The Church of Christ a Religious Liberty Society
By R. C. Porter
AFTER the church, by the judgments of God, was released from the bondage of the state, and was sent forth on her mission in the earth, further development of the work of organization became necessary. Moses’s father-in-law suggested that a distribution of responsibility was essential to the preservation of Moses’s health and the prosperity of the church. His suggestion was that if “God command thee so,” thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. All great matters were to be brought to Moses for consideration; but all the smaller matters were to be decided by them. Ex. 18: 17-24. It seems that the men here called rulers were called elders in Num. 11: 16. Moses did not arbitrarily appoint these men; but held a conference with the people, and said to them, “Take you wise men, and understanding, and known among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you.” The people concurred in the plan, saying, “The thing which thou hast spoken is good for us to do.” Deut. 1: 13, 14. The principle of individual rights in church government is here respected. The church officials would do nothing affecting the companies of thousands and hundreds and fifties and tens over whom rulers were to be placed, without the consent and co-operation of the people whose right it was to have a voice in their selection. Thus the principle of individual liberty proclaimed to the state touching rights of conscience in matters religious is here recognized as the fundamental principle of unity of action in the government of the church. In like manner this principle was adhered to in choosing deacons for the church: “Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.” Also in sending contributions to Jerusalem, “Whomsoever ye shall approve them will I send.” A failure to recognize this principle in church government is sure to result in disunity. Realizing that many chosen to be rulers were liable to consider their position as one giving them authority, rather than as requiring them to be ensamples to the people of the principles of righteousness in judgment, Moses gave them this solemn charge: “Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him. Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God’s: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it.” Deut. 1: 16, 17. Moses, being a prophet, was in direct touch with Christ, the head and all-wise counselor of the church in the disposition of these difficult matters. This plan of organization carried out according to the charge given by Moses was designed to bring perfect co-operation throughout the body, from highest to lowest. Free speech and a candid hearing were to be given the small equally with the great. This was God’s plan of church organization. It embraces the fundamental principles of individual liberty in organization, which is the only basis of liberty. Where difficulty arose, no one, because of official position or social standing, was to be favored in hearing the cause of the differences. But an honest and righteous decision was to be rendered in the fear of God, as if standing in his immediate presence. This was Christ’s organization of his own church for service in the former dispensation. How marked is the contrast between this and any other organization extant at that time. The Lord designed that in the organization of the church should be seen the pure principles of individual liberty manifested in a perfectly organized and united body for more effective work in the earth. After this organization was completed, God met with them, and gave them his law, which was to be the crowning act of preparation for their becoming a light to the world. Love to God and love to man was to be the basic principle of all their relationship with one another and with the world. If this relationship was as perfect as it was their privilege to enjoy, nothing could cause disunity among them;9for “great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.” It is lack of love that spoils the peace of the church, and gives or takes offense that causes trouble. So in preparing this newly organized church for successful operation, the Lord gave it the law of love, which he so well knew was all important in its equipment to make its influence a light to the world. In the organization of the church the ministry were not to ask the people for a creed to present in their teaching; but they were to take the Word of God and bear it to the people whether they would hear, or whether they would forbear. “So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.” A higher tribunal than man was to hold the ministry to a strict account if unfaithful in their calling. Eze. 33: 8. Aaron, listening to the people in the church in his ministry, instead of presenting to them fearlessly the word of God, made a golden calf for them to worship in place of God, in the very face of the Lawgiver at Mt. Sinai. Ex. 32: 1, 2. For this great wickedness God would have destroyed him and the people had not Moses stood in the breach. Ps. 106: 19-23. The plan laid by the Lord for the church is unquestionably practical and operative if rightly followed. One essential element in the successful operation of the plan is revealed in the first chapter of Ezekiel. The object lesson used to illustrate it is a view of the Lord’s organization of the universe from his own throne in practical operation. “And their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel.” So well organized is God’s great family, that it operates like machinery; yet “the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning,” without collision or