The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-07-16

Tho social order, therefore, ia just az
much work of God ss the religious
order is. Mans earthly well-being,
therefore, is as much the will OF God in
it's Importance as is his spiritual well
fare.
But God has intended that he would
work out both at the same time, though
in ways different. We see. then, there
ia great simplicity where one would find
complexity.
Man has moral and religious nature,
the right direction of which will mt him
to live forever with God in heaven. But
that life OF probation has to be spent in
civil socety. 1t is very simple, Tor God
is the author OF both and OF all thingu.
He established civil order and ro-
ligious order, and destined man to walk
in both OF them at the same time.
Hence there must not III the nature
of things be any imposeibility In his
doing so-unless we presume that God
blundered in his work. Not only is
| there no difficulty in men's fulfilling
his obligation to both, but God has so
arranged the two that whatever affects
| the one for good or bad, affects the
other likewise.
The primary principles of society or
| tQS EbhG6 is w LUX hlL6I huQ lUHbOi iiiuh
temporal welfare.
The primary object of the spiritual
order, or the church, is to look aiser and
foster his spiritual life.
But beside this spiritual life and well
| fare, shs has temporal mission to per-
| form for him in his civil life, and will
show you that God has connected them.
That whilst the spiritual aims mainly
| ~ ooll ~ h,~h To la
nevertheless the most powerful agent for
the temporal good of man.
AS God has ordained both spheres he
has ordained the laws governing both.
Not only therefore ia the civil state, as l
have said, as much an ordinance of God
as the church is, but 1 hopo to show
that every law or enactment necessary
for mans temporal we'll being, has bean
foresesn and provided for by Almighty
God, If men will but obey his holy laws.
Nay, more, every civil law that is
legitimate and just in its nature is but
the Interpretation of the divine law
bearing on mans temporal existence.
The whole economy for mans temp.
oral and spiritual welfare WAS complete
in principle when there were but two
persona on earth.
Take ss an instance upou that point
which the religious order touches upon
the civil-the unhappy controversy
through which the country is at present
paralyzed. 1t may be arbitrated-but
unless that arbitration be based upon
principles of justice to both parties, the
work will be patch work. and the peace
that follows will be only truce, a sus-
pension Of hostilities. Then society
must be governed and controlled by
those principles OF justice which the
civil law does not prescribe but which it
presumes. These principles come from
God through the religious order and are
made practical in their bearing upon
civil life. Society in any proper pense
OF the term ia an impossibility without
these principles, and they can come to
us in no other way. Therefore the re-
ligious order ia not respecter OF per-
sons, but serves as the only protector Of
the rights OF all by teaching the prin-
oiples of eternal Justice and eniorces
them with q divine sanction.
The scope of civil law, or the state, ia
to protect man in his person, in his
property and in his character. We may
even put it, if it sounds better, !,
suit OF happiness.
Now say that the Almighty has leg.
islated for all that-and he did 80 at the
very time and place, go to speak, when
he ordained those laws that govern man
in the religious order.
The whole of civil law and religions ia
comprehended in the decalogue-the 10
commandments. When we speak of the
decalogue our miEds must go back, not
merely to Moses and Mt. Sinai. That
was but an official republication of the
law.
1t was first written on mans heart in
the morning OF creation, officially pro-
mulgated to multitude on Mt. Sinai,
afterwards renewed and sanctioned by
Jesus Christ.
Study the decslogue and you will find
it contains three commandments that
refer Immediately to God, and the other
seven Immediately to man. The one, go
to speak. represents the supernatural
order, the other the natural.
The bishop then devoted q conaider-
able portion Of his lecture to the 10 COM
mandmsnts, saying that the observance
of both those referring TO God and those
to man, were equally necessary. The
chutch's influence on social or civil life,
exerted through these commandments,
are called her temporal mission, and
thus it ia said that while the church is
laboring directly for mans future hap
piness, she is working though indirect
ly, mcst powerfully for his temporal well
fare also.
No matter what the form of govern.
ment-kingly, despotic or republican
the object of its laws must be to secure
temporal blessings to man and equal
justice to all. In all these man lives in
a two-fod society-the family and what
is called society proper. Man must
take into account thig two-fold charac-
ter, and only this; end the ten COM
mandments referring to him cover these
as no civil law CAN do. The church's
influence on the social life, exsrted
through the commandments, are her
temporal mission. 1t reaches its fullest
realization only when the spirit OF the
commandments prevails. Society is
therefore not the result of compact
between men, but is OF divine origin,
ana whilet man may peryert it, h0 can