Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-20
FUNCTION OF THE STATE
Views Expressed by Dr.. Hawthorne Before
Baptist Social Union.
Christian Ministers Should Not Wear
Insignia OF Federal Authority
Those aIBanquet.

| 100 members of the several Baptist churches
| of the city. The company assembled at G
! o clock. and were received by a committee,
consisting of D. S. Foster. J. J. Darlington,
| Miles NJ. Shand, Geo. C. Samson, J. s. Me-
Cullough. Percy S. Foster, Joseph b. Bal
ley r. n. GunnelI, F. A. Roderick. W. S.
keiser, Mrs. Percy s. Foster Mrs B. L..
Whitman, Mrs, C. A. Stakely, Mrs. f. S.
Deland. Miss Emma Mould. Mrs. W. H.
Hoeke Mrs. r. II. Gunneil, Mrs. E. P. Pol
| lard, Mrs. S. H. Greene
An hour was spent in social converse and
then the guests sat down to dinner in the
banquet hail. after invocation by Rev. Dr.
S. Fl. Greene.
President Needham's Address.
When dinner was dispatched Mr.. Charles
W. Needham president Of the union, well
coined the company in brief address, in
"hlch ne touched upon the objects of the
Baptist Social Union and prophesied that
good would be accomplished by It's perpet-
uation Mr.. Needham said no organization
can prosper which does not have as its OBJ
Jects the culture of the mind and heart
Inc greater the purpose of the members
the stronger the organization itself.
ne saiu the purpose Of the union was to
make the members Of the denominatio
petter known to each other, to have them
hho" .that there are strong men and wo-
men ABOUT them 1t is good for men to
'o ..1t elbows; 1t makes them stronger.
. II We can just touch elbows he said
and feel there is some one beside ne uybn
Is working in the same cause, We will be
stnened Churches work too independ-
emily. III is good thing to come together
ana we go out strengthened by the con-
tact The union is accomplishing a definite
ana good purpose. What We need is to cul-
!Nate nigh sentiment and spirit among
the people of the District and give them
more confidence in their work.
Df j. l.. NJ. Curry was on the program
1or an address on "Christianity and Educa-
tion but had been called out of the city
ana was forced to send his regrets.
Religious Liberty.
Mr. Necdham then introduced Rev. DR..
j. b. Hawthorne Of Richmond, Va. who
delivered al address on Religious Liberty
Better'Than Religious Toleration''
Since the great reformation of the six
techth century many of the nations of the
earth have had, in some degree, religious
liberation, but religious liberty is a blessing
which no nation has yet realized Religious
hheTty involves the complete separation of
church and state In no country on th,
globe mas such separation ever existed.
The nearest approach to it is found in tins
great American republic. Here We haze
the best form of religious liberation the
world has ever known: but so long as the
American people are taxed, in any degree
for the support of religion, and so long as
their civil government continues to COM
mission men to perform religious work, and
compenSates them for such service with
money taken from the public treasury, 1T
is absurd to call this a land of religious
liberty.
Function of the State.
The function of the state Is to deal with
mems outward, earthly and temporal af-
fairs. The church should never invade the
sphere of the state. and the state should
never enter the sphere of the church. The
solitary function of the state in reference
to religion IS to protect it. Under no cir
cumstances and in no degree is Il war
ranted In patronizing religion, because gov
ernmental patronage of religion is a viola
ton of the sacred rights of conscience
Il believe it 70 he absolutely true and
challenge any man to disproVe it, that
among the reformers of the sixteenth and
seventeenth centuries the Anabaptsts We're
the only people who understood. accepted
and contended for the true doctrine OF re-
l!Sious liberty Within the last Two centu-
res there have been very able and learned
eXpounders of this doctrine, but not one
Of them ever advanced a hairs breadth
beyond the Anabaptists conception Of re-
ligiOus liberty.
Conscience Not Yet Free.
while the American people have gone
further than any other pc 5ple in the world
in divorcng religion from civil government,
we are forced to admit that, even under Inc
is not yet free. The enforcement of church
and state is not yet complete. Yonder IN
the halls of federal legislation beneath
that proud dome which stands suralounted
with the Goddess of Liberty, there are men
performing the functions of the Christian
ministry under a commission from oar ma
tiOnal government, and receiving compensa-
ton for their services from the nations
treasury. In our nations army and navy
there are scores of Christian minister's
claiming he amha nf
who said, My Kingdom is not of this word
wearing the insignia of federal authority
and performing the work of thei' sacred
calling backed by the strong arm of civil
power. They are commissioned by the gov
eminent. they are paid by the government
they are directed by the government, they
are responsible to the government for eff
cial conduct If this is not lnion ot church
and state, there is none in England, OF Ger
many, or Austria, or Russia
Declares for Expansion.
In closing his address, DR.. Hawthorne
spoke eloquently of the worlds progress
which the twentieth century promises lie
said he wanted the United ) :ates ID keep
step with the nations of the ear,h in prog
ress, and for that reason lie was an ex
pansionist.
God forbid" he said, impre ,s!ye V, that
the American flag shall ever be furlel ,lron
any spot where it has hean planted by
American valor.'
IhiS sentiment was graerpd with %, o.
longed applause by the audience
At the conclusion of this address Mr.
Miles NJ Shand read the report of the com
mittee on nominations of the selection of
the following officers for the ensuing wear:
President, w. S. Shallenberger; vice presi-
dents, c. W. Needham and F. s. Deland;
secretary Moncure Burke; treasurer, e. H
Jackson; directors, S. w. Woodward, Jo-
seph b. Bailey, DR.. D. S. Foster, D. c.
Fountain. w. S. Keiser. Percy S. Foster,
j. S. Mccullough and w. L. Evans
When the announcement was made Rev
Mr.. Stakely escorted General Shallen
berger, the new president, to the chair.
The latter expressed his surprise at his
election, but accepted the Office and pledged
his earnest efforts N behalf Of the union.
at the same time soliciting the Cooperation
of the members. This closed the exercises
of the evening and the assemblage dis
persed.
Music was furnished during the evening
under the direction OF Mr.. Percy s. Foster
and Mr.: F. S. Deland, the committee on
music. Those who contributed were Mrs
Anna Craig-Hils, Miss Edna Doe, Miss
Salome Wingate and Mrs N D. Exnicios.
Those Present.
Among those present were: Rev. ]. B.
Hawthorne Mr.. Charles W. Needham, Mrs