The Church Federation of San Francisco is taking quite a strong hand in the proposition to clean up that city. At one of their recent meetings, they passed the following resolutions:
“Whereas, Representatives of this federation and other similar organizations have made repeated demands upon the mayor of this city to enforce the laws of the city and state relating to prostitution; and— “Whereas, No reply has been made to their demands; now, therefore, be it— “Resolved, That the secretary write to the mayor, respectfully requesting an immediate answer to their requests as often made, assuring him that we expect him and his administration to enforce the laws above referred to.”
All good people should be interested in the enforcement of proper civil law. Public sentiment should be aroused and strongly expressed against the evils in the Barbary Coast district of San Francisco, as well as similar evils in all other parts of the country; and if our Federal Council of Churches went no farther in its resolutions directed to officials than to require them to enforce such proper laws, there would be no danger in the movement. All good people could strongly unite with them in such things as that. But when church combinations become strong enough to dictate to the rulers what they shall do in certain civil matters, it is only a step toward beginning to dictate to them in the matter of making and enforcing laws respecting religion and conscience. A large part of the evils of this world have been brought about through overweening church combinations that have got control of the state and compelled it to do their bidding.
This country is the first nation in all the history of the world that has had a total separation of church and state both in theory and in fact. But there are strong currents setting in the direction of church combinations that will lead the world again into religious despotisms. The majority of men see, in the church combinations that are forming, nothing more than the organized effort of all good men to put down the vices and the crimes of this time; but the thing will not stop there. The natural thing is, when great majorities form themselves into popular, enthusiastic organizations, that they become despotic and tyrannical. It has been this way invariably in the past, and history will repeat itself. We have had a period of the greatest enlightenment and the most unlimited religious freedom. The prophet of Patmos describes this time and condition under the symbol of a beast that was coming up with the mild characteristics of a lamb; but by and by the scene shifts, and according to the same prophet, this lamblike beast will speak as a dragon.
We do not expect that anything we can say on this subject will stop the movement of church federation, but we do hope that honest men will weigh carefully the meaning of the conditions of this time that are so rapidly shaping themselves into great religious combinations. Study these conditions in the light of history. Study them in the light that is given through the word of Him who is the Prince of Peace and the Man of Calvary and Gethsemane.
