The National Conscience

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Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Feb 25, 1897

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 23, No. 8.

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The National Conscience

The National Reformers have a great deal to say about the “national conscience,” but it has remained for President C. A. Blanchard to define the thing. He says, “The national conscience is simply the aggregation of individual conscience.” When we consider the great variety of individual consciences in the country, an “aggregation” of them all, were such a thing possible, would be a very uncertain element. Yet it is expected that this imaginary national conscience will do wonders in the way of “reform” as soon as the National Reform combination can succeed in bringing it to bear upon national religious legislation. The idea of this conglomerate conscience does not harmonize with the Scripture. “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? and what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?” 2 Cor. 6:14, 15. If every individual conscience is to become an inseparable part of this concrete national conscience, what becomes of the freedom of conscience?