July 8

Render . . . to all their dues. — ROMANS xiii. 7.

Render therefore unto Casar the things which are Casar's; and unto God the things that are God's. — MATT. xxii. 21.

THIS answer of our Lord evokes our admiration of his wisdom in dealing with his hypocritical adversaries. But now that eighteen centuries have passed, it remains one of the most convincing proofs of his wonderful wisdom as a teacher of men. Sadly enough it happens that those bearing his name have not profited by this plain discrimination. A large proportion of the public troubles in Christendom may be traced to our practical ignoring of the distinction between duties to God and duties to the government. The first Christian emperors sought to subordinate the Church to the State, and this error still prevails. The Papacy seeks to subordinate the State to the Church, while Puritanism sought to make Church and State identical. All these efforts have failed. In our country the correct principle prevails. But how many Protestants err in one or the other of the ways just indicated! In a free country more than in any other safety depends on following closely this principle laid down by our Master.

M. B. Riade

May we thy bounties thus

As stewards true receive,

And gladly, as thou blessest us,

To thee our first fruits give!

W. W. HOW.