R E P L Y by John Norton Loughborough

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 17, 1860

R E P L Y .

By John Norton Loughborough

I UNDERSTAND that a great portion, at least, of the various denominations are of Mystic Babylon. They are daughters of the old mother, because of the family resemblance between them. They pursue in many respects a similar course to that of the Papal Church. I might mention many points of resemblance, but a few must suffice for the present.

1. A great portion of the Protestant sects follow a mystical principle of interpreting the Scriptures. This has of course led them to adopt (or rather caused them to retain), many of the false doctrines of the mother church. They have followed this course till they are literally drunken with the wine of the cup in the mother's hand. Rev. xvii.

2. In being unlawfully connected with the kings of the earth. Some may say it is an unlawful connection with the governments to seek protection from them. If so, why did Paul appeal unto Cæsar? If we were pleading for the law to enable us to enforce our religious sentiments, then, I should esteem it an unlawful position to occupy.

In what I have said respecting organizing so as to hold property legally, I do not consider that I am taking away any of the force of the real truth of the second angel's message. If holding property as a church legally, constitutes us a part of Babylon, I cannot see why it does not make us individual members of Babylon to hold property legally. Perhaps you may say with Bro. Cottrell, "We can hold property now." He

might have said, "We can have it in our possession;" but to hold it without organization (if I understand the law) is out of the question. If we as a people have been afraid of using legal means to keep our individual property from going into the hands of Satan's servants, may there not be danger of dealing too lax in regard to church property? I will give the State statute of Michigan:

Section 26. "No grant, conveyance, devise or lease of any real estate, dedicated or appropriated to the purposes, or appearing to be intended to be managed or controlled by any congregation or society, or any officer or officers thereof, in his or their official capacity, shall hereto vest any right, title or interest in any person or persons to whom such grant, conveyance, devise or lease may be made, unless the same shall be made to a congregation organized under some statute of this State, or of the late territory of Michigan, or under the provisions of this act, or under some act hereafter passed, amending or altering the same."

Some shrink back as though it was a fearful matter to organize in a legal manner, but I do not thus consider it. And perhaps an item or two on this point of what is required to organize legally, may help the minds of some. The statute of this State says:

"It shall be lawful for any number of persons of full age, not less than five, who may be desirous of forming themselves into a Church, Congregation or Religious Society, who shall sign articles of association for that purpose, to assemble together at such place as they may select, and by a plurality of votes by ballot, elect any number of discreet persons, being laymen, not less than three nor more than nine in number, as trustees, to take charge of the property belonging to, and transact all the affairs relative to the temporalities of such Church, Congregation, or Religious Society."

Some may be startled at the idea of signing articles. The law does not call upon us to take a human creed by any means. We as a people take the Bible as our standard of faith, and believe it to be a "sufficient creed." I do not know as it would be any worse for a church to set their names to an article or articles, stating the facts in regard to the manner in which we are associated together, than it is to state it verbally.

The law still further requires that the inspectors of the first election of officers shall make out a certificate of the election of such officers, and shall make acknowledgment before a Justice that they executed the same. The fact of their thus organizing, with the said certificate, is to be recorded in the Clerk's office, and they can then hold property in a legal manner, as shown above.

How this can be compared with the transactions at the tower of Babel, is beyond my conception. I wonder if all they did to make themselves a name was to take such steps as these. But still some start back as though there was sin in taking such steps. I once knew a man who professed to be a minister who went to the State of Illinois. While there he was called upon to perform a marriage ceremony. According to the law at that time, it was necessary to get a license from the Clerk of the Court before the parties could be married. But this minister was not going to make himself a part of Babylon by going to the government for a license. He would let the people know that he could marry without the aid of the two-horned beast. The people of the place admonished him that he ought to be subject to the powers that be. But he had his own way and made to himself a name, greater than he could have made, had he conformed to the letter of the law. His hasty exit (as some friends told me afterwards) was all that saved him from a coat of tar and feathers. Is it any worse to organize lawfully than to marry lawfully?

What is there in the Bible against organizing as the law requires? If it conflicts with any direct commandment of the Lord I fail to see it. If it does not, what is the wrong of it? Where is the argument to prove that it will make us a part of Babylon to thus organize? It seems we have come to a point where something must be done to hold church property. I have seen no other plan suggested as yet that will meet the case in question. I hope that the church will see eye to eye upon this as well as upon all other subjects. The Lord will guide his people aright.

J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH.

Battle Creek, May 3, 1860.