BRISBANE, SEPTEMBER 25TH, 1936

BRISBANE, SEPTEMBER 25TH, 1936

My Dear Brother, — Your letters have just come to hand and I am quite concerned by their contents — that the view that ‘we cannot join up’ to a trade union is ‘not generally accepted’.

I have seen Mr. Hayward’s paper and go with it fully. The contrary view you speak of implies a surrender of the truth governing the matter. In the challenge to faithfulness we see but the finger — the body of which, the Jewish remnant and those who follow us in the testimony, will have to endure. The book of Revelation makes this plain.

Those of us who by circumstances are immune feel with our brethren who are obliged to suffer, but the latter must accept the principle of one dying for the people — the former will have their balancing share of suffering in other ways. To use a figure, those obliged to suffer are like young men compelled to go to the front in time of war; it is their lot, and ‘when will their glory fade’ will be sung of them. They have a corruptible crown, but we, who suffer for the truth, an incorruptible one. Such as suffer in the present tribulation — they are all limited — are in principle holding the ground of the truth for us all and will surely obtain a recompensing crown.

The principle of trade unionism will be in full force under the Beast and the faithful will suffer for refusing it and will be honoured of God because of this, although disregarding ‘the powers that be’. Is it not to our great discredit, as enlightened by the truth of Hebrews, etc. — the provisions made for us in suffering — to take lower ground than those who follow us in the testimony of God? However few and feeble the saints in New Zealand who take sides with God are, they furnish ‘a testimony to them’ and the ground of faith is held. God will honour them.

With love in Christ, I am,

Yours affectionately in Him,
James Taylor.

PS — I believe that a brother, when required to join a trade union, should explain his reason as before God for not doing so, quoting Scripture. It is not unlikely that if this were courageously done by all with respect and humility, those in authority would take notice of it, and under God a change might come about. Every true christian sympathises with the working man and wishes him to obtain a fair recompense for his labour, but trade unionism in principle requires that he should join it whatever his conscience, or else starve, or perhaps die by violence by its hand. Does the Government of New Zealand really understand that it is legalising the anti-christian principle?