The “Evangelical Alliance” vs. True Christian Union.
By R. F. Cottrell
RECENTLY I heard a discourse on the Unity of the Church. Text: “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” John 17: 21. The minister spoke of the importance of union to give power to the testimony of the church, to convince the world; showed how Paul condemned the divisions of the church, where one says, I am of Paul, I of Apollos, I of Cephas, etc.; and then observed how the present divisions of the church were overruled for good; how Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, etc., had modified the views of each other, and by so doing their divisions had resulted in real good to the cause of truth. But the apostle, it would seem, failed to see how the Paulites, Apollosites, and Peterites, would have a modifying influence over each other that would tend to their ultimate unity, but condemned their divisions unqualifiedly. He could not see, as the speaker, how division would work out unity. The speaker hailed with joy the movement of the Evangelical Alliance for the union of all “evangelical denominations,” and seemed to anticipate the conversion of the world as the result. There are two sorts of union, either of which might be the object of a union movement. One is a perfect union in the truth, expressed in words like these: “That they may be made perfect in one;” “That they may be one, even as we [the Father and the Son] are one;” “That ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and the same judgment;” the other is a mere confederacy of distinct and differing sects, each still holding their distinguishing doctrines. To effect the first sort of union, the whole mass must be melted, the pure metal separated from the dross, and cast into a single mold; but all that is necessary for the second, is to pour upon the mass some patent cement, and produce a mere conglomeration of the different and discordant materials without a change in the various parts. There are two great union movements going forward at the present time. The one is based on the promise of God in prophecy (Rev. 14: 9–12), and is intended to test out the true children of God, perfectly uniting them in the commandments of God and the faith of the gospel; the other proposes a confederacy of Protestant sects, merely compromising their differences, not correcting their errors, to unite their power. And what will their union effect? They seem to fancy that it will convert the world. But it is evident that their united powers will be exerted to procure such “religious amendment” of fundamental law as will convert civil government into an engine of persecution. When Christ was to be slain, the Jewish sectaries unitedly cried out, “Crucify him,” and even Pilate and Herod, who before had been at enmity were made friends; so when Satan makes his last effort to slay Christ in the persons of his people, Rev. 12: 17; 13: 15, the scattered segments of fallen Babylon will unitedly clamor for his blood. This will be the result of the proposed alliance. “Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.” The speaker quoted the text which says, “Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession;” but he omitted to tell his hearers what would be done with the nations, when thus delivered up, namely, “Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” Ps. 2: 8, 9. He also referred to the time when the kingdoms of this world should become the kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ; but did not state that it would be under the sounding of the seventh angel, in the beginning of whose sounding the work of the gospel should close, Rev. 10: 7, when the wrath of God shall come upon the angry nations, the dead be judged, reward be given to the saints, and those that destroy the earth be destroyed. Rev. 11: 15. Take these things into the account, and the theory of the temporal millennium is spoiled.