Christian government and the Sabbath

Preface

"Prepare ye the way of the Lord; make His paths strait."

''Watch and pray," for "the coming of the Lord draweth nigh."

The teaching of this Httle book is designed to be fundamental. It should result in advantage to the Individual, the Family, the Church, the State and the Nation. Its purpose is to present to the mind of the consecrated worker, the larger meaning of the petition in the Lord's Prayer, — "Thy Kingdom Come." Its philosophy is, — that, it is the aggregate of all right teaching in the past, together with the pouring out of the vials of God's wrath, that has procured for us all that is desirable in our present civilization: and, it will require the aggregate of all right teaching in the future, together with the pouring out of the remainder of God's wrath, to usher in the Kingdom of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Its belief is, that, if all professing Christians, in true loyalty to Christ, would immediately accept its teaching, and in every sphere of human life and activity, act accordingly: the world would at once be dazzled, with the first gush of the resplendent light of the dawn of the Millennial day. The purified — united Church of Christ, — is the great angel, that has the power to bind Satan in our great country, within the brief time-limit of any given period of twelve months. Let him that readeth say, "amen" : "so it shall be."

Chapter I

DIFFERENT KINDS OF GOVERNMENT — TOGETHER WITH THE LOGICAL NATURAL DIVISIONS OF SCRIPTURE.

Civil Government is the science or polity that gives direction to matters of legislation, administration and judiciary decisions — touching the domestic, the educational, the industrial, the moral and the social interests of the people of a Commonwealth, State or Nation.

There are many forms of government and each particular form or kind is logically and naturally entitled to a corresponding basis. In the use of approximate language we will mention five kinds of government.

First: — There is The Pagan Form of Government— where the interests, usages, mstitutions and customs of the people do rest upon and are directed from a purely pagan basis. The recent Boxer Uprising in China furnished to the world a suitable exhibition of the nature and character of the pagan form of government. The more enlightened world-powers, however, have vigorously emphasized their disapproval of the conduct of this lower type of government.

Second : — There is The Semi-pagan Form of Government, where pagan institutions, usages and customs give way to Christian civilization as rapidly as the Christ-life is breathed into the people. The little Island Kingdom of Japan in the Far East is a suitable example of this kind of government. We believe, however, that the more advanced students of Bible ethics, as applied in matters of civil government and politics, cannot be fully satisfied with the present advancement of Christian civilization in the progressive little kingdom.

Third: — There is The Secular Form of Government— where the people once being enlightened,— ^but by apostasy have fallen into atheism,— the attempt is made to eliminate every Christian feature, usage, institution and custom, from the life of the State and Nation. The government of France during the Reign of Terror did put herself on record, as the most perfect exhibition of Christless government to be found in the annals of history. "In the day when God inquireth after blood:" — "The souls from under the altar," will cry out against all those who helped foist it upon the people.

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Fourth: — There is The Semi-secular Form of Government, where the institutions, usages and customs of a country become secular, as rapidly as the Christ-life is eliminated from the Hfe of the people. The German Empire to-day, comes into view as a suitable example of this form of government. * * * It is from this country, that many of our post-graduates return to join the ranks of the so-called Higher Critics, or to become the open allies of the "American Secular Union."

Fifth: — There is The Christian Form of Government, where all the institutions, usages and customs of the country, do securely rest upon, and are directed from, a definite and undeniable Christian basis. The government of the United States and of Great Britain are often spoken of as suitable types of this form of government. But, when we consider the many hurtful institutions, usages and customs that are established, fostered and encouraged by measures, called statutes and laws : we fearlessly assert, that these great world-powers, boasting as they do of their higher civilization and free institutions, are scarcely more than Semi-Christian. The nearest approach to Christian Government was on splendid exhibition during the latter years of the reign of king David, and during the first years of the reign of king Solomon, over The Great Theocracy of God's Covenant People — Israel.

The Bible is logically and naturally divided into four parts.

First: — very large portion of the Inspired Book was written for the direction of the family. Herein is given the most mmute direction to fathers and mothers and sons and daughters in the home. And if the instruction, so complete in every detail, thus given to the individual members of the household, be strictly observed and obeyed, it will result in the development of the Ideal Family.

Second: — Another very large portion of the Bible was inspired of God, for the direction of the individual members of society, as to social conduct and manners. "The Golden Rule," appears to be the briefest intelligible digest of the mind of Christ for the direction of men in the vast sphere of social relationships and conditions. If all men could be instructed to thoroughly understand and fully obey the aggregate of the teaching of the Holy Spirit touching this momentous question, it would result in Ideal Socialism.

