Calvinism - pagina 140

— CALVINISM AND POLITICS.

136 the

in

of development,

scale

opinion

We

revealed.

is

the

difference

ot

see therefore that nearly

all

less

But

nations begin with unity of religion. natural that this unity in

life,

is

split up,

equally

is

where the individual

process of development, gains in strength,

the

and where multiformity asserts

demand

it

itself,

of a richer development of

as the undeniable

And

life.

thus

we

are confronted with the fact that the visible church has

been

up,

split

and that

in

no country whatever the

absolute unity of the visible church can be any longer

maintained.

What Must

then it

the duty of the government.?

is

— for

the question

may

be reduced to

this,

now form an individual judgment, as to which of those many churches is the true one.^ And must it maintain this one over asfainst the others.'' Or is it the duty of the government to suspend its own judgment must

and

it

to

consider

denominations,

the the

as

multiform complex

of

all

these

of the manifestation of

totality

the Church of Christ on earth.?

From

a

Calvinistic

standpoint

Not from

favor of the latter suggestion. neutrality,

to

what

nor as is

true

if

we must

decide

in

a false idea of

Calvinism could ever be indifferent

and what

false,

btit

because the gov-

ermnent lacks the data of judgment, and because every magisterial judgment here infringes the sovereignty of the Church. For otherwise, if the government be an absolute monarchy,

you get the

'•'cuius

regio eius religio"

of the Lutheran princes, which has ever been combated

from the side of Calvinism.

Or

if

the government rests

with a plurality of persons, the Church which yesterday

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