Force Excluded by T. E. BOWEN

International Religious Liberty Association · Chicago · Jun 21, 1900

FromThe American Sentinel, The Sentinel of Liberty, Vol. 15, No. 24.

Force Excluded.

By T. E. BOWEN

No worker for Christ during the Christian era has accomplished more for the gospel than the great Apostle Paul. He was an incessant worker. From city to city, country to country he worked, under the direct guidance (the privilege of every gospel minister) of the Holy Ghost. It must be admitted that he had wonderful success in dealing with human minds. Nearly everywhere he went, believers were left behind to mourn his departure. On one occasion the whole church accompanied him to the seashore, and there, when he had spoken with them and “kneeled down and prayed with them all,” we are told that “They all wept sore, and fell on Paul’s neck, and kissed him.” Surely such manifestations reveal the fact that this servant of Christ had a strong hold upon the affection of those for whom he labored.

Perhaps one secret of his wonderful success lay in the fact that he believed and acted upon the principle that perfect liberty of action was the inalienable right of every man. He would compel no one. He wished to receive no forced hospitalities; and so he hired a house at one place and worked, supporting himself and those with him, while he preached the gospel. He wanted no unwilling contributions. “Let every man be fully persuaded (not forced) in his own mind.” “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity; for God loveth a cheerful giver.”

Then to show how carefully he respected the wishes of others, even though personally he could have advantaged himself, another instance is recorded by inspiration for our learning. He was old, and a prisoner. Philemon, a believer, had a servant Onesimus. They had had trouble, and Onesimus had left his master. Through Paul’s efforts he had been converted, and in the prison at Rome had relieved Paul’s sufferings very much. But Paul thought his master might need him, so he writes him a letter, sending Onesimus home with it. He writes: “Wherefore though I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee that which is convenient, yet for love’s sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ. I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds, which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me; whom I have sent again; thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels; whom I would have retained with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel: But without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly.” Philemon 8-14.

People who go about seeking to compel people to

do this or that (of themselves being perhaps right things to do), are not serving God. God accepts of no forced service. All such labor passes for nothing with him. Ministers of Christ can only persuade men. Hunting up civil statutes to wield against their fellow-men is no part of the service of Jesus Christ.

T. E. BOWEN.