If a man has a leading object in view, no matter whether religious or
worldly, let him come out in his proper color, declare his object, and
drive directly at it. If a man has a favorite political scheme let him
declare it, publish a paper advocating it, or maintain it in public
addresses; but not under the name of _Christian_; not in the name of
the Lord, nor under a pretence of preaching Christ; for this would be
a manifest imposition, no matter how good the political doctrine. But
every attempt to make the religion of Christ auxiliary to political
ends, is a perversion, and in direct opposition to the whole spirit
and entire bearing of the Lord’s own reply, when charged with being
a political aspirant. When arraigned before Pilate, and charged with
claiming to be a king, he explained the matter, and obviated the charge,
or set it aside, by saying, “My kingdom is not of this world; if my
kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should
not be delivered to the Jews; but now is my kingdom not from hence.”
John xviii. 36. While he frankly admitted that he was a king, and that
he came into the world to bear witness to the truth, he set aside all
ground of suspicion against him, as an aspirant to the throne, or any
other part in the civil government, or one who would in any way meddle
in the civil institutions of his country, by declaring that his kingdom
is not of this world. This declaration was no evasion, but a clear,
important and divine truth, and must be shown in the lives of the
disciples of Christ, by following his example, or the cause will suffer
immeasurably.
Our Lord was so careful to keep his kingdom and his mission distinct
from civil affairs, that when he was appealed to, to arbitrate a
dispute touching an inheritance, he inquired, who made him an arbiter
in such matters, or where was there any authority for him to step aside
from his mission, or, rather, pervert his mission and his office from
their high, spiritual and divine object, to a worldly, temporal and
business object. He was so careful to keep his mission distinct from
the world, and worldly relations, that when engaged in the work of his
mission, he refused to recognize a fleshly relation—his own mother,
brother and sister. In his kingdom he recognized no fleshly relation,
as a basis for any application to him, or a reason for his institution
conferring any benefit on any human being, not excepting his own
mother, according to the flesh. Those who _do the will of God_,
regardless of all fleshly ties, political conditions, or worldly
circumstances, whether male or female, bond or free, are mother, sister
or brother, to the Redeemer and Savior of man. So perfectly distinct
did our Lord and the apostles keep their mission from politics that
there is not the remotest hint that they ever participated in civil
affairs, in a single instance, in the whole of the sacred record. They
either never participated in politics in any way, or else looked upon
the whole matter as so distinct from their mission and work, as not to
be once mentioned in the whole Christian revelation. So distinct is
the New Testament from political institutions, that it contains not
one word of instruction to civil officers, in regard to their duties,
not one hint what kind of men we should vote for, or what form of
government we should favor. It simply enjoins that Christians “obey
every ordinance of man, for the Lord’s sake:” “submit to the powers
that be; for the powers that be are ordained of God,” and declares that
“rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil”; that “the
ruler is the minister of God, and bears not the sword in vain.”
The Christian law enjoins that we “follow _peace_ with all men and
holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” It is not enjoined
that we follow peace with a political party, but “peace with _all_
men,” and holiness. The Lord said, “Blessed are the _peace-makers_, for
they shall be called the children of God.” The angels of God shouted
when Jesus was born, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth _peace_
and good will toward man.” Shall that religion enjoining its adherents
to “follow _peace_ with all men,” promising a blessing upon the
peace-makers, whose divine Author was introduced into the world, with
an angelic shout of “_peace_ on earth,” be made an instrument in the
hands of a misguided and worldly priesthood, in the political strifes
of the world? If it shall, we betide him who does it. It will kill
every preacher and every church that ever had the Spirit of God in
them, to do it. Indeed, all of this description are now dead. Not a
man nor a church among them, throughout the length and breadth of
the country, is doing anything for the cause of God. Not a sinner
is converted by them, nor a saint comforted. Many of them, old men,
that formerly had the spirit of the Lord, preached Christ with great
power, with their souls full of the love of God, converted sinners,
edified and comforted the children of God, now sit in the company of
worldlings, read and discuss politics on the Lord’s day, while the
house of God is forsaken.
Our mission is to preach Christ, Christianity, and to disentangle it
from all connection with these side-artifices, devised to draw men away
from the Lord. We have only alluded to slavery, and the excitement
about it, so far as to discover the proper course for a christian, but
not to discuss its merits, as a system, at all. In doing this, we have
simply applied to it the rule that we do to all questions of the kind,
viz: To inquire for the _course pursued by the Lord, the apostles, and
the first Christians, and follow it as infallibly safe and right_. In
doing this, we have certainly shown that those warring upon us in this
matter, have no commission from heaven, from Christ, or his apostles,
or, in anything in all their lives and practice. We shall, therefore,
as far as God shall enable us, preach the pure gospel of the grace of
God, both North and South, East and West, to all, both great and small,
high and low, rich and poor, bond and free; and thus labor to bring
them into the kingdom that is not of this world—a kingdom that can
not be moved—where the pure in heart can enjoy God, his Holy Spirit,
and his people, though the wicked rule and the civil governments
are corrupt, with the blessed assurance that they shall one day be
delivered from all the perplexities of an imperfect and sinful state.
Here we must all turn our attention at last.
Civil governments can never be perfected. They will always be working
wrongs and cruelties some place. The wisdom and power of man can
not avoid this. The wickedness and selfishness of men, also, are in
the way, so that the civil institutions of the country can never be
perfected; and he has studied Christianity to but little purpose, who
thinks its aim to be the perfection of the human contrivances of the
world. It looks above this, to the purification and perfection of
_individuals_, in their regeneration and personal sanctification, and
preparation for a better state. It does not, like some fleshly systems,
look upon this world as _man’s all_; but, as momentary, a pilgrim
state, not our home, not our continued city, but merely the preparatory
state to a better world. How soon this world will all be nothing to
all these political wranglers, who have suffered themselves to be made
tools for political parties, to the neglect of the church of God,
without one soul ever being able to see that all their noise, ever did
any good in any way. How silly it is, as well as unchristian, for old
friends, neighbors and _brethren_ to disagree and fall out about the
intricate and deceptive schemes of political wire-workers. Such men are
doing no good for their church or country. The very circumstance of
their falling out with their best friends, shows that they are insane
upon the very subject upon which they propose to enlighten the world,
and, of all men in the world, the most unsafe, to guide either church
or state.