The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-06-17
Hi vIRoINiAN's WEEKLY SERMON
GOD AND CAESAR
By Rev. j. Calvin Steward, D. d.
Pastor Of the Church Of the Coysnant. Richmond, Va.

that The church should keep herself
free from all political alliances. My
Kingdom Ia not of this World" says
our teacher. When the church goes
after politics politics easily and gladly
enthroncs itself In the very centre OF
the church's best life. No body of
church members could wholly agree or
wholly endorse man or p~arty--hence o
desided house. We know that as vot-
ers they d. not agree. As churchmen,
they will not any more readily agree.
Let me quote n valued utterance: II
is useless to agree that the church can
be in politics on one question and es-
cape all other political alliances. just
as surely as the church goes into this
or that political issue, IL will find IT
self involved in other political oues-
tons
We do not believe in the doctrine of.
church and state. Yoke them together
and both all under the deadenins In
fuence Of woridliness and Formally.
The church Is the church. the state is
the state. The whole spirit Of true
professionalism is against such a Union:
and the best spirit of our Republican
form of government must and does
logically deny such a union No one
questions what the arrival of the
Jamestown Colony meant. No
mistakes the sentence the Pilgrims
wrote in that first Covenant, written
and signed on American soil--"that
every man has a right to his own re-
ligious belief"
Says our noble Bill of Right-"Rsli-
gion or the duty which we live to our
Creator. and the manner OF dtscharging
1t, can be directed only by reason and
connection: not by force or by vio-
lence-ali men are equally entitled TO
The free exercise of religion according
to the debates of conscience"
Again. we hold hat it In the preach
ing the pure Word of God hat pro-
duces good citizenship Morality is
here incuicated. obedience to the laws
Of God. and also, to fhe law of man.
Here men learn ITO 90 justly. to
love mercy" Here men are led to Gull
tiyate the sense Of personal RESPONSE
bii:ty TO God and TO their feliowmen.
Here men learn to be pure In thought
and holy In life. This true policy OF the
church should he to make men good.
Then will the sta.e be god ana So
e-sty IRE.
II is the gospel II Jesus that makes
men better: that won him to temper
ance and develops sweetness and pure
ness and g~entieness within a soul torn
by conflicting forces. 1t was not the
state. nor politics. nor education. that
produced citizens n leaders, like Nc
KINNEY. Tyler. Montague. Swanson,
Mann. Glenn. Hake. Smith. They were
trained at Christian affairs. taught the
Word of God. In their youth. comtnuned
with God In the Sanctuary. fed dpon
Gods holy W'ord-leArned his deca-
iogue, treasured His heatitude and
then went forth to do Gods will rst
and foremost. whether in the home. or
in the forum or in chair OF govern
mental authority.
Every minister breaches temperance
in the regular ministry of his pulpit.
He roust exhort men to keep their bod
les pure and unsuliied by dissipation.
sc~xtravassnce and Indulgence IN unboiy
desires. He must teach men ia sea-
son and out of season to be Just, TO be
pure. to be honest. To Nv a hfe OF
schriety and u walk in charity IL
ward titm that are without.
Let ms then be clearly understood
l. The churc, ana the state are two
separate and distinct organizations.
The church Is spiritual and not OF this
world: the state 10 material. CONNER
etai.
2. Church and state are distinct be-
cause their objects are entirely dis
.inct. The church has 10 do with lead
ing souls towar an heavenly citizen
ship: the state TO protect Its citizens
on thu enjoyment OF temporal night.
The church has no penal code. because
Christ rave her non and her work
makes such irrelevant tDahney).
:. The ends of the state are Tor time:
/ those of the church for Life Eternal
4. To-day the state exists: to-mor-
row another form OF governments
new nation with new policies. The
churc his the one only organized pooy
tl,at shall never be dissolved. 1t has
stood and will stand supreme amid the
rise and fall of Empires, and at the
| last-out of all the wrech and ruin of
time--the church will stan a giorihed
body-not having a spot or wrinkle. or
n such thing.