Third : — Another very large portion of the Sa-

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cred Writings was inspired of God for the direction of men in their relationship to Christ and the Church. In this marvelous division of Scripture— the Invisible Church — the Bride, the Lamb's Wife, is instructed how to adorn herself for her husband. In the immeasurable fullness of its meaning — the entire Church of Christ — is fully furnished as to the important matters of doctrine, worship, discipline and government.

Fourth: — It is estimated that nearly one-half of the entire Bible was inspired of God for the direction of men in the civil sphere. In this larger division of Scripture, frequent mention is made of judges, rulers, princes, kings, countries, nations and kingdoms. Those in authority are designated as the ministers of God to the people for good and never for evil.

"The God of Israel said. The Rock of Israel spake to Me; One that ruleth over men righteously, that ruleth in the fear of God, He shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, a morning without clouds ; when the tender grass springeth out of the earth, through clear shining after rain.' "

This is the Divine order and who in unpardonable presumption, will be responsible for the reversal of the same? We live in a day and age, when we are resolved by the authority and power of the Spirit of the Father and the Son, to apply this division of Scripture to the conduct of men in the sphere for the which it was Divinely and incontrovertibly intended. Verily, if this portion of the Bible be not applied according to the Divine purpose, for the instruction and direction of the citizenship of countries and the rulers thereof, it must remain forever without a mission. If we suffer this important division of Scripture to be relegated from the sphere of its application, by those who presumptuously play with the determinate purpose of God, our so-called Higher Critics may then, indeed, take a sharp scalpel and by legitimate surgery sever it from sacred connection and bury it with the obsolete.

When the four logical natural divisions of Scripture given for the instruction and direction of the Family, Business and Social life, the Church and the State, are properly understood and obeyed by an ever-increasing circle of the disciples of Christ, the increased activities of the same in all lines of reformatory work will result in the promotion of the domestic, the educational, the industrial, the moral and social welfare of all the people. A more enlightened citizenship will then come to understand the truth,

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II that, so long as a government will continue by hostile measures and enactments to mar, wound or crucify any one, or all of these vital interests of society, she ceases to be truly Christian, and must remain unworthy of the franchise of a Christian people. The entire Christian citizenship of the country must not only come to know that the law of Christ is of universal application; but to labor with untiring zeal and energy to indelibly impress the mind of the general public with the other fact, — that there is no sphere of human activity where man may escape the penalties which are to be inflicted for the violations of the same. Through the heralding of God's truth and the pouring out of the vials of His wrath, the entire race must eventually come to know that there is no sphere of human activity where man may pass from under the authority of the royal scepter of King Jesus. Regenerate men, in possession of the full splendor of the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, are willing and loyal subjects in His vast domain ; while the vulgar, the profane and the unregenerate are subjects in rebellion. When the Divine purpose of the Father, as to the advent of Christ, shall have been fully achieved, the Son of God — the Providential Governor of the Universe — will rule the kingdoms of this world on a definite plan. When the full import of the meaning of the petition in the Lord's Prayer, "Thy Kingdom Come/' shall be fully understood and obeyed, Christ will be enthroned in the hearts of all the people. He will give direction to the domestic, the educational, the industrial, the moral and social interests of a redeemed race. "He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, And from the River unto the ends of the earth. Yea, all kings shall fall down before Him; All nations shall serve Him."

The supreme motive of love to Christ should lead all Christians in the exercise of the higher patriotism, to labor with untiring zeal and energy in the promulgation of the doctrine of the mediatorial and universal authority of the once crucified, — but now risen, glorified and exalted Redeemer. We have discovered, moreover, that it is the imperative duty of all men in every sphere of human activity, as soon as they receive instruction, to render willing obedience to every requirement of the Law of Christ, in order that they may continue to be civil.

CHAPTER IL

A DEFINITE AND UNDENIABLE CHRISTIAN BASIS OF GOVERNMENT, TOGETHER WITH IMPOR- TANT DEFINITIONS AND STATEMENTS OF PRINCIPLES.

