tribute to a gentle power also with
playing into the hands of the Roman gov
eminent, from which the people expected
the Messiah to deliver them: if in the mega
I'VE, the Herodians could charge him with
Seoltlon and have him brought before the
roman authorities for punishment Rut
Jesus, perceiving their evil motive demand
eo or them a Roman coin, and holding II
up before them all. asked. Whose is this
image and superscription and upon their
answering, Caesars He said unto them,
render therefore unto Caesar the things
Whlch are Caesars and unto God the things
ma are GOO s. Finding themselves foiled,
ana that completely, the would-b be entrap-
went their way N
The Two SOvereigntfes,
In this profound and far-reaching reply
our Lord recognized the proper existence
IN the world of two sovereignties. the spir
ltuai and the political. both operating by
the VIII of God, and each worthy of all re-
spect IN It's appointed sphere. Civic govern
meht' then, founded as it is upon law and
policy Is an institution of Almighty God.
10 De recognized and honored as such. 1t
is not meant that every law is of God or
that every policy receives the Divine sane
tion, but that government as an institution
comes from. belongs to and is upheld by
tne LORD God of heaven and earth. Our
LORD said nothing about forms of civil gov
eminent or the personnel of civil admins
tratlons. He had been acquainted with diff
Ierent styles of government in the history
Oh ms own people, and when He spoke the
words, Render. therefore, unto Caesar the
things which are Caesars the man who
ruled at Rome was Tiberius, a profligate
ana despot At later day, when the
apostle to the gentiles. eXpoun ling the ut
terance of our Lord. exhorted his brethren
In Rome to be subject unto the higher
powers on the ground that the powers
That be are ordained of Cod the Roman
emperor was the infamous Nero. Civil gov
eminent as such Is to be recognized in our
thought. in our theology, in our politics
and in our life, together with the family
and the church, as a minister of God, or
dained to accomplish the will of God when
operating within the sphere of its own le-
Ultimate functions. Hence all lawlessness
Is sin as we'll as crime, and every phase of
anarchism, whether it shows itself posi-
lively In attempts to destroy government
or negatively in refusing to respond to the
proper demands of government, is against
God as well as Caesar or the state. The
civil power is thus positioned in the best
conception of Christianity and citizenship
or life under the civil power, Is a sacred
trust hedged around and sealed with the
hottest sanctions of the same"
Reverence for Civil Authority.
Inc second ana thlrd DIVISIONS OF the in
terestinS subject were treated in the same
general style. the points being taken up in
regular order to the close, with practical
application of the subject to everyday
Christian life DIR. Stakely said that Chris
tan people ought to be the very best of
citizens, being particular to remember the
government in their daily prayers, to Gull
tivate sympathy for the government in its
arduous and trying duties. to encourage and
develop reverence for civil authority and
obedience to civil law. Christian people
should, in the spirit of Christ, set them
selves against every form of violation or
evasion of LAWN a word, set a holy and
consistent example in all the relations of
life including those of citizenship.