p. 19 | State and Church by K. C. Russell

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 9, 1913

State and Church

By K. C. Russell

Reports, Notes, and Comments Pertaining to the Current History of Religious Freedom, and the Campaign "to Make America Catholic."

Conducted by the Religious Liberty Association.

W. W. PRESCOTT - - - - SECRETARY

An Important Meeting

The Second Quadrennial Session of the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America

ONE of the most important councils of the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America was held in the city of Chicago, December 4-9. It was estimated that three hundred delegates were in attendance, representing thirty-two Protestant denominations with a constituency of nearly eighteen million people.

One of the first items of business was the election of their officers for another quadrennial period of the council. Dean Shailer Mathews, of Chicago, Ill., was elected to the presidency, which position had been held during the past four years by the Rev. Bishop E. R. Hendrix, D. D., LL. D. Dean Mathews is one of the foremost educators of the country. He gives evidence of possessing great ability as a leader of this distinguished body of men.

Many lines of activity which are being encouraged by the council are without question praiseworthy and commendable; for instance, their opposition to the liquor traffic, the white slave traffic, the child labor curse, and their indorsement of many legitimate reforms. The fact, however, that an organization stands for some reformatory movement is no sure evidence that it is in harmony with the principles of the gospel. An organization or movement should be judged, not by the few unquestionable things which it seeks to promote, but by the principles upon which it is founded. The forbidden fruit of which Adam and Eve partook was from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. There has never existed any great system of error, however, with which there were not connected some things that were desirable and even praiseworthy. The great deceiver of men well understands that error, when mixed with truth, is thus given greater currency.

The council had been in progress for some days before those objectionable features which demonstrated the real spirit of their confederacy were made apparent. A close observer of the proceedings from day to day could not fail in detecting how studiously members of the council avoided making any reference to Roman Catholicism as a menace to the true spirit of genuine Protestantism. One speaker spoke very fervently against Mohammedanism, Buddhism, and Confucianism as systems of error that are opposed to Christianity, but never made mention of the Papacy, one of the most stupendous and hostile forces to the spirit of genuine Christianity that exists.

Once during the course of their deliberations it looked as if a lively discussion would be provoked between prominent delegates regarding their attitude toward the Roman Catholic Church, but it was quickly suppressed, as they well understood that any expressions of differences of opinion on the part of the delegates would be detrimental to the outward show of unity which each member seemed to try to maintain. It will ultimately be seen, however, that when the mantle of professed unity is once stripped from off the council, there will be nothing left but a mere skeleton of an organization.

It was refreshing to note that there was at least one delegate who still retained some of the true spirit and principles of Protestantism, but, alas! he finally yielded to the so-called broad and liberal spirit that seemed to pervade the council. This was made evident when a resolution was submitted to the council to eliminate the word Protestant from the literature of the organization. That this action on the part of the council was an overture to the Roman Catholic Church is evidenced by the fact that the public press thus interpreted the action of the council without any remonstrance from that body. One of the reports of this unprecedented action of this great body of the professed Protestant churches of America appeared with prominent head-lines on the front page of the Inter Ocean of Dec. 7, 1912:—

"FEDERAL COUNCIL OPENS ITS DOORS TO THE CATHOLICS.

"WORD PROTESTANT IS STRICKEN FROM COMMITTEE REPORT ON OBJECT OF ASSOCIATION OF CHURCHES.

"IMPORTANT FORWARD STEP WILL MAKE POSSIBLE THE ADDITION OF FOURTEEN MILLION RECRUITS TO UNITE WITH THE ARMY OF CHRISTIANS.

"The Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America took one of the most important forward steps in its history when it adopted a resolution presented by the executive committee eliminating the word Protestant from the report of the committee, and virtually threw down the bars and invited the Roman Catholic Church of America to join the council, and lend its titanic strength toward solving the common problems of the church."

It is not surprising that any single Protestant church or the combined Protestant churches of America would eliminate the word Protestant from their literature when one considers that they have largely ceased to protest. When Protestantism was launched in the sixteenth century, it was the result of a most positive and vigorous protest by those noble Reformers at the risk and expense of life itself. The Catholics are to-day repeatedly taunting Protestants because of their departure from the principles of Protestantism.