Christian Government — together with every Christian institution, usage and custom is logically and naturally entitled to rest upon a Definite and Undeniable Christian Basis. The Christian Family, the Christian Church and the Christian Nation are all entitled to rest upon such a basis, and it is illogical, as well as unnatural, that any such institution should be required to rest upon any other basis. The day is coming, moreover, when a Christian people will be filled with amazement at the thought of the advocacy of any other for a single moment. It cannot be expected that a secular people will tolerate for a single decade a Christian basis of government, and it should be regarded as preposterous, that a Christian people should tolerate for a single decade a secular basis of government. Absolute chemical opposites have no true affinity. Oil and water do not mingle; fire and water are enemies and when brought into conflict there can be no quarters, one or the other must yield and finally succumb. A similar law prevails as to the spiritual chemistry of Bible ethics, when applied to this question. The word which first came down from heaven in the days of the great Apostle, having descended through the ages, is still ringing in our ears to-day : —

"Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers: For what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? or what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what portion hath a believer with an unbeliever? and what agreement hath a temple of God with idols? for ye are a temple of the living God; even as God said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them ; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Wherefore come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, And touch no unclean thing ; And I will receive you. And will be to you a Father, And ye shall be to me sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."

In the discussion of this fundamental subject we will strive to attain to the utmost simplicity and plainness. The Lord Jehovah at one time,

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instructed His prophet to write the lesson on tables, as did the Angel of the Covenant on Mount Sinai, and make it plain that the person running in the world's dizzy whirl of business might be able to read the same. Following this suggestion, we humbly and prayerfully entreat that God's great army of Christian workers may carefully ponder the following definitions and statements of principles, together with the succeeding diagram :

Christian Government — is the science or polity that gives direction to matters of legislation, administration and judiciary decisions, touching the domestic, the educational, the industrial, the moral and social interests of the people of a Commonwealth, State or Nation, in accordance with the ''Golden Rule," the "Sermon on the Mount" and the "Teaching of the Decalogue."

It is in conflict with the mind of Christian Citizenship and antagonistic to the Christian Basis of Government, to continue to tolerate legislative enactments which are found to be either in direct or indirect conflict with the Law of Christ.

A Christian Citizen can never be justified in assuming an official position, where in the inaugural oath, calling upon Almighty God for asi6 CHRISTIAN GOVERNMENT sistance, he is sworn to administer iniquitous measures which are in direct conflict with the Law of Christ.

All legislative enactments which are found to be in perfect conformity to the Law of Christ are laws in fact, whilst all statutory enactments which are found to be in conflict with the same are not laws at all. They are Infamous Measures.

All legislative enactments which are in perfect conformity to the Law of Christ, when executed, administered and enforced will result in "The greatest good to the greatest number;" whilst all those measures which are in conflict with the Law of Christ will result in the greatest ill to the greatest number.

All legislative enactments which are found to be in perfect conformity to the Law of Christ, when executed, administered and enforced, will not only tend to promote that which is right, but will of necessity prohibit that which is wrong; whilst all those measures which are in direct conflict with the Law of Christ, when executed, administered and enforced, will not only tend to promote that which is wrong, but will of necessity prohibit that which is right. This principle is in perfect conformity to Blackstone's Definition

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of Law, viz., "Law is that which is enacted by the supreme power of the State, commending that which is right and prohibiting that which is wrong." It is also in perfect conformity with his other valuable statement, viz., "That is not law which conflicts with the Law of God." Moreover, it is also in perfect conformity with the mind of the Supreme Court of the United States, as is expressed in the following language (after calling to mind the more recent declaration of the Supreme Court,) that, 'This is a Christian Nation:" our minds naturally revert back to a former glorious declaration of this same great tribunal that, "No legislature can bargain away the public health, the public morals and the public safety. The people themselves may not do it, much less their servants. Government was organized with a view to their preservation, and cannot divest itself of the power to provide for them."

The Officers of State, in a Christian Republic, no matter what their party affiliations may be, should be made to understand that they are the public servants; and that all acts of legislation, administration and judiciary decisions shall be in perfect conformity to the Law of Christ, as provided for in a Christian basis of government.

i8 CHRISTIAN GOVERNMENT

The officer or citizen in a Christian Republic, who will barter or sell the righteous and independent use of his franchise, or who will purchase the franchise of another, should either be deported or disfranchised for life.

May "The True Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world,** shine upon these pages, and enable the author to so indelibly write the lesson on the mind of every reader, that it may serve God's unerring purpose and never be forgotten. Selah * * * Pause * * * Pray * * * Consider. We are now prepared to enter upon a careful study of the following Diagram.

