CHAPTER VII.

THE LINE OF DEMARCATION BETWEEN THE SECULAR KINGDOMS OF THIS WORLD AND THE CHURCH OR SPIRITUAL KINGDOM OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.

The Scribes and Pharisees for the purpose of bringing our Savior into conflict with the Roman government, sent their disciples with the Herodians to him to inquire whether it was lawful for the people of God to pay tribute to Cæsar.

Jesus in his reply, instead of answering the specific question, settled the great principle of secular and spiritual jurisdiction which should govern both the church and the world under the New Testament dispensation. He recognized the existence of two separate and independent governments, to both of which his people owed allegiance and subjection, and showed that obedience to the legitimate pow

ers, and prerogatives of the one would never interfere with submission to the other.

By the things which belong to Cæsar, we are to understand the prerogatives and powers of the secular governments of this world; and by the things which belong to God, that spiritual service which the members of his spiritual kingdom must render to him.

As both these kingdoms are ordained and recognized by the Almighty-as they must coexist in the same state, and as they possess prerogatives and powers separate and independent of each other, it is of great importance to the well-being of both, that the line of demarkation between the two should be plainly defined and the prerogatives and powers of each be well understood.

To trace this line and show what are the prerogatives and the powers which belong to each of these coexisting governments, shall be our business in the present chapter.

Among the prerogatives and powers of the secular government, are those of making and executing all laws and regulations relating to the life, liberty, and property of the people. It is certain that the Roman government in

the time of Christ and his apostles, exercised these powers; and it is no less certain that these inspired teachers recognised them as legitimate, and taught the people to submit to them.

Nor is it less clear that the Almighty has a spiritual kingdom upon the earth which we call the Church. This kingdom was set up in the family of Adam soon after the fall, and continued in the world under different dispensations until the coming of the Messiah, when it was remodeled, and permanently established by him as the kingdom which should never be destroyed.

To learn the nature of this kingdom under the last or christian dispensation, and to know what are its prerogatives and powers, we must go to its divine founder and his inspired apostles for information.

First of all, we would invite your attention to the testimony of the Lord himself. When he was arrested and carried before Pilate, he was arraigned upon the charge of high treason; and the specification in the indictment was that he had subverted the nation, by forbidding to give tribute to Cæsar, saying that

he himself was Christ a king In this specification the whole charge turns upon the allegation that Jesus claimed to be the Christ who was to come. This was the gist of the indictment; and was all that was relied upon by his accusers to make out what would now be called constructive treason. The Jews had long expected and taught that Christ was to be "a temporal prince, to rule with secular power over the Jewish nation. It was such a belief which led Herod to seek the life of the infant Savior; and, it was upon this interpretation of the prophecies, that the chief priests and pharisees expected to procure his conviction before Pilate. Their reasoning was, that as Christ, when he came was to be the king of the Jews, the claim of Jesus to be the Christ was a claim to royal authority over the Israelites, and was virtually forbidding them any longer to give tribute to Cæsar. Pilate who understood the prevalent opinion in regard to the character of the Messiah, was prepared to take cognizance of this cause, and accordingly when he had sit down upon the judgment seat, he called upon Jesus to answer to the charge. This he did by what lawyers would now call a special plea, in which

he admitted that he was the expected Messiah, and as such, was a king; but avoided the conclusion drawn in the indictment that this claim to royal authority interfered with any of the secular powers or prerogatives of Cæsar, by alleging that his kingdom was not of this world. The question now before Pilate was whether this plea was a satisfactory answer to the charge brought against the Savior by his accusers. Upon this issue the Roman governor gave judgment that the prisoner was not guilty of the crime alleged against him, but was entirely faultless in this matter.

Here, the first question which presents itself to us is, whether Pilate understood the matter of the defence set up. If he did not, it must have been either because Jesus was incapable of making himself understood, or because he wished to deceive; but as either supposition would be revolting to every christian feeling, we must conclude that Pilate did understand him.

The next question is whether Pilate would have entirely acquitted his prisoner and proposed to let him go, if he had not understood him to say that the regal authority which he