Unanimity of Action by L. A. Phippeny

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jul 29, 1897

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 23, No. 29.

Unanimity of Action

By L. A. Phippeny

IMPRESSIONS OF THE CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR CONVENTION, SAN FRANCISCO, JULY, 1897.

THE great convention of Christian Endeavorers is a thing of the past. It was great, if numbers count for greatness, and where impressions are concerned, they hold a prominent place when properly arrayed. It is estimated that fully forty thousand visitors to San Francisco took advantage of the reduction in railroad fares for this special occasion. Not all of these were members of Christian Endeavor Societies, for thousands wore visitors' badges and helped swell the grand total. A closer estimate placed actual registrations at about twenty-five thousand, while the known number of visiting members was about eleven thousand. It is needless to say that the great cities particularly concerned opened wide the doors of hospitality, and the purple and gold of International C. E. were displayed equally with the national red, white, and blue of the holiday season. Two great halls were provided for the meetings, the larger seating ten thousand, and the smaller less than half as many; yet these were literally packed at nearly all regular meetings, while other halls were filled, and overflow services were held in the streets.

Yes, numbers tell, and if you happen to belong to the crowd, and your particular friends are in the crowd, and all are good-natured and happy, and you love the leaders, and all are on a great mission bent, and the spectators step out of the way and give you all the room you want, and look on admiringly, why, it's inspiring. You are lifted above the common affairs of life; things assume a different aspect than they are wont to wear, and you are ready to do great things. In short, you feel, because everybody else feels the same, that you "are the people," and you don't feel self-righteous either for feeling so.

So we can not blame the energetic, enthusiastic, eager hearts, young—and some older—for their energy, and enthusiasm, and overflowing spirits. They have grown up in the movement. It is a part of them, and they of it. Under other conditions the rest of us, who are not used to such demonstrations, would think and act the same way. Education and training are almost everything. If everybody were of our way of thinking and doing, we would look at some things differently than we do, and if we were right, all would be right, and that would be enjoyable indeed. But it is possible to be right, and happy, and enthusiastic, and still be with the few. But that is another subject.

Unanimity of Action.

It was a matter of constant wonder—barring the entrances and exits—the ease of control and unanimity of action displayed. In the machinery of the convention,—the distribution, the rising, the sitting, the singing,—in short, the program, one spirit seemed to control, and the great mass moved as one individual at the direction of the presiding officer. The best manners of civilization were distinctly in evidence—barring the crush at entrances and exits, and the securing of best places of observation. Here, ordinary human nature held sway. But in general, the mass was the body, the leaders the head.

This was true, not only in the matter of decorum, but in the thinking part as well. Not that the members themselves did not think, and perhaps profoundly, but the thoughts and the plans that were the animus of the convention were those of the head first of all. As stated before, training is a great thing, and perhaps it did not appeal to these young people as an extraordinary thing that they virtually had no voice—except applause—in the control of the movement. The head had its plans all laid, its ideas all thought out, and in the operation of presiding presented them in a happy I-know-you-will-all-agree manner that met with instant response, and at the word caused the reception of all speakers with the eye-pleasing Chautauqua salute of fluttered kerchiefs. But leaders are necessary, and time and place sometimes forbid general discussion.

Object of Conventions.

What, then, is the real object of these great conventions? We are all pretty much alike in this world. Impressions go a long way towards making opinions and molding actions. The greater a movement can be made to appear, the wider its influence will extend. And so these great gatherings, with all the concomitants of display and world-wide advertising, are first of all and essentially producers of public sentiment and makers of public opinion. The greatness of the movement, the great numbers, and especially the greatness of the present hour, were not allowed for a moment to suffer forgetfulness, but members and visitors and all were reminded in an ear-pleasing way that they were a part of it too, that they were in fact it. Agitation, keeping up interest and enthusiasm, that is all! How alike are all our methods! And these young people catch the thrill, and others catch it, the country and the world catch it, and the movement swells. All proper for the purpose, and yet—but that follows.

The Real Work of the Convention.

The crystallizing of aims and principles and methods into resolutions, was done by committees, and, so far as could be seen, the adoption was done by committees. True, some of the resolutions were read once in public, but there was no public discussion, no public vote, no adequate opportunity to digest what was set forth, and we venture the assertion that the great body of Christian Endeavorers will be quoted as adopting or indorsing principles and sentiments the true meaning of which has never entered the heads of the great majority. There can be no question—at least the impression impresses that way—that this movement is being manipulated by older heads and hands to accomplish certain ends which they are determined to see succeed. This is not particularly a criticism, and we should dislike to think or intimate that the motives of these leaders are other than lofty. But, frankly, the way it is done does not impress favorably.

