The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1913-07-25

ual body, are separated in an essen
tial sense from the world. They are
waiting for his re-appearing, and ex-
pect to be glorified 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 part of the sys-
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 its 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 1t possibility. a
What Caesar Represents.
But while this is true, such Chris
tfans believe that they have obliga-
tons to the government under which
they live, privileges to be enjoyed and
a stewardship for which they must
give account of God. Paul claimed
protection because of his Roman citi-
zenship, but no man has a moral
right to ask protection from govern
ment to which he is Indifferent, and
for which he will not use his influ-
ence to make it the best possible.
Caesar" represented the civil gov
eminent of Christ's day, and the
things to be rendered unto him were
the taxes imposed by the Roman en-
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 it Is ourselves.
If this Is a government Of the peo
pie, for the people and by the PEG
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 laws it 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 our fellow
men goes into the pockets of those
to whom it does not belong. because
we are indulging our own con-
venience and letting things alone?
How much of 1t supports our con-
stabulary and law courts, our aims
houses and jails whose existence is
because of iniquitous Ia dslation af-
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 second obli-
CATION in relation to civil government,
Thou shalt love thy neia hbor as thy
self.'i OF course, this means that we
shall try to save our neighbor and
bring him with US on the way to
heaven. But it 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 decentralization of both
public and private standards of right
and wrong. Who are responsible for
these things? VIII not God hold
those processing 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
neighbor as myself" for love work
eth no evil to his neighbor." either by
omission or commission.
omission or 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 naturalized in order to be
at liberty to vote. Secondly, every
citizen possessing this privilege
should exercise 1t as 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
traffic, sanctify one 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 word
Of God, which alone Is able to save
their souls ..
Jesus told story about a man
who was stripped, robbed, wounded.
and given up for dead on the Jericho
road. There are many such roads
today. The poor wage-earner, the
slave to strong drink, the negro chas-
ed by the lyncher is on the Jericho
road. Shall we play the priest and
the Levite and pass by on the other
side? There are plenty of good ex-
cuses for doing so. Or shall we act
the part Of the good Samaritan. and
give our time and thought and help
and money for their relief? Which is
the Christian part in "A civil govern
nent?