Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-10-17
Christian Citizenship.

Editor heIneDcC JOuFIldt.
The church has undertaken to save the
world today by means of Christian
Citizenship" BY this expression is
meant the application of Christian rules
of conduct by Christians to political af-
fairs.
The great trouble with the world to-
day. say the advocates of Christian
citizenship, is that Christians do not APP
ply their Christianity in public affairs
They do not at the polls, in the legisla-
ture and in public office. put their re-
ligion into practice. They allow the
government to be run very largely by
bad men upon bad principles, wnen it
might be run by good men upon Chris
tian principles.
In Christian countries good men, we
are told, are really in the majority and
could control the affairs of government
if they only would We are told that il
Christians everywhere would only wake
up and take an active interest in politics.
they could vote bad men out of office
and good men in. who would make and
enforce righteous laws. and the evils
that affiict society would soon be RENE
died.
the world, and by Christian citizenship"
this salvation is to be effected.
The cities are to be reformed. all pub
lie offices are to be filed by Christians
Christian laws are to be enacted and
enforced. and the wholesale regenera-
ton of human society is to- be brought
about.
They will admit that the old time
method of individual regeneration by
means of a change of heart. is good to
a degree, but altogether too slow for the
Gr.f.f rhAVn aad
secure Christian government and estap-
fish Christian states.
The chief trouble with this program is
that it is contrary to Scripture and to
the mind of God
Jesus Christ never commissioned his
church to save the world by means OF
christian citizenship The great gos-
pei commission says nothing about re-
forming governments and saving king
doms, but only about preaching the gos-
pei of salvation by faith.
The Bible says nothing about safvaton
by the ballot, but it does say much about
salvation by the cross of Christ.
The Bible nowhere says that saints are
to outyote the sinners and thus effect
the worlds salvation, but it does say
that true Christians are the salt OF the
earth.
men in Sodom, God would not nave DE-
stroyed the city. 1t is not necessary that
the salt should even approximate IN
quantity the bulk of the substance
WnlCn II preserves. q,
But il is necessary that the salt should
not lose it's preserving quality; If the
Christian church becomes like the wori1'
then it is no longer the salt OF the EARN
and can no longer act as preserVative.
1t can no longer save the world from the
judgement of an offended God.
For this reason God has always mani NAM,
tested more concern over the CONDITION
of his church than over the condition OF
the world IL his church is what ne
wants 1t to be, God can work through ~
with almighty power Tor the conversion
of the world. .
All God wants is the free chance &c
manifest himself to the world through
his church. But II the chufcn peooi''o -,
divine light. God is given no opportunity
| to manifest his saving power eitner &c
| the church or to the world. me sai, nS,s
| then lost it's SAVIOR, the world It's only
light This is the worst possible cohai
| ton that could arise.
The greatest danger, therefore, is no
that the world may do Wlckeoiy' pu
| that the Christian church may lose It's
| Christianity. 49,
| THE danger, in other words, is>not iron
the crimes of the wicked . put seS thai bat
i shock society, but from the respectaDit
i sins that because of their popuiari.s
! find easy entrance into the cnulc!i an.
\ there perform their deadly work o'
The danger is not from what the pub
/ iicans and sinners may DO OUTSIDE tns
L oh
aud scribes may do within the church
not not from the work of the saloon-keepers
/ and the corrupt politician, but from tht
j worldliness of church-members In sooo
i standing r.t
| Jesus Christ when he was upon eartf
made no move to reform the cities pu,
/ he did cleanse the temple of 600. rs !
not possible, nay, even probable; that
i were he on earth today, he would show
i more concern for the purifying OF th t
4 churches than for the reforming OF the
cities and the setting up or Christiai
Let the cities be cleansed. by al
4 means. Let the saloons be driven out Ut
| let philanthropic men be put IN once
But let it be remembered that it was thu
i mission of Jesus Christ, and therefor !
that it is today the mission OF ~
i church. 40 save people from sin; am
i that not Irom other peoples sins, pu
from their. own sins. yuarso,,