The World's Christian Citizenship Conference
By C. M. S.
In view of the prophetic utterances of the thirteenth and fourteenth chapters of Revelation, the conference on Christian citizenship in Philadelphia was one of the most important gatherings ever held in this country. It is the beginning of that work of whipping into line all the religious forces of the world, so that they shall act conjointly in forcing the people of all the world to perform a certain prescribed act of religion, or suffer the severest penalty of the law for noncompliance. Says the prophet: “All that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” “And he had power to . . . cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.” Rev. 13:8, 15.12 Said Dr. S. F. Scovel, president of the National Reform Association, at the opening of this conference: “Every nation must declare whether it is for or against Christ.” When it is understood that this organization proposes to bring about all its projects through force of law and penalty, and that the recognition it seeks for Christ is to be secured by compulsion, it is not difficult to identify that organization as one of the chief influences in the making of that persecuting power of Revelation 13, and the work which it has cut out for itself as the work specified in that prophecy. The work against which the revelator warns the world is a work of compulsion in religion. The work for which the National Reform Association stands primarily is compulsion in religion; and the World's Christian Citizenship Conference, which is simply the National Reform Association enlarged into a World Reform Association, stands for the same work in all the world that has so long been fostered by the parent organization in the United States. The prophet warns against a work of compulsion in religion that was to affect “all that dwell upon the earth.” The World's Christian Citizenship Conference proposes to do a work that will affect every nation in the world, and it is a work of compulsion in religion. It is a religious federation, consecrated to political methods, to bring about certain results in the realm of religion. Said the president of the organization, Dr. Scovel: “It is not possible to bring warring nations together except at the foot of the cross. The gospel must be so operated that in the end we will find all nations of the world fused in universal peace.” How that universal peace is to be secured was plainly pointed out by Dr. Scovel in an address at Winona Lake, Ind., in August last. He said:— Uniformity is essential both to peace and progress. The opinion of the majority must be decisive. Even in the matter of men's consciences a degree of uniformity is necessary. By the principles enunciated at the opening session of the World's Christian Citizenship Conference, and so vigorously advocated by the National Reform Association, which created the conference, it is perfectly apparent that in that organization we have the prophetic anti-type meeting its type. The opening session of the conference was held Wednesday morning, November 16, and the president of the National Reform Association was elected permanent chairman of the conference. The perversion of the gospel commission was plainly shown in the opening address of the chairman, when he said:— The election of good officers of the government and pure administration is as sacred a duty as that of the ministry. The pulpit is no more sacred than the desk of the mayor or magistrate. This commingling and confusion of the sacred and the secular was one of the most striking characteristics of the conference. The declaration of its permanent chairman brings strikingly to mind the Lord's accusation against his disloyal priests:— “Her priests have done violence to my law, and have profaned my holy things: they have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they caused men to discern between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.” Eze. 22: 26. This accusation of the prophet was in all particulars applicable to this conference. Violence was done to His law by using it to bolster up a counterfeit sabbatic institution. The holy Sabbath was profaned by making it as one of the common days. By declaring that the pulpit was no more sacred than the desk of the mayor or magistrate, the president of the association, under whose auspices the conference was held, “made no distinction between the holy and the common.” By putting politics on a par with religion, the conference failed to cause men “to discern between the unclean and the clean.” And it was pre-eminently apparent that the members of the conference had “hid their eyes from” the only Sabbath the Bible recognizes, or God ever established as a period of weekly rest and worship. Not only has that association hid its eyes from the Sabbath of Jehovah, and put a counterfeit in its place; but it proposes to make the counterfeit institution the sabbath of the whole world, and that by force of law. This was made plain by the chairman in his opening address, when he declared one of the purposes of the conference to be the securing of “a uniform rest day for all nations.” The weekly rest day being a religious institution, the enforcement of it in all the world means the enforcement of an act of religion upon all the people of the world; and that again shows the unmistakable connection between that organization and the power mentioned in Revelation 13, which was to enforce a religious act upon the people of the whole world, under the severest penalty of law. To some the connection may not be clear between the enforcement of an institution and the worship of a power. But he who truly keeps the Sabbath of Jehovah worships Jehovah, the One who established the institution. Likewise he who observes a counterfeit sabbath, worships the power which established the counterfeit. Obedience is worship. In enforcing a false sabbath, then, the law compels the worship of the power which established that false sabbath. The power which established the false sabbath—and admits it—is that power which the revelator designates as “the beast.” The false sabbath is the chief mark of its power. To enforce