And yet, as the purely
religious question was inseparably complicated with political
difficulties, and they had to make opposition, from day to
day, against principalities and powers, they were led, one
after another, and again and again, to leave the sphere which
was more strictly their own, and meddle, for good and evil,
with the affairs of State. Not much was to be expected from
interference in such a spirit. Whenever a minister found
himself galled or hindered, he would be inclined to suppose
some contravention of the Bible. Whenever Christian liberty
was restrained (and Christian liberty for each individual
would be about coextensive with what he wished to do), it was
obvious that the State was Antichristian. The great thing,
and the one thing, was to push the Gospel and the Reformers'
own interpretation of it. Whatever helped was good; whatever
hindered was evil; and if this simple classification proved
inapplicable over the whole field, it was no business of his
to stop and reconcile incongruities. He had more pressing
concerns on hand; he had to save souls; he had to be about
his Father's business. This short-sighted view resulted in a
doctrine that was actually Jesuitical in application. They
had no serious ideas upon politics, and they were ready, nay,
they seemed almost bound, to adopt and support whichever
ensured for the moment the greatest benefit to the souls of
their fellow-men.
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