SOCIAL CHRISTIANITY by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Oct 15, 1894

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 20, No. 49.

SOCIAL CHRISTIANITY.

By Editor

ONE of the great hobbies of the "reformers" of to-day is "Christianity as a social force." We have a sample of this modern infidelity in the following from Judge Albion W. Tourgee, in the Chicago Inter Ocean of August 25:—

It is only yesterday that the world awakened to the fact that Christianity is a social force and imposes on every believer the duty of doing what he may for the betterment of his fellow's earthly condition.

This element in Christianity he demands shall be applied to the Christian citizen's "political action as well as to his personal relations." Of this conception he says:—

This is the great awakening; this is the new reformation, greater by far than that which Luther headed, by which not only the Christianity, but the political and material conditions of the twentieth century will be differentiated from all that have preceded it. . . .

It was inevitable that the time should come when citizenship should be looked upon as the greatest of all fields of human endeavor, because the governmental relation is that which most widely and potently affects human conditions.

In every stage of human development political conditions have done more to shape individual character and control individual conditions than all other influences.

Speaking of the "study of Christian citizenship" as proposed by the Christian Endeavorers, he among other things says:—

For its own sake the time has come for American Christianity to take up in earnest the study of the citizen's duty and the extent of his responsibility.

The Society of Christian Endeavor is moving in the right direction. The study of citizenship is the study of the most important function of civilized man.

And there is much more in the same line. Of course the whole thing leaves God out of the question, or relegates him to a second place, or merely uses the livery of heaven—its terminology—to better serve the devil. We do not mean that these "reformers" know this; they do not; yet, nevertheless, that is the character and effect of their work. When this religio-politico social craze which is sweeping over Christendom is called a reformation greater by far than that of the sixteenth century, when "citizenship" is looked upon

as the "greatest of all fields of human endeavor," when it is said that "in every stage of human development political conditions have done more to shape individual character and control individual conditions than all other influences," when it is stated that the study of citizenship is the most important function of civilized man—in the light of all of this we are bound to say that they who so say do not know the gospel or the Christianity of Christ, and have read but poorly the lessons of history. The only reformation the world ever knew or saw or can know, were and are and must be wrought by Christianity from within. To mould it from without, to shape it by politics, is like attempting to give life to a dead man by exciting action through galvanism.

Christianity is a spiritual force working upon the spiritual nature. It operates in no other way. It bears its fruit in abundance. It will make better men, better citizens, better surroundings, better homes, all things better, but these are resultant not objective. These are not the life but the results of the life within, implanted by simple faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

But there will be results from the "reformation" of which Mr. Tourgee speaks. It will more rapidly develop, and strengthen the present tendency toward a union of Church and State. It will lead the professed church of Christ to more fully than ever unite with the world, and to imitate the courage of which Mr. Tourgee speaks by assuming to dictate to politicians just what they shall and must do. This is already painfully apparent, and this movement of Christian Endeavorers, so warmly approved, will only serve to help it on. But the final result will be what it was in the Dark Ages,—persecution, and denial of Christ in the truth of his gospel and the person of his saints, while professing his name. It seems grand and good and plausible, but it is human, not Christian. It is self in the place of Christ. It is saying over again, as said the builders of Babel of old, "Go to, let us build us a city, and tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name." And as of old will it be again: "The Lord came down, . . . and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel [confusion]." Such has ever been, is, and ever will be every effort of the human to reform the world without God. All the effort of Mr. Tourgee and his coworkers will not only prove to be more fruitless in the end than making "bricks without straw," but it will be making them without clay. The fruit at last will be Dead Sea apples. Oh, that men knew Christ! Oh, that they would come to him that they might know him!