that “sabbath” is to enforce the mark of that power upon the people; and that means worship of the power whose insignia they bear. Truly, in the unfolding of the work of this organization, we see a most striking fulfilment of a most wonderful prophecy. The afternoon session of the conference opened at 2:30. A letter was read from Governor Stuart, of Pennsylvania, expressing his deep regret at his inability to participate in the conference, and wishing the organization Godspeed in its purpose. The mayor also was unable to attend, being out of the State with the governor, but was represented by his secretary. Dr. Martin G. Brumbaugh, superintendent of the public schools of the city, had the next place on the program, and was present. In a short address he declared himself in hearty accord with the purposes of the conference. He wanted to see everything in the public schools which we would like to see later in the life of the nation, and of course religion is one of those things. He wanted such a condition of things as would make it easy for the young to do right and hard for them to do wrong—a condition which never has obtained in this world, and never will this side the day of earth's dissolution. Occasionally a speaker would seemingly forget the political purpose of the conference, and speak in a real missionary strain, like one who felt the necessity of individual work in the gospel ministry, and personal, individual salvation for the men and women of heathen lands. In such a strain spoke Rev. J. H. Haslam, of Philadelphia:— The time has come for the whole church of God to move forward. Vast empires are awakened, spontaneous changes are taking place in all the world, making a supreme opportunity for the Christian religion. The rising spiritual tide, if taken at its flood, will carry whole peoples out of the stagnation of heathenism. The present state of things is drawing to a close in many lands. Out of the shadow of the night the world seems just now to be moving into the light. It is daybreak everywhere. These are true words. It is indeed the day of the church's opportunity. But how sad the reflection that at such a moment an organization is formed to carry to the world—not the personal gospel of individual redemption, but that politico-religious counterfeit, a national13religion, and the doctrine of the salvation of nations! Such a movement builds a Babel of its own whereon to mount to the skies over the outraged consciences of the people. A few moments at the opening of this session were devoted to reports from various quarters of the earth. Said Dr. Gordon, Methodist Episcopal missionary from India:— What impresses me most is the assertiveness of Christianity. Christian citizenship seems to be exerting a great influence. Christian citizenship and the federation of the world in the interests of Christ's kingdom are strongly marked. The Christian citizenship idea seems to blind the eyes to the most simple and vital principles and characteristics of the Christian religion. Christianity is not assertive. It does not even assert its plainest rights. When smitten, the Christian does not smite. When his cloak is demanded, he gives his coat also. When a portion of his time is demanded, he gives a double portion. But this discrepancy is not so astonishing when we reflect that the whole idea of citizenship in this world is out of joint with the real Christian program. Says the great apostle:— “Our citizenship is in heaven; whence also we wait for a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.” Phil. 3: 20. The professed Christian who lays such strong emphasis upon his citizenship in this world that he forgets where his real citizenship is, and makes it his chief business to “save nations” whom God has plainly declared it his purpose to smite, seems to have forgotten “the pit whence he was digged,” and to have set himself squarely against the purpose of his Maker. True it is that “Christian citizenship” and world federation are now strongly marked; but it does not necessarily follow that either of them is of God. The first regular address of the conference was by Dr. T. P. Stevenson, editor of the Christian Statesman, and corresponding secretary of the National Reform Association. The theme of the address was, “The Moral Accountability of Nations.” His postulate was that nations are moral beings. From this unproved and unprovable basis, he went on to make what would be a sound argument if his postulate were true. A moral being is capable of choosing between right and wrong, is possessed of a conscience and a sense of duty, is accountable to the moral law, and is to be rewarded or punished according to its attitude toward that law. A moral being must have a moral character. To have such a character, it must obey the moral law, must compel itself to keep the moral law. But a nation operates only through its subjects. So, for a nation to enforce the moral law upon itself, it must enforce it upon its citizens. And that means the enforcement of religion by law under penalties. The next step is to take the nation out from under any human control; for, being a moral being, its first allegiance is to its Creator. Said Dr. Stevenson:— The nation has no earthly superior. The smallest independent state, by virtue of its independence, is free from human authority. No earthly legislator can lay down laws for it. . . . Nations are moral beings, bound by the moral laws of God. The National Reform idea of government is still the theocratic one, and it proposes to have, not a single nation only, but all the nations of the world, under theocratic rule. This will necessarily bring them all under one ruler, and he, of course, the alleged representative of the Most High. There is no escaping the conclusion, once the premise is admitted. Must we admit it?—No; the moral beings of this world are human beings. For these Christ died, but not for governments. Christ commissioned his apostles to teach and baptize individuals, not governments. There is a heaven for saved individuals, but none for saved governments. In another article, further consideration will be given the conference and its program of action. C. M. S.