16 Making of the Complete Citizen
in the conscience of Christendom. Where the modern
Churches differ is in the application of that law, not in
their regard for the principles of the law. This creation
by the Church in western civilization of a moral mind rec-
ognizing divine sanction for an order of life, which in the
large appeals to the average man, has been a great accom-
plishment.
Again, the Church has from the earliest days inculcated
respect for Government. This well known verse in the
Epistle to the Romans has been of profound significance:
“Let every soul be in subjection to the higher powers: for
there is no power but of God; and the powers that be are
ordained of God.” Also early Christian practice was thus
authoritatively enjoined in the first epistle of Peter: “Honor
all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the
King.” It has often caused no little perplexity to reformers
that the apostles accepted with submission both the gov-
ernment and the many social evils of their day, that they
kept free from political controversy, and were silent on
such practices as slavery, infanticide, and many forms of
injustice and oppression. Two remarks may be made in
regard to this : first, they believed that the end of the world
was at hand, and that their small communities should with-
draw from it, attracting to themselves only those who would
listen to their message regarding Christ and the Kingdom
of God; second, they were conscious of their own political
feebleness and social negligibility, living as they did under
a government “of relentless spirit and iron hand prepared
at any moment to crush or to crucify.” This attitude
changed as time went on and the Church grew in power,
but to this day there is great diversity of opinion in any
one church as to how far it should openly espouse definite
social causes. In certain crises men under the conviction