The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-02-17
THE RELATION OF CHURCH AND
STATE TO PROBLEM OF POVERTY
Ills of the Day Declared to Be Due to Maladjustments of
/ Society and the Wickedness of the Unenlightened IN
2 dividual.

that which we hope to see. the func.
~ u the state and the function Of
ene cnurcn is each important, and
If each shall see and embrace IT'S on
pOrtunity.
Inc Presldent Of the United States |
mas declared that the struggle now on
is In behalf- of the New Freedom. The |
of this government dedicat- |
eo II TO the perpetuation of the right
- NE llperty and the pursuit of hap
plneSs. Jesus Christ dedicated His
Kingdom to the creation of a more |
abundant life. through the reign Of
justice, Righteousness and love. Who
shall dare say that the State is TODAY
fulfilling its mission in the spirit of
that struggle now going on towards
a greater perfection Of the conditions
necessary to the enjoyment, under
modern organization, of the right of
each individual to life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness? Who shall say
that the Church is today living up to
its duty of so lifting Christ and His
Ideals up before men that all shall be
drawn unto Him in a great desire to
become members of his kingdom Of
righteousness, justice and mercy? On
the contrary, who will deny thai the
State is too often concerned more
about ~precedents, about forms, about
landmarks, than about depressing the
strong, protecting the weak, and dis
tributing justice? Who will deny that
the church is too often killing with
the letter rather than quickening
with the spirit. Of the law, or thai
too many of the ministers are trying
harder to compress the new wine Of
the Kingdom into their own little old
UNCONVENTIONAL bottles than they are
to spread the Kingdom? The State
was not established to help men to
do wrong, but to make it easier for
them to do right, by restraining the
strong and the vicious, and giving the
weak an even chance. Christ never
came to establish the Church at all.
but to establish His Kingdom and if
the Church should undertake to- sub
stitute itself for the larger Kingdom
it will become useless and will afro
ply from lack of function. In this
question Of poverty and charity are
wrapped the issues Of life and death
for both. State and Church. AS thi:
Nation could not endure half bono
and half free, neither can it last n
fourth Dives andthree-fourhts Laza
rus. And as the individual Christia1
was warned that he could not serv'
both God and Mammon, sc tn
Church canno serve the Kingdom
I except with the weapons of the King
; dom. Think not that the battle i
not as important as any heretOfOr
fought in the worlds history, or tina
the question at issue is not n o
q fundamental morals. And State an
! Church, though they work side b
side must not confuse their functions
Every right, if it be a right at all, j
a moral right, and there has neve
been a great political or social revo
luton without a corresponding mora
and religious revolution in som
e shape. The preacher and the states
= man lay stood side by side, an
political and civil liberty were Dor
out of the same struggles with RELIC
q icus liberty. But the work of each
a so distinct that any attempt to mi
- them has always proven disatTous.
IS The fearful ills in our country t.
re day thai make poverty n Grim
d and necessitate charity, are the gu
1t growth Of both the Embellishments
l. society and the wickedness of the III
d enlightened individual. 1t is the bu'
IS mess of the State to readjust the Law
d Of the organization to the basis
,e Justice and the equality Of OppOrtl
n nifty, and then compel individuals
obey. 1t is the business Of the churc
l. to render most powerful and nece
he Sary aid by men 10 go
re ern themselves according to the pril
A. ciples Of righteousness and love. TIL
er thing is a matter of self preServatiO
so far as the State is concerned, Il
present tendencies have always IT
At towards disaster. Disasters come b
al. cause social wrongs are mere viol
to ions OF moral laws. If a State b
t. lieves that it is protecting its c1tlze.
as III the right Of life when it perml
m it's children to be worked into dwar
it's while in tender years, it is the du
IL. of the Church to convict the CO
re science Of the citizens that they a
e. committing a sin. If q State Zee
gy that it is guaranteeing liberty to
,es subjects when the only liberty Tn
en- have is the CHOICE OF WoIhlnS /
starvation wages or OF quitting al
he STRIVING outright, it is the business
h the Church to prove that this is I
is. letter and not the larger and tru