The public work,—the educational part, the addresses,—were by picked men, eloquent men. Divers themes were handled, and one could not help being impressed at the measure of responsibility resting upon those who stood before such a concourse of plastic, pliable, receptive minds in the role of teachers and guides. Among the themes were: Christian Citizenship, Civic Righteousness, Christian Endeavor in various ways, Our Country, the Lord's Day,—its observance and protection, the brotherhood of mankind, the federation of the world in one grand march toward righteousness, the nation for Christ,—involving a better nation, better rulers, better laws, better individuals, better everything, and always, of course, the means to the end. Reforming, uplifting, these were the key-notes, and they are good, and worthy of all effort. But in the search for and application of ways of bringing about these desirable conditions there is room for a world of difference of opinion, and every man certainly has a right to his opinion. The determination of who is right is often a nice question, but in matters of morals and methods concerning the same there can be but one infallible guide,—the Word of God. Christian endeavor and Christian doing are good, and if methods tally with the Guide-book, all is well.

How to Bring about Better Conditions

was the great question of the convention, and the answer, as set forth by the majority of the speakers, was the creating of sentiment,—first, individual sentiment, then public sentiment, then faithful and intelligent use of the ballot, then better officials and rulers, then better laws, and the nation for Christ. This is the plan of the Christian-Citizenship and Civic-Righteousness movements, to which the great mass of the Christian Endeavor body is being committed. The words "Christian Citizenship" sound well; they touch one's patriotism and ideas of true greatness in a stirring spot, but,—the nation for Christ through the gateway of politics! The idea is forbidding, but this is the logic of the move. Can this be the true means to the desired end? Certain it is that such a course of action impresses one as savoring of the methods of men rather than of the methods of Jesus Christ. Is this "Applied Christianity"? True Christianity is always "applied"—in the way its Founder outlined. But can this be in any sense the idea of Him who said, "My kingdom is not of this world"? There were a few speakers who seemed to discern a better way, who deplored the lack of the power of God in the church of to-day, and the tendency to stand upon another foundation than the Almighty. These appealed to all to come back to the old way, to catch a glimpse of God and his truth, and pointed to a personal Saviour and an individual salvation as the only sure way of reform. This is the Gospel plan. There is need of reform, but the reform must be of the individual, and it must be in the form of the Spirit's gentle persuasion.

Righteousness by Law.

Sentiments were strongly expressed that we must have better laws; laws to suppress this or that evil; laws to protect the Sunday—and this latter received much attention—and the duty of every loyal American and Christian to work, from the ballot to the end. Has it ever occurred to the promoters of this plan, now so widely preached, that the power of civil law is the ability of the nation to enforce its laws? that back of the ballot is the prison cell, and even the sword and the bullet? Is this the power that Christian Endeavorers long to wield? It is the sure ultimate meaning of the method. "Not by might nor by power [human methods], but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts." This is the way and the power of righteousness. Human law can never give it.

This is not to impugn the motives of any. Education and training again. But the majority may be in the wrong, and it is hard usually for majorities to understand why minorities should differ in views, especially where great principles are involved. But be not deceived. The Master has shown us the way, and he has left no intimation of command or example for his servants to use political methods in any form for the furtherance of the Gospel. It of itself is the "power of God unto salvation," and it needs no other help. When the power of civil law is appealed to, the inference is warrantable, surely, that other power is lacking. Then it does seem too bad, yes, deplorably bad, and sad, too, to see such a mighty power as the Society of Christian Endeavor, which in the legitimate ways of its inception might wield untold influence in the cause of true Gospel promulgation, massed behind moves whose very methods confess a lack of the power of God.

"For Christ and the Church"

is an inspiring motto; but let only Christ's methods be used. "The nation for Christ" is a lofty phrase; but, honestly, Christ doesn't need our nation as such, nor any other nation. His kingdom is not to be made up of earthly organizations. His kingdom is to endure forever, and his people forever, and it will have for its people the righteous of all nations from creation to the end of earthly kingdoms. He has told us simply, clearly, plainly in his Word—our guide—how it will all come about. Then the real meaning for us of saving the nation is to give the everlasting Gospel to its constituent parts, the individuals who comprise it, and they all need saving grace, people and rulers.

"Enthrone Christ king" is another happy-sounding phrase, but in the present world it can only be done in each heart, and that only as each one lets him in. And in the new order of things which he himself will bring about, he will be king, not only in the hearts of his people, but he will be king in fact, sitting on the throne of his kingdom, which will be the whole earth. Then the "righteous nation" that shall enter in will be the nation of the redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. That will be the blood-washed throng, not the civil-law-washed nation. How utterly different the way he has outlined in his Word and the end of it as there portrayed, and the way and the end of the human-conceived plan! Yes, education and training are almost everything, but everything depends on following the Guide-book.

As intimated, the impression was felt that there were large-hearted, honest souls, not only among the speakers, but among the body, whose hearts are stirred over existing evils, and who have a mighty burden for greater and better things. The motives of none are impugned. But remember that numbers, and music, and decorations, and things pleasing to the senses, are not after all of material weight where the deep search of the soul is after God’s truth. May God reach out his loving hand to all honest minds in the shadow of tradition and wrong education, and lead them out into blessed freedom in the sunshine and clear atmosphere of his Word.

L. A. PHIPPENY.