The Medical Missionary, vol. 18
March 31, 1909
“Church Federation—IX. Federation and the Kingdom of God” The Medical Missionary, 18, 13, pp. 249-251.
ALONZO T. JONES
THE Church Federation claims to be the kingdom of God. Over and over this is stated, and throughout the proceedings it appears. The grand object of national, international, and world Federation is not only to make of each nation a kingdom of God, but to make of the whole world the kingdom of God. MEDM March 31, 1909, page 249.1
The Federation therefore emphatically and continuously disavows any purpose of wishing or even of allowing the State to establish the church or the Federation. Instead of that, the Federation declares that the church through the Federation is to establish the State. And this church-established State is to be the kingdom of God. MEDM March 31, 1909, page 249.2
And all of this is over again exactly the conception and the philosophy of the ambitious design of the church-combine of the fourth century in establishing the Roman State and so bringing in “the kingdom of God.” But instead of its being the kingdom of God in truth, it was always only a kingdom of men, and what is far worse than even that—a kingdom of men in the place of God. MEDM March 31, 1909, page 249.3
Kingdoms of men as they relate to men and the affairs of men in this world—these have a proper place in the world. They are essential for the keeping of order among the violent, and insuring safety to those who are civil and peaceable. This is “Cesar” and his place, and is recognized by the Lord as being entitled to “honor,” “custom” “tribute,” in his place. “Render therefore unto Cesar the things which are Cesar’s.” MEDM March 31, 1909, page 249.4
But for any such thing as a kingdom of men in the place of God there is no rightful place anywhere. This is the very sum and summit of all that is contrary to God. Instead of the Lord’s ever recognizing this as having any rightful place, or ever telling anybody to render anything whatever to this conception of working of things, He declares it to be “apostasy,” “the man of sin,” “the mystery of iniquity,” “the son of perdition,” “the beast,” “who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God showing himself that he is God.” And the Lord declares that all who accept, or give honor to any such thing are worshipers of the beast instead of worshipers of God. MEDM March 31, 1909, page 249.5
Of course there is no call for this Federation to erect itself into a kingdom of men relating only to the affairs and relations of men with men. This is understood by all. There is no pretense or profession other than that the Federation organization, administration, government, is to deal primarily with men and affairs and nations as relates to God. It thus distinctly and specifically proposes to stand as a kingdom or government of God to men in the place of God. MEDM March 31, 1909, page 249.6
And yet it is preeminently and in all respects a kingdom or government of men only. And its whole order and organization is modeled wholly upon the order and government of men. In it men meet together as the delegates or representatives of other men, or organizations of men. These men then appoint committees of men; form a “constitution and by-laws”; by resolution, discussion, votes, and other forms of legislation, enact other laws; and by manipulation, engineering, wire-pulling, nominating, voting, and electing, manifest the will and the ways—the politics—of men precisely as is done by men in other assemblies of men only. And if the will of God, the law of God, or God, finds any place or recognition at all in the proceedings, it is so altogether in such a subordinate way as to show only so much the more the will of men and the laws of men—the kingdom of men—in the place of God. MEDM March 31, 1909, page 249.7
The plan and order of government of the Federation is professedly patterned after that of the United States. In the Council this was several times mentioned. But like some other things said by the Council, it is not true. In this the Federation is flattering itself with a sheer fallacy and is making an utterly false show. For the sake of the case as it is and as it is to be, this should be made plain. MEDM March 31, 1909, page 249.8
1. The Federal Government of the United States was originated and accomplished not by the Congress of the United States, nor by the legislatures of the States, but by the people the United States. MEDM March 31, 1909, page 250.1
With the originating or the making of the Federal Government of the churches of the United States, the people of the churches have never had a thing to do. It was the official bodies of the denominations, and these not being instructed by the people to do so, who sent delegates to the Conference on Federation in New York City, Nov. 15-21, 1905. When this conference had decided on Federation and had adopted a constitution, what the conference had done was ratified by these same official bodies, and not by the people nor by any reference to the people. When this had been done, these, the delegates to the Federal Council in Philadelphia, December 2-9, 1908, were appointed by the official bodies of the denominations, without any choice of the people, or any reference to the people, of the denominations. MEDM March 31, 1909, page 250.2
Thus instead of the Federal Government of the churches being a government of the people of the churches, as the Federal Government of the United States is a government of the people of the United States, it is a government of a hierarchy only, and is hierarchical wholly. And instead of its being patterned after the Federal government of the United States, it is totally unlike, and is another thing altogether. MEDM March 31, 1909, page 250.3
2. The Federal government of the United States is composed of legislative, executive, and judicial coequal departments, in which the law is supreme. MEDM March 31, 1909, page 250.4
The government of the Federal council of churches is legislative; executive, and judicial, all in one, in which only the will of the assembled council or its executive committee is supreme. MEDM March 31, 1909, page 250.5
.3. In the Federal government of the United States the constitution as the supreme law, was framed, not by Congress, nor by the State legislatures, but by a convention of commissioners chosen and sent by the people. When the constitution had been framed by these commissioners of the people, it was then ratified, not by Congress, nor by the State legislatures, but by conventions of men chosen and instructed by the people. Thus the constitution of the United States was, and ever is, the expected will of the people as the supreme law binding and guiding the legislative, executive, and judicial agencies of the government; and these are all subject to the people, and are to be called subject to the people, and are to be called to account and corrected by the people, if they disregard the will of the people, as expressed in the supreme law, the written will of the people. MEDM March 31, 1909, page 250.6
In the government of the Federal Council of Churches, neither the people nor any agencies of the people ever had anything to do with the constitution; their condition constitution was framed by themselves, to be a “check” upon themselves, and to protect themselves from themselves. And in order that it shall be absolutely subject to themselves, they make ample provision for amendment of it by themselves whenever they choose. MEDM March 31, 1909, page 250.7
And such a centralized, hierarchical, wilful thing as that they will pretend is patterned after the Federal government of the United States that is a government of law, of the people, by the people, and for the people! It is but a figment of hierarchical imagination, and in truth is not patterned after anything in the world—outside of the papal system. MEDM March 31, 1909, page 250.8
But far worse than this, they think of such a thing as that as the kingdom of God!! It is not even a sensible kingdom of men. But as a kingdom, a government, a rule, of men in the place of God, it is very fitting. Under cover of a “constitution” it enables the to assert their own will to the utmost limit, and if anybody calls in question their seIf-assertion, to throw upon him the odium of “disregard of authority,” “opposed to organization,” “disrespect for the kingdom of God,” “rebellion,” “anarchy.” MEDM March 31, 1909, page 250.9
It would seem that if they had any kind of fair idea or just conception of the kingdom of God as the kingdom of God, and not of men in the place of God, they ought to be able to think that God is King, Sovereign, and Governor, and is government and laws, would be all-sufficient in His kingdom, without any of the puny and puerile “laws,” or senseless “constitutions,” or hierarchical wilful “governments” of men; passed off as those of God. MEDM March 31, 1909, page 250.10
However, when such a system as that is built up and demand is made that it shall be accepted by all the people as the kingdom of God, it certainly is high time that upon the part of all the people there should be a prayerful and devout study of the kingdom of God in truth, as it is revealed in his Word. MEDM March 31, 1909, page 251.1
Next week we will study the kingdom of God as it is as the kingdom of God. MEDM March 31, 1909, page 251.2