Untitled article by R. F. Cottrell

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 30, 1865

Should Christians Fight? No. 3.

By R. F. Cottrell

"And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth." Rev. xii, 16.

In this prophecy, the woman represents the church of Christ; the dragon, her persecutor, the Roman power; the flood, the papal persecution of 1260 years, during which the church was in her hidden, wilderness state; and the earth which helped her, earthly, civil government. The earth began to help the woman when the civil rulers of Europe began to throw off the shackles that bound them to the papal hierarchy, and the flood was consummately swallowed up, when at the end of the 1260 years, Bonaparte had the Pope in his power and disposed of his dominion as he pleased.

The earth and the woman were not identical but distinct. The earth helped the woman; but in helping her did not become the woman. The world did not become converted to Christianity at the period of the Reformation. Henry VIII, of England and other rulers who threw off the tyranny of Rome to establish their own, did not thus become the fathers of the church of the Reformation. They cared not for the lambs of Christ, though they attacked and drove away the pack of papal wolves that were pursuing and devouring them.

It was from no good will to the woman that the earth helped her, but by God's overruling providence these earthly rulers did it, while earnestly pursuing the objects of their own ambition.

The simple truth ought to have been learned ere this, that the church and the state are two distinct institutions. The church should teach and exemplify the doctrines and spirit of him whose kingdom is not of this world. The state is an institution permitted and overruled for the good of men. The civil magistrate "beareth not the sword in vain;" but the only

sword which a Christian may wield is "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

The church should maintain the high position in which she is placed as the light of the world. She has the right to require her members to live up to her discipline, the word of God. This requires all to be loyal and obedient to civil government, and to respect the rights of all men. If any do not, but favor oppression or rebellion, by their votes or in any other way, the church has the right to call them to an account; and that without any just imputation of meddling with politics. If they persist, and will not hear the discipline and the church, she may inflict her capital punishment—the withdrawal of fellowship. If on the other hand, they go beyond the discipline—the Bible—by taking up arms in defense of civil government, the church has the same remedy, and are bound to the law of Christ, and are not justly chargeable with the crime of disloyalty. R. F. Cottrell.