NOT ACCOMPLISHED BY FORCE
By Editor
CHRIST'S KINGDOM AND THE RELIGION OF FORCE
The Master Refused to Be Taken by Force and Made a King
Protestantism Reaching Toward Rome to Assist in Unscriptural Work — Which Is Changing, Rome or Protestantism? — The Final Result IN last week's paper, Mr. Porter spoke of the National Reform Association, the Federation of Churches, and other powerful ecclesiastical organizations that are combining in this time with the one thought in mind of establishing the kingdom of Christ on this earth. One central thought with these religious bodies is that Christ's kingdom is to be established through the enactment and enforcement of both civil and ecclesiastical laws. They say they are numerically so strong that no human power can stand before them. The thoughtful consideration of what is presented in Mr. Porter's article this week ought to show any candid mind that these modern organizations that are working for the establishing of the temporal kingdom of Christ prior to His second coming are out of harmony with the Author of the Bible. CHRIST forewarns of this very National Reform movement that was discussed last week, and declares its character. "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; and ye shall be brought before governors and kings for My sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you." "And ye shall be hated of all men for My name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of His household?" "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Matt. 10: 16-20, 22-25, 28. NOT ACCOMPLISHED BY FORCE
The whole purpose of Beelzebub is apparent in the federation and National Reform movements spoken of last week, as it has been in every other such movement. It has ever been Satan's game to get nations worked into a frenzy of zeal for God which would lead them to enact laws enforcing conversion. Then he would laugh at his deluded followers, who, in the name of Christianity, were reproaching the cause of Christ with an enforced religion. One of the most ridiculous farces undertaken by Satan was to try to get the people to take Christ by force and make Him king. Satan thus undertook to transform the kingdom of God, a kingdom of love and free will, into a kingdom of force. Christ refused to be identified with any movement that sought by force to establish His kingship. "When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take Him by force, to make Him a king, He departed again into a mountain Himself alone." John 6: 15. WHY IS SATAN SO PERSISTENT?
Thus every attempt that was made to establish an earthly kingship for Christ, before His second advent in glory, was defeated by the Lord. But Satan's insistence that Christ shall have a kingship is very noticeable. His scheme is that Christ shall be enthroned king in this world before His second advent. Why is Satan so persistent in making Christ king by force, before the time of His second advent? — It is because Satan knows that if he can implant this false view of the kingdom of Christ in the hearts of men, he can deprive them of the spiritual experience in righteousness by faith that will prepare them for Christ's reign in glory at His second coming. CHRIST DENIED A FIELD OF WORK
Satan had so deluded the Jewish people, that when Christ made His first advent, they had the parishes parceled out, and denied Christianity the right of the field. They claimed undisputed rights for their parish, as they were the chosen people of God, and through them He had designed to enlighten the nations. If the disciples should go to the Gentiles, they would reject Christ, because His disciples ignored God's chosen people. Coming to them, they were legislated out of all rights. But God's reform movements are not dependent upon national or federation permissions. Christ's commission gave the gospel the right of way in every nation under heaven, regardless of territorial parceling. Matt. 28: 18-20. The Jews objected to the gospel teachers invading their territory. These teachers were arrested, beaten, and imprisoned. They "laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison. But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth." Acts 5: 18, 19. Thus angels of God, with a commission from His throne, reversed the order of the church leaders of that time who had the parishes so parceled that there should be no overlapping. THE JEWS COULD NOT WORK THE PLAN
The Jewish church had been the chosen church of God; but when they reached that stage in their history where they began to compel religious observances, parcel out parishes, and forbid overlapping, they had apostatized, become formalists, represented a religion of works, as Hagar and Ishmael, the bondswoman and her son; and God ordered that that kind of religious movement should be cast out. It could have no part in a Christianity of faith, represented by Isaac, a child of faith and promise. This was written that all similar movements might be known as not of God. Christianity demands for all, freedom of choice. Any enforcement of religion interferes with the freedom of individual choice, and is satanic, even if it parades under the banner of Christ as king. COMMANDED THEM NOT TO SPEAK
Then "they called them [the disciples], and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to harken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we can not but speak the things which we have seen and heard." Acts 4: 18-20. How did that ancient political church movement succeed in preventing overlapping of parishes? Let the Jewish high priest answer: "And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men." Acts 5: 27-29. The gospel was never more pure and powerful than when its adherents trusted in Christ and fearlessly faced the world with their message, regardless of threatenings from civil legislators in priestly garments.346 IS CATHOLICISM MORE PROTESTANT?
