DOES HE BELIEVE THE GOSPEL?
By Editor
THE teaching of Jesus Christ concerning his church was, "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." John 17:16. He says again, "I am from above." John 8:23. But Joseph Cook, in Our Day, speaking of "Fraud at the Ballot Box," says of its influence upon the church:— It has been found in the Southern States that tricking in secular elections is swiftly initiated even in church elections. When fraud dominates in the political field, it very soon obtains a controlling influence in the courts, and the poison drips from these heights of secular authority upon the bases of trade, with the result that at last civilization is diseased, so that the church obtains only unsound material with which to build a sanctuary for human hope. According to this statement, the world, the civilization of the world, is the workshop which gives character to the materials by which the church builds. "The civilization," and back of that the courts and politicians, is responsible; and upon their failures "the church" is dependent. This may be the case with the church of Mr. Cook, but it is not with the church of Christ. His words are a clear confession, though not so designed, that the church has lost the power, the power of Christ, to rise above the world. Christ placed his church here to take just such elements as exist in the world everywhere and raise them by his power above the putridity of politics, the corruption of courts, and the tricks of trade, to the high plane of the righteousness of Jesus Christ. His power to do this is thus shown in the corrupt city of Corinth:— "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." 1 Cor. 6:9-11. It would be a blessed good thing if some of our preachers who are consecrated to politics, and who are looking to politics for the salvation of the country, would consecrate themselves to God and the service of his gospel. But do they really believe the gospel? If they did, how could they write such words?