The herald., 1895-11-29

intercourse with one another in civil life
tneir conduct conforms to these things.
LIE, property and character and the
equal opportunities to possess and en- Joy
tnese IS the Office OF government to pro-
VIDE for. We see that direct Sork of the
state ana that indirect work OF religion
clearly marked out.
80 lar rs the office of religion touches
the state in well.o:ganized society it is
indirect. The Office Of the minister and
OF the church. then, Is not to take di
rect part. but an indirect though very
important part IN the political affairs of
the nation. The minister should not
become n politician, he should not turn
his pulpit into a platform.
His people should be educated in mind
ana heart from it, as to their duties to
God and society. In word, their con-
sciences should be formed and then tha
layman should be able to exercise all the
duties of citizenship without further ad-
monition.
And in the ordinary course of civil life
any other intervention Will degrade re-
Hglon and weaken its beneficeEt intiu-
ence. These views accepted and lived up
to woul5 come as near to making a perfect
state AZ it is possible for things human to
become perfect. For this view recognizes
the fact that there are two orders In the
world, civil and religious, ana that GOD
IS the author OF botn. Society is not OF
human origin, nor does its authority re-
suit from any simple agreement or COM
pact made by men. In its origin and in
It's authority 1T comes from God. Its
FORM is human. God leaves men to choose
that form which suits them best. But
having selected the form, the authority
comes to the ruler from God through the
people. Therefore it is that if men have
the right idea as to the origin OF society
and the authority by which its represent
atlves govern, they will be loyal to it,
no matter what the form, and loyal from
the highest motjves-that Of conscience.
Banking, merchandising, rallroading,
etc.-all these things are of human con-
trivance, within the state, but the state
is supposed to regulate even these for IA
benefit of all, and to do so u must De
done according TO the principles already
taught to men and upon which the are
supposed to regulate their lives.
Religion, then, ie not merely the 'oun-
datioD, but in practice is the handmade
OF the state.
AS government then rests upon reli-
gion. government has nothing to fear but
everything to hope for from religion, and
conversely, it has nothing 10 nops for
and everything to fear from loss OF reli
glUn.
Anarchists are not born of religio us
PRINCIPLES. Anarchists are found among
those who have not had its truths made
known to them, or who have thrown
those truths to the winds.
1t Is true that many of the nohest ex-
amples of upright and honest citizens are
found aomng those VINO have gathered
their religious principles from their sur.
roundings and have lived up to the noble
nature God gave them; whilst on the
other hand, some of the worst are found
among those who have had every exam
pie set them and every opportunity given
them.
Nevertheless, this does not weaken the
general proposition: that anarchy and
religious principles ara quite incompati-
BILE. That government, then, is wise no
matter what its form, that fosters the
teaching of the religious principle and
it is very shortsighsed and its rulers
show little enlightened craftsmanship
when they hinder or hamper the teach
ing and DEVELOPMENT of that principle.
Even the grain of religious truth which
paganism preserved served the state for
good, until its statesmen, its philoso-
pliers and its poets came to laugh at its
gods.
We cannot change the nature of things.
We can never builu even a civil state ex-
cept upon religious foundatio AMI so
long as men live the words of the royal
psalmist will stand: "Unless the Lord
build the house, he lahoreth in vain that
buildeth it; unless the Lord keep the city,
he watcheth in vain that keepeth it,"