The American Sentinel 13
September 8, 1898
“Notes” American Sentinel 13, 35, p. 549.
THE influence of an upright life is patriotism’s best gift to the nation. AMS September 8, 1898, page 549.1
THE purpose of the civil power is not to enforce what is right, but to enforce rights. AMS September 8, 1898, page 549.2
SEPARATION of church and state does not mean a wicked government or a powerless church. AMS September 8, 1898, page 549.3
CAESAR is ever prone to consider himself a god and to demand for himself those things that should be rendered to God. AMS September 8, 1898, page 549.4
THE only argument which Cesar knows how to employ is the argument of the sword. AMS September 8, 1898, page 549.5
WHEN Cesar turns his attention to the Lord’s business, he at once begins to neglect his own. AMS September 8, 1898, page 549.6
THE power of the church is the power of the gospel, which is the power of love, which is the power of God. AMS September 8, 1898, page 549.7
BEFORE Peter was converted he drew the sword of temporal power in behalf of his Lord; afterwards, he drew the “sword of the Spirit.” AMS September 8, 1898, page 549.8
[Inset.] “RENDER TO CESAR THE THINGS THAT ARE CESAR’S, AND TO GOD THE THINGS THAT ARE GOD’S.”—Jesus Christ Announcing the Principle of Separation of Church and State. THE Pharisees, thinking to entangle Christ in his talk, came to him and asked whether it were lawful to give tribute to Cesar. “But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Show me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. And he said unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Cesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Cesar the things which are Cesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s.” Matthew 22:15-22. AMS September 8, 1898, page 549.9
“Note” American Sentinel 13, 35, p. 550.
“RECEIVE ye the Holy Ghost.” In these words, addressed to sinful flesh, God appeals to his people on the earth, to his church, to be filled with unlimited power; for such is the power of the Spirit. AMS September 8, 1898, page 550.1
But while God is thus beseeching men, the very ones who profess to be his followers here are beseeching the legislatures of earth for the power needed to advance the cause of righteousness. AMS September 8, 1898, page 550.2
Was there ever a stranger or sadder spectacle before heaven and earth—God beseeching the church to receive unlimited power from on high, which he is ready to bestow, and the church, all unmindful of his words, beseeching the world for the power that belongs to earthly things! AMS September 8, 1898, page 550.3
The church could not be guilty of greater folly. AMS September 8, 1898, page 550.4
“A Religious Delusion” American Sentinel 13, 35, pp. 550, 551.
IN the columns of the daily press of this city recently space was given to a description of “the impressive ceremony of the taking of the black veil” by sixteen young women, in the chapel of the convent of the “Sisters of St. Dominie,” Archbishop Corrigan officiating. By undergoing this “impressive ceremony” these young women are understood to have formally “renounced the world” and taken upon themselves the vows of a life of “charity.” This is but one of many similar occasions which are reported from time to time in all parts of the land. AMS September 8, 1898, page 550.1
Let us look a moment at this idea of consecration and the religious life. AMS September 8, 1898, page 550.2
These young women have withdrawn themselves from all social intercourse with their fellow-beings in the world. They have really renounced their fellow-mortals. Is this renouncing the world? AMS September 8, 1898, page 550.3
Certainly not. The world cannot be renounced in that way. Worldliness is in the heart—in the principles of the life. The principles of the world, not the people, are to be renounced. AMS September 8, 1898, page 550.4
A person may separate himself from all his sinful fellow-mortals, as did the old hermits, and yet carry with him into his seclusion, as they did, the very worldliness which they think thus to escape. For worldliness, full and complete, is in every heart that is carnal, unrenewed by the power of divine grace. AMS September 8, 1898, page 550.5
To “renounce the world” by going off into the seclusion of the convent or monastery, is like a person trying to escape from his own shadow. The one is exactly as wise a proceeding as the other. AMS September 8, 1898, page 550.6
And this separation from human society is not only powerless to promote consecration; it is altogether contrary to the will and purpose of the Creator. AMS September 8, 1898, page 550.7
God put people in this world to be together. He knew the nature of the beings whom he created, and knew that society was necessary to their welfare. He brings people into this world for their happiness, to enjoy themselves together, not to be miserable somewhere in seclusion. But aside from the enjoyment to be derived from human companionship, he puts people together for their spiritual good. His own work in the earth, the proclamation of the gospel truth, so far from demanding the exclusion of its adherents, demands the exact opposite. God’s servants are the “salt of the earth:” and to be this they must be in the world, mingling freely with all classes of society, and with world-loving people especially. God sends his servants to sinners, not away from them. AMS September 8, 1898, page 550.8
