The Washington times., 1894-10-22
STATES NEED OF RELIGION
Rev. Alexander Kent on Political
Functions Of the Church.
GUARDIAN OF PUBLIC MORALS
AS Guide to Right Action in Public and
Private Life Religion Has Close and
Useful Relation to the state-In Time
the State Will Recognize Religion.

the State Will Recognize Religion.
Rev. Alexander Kent preached yesterday at
! the Peoples Church on "Religion and the
! state" He pointed out first that there is
one class in this country who want more re-
| ligion in our public affairs and another who
want no religion whatever there, and that
either class is more logical than the majority,
who are satisfied with the present condition.
! The recognition now given religion, he said,
| is like that given kings in monarchic govern
ments-purely complimentary.
"Who dreams for moment that the Chap
lain in Congress stands as tho representative
! of leader whom these men openly acknowl-
| edge their obligation TO follow? Manifestly
the whole proceeding is stupendous mock
| cry and sham. There is no honesty or earn
estless in it. Ali honest men ought to desire
to see it displaced by something better
Religion is the science of life in the largest,
fullest, and divinest sense. 1t stands related,
therefore, to every power and faculty, physi-
cal, mental, and spiritual, but addresses it
self especially to those higher powers in man
which distinguish him from the lower orders
ana which are the rightful ruling powers in
his being. 1t addresses itself to his reason,
to his moral sense. to his spiritual percep-
tions, to whatever there is in him capable OF
perceiying and discovering truth. of discern
ing and loving the just and the good. 1t is
manifest that religion in this sense cannot be
dispensed with by the State
The ideal State is an organization OF the
people resulting from the mutual desire and
effort to enter into just and helpful and eco
nomieai relations with each other with a view
10 furthering the common welfare Formerly
| states were instituted by conqu ering warriors
for selfish ends, but the state to-day exists, so
far as it exists rightIally, for the service Of
the whole people. The necessity for 1t grows
out OF the multiplying wants of the people
through the progress OF what we call ciyiliza-
ton and the increasing dependence OF each
upon the labors of the others. Its true func-
tons are the maintenance of just relations,
the organization OF the various productive
and dlstributive industries required to meet
these multiplying wants, and to bring the
products OF all within the reach Of each.
POWER FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
"If this universe is to be a moral universe;
if you recognize in the progress of the race
the presence of power that makes for right
eousness; if the controlling desire of your
heart is to be cooperate with that power your
life effort will be All avaiiing prayer. Your
thought, faith, and purpose Will shape charae-
ter in yourself and in others TO that end. This
is the sort OF religion that is needed in the
state This is the religion that is common to
the faiths OF all peoples and shines conspicu-
ously in the life and teaching Of the Carpenter
of Nazareth.
In our country the church which aspires
TO temporal power is getting a good deal more
power than is wholesome: but in my opinion
there is no danger that our state will ever be
united with anY church which puts forth
supernatural claims. The religion which is
to dominate the future state will not simply
be religion which claims to be for man; it
must be Of man. Ii must be a religion the
truth and reality of which he must be able to
perceive for himself.
Men of scientific attainments are now turn
ing their attention TO the spiritual realm.
They are learning, beyond all doubt that
what we call matter is not the ultimate reality
There Is a more subtle something IN the
hands Of which matter is plastic The new
psychology will utterly abolish the old the
ology. 1t will not leave it one inch of solid
ground 10 stand on. SO the new ethics and
the new political economy are making more
end more palpable to all the utter absurdity
of the old view of human relations. Science
is going far into the domain OF religion and
that warrant a sentiment of reverence and love
both TO God and man; that help us to see in
the growing humanity Of the race faint i'm
aging of that divine life which throbs at the
heart OF the universe and is finding its best
expression in the pobler life of individual
souls and the increasing brotherhood OF
human society.
STATE MUST RECOGNIZE RELIGION.
"When science has once made clear the
great facts that justify religion and outlined
the great ethical truths which concern mans
relations with his fellows, and obedience to
which constitutes the only valid expression of
religious life, the state will be obliged to rec
ognize reliable religion as it now recognizes
astronomy and political economy. The
scientists may be expected to make some
blunders here as they have in other
branches, but they will have to blunder sorely
to go far astray, as they have in political
economy.
lone of the old church fathers said that
there is no merit in believing doctrines that
appealed to the reason. The merit lay in be-
lieving doctrines that were contrary to rea-
son. Anybody could believe a thing that was
credible, but it took a good deal of a saint to
believe thing that was incredible. Naturally
the state that was obliged to assume the
trustworthiness of human powers objected to
the guidance of such religion in its secular
concerns. heilBiou anu polltlcs came 10 De
looked upon as having no practical relation
to each other. We are only just beginning to
escape from this notion. But as religion
comes to take its place as spiritual science, qs
II addresses itself to the reason, affections,
and moral sense and asks no more than any
other science. as it comes to treat human
powers with even greater reverence, it will
come to occupy the same place in the state as
it now occnpies In the individual.
'There is no permanent separation for
church and state. The truth is that man
needs to fit him for life at any time and in
any place what he needs to fit him for here
and now. The spirit of mutual helpfulness is
the best possible preparation for the life of
the present, and the state is the only organ
Ism through which this spirit can be given
effective and adequate expression