The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1904-07-29
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
AN ELOQUENT DISCOURSE sY The
REV. A. 3. klkSOlvlNc
Subject; "The Debt To Caesar and to
God"-We Must Not Permit the
Huge Mundane Machine" TO Run
Over Our Souls.

wing, rector OF NhTlst NhuIShs NAhtou
street, Brooklyn, preached mere sunday
morning in ST. Andrews Dune Church.
His subject was "Our Debt 10 Caesar and
Our Debt 10 God" His text was chosen
from 81. Matthew xxiE2l: Render the re
fore unto Caesar the things which are
Csesars; and unto God the things winch
bre Gods" DIR. kinsolylng said:
Were ever words more palpab,y just and
sairy Could any statement be more calmly
lelf-evidencingy Could any disentange-
ment OF the provinces Of God and Caesar
be more distinct, or any declaration OF our
respective duty be more lucid; Men have
always been confusing these two things
their debt 10 Caesar and then debt 20 God
mixing up in some clumsy fashion the one
with the other, faneying that when they
have discharged one they have done the
other also, finding the one 10 conflict with
the other through some Misunderstanding
OF the dignity and weight of the respective
obligations.
And not only in private life, but in the
history OF peoples and States what confu-
sion, what blundering has there been
Look how the cruel Roman empire tired
through years to crusn out the HE OF the
Christian martyrs Tor simply dong their
duty 10 God, and then in turn, when the
empire had been conquered 10y che chui ch
and the papacy was seated upon its throne
and had erected its palatial Vatican amid
the ruins of the old order, see how the
naughty earthly embodiment of the heav-
enly autocracy sought TO bring low and
make subserviCnt the things OF Caesar,
You are familiar. doubtless with the way
the saving was brought about. A party of
young Pharisees-the old hacks mad recent.
~ retired in confuslon-had joined with
some Herodans or Jewish natlonalists 10
put 10 Jesus a catch question 10 ensnare
Him. Master" said they with feigned
carnestness, I'VE know that Thou art true,
and teachest the way OF God IN truth,
neither carest Thou for any man, for Thou
Tegardest not the person OF men. ieil Us.
therefore: What thinkest Thou? Is IT
lawful 10 pay this dlstasteiul Roman poll
tax or not'
Ii He had answered "Yes" He would
have been at once discred ted as the Mes
siah-King OF Israel. Ii mo- IL would
have been treason and rebellion against
Rome. So instead OF falling into the trap
set for Him, with a complete, a divine
grasp of the whole situation, He declares a
principle which Is the key TO this whole
CompleXitv in life wherever II may possibly
occur. why tempst Me, We hypocrites
Show Me the tribute money. Whose image
Is this stamped on your current coin!
Caesars Very well Then what is Cae.
tar's give back to Caesar, and what is
Gods TO God
ment was profound. When they had
heard these words they marveled and left
Him and went their way" He had lifted
the whole controversy out of the imme
dlate and passing circumstances into the
region of largest and widest statesmans hip
and all the centuries OF human history that
have rolled by since have not exhausted It's
wisdom.
Render therefore unto Caesar the things
that are Caesars Not n great deal OF
time. | take il. needs to be spent in en-
forcing this behest II marks the sanity
the wholesomeness OF Chrst's religion. II
is no stargazing cult The charge against
II OF luveterate other worldliness Is a libel
Christianity has always taught man to dc
nob,y, patiently. herolcally his full duty tC
the State. TO rulers, TO society We are part
of a social system which has already taken
shape. We are in debt 10 II in many ways
'We pass ITS coins freely; we enjoy its en-
dowments.' Its image and superscriptior
are on Us: We belong OF right 10 our age
our era OF civilization, our nation, state
city, community. All that is around US i.
but the providential setting and environ
ment of our lives. 1t is never perfect
There Is, and for Z. great while 10 come Is
likely TO be a vast deal that Is faulty about
II. But we have no charter from Christ tC
los hopelessly sour In our attributes toward
growth, the slow and painful evolution oi
human civilization. We are 10 believe that
at the heart OF the movement there are
deep-hddCn interior principles which, II
cooperation with those special and power
ful incentives which God brings to bear
from above, are steadily bringing the king
dom OF Caesar to some better fultllment
of itself. SO then, even when we see
things in the nation, the municipality, th,
neighborhood, go wrong; even when We
see tyranny and corruption and abuses ",
are not permitted 10 turn away IN despair
and disgust. We have no right TO stand
aloof as If our hands would be contamin
lated by any contact with II. Our duty u
10 20 bravely in and try TO discharge oui
duty TO the civil and secular powers, re
spectlng the moral worth OF the things o
Caesar, and confidently trusting truth anc
God and humanity for the dawnlng Of tn,
brighter day. We are set as Christians
not TO build 4 dazzling visible church 80
God upon the ruins Of the dvnasties - Z
governments Of earth, as was dreamed by
the medieval popes and doctors. No, but
rather IS our book TO infuse into organized
human society the health!u spirit Of tn,
Kingdom Of Jesus Christ, and meanwhile
IS Christ's words here clearly teach US e
keep the two spheres distinct.
And on the same principle precisely
think our Lord would have US deal with
entire honesty with the facts Of science
To presume TO use religious authority e
deny the ascertaned and verified couclu
sions OF a genuine science-as was done
for instance. IN the case OF Calico, and ha,
Citen been urged since, is 10 break Christ,
command. Natural science must proceed
along It's own distinct and separate lines
IL cannot 20 out of its sphere to teach tn,
world religion. Its function - 20 search
out and interpret material facts. But n
its own proper sphere we must respect IT
We owe lt the tribute OF our sincerity
We must render 20 Caesar the things that
arc Caesars. and there Will be no sort o
peril TO Us II we are a: pans at the same
time TO render TO God the things that ar'
Gods"
But is IL in the point that have beer
urCI1g that most men fail nowadays /.
u here That we need 20 throw our empha
50 on this Render 70 Caesar" Are ther,
not certain forces IN the realm Of Caesai
which OF themselves exact the payment o
what Is due there. Does not this tribut,
get itself paid in as do the State taxes by
a sort Of self-acting process, so that IN
rough way 10 has 20 be forthcoming, j.
not the real trouble now that we are ir
50 many cases surrendering 20 Caesar NOR,
and more CT the things which belong Il
Codg
1T towers over US" some one has said
"this world movement OF modern civihza
tion, with It's immense volume and weight
cf human interests. human growths. hu
nan skill aud art and industry. II make,
itself more and more felt as the one over
powcrinr. ruling fact II flls the scene
Where is there any room for the things OF
God Where can the spirit move and
breathe, Where has the soul fed" Be
cause OF the pressure upon their lives oi
the world Of Caesar. because q the strong