Your ShelfYour Projects

Church and State

5%

International Religious Liberty Association · Chicago, Illinois · Jul 5, 1900

FromThe American Sentinel, The Sentinel of Liberty, Vol. 15, No. 26.

Read the full edition

Church and State.

By H. E. Giddings.

What is a union of church and state?
A union of church and state exists wherever the church and state unite and work together to secure the same end or object.
Just as truly as a man and woman are united in the bonds of matrimony upon their declaration of common interest and the authority of the officiating magistrate, so are the church and state united when they avow a common purpose and the officiating representatives of both seal it with their authority.
The church is the body of Christ, the embodiment of Christ and all that he is to the sinner in his mission of salvation. The dispenser of grace and mercy.
The state is a worldly body, the embodiment of the world in its efforts to secure civil order among men, a dispenser of justice by means of the sword. “He beareth not the sword in vain.” Rom. 13:4.
The field of action for the church is the hearts and minds of men. “I will put my laws in their minds and write them in their hearts.”
The cry of David, “Create within me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me,” “then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners will be converted unto thee,” expresses fully the field of operation for the church, which is the body of Christ.
The field of the state is the outward conduct of men with reference to the civil rights of other men.
The work of the church is to save men from themselves. “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself.” The white robes of Rev. 3:5 and the right to reign with Christ is not promised to the man who overcomes his neighbor or is victorious in the conflict with his enemies, but to the humble soul who by the grace of God overcomes self with all its evils—the evils of this world.
While the church of Christ is in the world, it is not a part of the world. John 17: 15, 16. The result of Christianity received into the heart is to make men the friends of God. “Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world, is the enemy of God.”
Christ said very plainly, “My kingdom is not of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight.” Hence it is impossible for a man to fulfill the purposes of the gospel and be joined to the world or the kingdoms of this world.
The work of the state is to save men from each other and is well defined in the Scriptures. “The kingdoms of this world,” which are products of the world and are necessary in the world because of the wickedness of the world, belong entirely to the world and will end with the history of this world, belong alike to every citizen of this world, no matter how entirely worldly he is. The state has no right to undertake anything which will restrict or debar the worldliest of men from the fullest participation in all its workings. The state can never rise to a higher sphere than the regulation of man’s conduct so as to secure order from a worldly standpoint.
The civil government is a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. But Jesus told Peter to put up his sword “for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.” Matt. 26:52.
When it is the business of the state to use the sword and the followers of Christ are plainly told not to use it, how can they unite? “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal.” 2 Cor. 10:4. “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God,” and no sword but the sword of “the Spirit,” “the Word of God?” Eph. 6:13, 17.
“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”
How then can those who claim to be Christians desire to unite the church, the body of Christ,—Eph. 1:22, 23, and 5:31, 32—with the state, the embodyment of this world, when it is said to be adultery? In doing this act the church (professed Christianity) becomes guilty of the crime pointed out in Rev. 18:2, 3. Babylon is fallen because she has committed fornication with the nations.
Keep the church and state forever separate, that the church may be pure and the state just and impartial.
H. E. GIDDINGS.