“WE believe,” says the Christian Citizen (Chicago) “the day is not distant when there will be a federation of Christian people of all creeds and denominations under some such name as Christian Citizenship League, or Christian League, with some such motto as the organization has with which we are working.”
But what have Christian people to do with “federation”? Federation is not Christian union. Christian union is unity, established and mained by the agency of the Holy Spirit. It is plainly declared in that Word which is authority to all Christians, to be even such unity and oneness as exists between the divine Father and his Son. It is a most important feature of the Christian system. Where it is lacking, there can be only a semblance of Christianity, and not Christianity itself.
Federation, therefore, does not serve the purpose of Christianity. Yet it is to hold together a “league” which claims to be Christian. But when an organization professedly Christian is held together by an earthly bond of union rather than the heavenly bond expressly provided by the Lord and set forth in his Word as indispensable for all Christians, we may be certain there is something wrong. We may be sure such a “league” is going to do something not in the line of Christian work.
We believe with the Christian Citizen that this league is coming. But when it does come, will it mark an advanced, or a retrograde, position for the churches [251] enrolled in it? And what will be its attitude toward those Christians and others who dissent from its principles and aims? The history of such combines in the past is not very reassuring to friends of the Christian cause.