p. 6 | Ideal Institutions - the Church and the State

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 23, 1913

Ideal Institutions — the Church and the State

By Charles M. Snow

The Ideal Church

JESUS CHRIST has established an institution in the world which will continue until he comes to gather his faithful to himself. It is that company of the faithful, who, at his coming, will constitute the ideal church. They must stand in

the most trying time the world has ever seen; but they will stand, and stand not only upon the promises of God, but upon the commands of God, the law of God, as well.

Speaking of that church, the ideal church, our Lord, through the prophet John, says, "Here is the patience of the saints, they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus."

Concerning other characteristics of the ideal church the Word says, in speaking of Christ's work for it: "That he might present the church to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." Eph. 5:27. One of the petitions in Christ's last recorded prayer was, "that they may be one;" and concerning the place which his followers were to occupy in this world, Christ declares in that prayer: "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." John 17:16. Therefore the ideal church will not be mixed up in the politics of this world. It will not be turned aside from its work for any cause whatever.

Again; the ideal church must be a missionary church. It must obey the command, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." There has never been a time in the history of the world when the church could plead that it had accomplished its purpose in forwarding the interests of Christ's kingdom, and could now turn its attention to the work of helping the state to straighten out the affairs of the kingdoms of this world. The church of Jesus Christ has on its hands the greatest enterprise in all the world. The ideal church will bend all its energies to the accomplishment of that purpose.

In the world, but not of the world; married to Christ, but not joined to the state; fully absorbed in God's work alone; loyal to God in all circumstances; obedient to all his commandments; and, because obedient, having the gift of prophecy in its midst,—these are some of the characteristics of the ideal church.

The Ideal State

The state is a legitimate institution. Being such, it has a field distinctly its own. Anarchy is as much at variance with God's purpose as with the governments against which it aims its poisoned arrows.

The purpose of the ideal state is to safeguard individual rights. It must sit as a judge upon the cases of those who wantonly invade rights, destroy property or chastity or reputation, or take life. Should it fail to do this, there would be no reason for its existence; no guaranty of safety to person, life, or property.

Because men will not respect the rights of others, the state uses force to compel them to refrain from invading those rights.

The state cannot compel men to cease being covetous, or to cease hating other men; but it can, through fear of punishment, to a great extent compel them to refrain from taking the possessions of others, or allowing hate or greed to manifest themselves in murder.

The ideal state cannot punish for evil thoughts, but it can punish the evil thinker for carrying his evil thoughts into practise, and thus can and does to a great extent control and hold in check the floods of evil deeds that otherwise would flow unchecked in tremendous volume. In other words, it does not demand righteousness, but civility. It does not punish for sin, but for crime.

The ideal state can demand of men no religious duty or service; for the state is not a deity. It cannot demand that such duty or service be performed toward the God of heaven; for the God of heaven himself has placed before men every necessary requirement, made his service voluntary, not compulsory, and has delegated to no power nor institution on earth the authority to enforce any of those requirements upon any soul. The right of choice is a sacred right which even the Deity himself will not invade. The ideal state, therefore, cannot invade it. The ideal state, being a part of the divine purpose, cannot or will not violate divine principles.

Can the Two Join?

Jesus Christ recognized the fact that the church and the state must stand each in its own sphere. "Render therefore unto Cæsar [government] the things which are Cæsar's; and unto God the things that are God's." Matt. 22:21.

The policeman is not the man to carry the gospel message. He has no commission so to do. The minister of the gospel has no business with the policeman's club or pistol or the warrior's sword or rifle. God has given him no commission to carry on that work. That belongs to the state, not to the church. The only weapon the Christian may carry is the sword of the Spirit. To teach, and to convince men of sin and convert them to Christ through the operation of the Holy Spirit,—this is the business of the ideal church. To protect the person, property, and liberties of the individual,—this is the business of the ideal state. Unite them, and you have a combination that has not been authorized of God, and is bound to invade the rights of men in both domains. He who flees from civil punishments to the protection of a legalized creed has made himself a hypocrite and has shut the door of heaven in his own face. That is what a union of religion and the state teaches men to do. C. M. S.