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Chapter III. Relationship Of Different Orders Or Kinds Of Law

In a careful analysis of this diagram, we will strive not only to attain to a demonstration of the Christian Basis of Government, but we will also labor to furnish to our readers an accurate analysis of the relationship of the different orders or kinds of law as it exists in God's plan, and as it will be received by all nations, peoples, kindreds and tongues, "when the Lord Jesus, shall take unto Him His great power and reign." The genius of the skilled mechanic, as to method of procedure in the construction of the edifice or temple, beginning with the foundation and finishing with the dome, in accordance with law ; is but faintly suggestive of the more delicate laws of the spiritual mechanics, which are to be employed by the disciples of Christ in the establishment of the kingdom of heaven upon earth.

Beginning at the bottom of this diagram we will now bound its lower section, and after reading all that is written therein we announce the same to be:

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LAW OF THE FIRST ORDER.

The First Table of the Law is the Perfect Bill of God's rights ; and the Second Table of the Law is the Perfect Bill of Human Rights. In reference to the First Table of the Law, the devout Christian will be ready to concede that there is no sphere of existence to which the rights of God do not extend. Jehova-Jesus, — known as the Angel of the Covenant in the days of Moses, — is the Divinely Appointed King. He is seated upon His great throne in the heavens; He is the author of this law ; He is the Mediatorial Channel of all righteousness ; He is the irresistible dispenser of all providences. His dominion is over angelic hosts, and over the spirits of just men made perfect. His authority extends to all creatures of earth, to every vicissitude of the animal, vegetable and mineral kingdoms. It extends to all things animate and inanimate, material and immaterial. It reaches to the lowest depths of hell, and binds with everlasting chains all devils and the souls of unredeemed men. We know that Queen Victoria had a long, glorious and peaceful reign; but she never dispensed a providence resulting in that peace. She was but a feeble instrument in the providential administration of this King. We are addressing persons in the mortal state, however, and it is our intense desire to indehbly impress upon the mind of every rational creature of earth, the important lesson of man's accountability to Christ and His Law. We would especially urge upon all those who love God with perfect love, that they do strive to keep the First Table of the Law inviolate. We beseech all men, moreover, that they hold themselves as under law, and accountable to Christ in every sphere of human life and activity. We would impress all men with the fact that it is their imperative duty as well as their highest privilege to love God with all their heart, soul, strength and mind all the time and everywhere. And men cannot love God with such supreme affection, unless they do willingly strive to keep the First Table of the Law.

The All-Wise Law Giver arranged the principles of the Decalogue in a perfectly logical and natural order. The arrangement is the unmistakable manifestation of the wisdom of God for the promotion of duty and the prevention of sin. The order of the arrangement may neither be transposed nor reversed. Whosoever would change the Divine order will directly prove his own fallibility in tampering with the wisdom of the Infallible. The First Commandment is first in order and first in place, because it moves the Christian father and mother to direct the first dawning of the intelHgence of the child to the one living and true God, as the supreme object of love, devotion and adoration. This is God's method of anchorage to the succession of Christian generations, to keep them from drifting into secularism or back into paganism. The Angel of the Covenant knew full well that if the children could be instructed from generation to generation to know, love, adore and continually worship the three one God, it would not only result in the preservation of Christian civilization from the ruinous and blasting curse of secularism ; but it would continue to hold a once enlightened people from lapsing again into paganism. If we may thus be quickened and moved by the power of the Holy Spirit, to train the children of the coming generations in accordance with the teaching of the First Commandment, it will render them forever secure against the violations of the Second Commandment. With grace in the heart, and with such training, the children of the King will never be found making idols, neither will they be found bowing down to worship the same. When all the people shall thus be schooled into loyal obedience to the First and Second

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Commandments they will then willingiy strive to keep the Third Commandment ; and joy be to the world, when the blatant voice of the vulgar and the profane shall be hushed in all our borders! O happy day; when the names, titles, attributes, ordinances, works, and worship of God shall come to be revered by all men in the coming higher Christian civilization! If by a miracle of grace, we may thus be enabled to school all men everywhere and all the time from the supreme motive of love to God and Christ, to keep the First, Second and Third Commandments in exact accordance with the Divine order ; we will joyfully discover that they have already been schooled into loyal and perfect obedience to the Fourth Commandment. They will ever be on exhibition. * * * "They will be living epistles known and read of all men." * * * They will be the living verities of the wisdom of God in thus schooling men to "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy," in harmony with the exact order of the arrangement of the principles of the First Table of the Law, in the impartation of the lessons that begin with the First Commandment and end with the Fourth. This is the logical natural method of the teaching. It is the God given method of schooling men into true loyalty to Christ and the Sabbath. Moreover, if we may thus succeed in bringing all men into perfect obedience to the First Table of the Law, they will never cease to own, and publicly recognize the Mediatorial Authority of King Jesus. They will then be willing in every sphere of life and activity to recognize the perpetual and binding authority of the matchless and unerring Law of Christ. O happy Day, when such a reformation shall have been achieved ! The Christian people will then unite in alleluiahs of praise to the great Law Giver for the efficacious advantages that will ever be accruing to an advancing civilization, from the constantly increasing number of persons who are being schooled into due respect to the perfect bill of God's rights, as contained in the First Table of the Law.

