PATERNAL GOVERNMENT by W. N. G.

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Sep 4, 1893

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 19, No. 43.

PATERNAL GOVERNMENT.

By W. N. G.

CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS once wrote a letter to a Western Commercial Congress, and among other practical suggestions said that "the idea of the general government as a paternal do-all is wrong, dangerous, and entitled to no respect." There is great reason for emphasizing this truthful utterance, as "the idea" referred to is constantly enlarging. There is a growing inclination in these days toward appealing to the government for a remedy for every imaginary evil. And the more fanatical the project in contemplation the more frantic the appeal.

In no realm, however, does the paternal government theory work so disastrously as in matters of religion. And what seems so utterly inexcusable in efforts to obtain government support of religious dogmas in the United States is the fact that we have always before us the beneficent results of religious freedom. We have a government built up, as the result of a long struggle to throw off the tyranny of compulsory religion; we can read in history the consequences of that kind of government; we can compare our own with those of our contemporaries, which cling more or less to the ancient paternalism. And the comparison is always favorable to the advancement of the Christian religion.

True Christianity assimilates with absolute religious liberty, while other religions wane. The reason is that Christianity's social motto is, "Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them." Legal compulsion invariably corrupts Christianity. Under the pressure of human law, its votaries become arrogant, selfish, oppressive—just the reverse of Christian, although bearing the Christian name. The growing clamor for Sunday laws, and for dogmatic teaching in public schools, is plainly developing, or, rather, exposing, among nominal Christians the disposition to coerce by any means those who oppose these things and maintain that Christianity should stand on its own merits.

That the effort to induce the government to take legal cognizance of Christian institutions and usages is the outgrowth of degeneracy or apostasy from the original faith, is manifest in the fact that the dogmas for which legal enforcement is urged are invariably corruptions of the genuine. As a matter of fact, Christianity never has been, never can be, enforced by civil laws,—only pretentious corruptions have been thus maintained. Christianity in its purity has ever been the sufferer by such laws. Great pressure has been made of late to secure and to enforce Sunday laws in the various States and in the United States; and this is done in the name of Christianity. But Sunday is not a Christian institution; it is a pagan holiday, which men have endeavored to ingraft upon the Christian faith. As it cannot by any means assimilate, it can only be apparently held in its illegitimate position by means of human machinery; its "last ditch," its "forlorn hope," is civil law.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is "the power of God unto salvation." This being the case, it ought to be able to stand on its own merits. He that could "overcome the world" while assuming the nature of frail humanity and being "tempted in all points like as we are," when all human law was against him, can carry his work through to the end without its special aid. During the days of the apostles the gospel was carried to all the known world, while it was treason to preach any religion not sanctioned by the government. Neither Christ nor his apostles ever sought the aid of the civil law in carrying out the work of evangelization. That was reserved for a later day, when apostasy had brought in strange doctrines which the masses were slow to receive and scheming authorities were anxious to propagate. When the gospel becomes so encumbered with such issues and institutions as can only stand by the support of human power, then it ceases to be the gospel of Christ, and the power of God is no longer with it. Any institution which legitimately pertains to the gospel of Jesus Christ has the power of God under it, and it will never ask the government to become a leaning post.

Jesus said to his disciples, when he started them out on the gospel mission, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." Matt. 28 : 18. Who gave that power to him?—"Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands," etc., John 13 : 3. If he has all power in heaven and in earth, given by God himself, how much will any ukase, or bull, or statute, or ordinance of man, add to it? We pray, "Our Father who art in heaven," and if this be an honest acknowledgment, we want no paternal dictation on the part of any earthly government as to what religious institutions or usages we shall sustain or observe. W. N. G.