THE recent World's Christian Citizenship Conference in Philadelphia was a great meeting. It emphasized two great ideas: the union of Church and State, or the church ruling, dictating, directing in religious matters; and the importance of co-operation among Christian denominations in putting these principles in practise. It proposes that the name of God be placed in the Federal Constitution, and that legislation shall shape all laws of the country in harmony with God's laws. But mark this, the STANDARD is always and forever GOD'S WILL AS INTERPRETED by some TRIBUNAL of MEN.
It would not do simply to declare that God's law shall be the law of the realm or the government, and then allow each man to interpret the law according to his own convictions or his own ideas of liberty. This would not suit our Christian citizenship friends. It would bring too much confusion into their theocracy. They contend for a legal sabbath day, and they fix that day on the first day of the week. Others do not believe in any religious sabbath. Still others hold to the seventh day. However conscientious one might be, regarding his own practise, he would be compelled to acquiesce in the religion of the authorized interpreters of the law.
The Rev. O. P. Gifford, D.D., of Boston, in his address on "The Bearing of National Life on Personal Religion," said:
Nor is this struggle of which we have just been speaking confined to America. The great problems that confront Christian patriots in our country are fast becoming problems in all countries, and are destined to become more and more so in every country where the Christian religion gains in favor, until it has leavened the whole lump of national life. The problems of the weekly rest-day, capital and labor, the relation of education to morality and religion, laws affecting the family life, vice and crime, war and how to abolish it, political corruption and how to remove it, are problems in all lands. Missionaries are laying the basis for Christian commonwealths as certainly as for Christian households and churches. No sooner have their converts graduated from the mission schools and colleges, and entered the employ of the government, than the question arises as to whether the government will respect their Christian convictions, in the matter for example of rest and quiet on the first day of the week, and the teaching of Christian morality.
Rev. T. B. Anderson, Rochester, Pennsylvania
How is it proposed to settle such questions? He continues:
The Rev. O. P. Gifford
To whom shall these converts appeal for aid when denied their Christian convictions? Whom shall they entreat to intercede with the government in their behalf? Not to the church; for such intercession on the part of the church, would in all probability be regarded as an unwarranted interference of the church with the State. Only to a body of Christians, as citizens, only to a citizenship organization of Christian patriots, can such appeal be made to advantage. And such an organization—world-wide in character and influence—it is our hope to effect at this conference.
In other words, there shall be, if this Christian Citizenship Conference's ideas are rendered operative, a world tribunal which will settle not only the religion of the individual, but of the nations.
How this would work if fully operative is clearly set forth by another speaker, the Rev. Walter McCarroll, missionary in Cyprus, who sketched the conditions in Greek Catholic countries. We quote:
The distinctive teachings of this church with which these different States are in such close union, we sum up as follows: Based on tradition as of equal authority with the Bible, the teachings of the Evangel are utterly nullified; admitting the Virgin Mary and the saints to a share in divine worship, the Christ as sole and only Mediator between God and man is dethroned and dishonored; permitting the adoration of pictures and relics, "the glory of the incorruptible God is changed for the likeness of corruptible man;" attributing efficacious grace to the material emblems in the sacraments, the grace of God is turned into lasciviousness, and materialism substituted for true spiritualism; introducing the Old Testament priesthood, which had been fulfilled and abrogated by Christ, the rights and privileges of every individual believer as priest and king are arrogated to a special class; making ecclesiastical officialism the only and sole interpreter of Scripture, the individual is robbed of liberty of conscience and freedom of judgment; and finally, elevating the church to the place of supreme authority over the conscience makes it merciless in spirit and intolerant in action.
The ill effects of such a system of Church and State are thus set forth in part:
Ignorance, illiteracy, and immorality characterize the fruits of this system when it is unrestrained or uninspired by extraneous influences. . . . The characteristic of this system the most damning is its religious intolerance and hostility to evangelical Christianity. It leaves other religions alone, but does not permit liberty of conscience to any born within its pale who dare think for themselves and venture to worship according to the dictates of conscience. In the Greek Catholic countries all proselytizing agencies are prohibited under the severest penalties. . . . These representatives of religion and law, being thus given unlimited power and authority, perpetrated the most unspeakable indignities and horrors upon their helpless and innocent victims. [Baptists and Stundists.]
We need not quote more. This is sufficient to show the reader the effects of a union of religion with the State. Yet this is what is proposed by this Christian Citizenship Conference. As in Russia, the LAW-MADE TRADITION of Christian citizenship, the LEGALIZED INTERPRETATION, would not only be made "of equal authority with the Bible," but exalted above it. "The rights and privileges of every individual believer" would be "ARROGATED TO A SPECIAL CLASS" APPOINTED by this CHRISTIAN CITIZENSHIP BODY; "ECCLESIASTICAL OFFICIALISM" would be "the SOLE INTERPRETER of Scripture," and the INDIVIDUAL would be "ROBBED OF LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE and freedom of judgment." Repudiating Protestant principles, the church would be elevated above the Word, over the conscience, and become mercilessly intolerant in spirit and action.
But it may be said, "We would not do such things; we are more enlightened; we are Protestants." But human nature is everywhere the same; and the whole history of the world shows that every church which has sought political power or preferment has deteriorated in spiritual life, and has become intolerant in proportion to her political zeal.
Rev. Amos Johnson, D.D., Methodist Episcopal, Philadelphia. He preaches and pleads for civic righteousness, ecclesiastical and political purity, Christian education in our public schools, colleges, and universities, for Christian citizenship, federation of churches, for a Christian republic in the United States. Delegate to the World's Christian Citizenship Conference.
Strange it is that men can not see it! Stranger far that the students of Christianity can not see it! Strange that professed ministers of the perfect and mighty Gospel of Jesus Christ are so ambitious to become ministers of imperfect and powerless — so far as character forming is concerned — civil law! Strange that Protestants can not see that what is proposed by this Christian Citizenship Conference is the utter repudiation of Protestantism, and the building again on the very foundation of the Papacy!11
Would God that they might be enlightened by the simple principles of the Gospel! Then would they forever repudiate all such Babylonian ideas of religion and State, which have cursed the ages, and which when embraced by this Government will accomplish in her degradation and fall what it has accomplished in the lost and decadent nations of the past and present.
