December 9, 1897
CONSCIENCE is made to direct man, and not man to direct conscience.
“IF the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” You will be free seven days in the week.
WHEN the church allies herself with an earthly power, she demonstrates that as a church she is fatally weak.
HUMAN law cannot be “based upon” God’s law, unless it can be that human law rises higher than the divine law.
THE principle thing that is learned by the children from the religion that is taught in the public schools, is irreverence.
WHEN the church sets out to reform the world, the usual result is that the world reforms the church. Not the world, but individuals, are to be reformed.
IF this be a Christian nation, why is not citizenship in this country synonymous with Christianity? and why may one not depend upon such citizenship for salvation?
TO say that a thing which is proper and right on one day of the week can be a crime because done on some other day, is to say that there is no distinction between crime and sin.
HUMAN government and divine government are two vastly different things, both in nature and purpose: and it is a great mistake to look upon the former as supplying the place, in this world, of the latter.
HUMAN government demands the prompt execution of legal penalties upon the transgressor of the law. God’s government names death as the penalty for every violation of law. God’s government provides mercy for every offender: human government demand’s only justice without mercy. Without mercy for all transgressors, God’s government would fail: and with mercy for all transgressors, human government would not survive a day.