26 JANUARY (1873)
Questions of the day and the question of the day
‘What think ye of Christ?’ Matthew 22:42
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Romans 13:1–7
‘Unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s;’ to maintain order, to repress crime, to preserve individual liberty, to protect each man’s rights, this is Caesar’s business. To teach us religion? Is Caesar to do that? God forbid, for what religion will Caesar teach us? Is he a Pagan? He will enforce idolatry. Is he a Papist? He will ordain Popery. Is he an atheist? He will establish infidelity. Remember the days of Queen Mary and see what Caesar is capable of when he meddles with religion.
It is none of Caesar’s business to deal with our consciences, neither will we ever obey Caesar in any matter which touches conscience. He may make what laws he will about religion, but by our loyalty to God we pour contempt on Caesar when he usurps the place of God. He is no more to us than the meanest beggar in the street if he goes beyond his legitimate authority. To Caesar, Caesar’s; politics to politicians; obedience, cheerful and prompt, to civil rulers: to God, and to God only, the things that are God’s; and what are these? Our hearts, our souls, our consciences.
Man himself is the coin upon which God has stamped his image and superscription (though, alas, both are sadly marred), and we must render to God our manhood, our wills, our thoughts, our judgments, our minds, our hearts. Consciences are for God. Any law that touches a conscience is null and void ipso facto, for the simple reason that kings and parliaments have no right to interfere in the realm of conscience. Conscience is under law to none but God.
We do not believe in liberty of conscience towards God. We are bound towards him to believe what he tells us and to do what he bids us; but liberty of conscience in respect to all mankind is the natural right of every man of woman born, and it ought to be tenderly respected.
FOR MEDITATION: Christians ought to be models of civil obedience (1 Peter 2:13–15), but fearing God should take priority over honouring the king (1 Peter 2:17). When we are expected to render unto Caesar the things which are God’s, ‘We ought to obey God rather than men.’ (Acts 5:29).
C. H. Spurgeon and Terence Peter Crosby, 365 Days with Spurgeon (Volume 3), (Leominster, UK: Day One Publications, 2005), 33.
Questions of the day and the question of the day
‘What think ye of Christ?’ Matthew 22:42
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Romans 13:1–7
‘Unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s;’ to maintain order, to repress crime, to preserve individual liberty, to protect each man’s rights, this is Caesar’s business. To teach us religion? Is Caesar to do that? God forbid, for what religion will Caesar teach us? Is he a Pagan? He will enforce idolatry. Is he a Papist? He will ordain Popery. Is he an atheist? He will establish infidelity. Remember the days of Queen Mary and see what Caesar is capable of when he meddles with religion.
It is none of Caesar’s business to deal with our consciences, neither will we ever obey Caesar in any matter which touches conscience. He may make what laws he will about religion, but by our loyalty to God we pour contempt on Caesar when he usurps the place of God. He is no more to us than the meanest beggar in the street if he goes beyond his legitimate authority. To Caesar, Caesar’s; politics to politicians; obedience, cheerful and prompt, to civil rulers: to God, and to God only, the things that are God’s; and what are these? Our hearts, our souls, our consciences.
Man himself is the coin upon which God has stamped his image and superscription (though, alas, both are sadly marred), and we must render to God our manhood, our wills, our thoughts, our judgments, our minds, our hearts. Consciences are for God. Any law that touches a conscience is null and void ipso facto, for the simple reason that kings and parliaments have no right to interfere in the realm of conscience. Conscience is under law to none but God.
We do not believe in liberty of conscience towards God. We are bound towards him to believe what he tells us and to do what he bids us; but liberty of conscience in respect to all mankind is the natural right of every man of woman born, and it ought to be tenderly respected.
FOR MEDITATION: Christians ought to be models of civil obedience (1 Peter 2:13–15), but fearing God should take priority over honouring the king (1 Peter 2:17). When we are expected to render unto Caesar the things which are God’s, ‘We ought to obey God rather than men.’ (Acts 5:29).
C. H. Spurgeon and Terence Peter Crosby, 365 Days with Spurgeon (Volume 3), (Leominster, UK: Day One Publications, 2005), 33.
26 JANUARY (1873)
Questions of the day and the question of the day
‘What think ye of Christ?’ Matthew 22:42
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Romans 13:1–7
‘Unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s;’ to maintain order, to repress crime, to preserve individual liberty, to protect each man’s rights, this is Caesar’s business. To teach us religion? Is Caesar to do that? God forbid, for what religion will Caesar teach us? Is he a Pagan? He will enforce idolatry. Is he a Papist? He will ordain Popery. Is he an atheist? He will establish infidelity. Remember the days of Queen Mary and see what Caesar is capable of when he meddles with religion.
It is none of Caesar’s business to deal with our consciences, neither will we ever obey Caesar in any matter which touches conscience. He may make what laws he will about religion, but by our loyalty to God we pour contempt on Caesar when he usurps the place of God. He is no more to us than the meanest beggar in the street if he goes beyond his legitimate authority. To Caesar, Caesar’s; politics to politicians; obedience, cheerful and prompt, to civil rulers: to God, and to God only, the things that are God’s; and what are these? Our hearts, our souls, our consciences.
Man himself is the coin upon which God has stamped his image and superscription (though, alas, both are sadly marred), and we must render to God our manhood, our wills, our thoughts, our judgments, our minds, our hearts. Consciences are for God. Any law that touches a conscience is null and void ipso facto, for the simple reason that kings and parliaments have no right to interfere in the realm of conscience. Conscience is under law to none but God.
We do not believe in liberty of conscience towards God. We are bound towards him to believe what he tells us and to do what he bids us; but liberty of conscience in respect to all mankind is the natural right of every man of woman born, and it ought to be tenderly respected.
FOR MEDITATION: Christians ought to be models of civil obedience (1 Peter 2:13–15), but fearing God should take priority over honouring the king (1 Peter 2:17). When we are expected to render unto Caesar the things which are God’s, ‘We ought to obey God rather than men.’ (Acts 5:29).
C. H. Spurgeon and Terence Peter Crosby, 365 Days with Spurgeon (Volume 3), (Leominster, UK: Day One Publications, 2005), 33.
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