friction with any other of the living creatures. How was this possible? The spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. “Whithersoever the Spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go.” In studying the plan of operation of the church organization, too much can not be said of the importance of every church-member’s being controlled by the one Spirit which proceeds from the very Head, which is Christ. If all are under the control of this Spirit, whither his Spirit is to go, they will go. There will then be perfect unity of action. Christ came to earth, and put this plan to test. He was not an arbitrary leader of the church while here, but a companion and fellow laborer with the brethren in church work. He sent out the seventy “into every city and place, whither he himself would come.” Luke 10: 1. When they returned and reported their work, he thanked God and rejoiced in spirit. He followed in his labors where they had been, not to criticize them or their work, but to preach the gospel to the poor, as it was written: “He hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” “And all bear him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth.” This was a great encouragement to them in their work. In the church in his day he organized no confederacy to enforce his wishes in the plans of the church work or selections of church officers. His gentleness, forbearance, pity, and faithfulness in his relation to his fellow disciples, were his testimony concerning how the church was to be operated. A shortcoming Judas was not harshly dealt with, nor a backsliding Peter summarily set aside. The Master sought with all his heart to save them. Matthew 18 he authorized the withdrawal of the hand of fellowship from erring ones who could not be recovered by faithful labor, but instructed that labor as for the heathen should be continued for their restoration. The organization was never to lose sight of its mission to save a lost world, and never to forget that its primary manifestation of the Spirit of loving service must appear in the home and in the church. The organization was not to become so vindictive in its working that it would restrain Peter from going to labor for the Gentile Cornelius, when the Spirit so directed him, or prevent Paul from going over to Macedonia under the direction of the same Spirit, or prevent Philip from leaving his field of labor to join himself to the eunuch’s chariot, when the Spirit so directed. On the other hand, the Spirit of Christ, which controls his church, does not ignore organization, but proceeds in harmony with counsel, as seen in the council at Jerusalem. This Spirit cometh from above, and “is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.” One most essential thing this Spirit brings to each member of the church is the grace of humility. “In honor preferring one another.” Where this Spirit truly exists, there will be no strife for supremacy. The highest calling in the church of Christ is to be a humble child of God, not to occupy official position. A man may occupy official position, and be very deficient in Christian experience, and find at last when Christ shall write up his people that “there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.” Christ has taken the responsibility of declaring through the prophet Isaiah: “Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion.” The key that unlocks this desirable situation, and brings it into possession of the church, is also given. “That saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth.” This is the keynote of unity in church government. Confidence in God to bring to pass his pleasure in the church increases confidence in the brethren. Less confidence in self always follows increased confidence in God. Increased confidence in God always gives increased confidence in our fellow men. The Spirit of God is incomparably more potent to adjust difficulties and direct aright in the work of the Lord, than all combined human effort. Human hands must not take hold to steady the ark where the divine Spirit is controlling the work. In the last message (Rev. 14: 6-12) the church is directed to “worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” How bright the prospect before the church for complete unity of action when she heeds the instruction in the fullness of its meaning. Then shall her watchmen know, as Joshua and Caleb of old, that God has charge of his work, and will complete it according to his promise. They were discouraged when Israel turned their backs upon the promised land to wander in the wilderness; but they were in love with their brethren and did not part company with them. When they finally headed in solid phalanx for the land of promise, these men of faith were in the front ranks on the homeward march. The antitype of that joyful day is just at hand. The watchmen are soon to see eye to eye. The world is soon to know that the church of Christ are his disciples because of their love one for another. The earth will then be speedily lightened with the glory of God, and the mystery of God will be finished. When Jesus comes, he will find his church which he established upon the principles of gospel liberty, “not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing.” It will be absolutely “without fault before the throne of God,” waiting for his return. In his righteousness alone this is attainable. God lives and reigns, and as surely as he has spoken the word, we shall soon see this happy condition in the church of Christ. This will be attained when each member comes into the right relation to right principles. “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”