OVERANXIOUS REFORMERS by H. F. Phelps

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · May 14, 1896

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 22, No. 20.

“OVERANXIOUS REFORMERS.”

By H. F. Phelps

“Inventing New Schemes;” “Continually Organizing.”

It seems that there must be a sort of mania in the land for organization. There are secret orders of almost every name and description, and for numerous purposes. There are all the various clubs and club meetings, and club houses. Then there are all the numerous associations through which the members are to receive a money consideration in case of accident, sickness, or death. Then there may also be seen those gigantic organizations called trusts, and monopolies, through which some of the more fortunate, or, perhaps, the greatest schemers, grow immensely rich through the iniquitous methods of “controlling the output,” and fleecing the consumer, and by “freezing out” the small stockholders.

If this were all, there might still be some room for hope for the world. But it is not all. The church itself does not seem to be satisfied with its own organization, but goes to work and multiplies—as it were, wheels within a wheel. The church itself has caught the same spirit, or mania, and, confederates within itself, devising some means by which evil may be prevented and made utterly impossible, by removing every temptation thereto. The church seems to have forgotten that “the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth,” and is seeking by all the various “leagues,” and “committees,” and “bureaus of reform,” to influence legislation so as to bring in a reign of civic righteousness.

In such a time as this the words of the prophet are applicable: “Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.” Isa. 8: 12, 13. Also verse 9 gives a warning: “Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; . . . gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces. Take counsel together, and it shall come to naught; speak the word, and it shall not stand.” And the reason given is this,—“for God is with us,”—God is not in all the confederating, but he is with those who preach the Gospel in its purity; with those who depend upon the power of the Gospel, instead of the arm of flesh.

In such a time as this it is refreshing to note that there is here and there one who sees and dares to speak out against these things. The following extract from one of the pulpits of St. Paul, Minn., is in point:—

“First, I would mention the pulpits, the preaching of the gospel. No city can prosper without preachers. The Gospel points out the evils and gives us the remedies. It is by the irresistible energy of the Gospel that the gigantic vices among us are to be conquered. The victims of vice must be rescued by the truth as it is in Jesus. I believe there are overanxious reformers among us who are continually inventing new schemes wherewith to remedy existing evils; reformers who are continually organizing. Through the activity of these new organizations they propose to bring about such an arrangement of society in which crime is prevented by removing the temptations to it. Such procedure in our warfare against crime can not be successful. Not merely the outward institutions of evil, but the seat of the evil, the citadel of the heart, must be bombarded. No community can ever be made virtuous and happy except by the renovation of the heart and the consequent reformation of the life of its individual members.”

This is sound sense. It is more; it is Gospel. And nothing but the preaching of the Gospel can renovate the heart and reform the life of the individual members of society. All these man-made organizations are but an attempt to climb up into heaven some other way, and will prove a failure.

H. F. PHELPS.