Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1913-07-18

ENA%NAAuwwHS4kTA sanctlneo
GAEMN4E.ss9s2M&xzz1l through faith in
the atonement Of
Christ, and as members of his spirit
ual body. are separated in an essen
tial sense from the world. They are
waiting for his re-appearing, and *
pect to be glori1ed and reign with
him over the millennial earth.
There Is a point OF view therefore,
In which such a people have nothing
to do with civil government because
such government is a part of the vs.
tenn OF ungodliness represented by
Satan whom the Scriptures call the
god of this world. His dominion is to
be destroyed when Christ comes to
set up his kingdom In It's place. True
Christians. therefore. are not expect
Ing the millennium to be brought
about by moral or political reforms,
but are waiting for his coming to In
troduce and make it a possibility.
What Caesar Represents.
But while his is true, such Chris
tians believe that they have obliga-
lions to the government under which
they live, privileges to be enjoyed and
a stewardship for which they must
6ISe dCCOuuL u IOQ. 6ul aCldlIieu
protection because of his Roman citi-
zenship, but no man has a moral
right to ask protection from a govern.
ment to which he is Indifferent, and
for which he will not use his infiu.
ence to make 1t the best possible.
Caesar" represented the civil gov
eminent of Christs day. and the
things to be rendered INTO him were
the axes imposed by the Roman em-
pire. But the Caesar" Of the United
States to whom we are to pay tribute
is not an individual or an empire. but
In an important sense 1t is ourselves.
II this is a government of the peo-
pie, for the people and by the e o
pie" we are our own Caesar. and to
ourselves we render tribute. Accord-
ing to Christ's command therefore,
we are to support this government in
accordance with the avs 1t has made.
And yet more is implied. for we are
not only Caesar" to whom tribute
must be paid. but Caesar" who pays
the tribute. For what do we demand
this tribute therefore? How much OF
the taxes levied by us on u fellow
men goes into the pockets OF those
to whom it does not belong. because
we are INDUCING our own con
venience and letting things alone!
How much OF 1t supports our con-
stabulary and law courts, our aim
houses and jails whose existence is
because Of Ubiquitous legislation az
fording license to sin? Are we salts
fed that in these things we can give
account of our stewardship with Joy?
Party or Purity, Which?
This brings us to our cor obi.
CATION in relation to civil government.
Thou shalt love thy %neighbor as thy
self" OF course, this means that we
shall try to save our neighbor and
bring him with us on the way to
heaven. But 1t means also that we
can not be Indifferent to the earthly
difficulties of the way. In other
words, we must not permit Satan to
fiaunt his temptations in. the way
without an effort to destroy them.
There are dram shops. brothels and
gambling dens open for the allure.
ment Of our young men and women.
IF our newspapers are to be believed,
law is defied by municipal and state
officers to the Generalization OF both
public and private standards Of right
and wrong. Who are responsible for
these things? Will not God hold
those protesting Christians to ac-
count who. for the sake OF party
fealty on the one hand, or lack OF
public duty on the other, to have fail
ed to overthrow them.
The New Testament says scarcely
anything about the relation OF the
Christian church to civil government
because in the time of Christ and his
apostles there was no civil govern
ment In the sense in which we con.
ceive of it. But the duty of the in.
dividual Christian is included never
theless In the second commandment
of the law, Thou shalt love thy
neighbcr as thyself." for love work
eth no evil to his neighbour" either by
| emission or commission.
omission Oh commission. While every
Christian must decide these matters
for himself in the light of the princi-
pies laid down in the Bible and re-
ferred to in the text, yet 1t would
seem that certain things are clear.
First. alien Christians In this country
should be n~aturalized In order to be
at liberty to vote. Secondly. every
citizen possessing this privilege
should exercise it as a solemn obliga-
ton before God Thirdly, he should
keep himself informed on the great
questions for decision In municipal,
state, national and international af-
fairs. And finally, he should exert
his influence in every way open to
him to awaken a revival Of civic
righteousness. that will put honest
men into public office, close the
dramshops, exterminate the gambling
halls, put an end to TIE white slave
traffic, sanctify n day In seven as
a day Of rest, and make In every way
for the betterment OF the whole peo-
pie. but especially multiply opportuni-
ties for reaching them with the wor
Of God, which alone is able to saw
their souls.