Show THE GOSPEL Elder KW Naisbitts Diseouse on Sunday Afternoon THE LAWS OF GOD AND OF MAN The Principle of Rendering Unto ttoaar the Things that Are Ccoaars and Unto God the Things That Are God At the Tabernacle on Sunday afternoon after-noon last the services were begun by the singing of the hymn commencing Great God attend while Zion sings Prayer by Elder Edward Snelgrove Singing by the choir of the hymn I How great the wisdom and the love I ELDEBH VV NAISBITT was pleased to note the large congregation gathered to talk of andlTsten to the principles of the Saints most holy faith The Saints desired to know and understand and increase in intelligence There are all grades of intelligence according to age and experience TheSaints had at all times enjoyed a greater or less degree of inspiration and revelation There were several principles yet unknown un-known even to those in advanced positions posi-tions in the church but there are others which are known to every individual member in Darning which they have been apt scholars They had progressed as children progressed in the schools i they had advanced step < < by step and according to the order of God which He had ordained for the salvation and exaltation of the human family There isno requiste for the advancement of one that is not necesary for all The highest and the lowest have to pass thi ough the same routine and be subject to the order and rule of God in contradistinction contradis-tinction to the order and law of man The Almightygave man dominion over the earth and the creations thereof but there was no account in the history oi the creation of the world that man was to exercise dominion over his fellow God was the Ruler The power of man over the animal and vegetable kingdoms did not include the power to exterminate extermi-nate any of the species upon the earth Yet all history shows that mans pas sions bad tended toward that end The American people were credited with being the leaders in intellectuality of all other nations yet the buffalo which once roamed the plains in cpuntless nerds were now almost extinct This was mentioned as an example of mans having exceeded his powers and transcended tran-scended the dominion given him over the creatures of the earth Usurping men had increased with all generations In the Bible the rule of the Almighty could be read of and the various orders through which his authority was mani fisted As the people of the earth increased the form of government was improved and adapted to the increase Prophets patriarchs and judges were ordained and appointed to govern and control in the order of Gods government govern-ment The Israelites after having being so governed at length grew desiious of having a king to rule over them notwithstanding not-withstanding they had been educated to the knowledge that God was King The disasters which would follow were graphically portrayed to them God gave them a king in a sense of chastisement chastise-ment and in their later history the disasters foretold which should be theirs were full and complete There I wee righteous kingsDavid and Solomon Solo-mon but it was nowhere recorded in Holy Writ that this kingly rule was according to Gods plans though the two named stood high in the favor of the Lord The kingly authority remained re-mained until the Israelites were blotted out as a nation Transgression of rules and authority always brought on the transgressors calamity and punishment A new order was instituted when Jesus came upon the earththe rule of a high priesthood that of Melchisedec the gospel rule one of love and brotherhood brother-hood was laid down the gospel was one of freedom in which the agency oman o-man was acknowledged though to be directed in the work of perfecting Gods work and man was expected to render willing service in furthering every department of the priesthood of God The record of the early church showed that the arbitrary rule of the past was to be repealed The spirit of love did not exist as strongly under the law asunder as-under the gospel i it was given man to overconje his passions and failings i it i was the power of God working within the individual for good When man submitted to the ordinances of the gospel he was indeed a free man not I entirely free from all tbs weak superstitions supersti-tions of olden times yet he was fre and better The principle Render unto Cesar the things that are Caesars and render unto God the things that are Gods was understood to mean that there were things which belonged Caesar and things which belonged to God these were rules of law and the order of the gospel Paul strictly observed the law though he resisted it by every legal process He did not suf fer passively and tamely but manfully stood up and overcame the terrors of punishments Every time he sabmittt to the sentences of his enemies he did so without violating his integrity to the requirements of the gospel He was just as much of a hero a man and a Christian in standing up for his rights before the courts and contending with the powers that were arraying himself in opposition to the principalities and powers as when he wJj preaching and expounding the principles of the gospel Such is a birds eyg view of the ancient gospel Coming down to the present age we find similar evidences However absolute abso-lute a law may be because of its authority author-ity yet it contains charac eristics which pertained to the oldtime laws If used f to oppress then amen to the authority of the priesthood so using Law i eminent and older were the fundam i tal principles of the gospel While caltec on as citizens of the republic to render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars and unto God the things that are Gods we can not surrender our manhood man-hood lay aside principles ot religion cease to acknewledge God and render unto Him the things which are His If it is decreed that the Saints were to be punished by imprisonment it does not argue that iCey should do so without endeavoring totiethtit ny alLJegal means available and when eventually sent to prifetfii they should not Ito there and Eiye i up the ghost If there were Weapon bft offense there were also wtapoLA of defense Men had suffered in all1 ages in rendering unto Caesar the things that are Coosars Daniel the children of Israel the Savior and His apostles did this and the Latterday Saints are doing this In submitting their protests against infringements fringements upon their rights and liberties they did not do so without pro testing and saying in the words of the savior If it ia possible let this cup pass from me If there were inconsistencies incon-sistencies in the exercise of judicial > ower it was the province of the Saints to notice those inconsistencies Nowhere No-where in the history of the world could It be found where so many had been accused of one crime orthatwhich was accounted a crimeunlawful cohabitation I cohabita-tion and were given the same penalty sir by three There were no extenuat I ng circumstances no allowances forage for-age or condition made by the judicial authorities The SaInt were submissive submis-sive to these orders for the Lords sake The dictates of their consciences would still be followed by them notwithstanding notwithstand-ing the inequality and obhoxious administering ad-ministering of the laws The heroes and martyrs of the past were pointed out as examples for the Saints to pattern after Resistance to the oppressive interpretation interpreta-tion of the laws was being noted by the thinking men of the nation and the cause of the just was being recognized In the land because it was a trial of right and not of individuals Thule of God would yet be acknowledgedPSnd the integrity and faithfulness renewed unto God would be rendered theSatnrain the future Truth will prevail r jm eousness will be established and ree dom will spread over the earth l Singing 0 Praise the Lord fro Benediction by Elder George Gouaard |