Usurping Divine Authority

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · May 21, 1912

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 39, No. 20.

Usurping Divine Authority.

To assume the control of conscience—and all religious legislation enters that domain—is to usurp the authority of God, is to put the human in place of the divine. Now A may be in the right and B in the wrong in a religious controversy; but what authority has either to decide for the other? or what right or authority has the civil tribunal to determine the issue? Each and both are responsible to God alone for conscience and religious conviction. God, the spiritual One, is the Judge. Whoso therefore assumes the judgeship in a religious controversy under penalty of law usurps the place of God. Even the Christ came not to judge, but to save; and He then declared, "If any man hear My words, and believe not, I judge him not." The word of truth will judge in the last day. See John 12:47, 48.