BABYLON'S FALL; AND THE CHURCH'S PURIFICATION.
By L. A. S.
Of the spiritual state into which the nominally Christian Church will lapse before the end of time, the word of inspired prophecy says:— “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.” “And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” Rev. 18:2, 4. Babylon, when the time of this prophecy is reached, will have become like the world; for “every foul spirit,” and “every unclean and hateful bird,” are things which characterize the world in its fallen state. A church becomes like the world by opening her doors to worldliness. The fulfillment of this prophecy will be reached through some movement which will draw the world into the Babylonian church, until every mark of distinction between it and the world shall be obliterated. How can the Church most readily open her doors to worldliness? What is it in the Christian Church that is calculated to keep worldliness outside of her? Worldliness is kept out, as we all know, by the absence of any inducement for it to enter. Christianity means self-denial, which is the opposite of the spirit of the world; and so long as the Church maintains the spirit of pure Christianity, she will offer no congenial dwelling place for worldliness; worldly minded people will need no pressure to keep them on the outside. The truly Christian Church is the very last place into which one identified with the world would wish to come. It is by removing this natural barrier, therefore, that the Church opens her doors to worldliness. The Church does this by presenting an inducement, from a worldly standpoint, for people to enter her communion,—by making her church-membership an advantage to a worldly end. The Church will do this—is doing it already—by going into politics. When success in politics depends on membership in the Church; that is, when the Church and religious societies go so fully into politics that their vote is cast solidly against any candidate for office who does not meet the requirements they will have set up, so that political aspirants understand that their hope of success depends on their alliance with the Church, then will they flock to the doors of the Church eager to enroll their names on her membership books, and make haste to offer their services as champions of any cause for which the Church may be seeking political aid. This was done by the Christian Church after the days of the apostles, and there came from it the “falling away” foretold by the apostle Paul, and the formation of the papacy. Looking back to the time of Constantine, we see the Church trading her religious influence to the emperor, to help forward his designs, in exchange for the emperor's authority and influence in furthering her own designs. We see this in the history of the papal church from that time forward. And when the Protestant churches of to-day shall ally themselves with politics, there will come a second “falling away” from Christianity, on their part, as complete as was the first. But while this is taking place, a “voice from heaven” is proclaiming, “Come out of her, my people.” A work of an opposite character will be going on in the Church of whom it is said, “Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” While hypocrites will be flocking into Babylon, they will be flocking out of the Church which is preparing for the second coming of Christ. For the time will come when men of God will be able to “discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not.” Mal. 3:18. The time will come when hypocrisy will no longer be able to hide beneath a cloak of piety in the Church of Christ. As it was in the days of the apostles, when Ananias and Sapphira were struck dead, and “of the rest durst no man join himself to them” (the Church), so will it be when “the restoration of all things” shall be completed in the Church. There will be the same gift of discernment that was exercised by Peter and Paul, before which no disguise could avail to hide that which was beneath it. No pressure will be needed then to separate unworthy members from the Church. All such will go out of their own choice, seeking more congenial associations. But that which drives out unworthy characters will be the strongest attraction to such as love the truth, and believers will be added to the Church, as at the first, in great numbers. Thus will the religious world separate into two companies, the one uniting wholly with the world, and the other wholly separating from the world. To which company shall we belong? The utter corruption of Babylon is accomplished by her alliance with the State—her descent into the arena of politics. By that which the Babylonian church thinks is to usher in the kingdom of God, she will separate herself wholly from that kingdom. The kingdom of God that is to fill the earth is a stone “cut out of the mountain without hands.” Dan. 2:34, 45. Not by the hands of men, not by ballots, nor by bullets, nor by any measures that men can devise, will that kingdom be set up which shall stand forever, but by the hand of Omnipotence alone; and we become connected with that kingdom by faith, and by that alone. You say that you are not in politics; that you are not going with the Babylonish company; but what about the political spirit,—the spirit of self-exaltation, of desire to rule over others, or of the worship of man? Is this spirit in your heart? If so, you are a politician in the worst sense of the word. The choice before every one to-day is between this spirit and the spirit of Christ—the spirit of self-sacrifice for others—without which a man is “none of His.” May we not regret the choice we have made, at that day when the sinners in Zion shall be afraid, and fearfulness shall surprise the hypocrites. Isa. 33:14. “The days of the purification of the Church are hastening on apace.” L. A. S.