The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-10-23
CHURCH AND STATE

Sunday morning, tndI we seCuEeu HAs
notes and with pleasure present them
to our readers. This is vital theme
and we are glad to see the clergy
bringing it to the front. The old days
of the politician with ways that are
dark and tricks that are vain" are over
and the times demand clean, upright,
progressive men In office. The trick
ster, wire puller and the subway work
err will be relegated to the burrows
and the man who stands -four square"
for a clean, honest government is the
coming man in American politics.
Mr.. Stephens took for his text Rom.
13:1-7, and spoke in substance as fol-
lows:
1t has been true since the beginning
of human history that men have been
subject to a higher power. This power
has manifested itself in various forms:
the controlling power of law, the mas
terry of the slave owner, the dominion
of kings and other rulers, the suasive
influence of parents, the redeeming
love of God. Men have lived in har-
mony with the will Of these powers
and experienced peace and prosperity;
they have rebelled against them and
suffered the loss of peace and received
punishments varying according to the
severity of the offense and the severity
OF the master.
| Our text deals with service to gov
eminent. What shall be our attitude
as a church to our government, or how
can we best serve our country?
| Negatively. Not by the union OF
church and state. Men have led the
church into perilous ways by teaching
such an union. The church has not al
ways prohted by the experience OF
Christ with Satan on the mount of
Temptation. Christ was victorious then;
the devil has gained the victory many
times since. Some one said that "the
most ominous day the church ever saw
was the day when Constantine the
Great, having renowned heathenism,
at least in part, proclaimed himself
the imperial patron of Christianity and
defender Of the faith. That alliance
of church and state set back the
church for centuries, and to this day
she is Keeling beneath the satanic stab
she then received.
Baptists have always stood for sep
aration of church and state. The move
ment in this country started with the
expulsion of Roger Williams from
mass. Rhode Island and Virginia
fought the issue out with the estab-
lished church and succeeded in pass
ing the first constitutional amend
ment. Baptists seem to have landed
on the theory by intuition for no
where does scripture in so many
words command a separation. God re-
quires allegiance to his will and the
state requires allegiance to her laws
Which shall receive it? Both, but In
q different sense.
The state is temporal and its gov
eminent statutory; therefore, it's 10y.
atty Is legal God is eternal and spir-
itual. therefore he requires the allie.
glance of the. spiritual man. free
church in free state has always beer
the attitude Of Baptists. A democratic
church polity in a democratic state
government.
Recognizing this principle Of free
dom of church and state, let us con
slider in an affirmative way the atti
tude of the church to the state.
First of all, before any kind of help
full service can be rendered to tn,
state, there must be a degree of Low,
for the state. The love of countr,
has always been considered one of tn,
noblest impulses of the human soul
never said: This is my own. my nativ,
land" nor felt the thrill Of pride
which animates the heart of the pa
, triot at the thought of his country!
. glory, has ever borne the contempt o.
, mankind and will go to an unworth!
grave, "unwept. unhonored and un
sung"
Love of country is naturally follow
ed by obedience to it's laws. God com
mands this. Peter 2:13, Submit your
selves to every ordinance of man fo1
. the Lords sake: whether it be to TIL,
. king, as supreme, or unto governors
as unto them that are sent by him fo
the punishment of evil doors, and fol
the praise of them that do well. Fo
so is the will of God, that with wei
{ doing We may put to silence the ig
norance of foolish men: AS free ant
not using your liberty for a cloak o
. righteousness, but as the servants o
God" Then again in Titus 81. "Pu
them in mind to be subject to princi
, palities and powers, to obey magis
trates. to be ready to every gooc
work"
, Furthermore, pray for those in au
thority. I Tim. 2:1-2 gives a clear in
stance of the apostles command t,
, pray for such: 81 exhort, therefore
. first of all, that applications, prayers
) intercessions, and giving of thanks, b.
made for all men; for kings and for al
, that are in authority" 1t is also sug
, gested that those in authority be com
mended for doing well. We are fire.
Z to complain when they do evil; VIII.
, not commend Righteousness?
Then, by consecrated service in be
half of, or with a view to, evangeliz
ing the states citizenship, Christ deal
= with individuals and not with nations
Our method OF evangelizing our gov
eminent must be through the indi
viduals who make up that government
Not with the state as a political uni
but with the units who make up tn
, state. There are those who may CLAIM
that our country is already a Chris
tian nation. 1t is only nominally so
A casual study of the following figure
, will be convincing: The population o
the United States Is about 95 millions
OF that number only about % million
belong to the protestant churches o
America, while II millions adhere t,
, other sects, leaving about so million
, unevangelized. What a work we hav,
on our hands in the saving of our owl
land!
Civilization is the child of Chris
tianity." AS a free church within
free state let us show our love for tn,
powers that be by obedience to tn,
= laws of the state, by praying for thos,
: in authority and working earnestl,
and perseveringly for the evangelical
tion OF the nation through the saliva