The Evening dispatch. [volume] (Provo, City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1895-11-11
CHURCH DISCIPLINE.

The Deseret News has an editorial
on Saturday evening entitled "Appli-
cation of Church Discipline" with
which we entirely agree with its ex-
pressed qualification of "within the
domain of its legitimate influence" but
if we understand the article we must
dissent from some of its conclusions.
The legitimate influence Of churches
is in our judgment confined exclus-
ivelv to doctrinal and ethical SUBJECTS,
with either of which the state has no
functions whatever to perform. In
matters of doctrine the church has the
absolute right to say what is orthodox
and what is heterOdoX, and so, far as
the practice of what an individual or
a church may call religion is not in
conflict with law, government has
nothing to do with it. The only right
the state possesses in this regard is to
punish b violations of law if any are per-
petrated, The church has full and
complete authority to receive into. or
expel from church commission all per-
sons who differ from, or agree with it
in religious belief.
The church has the right to prescribe
for its members rules to which each
person should conform in his or her
mode Of divine worship, and the
amount and methods of contributions
for its support, whether in time, money
or property, but such contributions
cannot rightfully be demanded to an
amount that viii prevent any one from
performing any duty be may owe to
the state, or to society.
The ecclesiasts of a church are
usually, by tao comfy between church
and state, excused from some of the
duties of other citizens, but as IN the
nature of things every privilege pre-
supposes corresponding duty, that
some tacit comfy excuses them from
exercising Influences in state affairs
TO the same extent that other citizens
may and ought to do
A church has the right to discipline
its members to any extent its estab-
lished rules not in conflict with
law may prescribe, for conduct
it may determine to be immoral, and it
is it's high prerogative and sacred duty
to demand of every member to be truly
q Christian in all of his acts; it de-
mands of every member strict and
high morality, but 1T cannot settle dis
puted rights to property, determine
amount of, and enforce collection of
debts, or dictate or even suggest the
manner in which citizen shall per-
form any duty, or exercise any priv
ilege of citizen of the state, except
that it may and should require of him
that he do any or all these things hon
estly, and with the fear of God before
his eyes.
The mission of the church is to culti-
Yate within the souls of men and
women an earnest desire and deter
mlnaUlon 10 do rlght In every walk of
life, to teach its doctrines SIS a mode
of exercising virtue, and to discipline
its members for advocating doctrines
it has determined to be heterodox, for
neglect of performing it's prescribed
mode of worship, or paying proper con-
tribution for its suppc and for vic
latlons of its code of n -ralitY. In per-
forming this mission it will never
trench upon the rights OF the state or
society, and its members will be gen.
orally respected and its leaders honored
if that AKIN of Jesus is put in practice
which says: my kingdom is not of
this world"