A NEW RELIGIO-POLITICAL MOVE.
In Willard Hall, Rock Island, Ill., Dec. 31, 1899, “under the auspices of the Young People's Temperance Federation of America,” there was held a conference that, as reported in the Union Signal of Jan. 11, 1900, engaged in “the discussion of the necessity of unified action of Christians on political and reform lines.” And as a result, the following address was adopted at the closing session by a unanimous vote:— To all Christian Voters and Friends of Jesus of Nazareth throughout the United States of America, Greeting:— We believe the fullness of time to have arrived when the eternal principles of justice, mercy, and love, as exemplified in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, should be embodied in the political economy of our nation, and applied in concrete form to every function of our government, national, State, municipal, and local. We believe that the most direct means of accomplishing this end is the formation of a political body of united Christian men and women, who shall use their elective franchise for the selection of able, worthy, and conscientious public officials who will seek in their respective positions to reform the functions of government in the spirit of the Man of Galilee. We believe that a sufficient number of our fellow citizens have been so spiritually and intellectually enlightened by the example and teachings of Christ and his disciples as to equip them for wise and efficient leadership of such a political force; and to these we appeal for immediate and vigorous co-operation. We believe that the pressing need, yea, the necessity of the times among the great masses of our fellow citizens, is a practical application, commercially and socially, of the spirit and principles of Jesus of Nazareth. 1. The eternal principles of justice, mercy, and love, as exemplified in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, never can “be embodied in the political economy” of any earthly nation or government. In the life and teachings of the Lord Jesus as exemplified in himself on earth, there was nothing of the kind ever seen. The opposite of it was seen there. He refused to hold political office (John 6 : 15; Matt. 4 : 8-10); he refused to touch economic questions, or to perform such functions (Luke 12 : 13, 14); he declared, “My kingdom is not of this world.” John 18 : 36. And to his disciples forever he said: “Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so AMONG YOU.” Matt. 20 : 25. That notion of applying the principles of Christ “in concrete form to every function of our government, national, State, municipal, and local,” sounds enough like, to be part and parcel of, that declaration of the National W. C. T. U., in 1887: “The Woman's Christian Temperance Union, local, State, national, and world-wide, has one vital, organic thought, one all-absorbing purpose, one undying enthusiasm; and that is that Christ shall be this world's king,—yea, verily, THIS WORLD'S KING, in its realm of cause and effect,—king of its courts, its camps, its commerce,—king of its colleges and its cloisters,—king of its customs and its constitutions. . . . The kingdom of Christ must enter the realm of law through the gateway of politics.” 2. No “political body” can ever be formed by Christian men and women, united or otherwise; for Christians do not form political combinations, nor do they take part in politics. The Christian's commonwealth, his citizenship, “is in heaven.” Phil. 3 : 20, R. V., or Greek. Christians are “fellow citizens with the saints,” not with sinners. Eph. 2 : 19; Deut. 33 : 2; Jude 14. They are “strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” Heb. 11 : 13-16. All the affairs of government that Christians have anything to do with are the affairs of the government and kingdom of God, which “is not of this world.” 3. No man ever can be so “enlightened by the example and teachings of Christ and his disciples” as to be equipped “for wise and efficient leadership” of any “political force.” And this, simply because there is neither example nor teaching, either of Christ or his disciples, on any such subject. All the example and all the teaching of Christ and his disciples, are designed solely to equip men for efficient work, and leadership, if need be, of religious and spiritual forces only. 4. Yes; there is now and always “pressing need, yea, necessity,” “among the great masses,” of a “practical application, commercially and socially, of the spirit and principles of Jesus of Nazareth.” It is needed “among the great masses” of Christians everywhere in the world. That is just what Christians are in the world for. And this application is to be made by the individual Christian, in all the affairs of his daily life wherever he is. That is simply what it is to be a Christian at all.