JESUS CHRIST AND UNIONISM.
A LABOR-UNION document recently issued to defend a boycott of a non-union establishment, says:— While speaking of unionism and religion, it might be well to remind ourselves that Christ was the son of a carpenter. Our conception of Him compels us to believe that, if He returned to earth to-day, and followed that trade, that He would be a union carpenter. And we know, and so does every other well-instructed Christian, that He would not. We know by the life He lived while here on the earth. Christ had some Jewish union disciples, and they sometimes expressed themselves, and so called out an expression of the Master’s principles. One instance will suffice. He sent them out to do His work, to preach the Gospel, heal the sick, cast out demons, etc. The union-spirit disciples felt that a monopoly of the matter belonged to them, so when they found others doing the same work, they forbade them. Here is the record of a conversation between one of the leaders and Christ:— “And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out demons in Thy name [doing our work], and we forbade him, because he followeth not with us. But Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not.” There is a true unionism and its counterfeit confederacy. The only true unionism between men is life-union through Jesus Christ; all else is confederacy to carry out some scheme or device of men, whether that confederacy be called a union, alliance, guild, or church. The Bible has much to say of these, but the only principles of unionism it knows are life-union with Jesus Christ and charity and helpfulness to all men, Christians or otherwise.