The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1917-07-20

| without some effort TO administer 10
him justice. Exactly in the same
way our national civic righteousness
would not permit Germany to murder
our innocent citizens, including wo
men and children without some effort
to bring her to justice. This is the
reason the United States declared
war against Germany. 1t was done
as a last resort, and if she had not
done it she would have violated her
divine right to exist as civil govern
ment.
The function of the Christian
church is another matter altogether.
go We, therefore and make disciples.
of all nations, baptizing them into
the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Ghost; teaching
them to observe all things whatso-
ever | have commanded you," is the
Magma Charta of the Christian
church. It's function is to show mer-
cy to the guilty and to forgive the
offender. 1t is not permitted to use
the sword. at is not by might nor
y power, but by my spirit, saith the
Lord" Peter used the sword and
smote off the ear of the servant of
the high priest. Jesus repaired the
| damage that was done and ordered
the sword back to it's sheath. The
Christian church has no divine right
to administer justice. That is the
prerogative of the Founder and Head
of that Church. Vengeance is mine,
will repay, saith the Lord" The
function of the church is to love it's
enemies, to do good to them that. de-
spitefully use it, and when smitten
on one cheek to turn the other.
The real difficulty, however, arises
from the fact that given men are
both citizens of the civil government
and members of the Christian church
Thy belong to two institutions of di-
vine origin, with widely differing
functions. The question is, shall a
good man do as a citizen what he
is not permitted to do as Christian.
Just here is where many are now
stumbling. The New Testament re-
quires that Christians be obedient to
the powers that be, and Jesus him
self set the example. He paid tri-
butte to whom tribute was due, and
likewise must the Christian. That
Christian who rebels against civil au-
thority rebels against a divine insti-
tuition, Notwithstanding the function
of the civil government, is the very
opposite to the function of the Chris
tian church. AS citizen, the course
of action is prescribed by civil au-
thority, which is of divine origin. AS
a member of the Christian church the
course of action is prescribed by the
Founder and Head of the church. The
1eivil government has its Magma Char
ia, and upon its provision it metes
out justice to the guilty The Chris
tan church has its Magma Charta,
and upon its provisions it offers mer-
cy to the guilty. Civil government
| is permitted to go to war if need be
to enforce justice; The Christian
church cannot go to war because the
purposes of war are justice, and not
mercy A Christian is divinely JUS
tilted in obedience to civil authorities
| to go to the trenches if need be to
administer justice to offenders, and
a refusal to go when necessary is an
open violation of divine edict."
The union of church and State is
incompatible because the functions
of the former are exactly opposite of
those of the latter. The union of the
CHRISTIAN church with the civil gov
eminent forces it to engage in the
administration of justice and forces
the civil government to show mercy
to the guilty. To escape such incon-
sistencies either the Christian church