In a recent magazine article written by Cardinal Gibbons, of the Catholic Church, it is evident that he is watching with unusual interest the progress of this great inter-church federation movement; for he stated that "dissension is the chief cause of persecution, and it delays the complete triumph of Christendom over the hearts and souls of men. Federation of churches as we have it in many places is a long step in the right direction for a more compact wall in Christendom." One who understands the design of the papal church can easily comprehend what the final step will be in order to unite Christendom. That step, in the last analysis, will be nothing short of the professed Protestant churches' accepting the Catholic Church as their leader. This sort of leadership has already been suggested by one distinguished church leader as reported in the London Daily Mail, Aug. 6, 1910 (overseas edition), as follows: "At a conference at Sheffield on Monday the Rev. J. H. Freeborough, the newly elected president of the Wesleyan Reform Union, speaking on the hope for the future unity of the Christian church, said he 'firmly believed that the great agency for the unification of Christendom was the Roman Catholic Church. No other church had the outlook, machinery, tradition, wealth, and ability to bring together all the forces of Christendom.'"

One of the cardinal points upon which the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America is united is that of compulsory Sunday observance. Greater emphasis is being placed upon this feature of the federation movement at each successive council.

Following is a list of resolutions upon this subject which were adopted by the council:—

"1. That all Christians shall seek to do their utmost in the observance of this day by themselves abstaining from anything that savors of desecration, such as sports, travel, and buying, and urge upon the government the need of rest for the laboring man. This day has been taken from him, and the church can in no better way prove its interest in him than by untringly seeking to restore to the laboring man his day of rest. "2. That we earnestly urge cooperation with all associations looking to the observance of the Lord's day, and also urge, if not a union, a close cooperation of all associations working to this end. "3. That we heartily indorse a half-holiday of one of the six days of the week, preferably Saturday, as tending to give better observance to Sunday. "4. That all ministers be requested to preach on this subject on the last Sunday in March. Last year twenty thousand sermons were preached in England alone on Lord's day Sunday relative to the observance of this day. "5. That we earnestly recommend to State and local federations of churches the importance of not only guarding against the repeal or weakening of the laws we now have providing for Sunday rest, but of placing on our statute-books laws securing one day in seven as a rest day for all classes of working men, and the securing to every community a more complete protection against all Sunday practises that tend to demoralize society or weaken the forces that make for virtue and righteousness. As a means to this end we heartily cooperate with the social service commission of the council in its nation-wide campaign for one day in seven for the workers."

Another measure was also adopted by the council which in an unmistakable manner indicates how rapidly that body is moving to the direction of a union between the church and the state. It was a resolution favoring week-day instruction in religion in the public schools of this country. Much attention was also devoted by the council to the social service department and its work. Their new declaration of faith or creed reads as follows:—

"The church must stand,— "For equal rights and complete justice for all men in all stations of life. "For the protection of the family by the single standard of purity, uniform divorce laws, proper regulation of marriage, and proper housing.

"For the fullest possible development for every child, especially by the provision of proper education and recreation. "For the abolition of child labor. "For such regulation of the conditions of toil for women as shall safeguard the physical and moral health of the community. "For the abatement and prevention of poverty. "For the protection of the individual and society from the social, economic, and moral waste of the liquor traffic. "For the conservation of health. "For the protection of the worker from dangerous machinery, occupational diseases, and mortality. "For the right of all men to the opportunity for self-maintenance, for safeguarding this right against encroachments of every kind, and for the protection of workers from the hardships of enforced unemployment. "For suitable provision for the old age of the workers and for those incapacitated by injury. "For the principle of conciliation and arbitration in industrial disputes. "For release from employment one day in seven. "For the gradual and reasonable reduction of the hours of labor to the lowest practicable point, and for that degree of leisure for all which is a condition of the highest human life. "For a living wage as a minimum in every industry, and for the highest wage that each industry can afford. "For the most equitable division of the product of industry that can ultimately be devised."

The president of the council truly said that their creed sounded like that of a political platform, for indeed that is practically what it is. How striking the contrast between their expressed purpose to adjudicate all difficulties of a civil character between man and man, and the attitude of Jesus toward such questions as is indicated in his reply to the one who asked him to intercede in the division of an inheritance between two brethren: "Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?" Luke 12:14. What a transformation has taken place since the days of Christ and the apostles on the part of those who claim to be the ambassadors of the Saviour of men! Their work was then confined alone to the preaching of the word of God with power sent down from above. The departure from the primitive gospel principles of those who have so long professed to stand in their defense should arouse every true disciple of Christ to put on the whole armor and give the trumpet a certain sound.

K. C. RUSSELL.