A ship is built to go in the water. There is danger that the water may get into the ship, and if it does, in sufficient quantities, the ship sinks and is lost. The ship at sea is in the very element, all surrounded by it, which under certain circumstances will prove its sure destruction. There may be a collision, or the ship may run on a reef, or be shattered by a storm, and in any of these ways become filled with water and sent to the bottom of the sea. Ships are being lost by such casualties all the time. The sea is the one great agent of their destruction. AMS September 8, 1898, page 550.9
What then shall be done to preserve the ship? Oh, we will pull it up out of the sea upon the dry land; we will put it where the water cannot get to it! Or, we will seclude it in some quiet undisturbed creek or inlet along the shore, where the perils of the sea can never reach it! That would save the ship from the sea, and also render it useless; but even the seclusion of the convent cannot save a soul from the world. AMS September 8, 1898, page 550.10
The idea that consecration, that holiness of life, requires the renunciation of society, a life of celibacy, and the somber garb of the convent, is as contrary to the truth as anything could possibly be. It is a travesty upon divine truth, and designed as such by the opponent of truth who invented it. Robert Ingersoll has uttered many falsehoods concerning religion; but he spoke the truth, the gospel truth, in saying that the mother with her babe presented a far nobler and holier picture than the nun with her cross and beads. AMS September 8, 1898, page 550.11
Jesus said, in his prayer for his disciples, “I pray not that Thou wouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou wouldest keep them from the evil.” The grace of God keeps his children from evil in the midst of the world. As the channels of divine light and truth to the world, the world is their proper place. When God wants them removed from the society of sinners he is coming himself to take them away. But now, while probation for the world continues, he wants them in the world and amongst world lovers as his witnesses, witnessing by their words and lives to his power to save people from sin, simply by a change of heart—by a new birth, a new creation in Christ. AMS September 8, 1898, page 550.12
The “sisterhoods” and “brotherhoods” which are gotten up in this world in the name of religion, with their vows and regulations which set at defiance the laws of nature in order to save the soul, are a sham and a delusion. They represent the worldly and heathen idea of consecration. They are contrary to God and to nature, to revelation and to reason. They lead only to wretchedness and ruin. True happiness, true religion, true charity and holiness, and true success in life, can be found only in the order of life which God has established. AMS September 8, 1898, page 551.1
“Separation of Church and State” American Sentinel 13, 35, p. 554.
“KEEP the church and state forever separate,” said General Grant, in his address to the Army of the Tennessee. “Very well,” says some reader; “suppose he did say it; why refer to it now? I believe in the separation of church and state, and so does everyone in this country; and there is no danger that church and state will be united. It would be contrary to the principles of the Government.” AMS September 8, 1898, page 554.1
Yes, we reply, it is a fact that the people here do not believe in a union of church and state, in a certain sense; that is, they do not believe the state should be joined with the Methodist, Baptist, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Catholic, or other denominational body, making that the state church and leaving all others out of consideration. That would be discriminately against the other churches, and would be contrary to the Constitution and would meet general opposition from the people. AMS September 8, 1898, page 554.2
All this is true enough; but there is more than this to be considered. The principle of church and state union finds another way of expression, in which it is all the more dangerous because it is not generally recognized by the people. And this is in the union of the state with religion. AMS September 8, 1898, page 554.3
Are you in favor of the separation of religion and the state? AMS September 8, 1898, page 554.4
It is impossible to keep church and state separate if religion and the state are united. AMS September 8, 1898, page 554.5
If the state is religious, if it is Christian, it ought to belong to a church. That is plain. The Christian Church ought to include everything that is Christian. It is not true to its purpose unless it does. AMS September 8, 1898, page 554.6
When the state therefore professes religion, when it proclaims itself to be Christian, union with the church is demanded by the plain logic of the situation. And the question, What is the Christian Church? will surely be raised by the state’s profession of religion. AMS September 8, 1898, page 554.7
And this question will be conducive to anything but peace between the various religious bodies each of which claims to be the church of Christ. We have but to refer to the history of the church in the early centuries to find the matter illustrated in full. AMS September 8, 1898, page 554.8
If the state, moreover, is to be Christian, it must enforce religion upon the people, for the state does nothing but by force. And as Christianity is inseparable from the law of God, the “Christian” state must proceed to enforce that law, and execute its penalty, which is death. But true Christianity means life for the transgressor, not death. AMS September 8, 1898, page 554.9
Then, “Keep the church and state forever separate.” Keep religion and the state separate. Keep religion separate from force; let its power be always the power of love. All this is included in the admonition uttered by General Grant. AMS September 8, 1898, page 554.10