Church Federation by George S. Work

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Nov 21, 1911

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 38, No. 46.

Church Federation

By George S. Work

FIRST of all, let me candidly say that this proposed federation has for its main tenet the Sunday rest day. This is where its influence will be felt. Whether or not the various denominations connected with this movement set aside all dogmas and doctrinal points, they will inevitably decide in favor of the Sunday rest day. They must meet it. It is the very center of their activities. They must have some strong doctrine upon which they will agree as a body, and Sunday affords this opportunity.

The spirit of unionism is abroad, and is pervading many fields of social activity,—which is good in many ways, but beware that in our desire for centralized power we do not overlook vital principles of truth which have been recognized since the fall of man. Such a federation as this, can only result in apostasy and despotism. When this federation is formed, it will not only be national in its scope, but also international. It will be the greatest religious federation that the world will ever see. The civil power will be forced to enact more stringent Sunday laws according to the will of this power. This in itself would be contrary to the glorious principles of religious liberty as outlined in the Constitution of the United States, and which has made this nation the champion of true reform.

This movement is directly opposed to the plain and immutable Word of God, which emphatically declares in no unmistakable terms, "Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces." Isa. 8:9.

A noticeable feature of this movement is the seemingly disinterested attitude of the Church of Rome. The Papacy will never step down from her pinnacle of supreme authority in religious matters. The various denominations must come to her for recognition. The man on the Tiber will have something to say regarding this federation when the time comes.

The ultimate result of such a concerted movement would be nothing short of a union between Church and State, and consequently, all that follows in its wake. The terrible scenes of the Dark Ages would be repeated; for if this movement should succeed in its efforts—and it will—to have the Sunday enforced, who can tell what next it will demand? Why not demand that people throughout the world pray so many times a day? It would be no more unreasonable than commanding all to rest on the first day of the week. May God, in His mercy, keep the lovers of liberty when this time comes.

Dr. Sun Yat Sen, who is regarded as the leading, moving spirit in the Chinese revolution. From his latest photograph, taken recently in Denver. (Paul Thompson.)

I fancy I hear the people of old, building the Tower of Babel, when they said, "Let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth." Then again, I fancy I hear these modern religionists clamoring for power, saying, "Let us proclaim to all the inhabitants of earth that they must rest on the first day of the week, regardless of their opinion, lest we lose our prestige as a religious body."