CHRISTIAN GOVERNMENT NOT PARTISAN.
THE fallacy of the idea of converting this government, or any human government, into the kingdom of Christ finds demonstration on every hand. That this republic should recognize Christ as its King is a pet theory with many "reformers;" but the incongruity of such a delusion is frequently shown even by incidental allusions to other subjects. A prominent newspaper, in discussing the subject of party politics, says: "Such forms of government as ours are not workable except by the party system, and as all parties having any pretensions to succeed are obnoxious to the criticism that they are run by bad methods, the only possible way of effecting a remedy is to reform the party." Admitting the truth of this theory, we have the condition that with the parties reformed as far as political methods can reform them, at least two parties are essential to the working of our form of government. Now two political parties are always antagonistic, and are always striving for the mastery. And a form of government that is dependent upon such a condition can not be a Christian government, nor can it always stand. Christ has plainly told us that "a kingdom divided against itself can not stand." That is, it can not stand permanently; it may stand for a while, but it must come to an end sooner or later. Therefore such a government can not be the kingdom of Christ, nor a kingdom of Christ. A Christian government must be a government of peace, of harmony in all its parts. The head must be Christ Himself—not a human king or president or vicegerent of any kind, but "Christ, from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love." There is no place for any "party system" in such a government as that. Christianity is not partisan. In the government of Christ the citizens are one, as He and His Father are one.