Why was Roman Catholicism invited to connect with this Protestant "reform" movement? Has Roman Catholicism been converted? Has it ceased to hate Protestantism? Let the Rev. William H. Ketcham, director of the Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions, answer: "Do you not realize that a Protestant, if he be a sincere, intelligent, instructed, consistent Protestant, can not be in sympathy with any movement which tends to advance the interests of the Catholic faith, to strengthen the position of the pope, to propagate ideals distinctively Catholic? He realizes as well as you do that the complete triumph of the Catholic Church means death to every heresy and to every schism. He can enter into an alliance with sects other than his own and be consistent. He can join with them in a mutual aid policy without compromising his principles; but he can not honestly and conscientiously do this when there is question of the Catholic Church, whose basic teaching — the doctrines of the one true church, out of which there is no salvation, and of the supremacy of the pope — renders impossible religious fellowship on any ground save that of unqualified submission to her claims." — Sermon preached in St. Paul's Church, Washington, D. C., October 31, 1909, published in the Catholic Standard and Times, November 13, 1909. ARE PROTESTANTS READY TO UNITE?
Are Protestants ready to unite with Catholicism in this great confederation movement, on the basis of "unqualified submission" to the claims of the Catholic Church? Protestants in Hungary and Germany are required to subscribe publicly, among other things, to the following, when entering the Catholic Church as members. "We swear also, that as long as a drop of blood remains in our veins, we will persecute that accursed Protestant doctrine, by all means in our power, secretly and openly, by violence and stratagem, by word and deed, even with the sword." — Protestant Magazine, 1911. The Western Watchman (Catholic), September 12, 1907, edited by the Rev. D. S. Phelan, LL. D., declares: "We must stand up for the church of God; no compromise, no truce, no peace here. The church of God is always right. We need no defense from the world. We ask for none. The church of God was always right; she is right to-day; she will be right to the end of days. . . . We are children of the unchangeable church of God; we have continuity, and everything the church of God has said or done in the last two thousand years we must be ready to defend." THE PROTESTANTISM OF A HUNDRED YEARS AGO
Would Protestantism have proposed such a union as has been proposed with Rome, in this confederation movement, a hundred years ago? — By no means. Why does Protestantism make such a proposal now? Has Rome changed? It is very evident that a change has occurred. Who can not see that the change is in Protestantism? A hundred years ago, Protestantism would have spurned such a proposition of federation as she is welcoming to-day. Protestants then became martyrs to the principle that the word of God and its adherents were free. In Christ's name, Rome was defeated and Protestantism was triumphant. Like her Master's, her triumph came through her crucifixion. Her sword of conquest was the sword of the Spirit, not the sword of civil power. Shall she now follow Rome into religious intolerance? May God forbid it! The cry that "there shall be no more war," completes the identity of this federation movement as a false movement. Paul forewarns the church that "the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." 2 Tim. 4: 3, 4. In the third chapter, he tells when this will be, and who will accept fables in preference to truth: "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, . . . having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." 2 Tim. 3: 1-5. The last-day movement that shall fulfil this scripture will press with great show of religious zeal the forms of religion, but lacking in faith, it shall be shorn of gospel power. Paul exhorts, "From such turn away." WHEN SUDDEN DESTRUCTION COMES
His reason is consistent. "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape." 1 Thess. 5: 1-3. Those who are swallowed up in this last-day peace movement will be not only disappointed, but destroyed with the unbelieving world when the day of the Lord breaks upon the world suddenly "as a thief in the night," "and they shall not escape." "But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief." Verse 4. R. C. P.