A certain lawyer once came to Jesus desiring to assist the Jewish Rabbis and Pharisees in entrapping Him in His language, that they might arraign Him before Caesar. In this attempt the lawyer asked the Saviour the fundamental question.

"And behold, a certain lav/yer stood up and tempted Him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life ? And He said unto him, What

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is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind ; and they neighbor as thyself. And He said unto him, Thou hast answered right; This do, and thou shalt live."

The answer of the lawyer was given in a single sentence containing two propositions. It was the embodiment of the entire teaching of the First and Second Tables of the Law. Love to God and love to man is all that we find in the Decalogue, and it is all that we find in the Gospel. Thus the Law is merged into the Gospel and love is the fulfillment of both. Jesus knew full well that if we could prevail upon all men to love God supremely, they would strive earnestly to keep the principles of the First Table of the Law, in the exact order of their occurrence. He knew also, that if we could prevail upon all men to love their neighbors as themselves, they would strive to keep the commandments in the Second Table of the Law, in the exact order of their occurrence. In a careful study of the Second Table of the Law we discover again the infinite wisdom of the Divine arrangement. As it is, regarding the arrangement of the principles in the First Table of the Law, so it is regarding the arrangement of the principles in the Second Table. The order of the arrangement may neither be reversed, transposed or displaced.

The great Law Giver knew with what principle to begin, and with what principle to end in each, for the better promotion of duty and for the better prevention of sin. Tn the study of the principles of the Second Table of the Law, the place to begin is in the family, and the time to begin is with childhood. It was the plainly evident purpose of the Great Law Giver that Christian parents should instruct their children first of all to love God, the Great Parent of all, supremely ; and after that to love father and mother and sister and brother with true filial affection resulting in reverential obedience. The embodiment of this truth is seen both in the spirit and letter of the Fifth Commandment, which is the First Commandment in the Second Table of the Law, as well as the First Commandment with a promise resulting from obedience. It is in the family that children must have imparted to them the first lessons of submission to the rightful authority of their superiors. Children must be instructed from the standpoint of filial love and obedience, to reverence father and mother and

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sister and brother, in order that they may respect the rights of superiors, inferiors and equals in the larger sphere of citizenship upon which they are destined soon to enter. This is God's method in the evolution of the social conscience, in schooling men into respectful obedience to rightful authority. They are thus prepared for entering upon the larger sphere of industrial life and citizenship. They are thus trained to respect the life and property rights of others. They are thus educated away from secularism, scepticism, atheism, paganism and covetousness which is idolatry. They are thus educated away from anarchy. Indeed this is the only way to extirpate anarchy. This is the God-given method of protecting a man's pocketbook, and when you protect a man's pocketbook, you protect his life. If we may thus succeed in educating the children of the successive generations to respect God and parental authority in accordance with the First Commandment in each table of the law, we shall have succeeded in schooling them into loyal obedience to every other commandment in the Decalogue. Christian fathers and mothers, as you love home and country, we plead that you get back to the old-time method of training your children in the nurture, fear and admonition of the Lord; and that in the adding of "Une upon Hne, and precept upon precept," the children of the entire nation may speedily be brought into due respect to parental authority. The miraculous exercise of the grace of God in the hearts of men, will eventu- ' ally bring the world into loyal obedience to the Law of Christ as outlined in the Ten Commandments, and, such consummation of all right teaching will result in the perfection of the domestic, the educational, the industrial, the moral and social welfare of all the people. The Lord Jesus Christ can require no more than this concerning the inhabitants of this world, and the Christian citizenship of this entire country should demand no less. We plead for such an evolution of the social conscience. We plead for the universal recognition of the Perfect Law of Liberty in the paramount interests of universal manners and morals. We plead for such universal recognition of the Law of Christ in the interests of civil deportment ; for, no man ever yet committed either a civil or criminal offense which did not result either in a direct or indirect violation of one or more principles of the Decalogue. Thus, we introduce to the world the incontrovertible —