IT was stated in last week's paper that this is an age of federation, and the facts were given showing that this is so—the great federation of all the Protestant denominations in one federal alliance, representing over eighteen million of the people of the United States; the Christian Endeavor Society, which is another federation of all the Protestant forces; the federation of the Catholics; the federation of the nations into one vast congress, and so on.
One of the expressed objects of the federation of Christian organizations is that they may combine their influence in bringing pressure to bear on political organizations, so that the wishes of the churches may be carried out. Said one of the leading speakers of the last Church Federation Convention, the one held in New York:
"When eighteen or nineteen millions of Christians thru their representatives send forth their voices in an earnest plea in favor of justice and humanity, the world will hear it, and I trust that we shall give utterance to-day to a voice that will be heard across the sea. When the nineteen millions of this country plead with the Christians on the other side of the water for justice and humanity to the oppressed, that voice will be heard; and I trust, brethren, that we shall find in this way not only that we can worship together and work together, but that we can now and then say something in behalf of righteousness and justice that the world is sure to hear."
The Christianity of the Christ of God does not depend upon the influence of numbers; its influence is that of truth, of vital fundamental principle. When the Master was instilling the principles into that little handful of disciples that were to revolutionize the world, He said to them, "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Luke 12:32. It is the "little flock," endued with the mighty power of the conviction of truth woven into their minds and hearts and lives that is to move the world by the power of what they teach and live. Numbers is not the strength of their work; they have a power that outweighs numbers.
The educational secretary of the Christian Endeavor Society addressed their recent convention on the subject of "Christian Citizenship." It was one of the leading themes of the convention. In his written speech upon this theme he said:
"It will not be long, either, before the Christian Endeavor Patriots' League will widen out irresistibly FROM LOCAL TO NATIONAL INTERESTS. The Christian Endeavor patriot will come to see WHAT POWERFUL CAMPAIGNS FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS MAY BE CONDUCTED THRU THE POST-OFFICE. Our lawmakers do give heed to the written expressions of desire from their constituencies. Petitions are effective. Great measures may be introduced into Congress and carried triumphantly thru by the pressure of Uncle Sam's mail-bags. Great reform measures are continually coming to the front in these days of searching and of change. As these come before our legislators it is of the greatest importance that they may be made to feel the force of a righteous public sentiment. This the Christian Endeavor patriots will learn how to express more and more POWERFULLY and USEFULLY. It will be seen that the Patriots' League is to take up positive work, and not merely negative; that its members are not to become hectoring cranks, but helpful, wide-awake, constructive citizens of this great republic."
Here again is the idea advanced that the influence of numbers must be used in turning lawmakers in the way they would have them go. Why turn from the Master's plan of earnest persuasion?
The president of the Catholic Federation made the statement in his address at their recent convention in Indianapolis that they would be able to wield such an influence in this country and to bring such a pressure to bear in their organized capacity that the legislatures would not dare refuse them.
He has studied history to no purpose who has not seen that the greatest evils have been thrust upon the world when religious bodies have left the truth of the divine Father in the background while they sought to enact and enforce dogma upon the citizenship of the world thru the influence and power of their numbers. The most appalling dangers confront us when men, and especially when religious men, appear before legislators to make demands without leaving an open and untrammeled field for the consideration of the right and the wrong of the measures demanded. These great church organizations should see that when they ask legislators to bow before numbers rather than before the right, that they are educating men to become puppets to bow at the whims and caprices of majorities. When questions of legislation arise they will not ask, How true or how just is the measure? but, How many are there behind it?
4Everything that we have in the world today that is worth anything in the line of liberty and freedom and just and desirable law, has been given to the world because the little handful of men at different times has been willing to endure the hardships of coming to the front with unpopular truth. In many instances these champions of truth have had to endure the fierce afflictions of intolerant persecution and suffer even to death itself.
But it may be said that the reforms that will be urged by the federations of this time will not have any religious dogma in them. It should not be lost sight of that all these federating bodies claim that they can unite in enforcing Sunday observance. But, even the Sunday may be quite universally recognized as a holiday, yet the whole basis of this is that it has been first recognized and taught as a religious holy day. And to unite to enforce by law the observance of Sunday is to unite to enforce religious dogma and doctrine.
Then, as men and women who fear God and regard righteousness, let us stand for the principles of right as taught in His word, and allow the question of mere numbers to be of even less than secondary consideration.
