Truth and Fallacy by B.

International Religious Liberty Association · Chicago, Illinois · Jun 28, 1900

FromThe American Sentinel, The Sentinel of Liberty, Vol. 15, No. 25.

Truth and Fallacy.

By B.

A writer for the Christian Century says:

“A nation is not safe because of military supremacy only, or from the seven hills Rome would still rule the world.

“Nor do seminaries and scholars constitute a sure defense, else the land of Plato and Aristotle had never been subject to the unspeakable Turk.

“Nor does national existence running back into hoar antiquity safeguard the future, for the ‘Celestial empire’ seems now tottering to its fall.

“A nation is safe only when shielded by the eyes of Divine protection. This any nation can have that will coronate God as its supreme ruler and make His holy word its supreme law.

“These acts will in themselves counteract all tendency toward dissolution and promote national strength and grandeur.”

The writer we quote errs in this only when he attempts to tell how a nation can have “divine protection.”

God can be truly “coronated” only in the human heart. All any nation can do to honor God is to leave the individuals free to render Him such homage as they wish. Government cannot assist in this, and it should not seek to hinder.

Spain is an example of a nation which has tried

to “coronate God.” Germany is another, and society is there honeycombed with infidelity more perhaps than in almost any other country.

Individual faith in God is the only remedy for sin; and this faith cannot be assisted by legislation.

The great trouble is that in attempting to “coronate” God, that which is really “coronated” is some self-appointed vicegerent of God.

To “coronate” God is to acknowledge his law and to bow to it. But when any nation undertakes to do this, that which is acknowledged and enforced is at best only some human interpretation of the divine law—usually far below the divine standard, and not infrequently in direct controvention to that law.

To “coronate” God by any state or national act is to make his law the football of contending parties, and the subject of court decisions, to be construed as other laws are construed; so that naturally men instead of seeking to know what the Lord says in His law, they will inquire what the courts say about His law.

The divine law “is spiritual” and since “spiritual things” are only “spiritually discerned,” the state, which is not spiritual, cannot even discern the divine law, much less administer it.