A One-Man Power

And he said, “Woe unto you also, [ye] lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers. Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.  Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres”. (Luke 11:46-48 [KJV])

A One-Man Power

…is not Christian, not Constitutional.

The Dismantling of the Republic

Can true freedom be found under the dictates of one man or the “combine”?

We pause to define “spirit of combine, or combine”.  In every boardroom in America and universally, there is always one individual who has a dominant spirit and the other members learn early not to cross that person.  Most decisions are made to benefit that one mind. The majority of people in position of trust whether it be a local office or the presidency are followers and lack the conviction to directly confront and stand on principles of truth.  Therefore, many decisions that are made are the result of a few or the most dominant of the lot. That one person and their paid sycophants will bend and twist facts until they have their way.  That is “the spirit of combine”. COMBINE: To unite, agree or coalesce.

The quote made by Lord Acton, truly stands out, “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely…”  This fact cannot be controverted.  God’s words in Jeremiah 10: 23 are very clear. “O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps”. Dependence upon God and God alone is the only true freedom and safety, not with any other human person or the “combine”.

One of the worse mistakes that is made by nations is to entrust its democracy and freedom to lawyers.  By nature the law profession code is the end justifies the means. Regardless of how egregious an act is, lawyers find reason to justify it.  Consequently, laws are interpreted to benefit the few, mainly the wealthy.

“Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered”. (Luke 11:52 [KJV])

I came across a book entitled “One Man Power” by A. T. Jones and it held my attention, especially the first few pages. In reading this small book, of only six pages, some interesting connections were made in my mind about the world as it is today in light of Covid-19. How many things have changed within the last 18 months and despite what some may hope for, will never really resort to the “normal” that once was. We now have the phrase, “new normal”.

Here are the opening paragraphs:

“TO-DAY many remarkable things are occurring, and so openly before the eyes of all that every thoughtful person is compelled to query, what do these things mean? One, among the most remarkable of these remarkable things of to-day, may be best defined as the universal spirit of combine. Everywhere, among all classes, and in all lines of effort, there prevails this spirit of combine. OMP 1.1

This spirit of combine is not merely an extension of the sound principle of cooperation or unity of action of individuals acting collectively toward a common purpose. It is not, in any sense, the principle of cooperation of unity of action of individuals acting as such, collectively toward a common purpose. It is instead the principle of one mind, of one individual, dominating all others possible, and using all these to the one purpose of that one mind or individual. OMP 1.2

This truth and this distinction are demonstrated in the universally-known fact that the first effect of this spirit is to deny, to override, and to crush out, all right and all freedom of the individual; as instanced in the trust, whether it be the Standard Oil Trust, the Steel Trust, or a fruit trust. Whatever business is may be that is comprehended in the trust, no individual is allowed to do anything in that line of trade except as the servant of the trust, and absolutely subject to the dictation of the trust. If the “combine” takes the form, not of the trust as such, but of the labor union, then no individual is allowed to work, except as the servant of the union and under the absolute dictation of the union.” OMP 1.3

How does our Heavenly Father view freedom? The issue for us as professing Christians is, will we give God the rightful place in our lives or will we serve the combine? Read on…

“Another effect, and the direct logic of the combine, is a one-man power. This is to-day manifest on every hand; the head of the trust can dictate daily what the whole people shall pay for their sugar, their kerosene, their nails, etc; the head of the union can dictate just what the employer shall do, and how he shall conduct his business, or whether he shall conduct it at all. In the railroad strike of 1894, that reached from Buffalo to San Francisco. It occurred that two

governors of sovereign states could not travel on official business within their own respective states without permission of the one-man head of the strike combine, who dominated from Chicago the greater part of the whole country of the United States. OMP 3.1

The logic of a one-man power is always a despotism. This is certain, because of the nature of man himself. And it has proved so universally true that it is universally understood. Indeed, it was the character of the rule of the man who held the innocent office of despot that gave to that word its terrible meaning. OMP 3.2

The logic of a one-man power is a despotism, and it is a despotism in all relations, religious as well as other. This, too, is inevitable, because, as we have already seen, the spirit of the combine is the spirit that leads one mind to usurp the place and power of God over the minds, the rights, the persons, and the property of others, and by force compel them to his one purpose. And as it is certain that a man in the place of God will always act unlike God, it is also certain that his power will always be exerted in compelling them to do things contrary to the righteousness of God. This has been the unvarying history of it from the mighty despotism of Nimrod, the first that arose since the Flood, to be partly but growing ones of to-day. For Nimrod was not only a mighty hunter of beasts, but of men, also. He pursued and compelled men to recognize his authority in all things; they must worship as he dictated, and his example has been invariably followed. It was followed by Pharaoh, by Nebuchadnezzar, by Darius, by the Caesars, and by the Popes. OMP 4.1

It never has failed, and it never will fail, that a one-man power develops a despotism, and a despotism in religion as well as other affairs of life. And those who disregarded the spirit of the combine and maintained their individual integrity, have always been in the right, and are the true heroes of the ages. OMP 4.2

Abraham disregarded the spirit and power of the combine established by Nimrod, and maintained his individual integrity with God; and God vindicated him, called him out of it unto an eternal reward, and made him an example unto all men, “the father of all them that be of faith,” and “the friend of God.” OMP 5.1

In my bible study group, we constantly enforce that the stories in the bible are for us. For our admonition. (1 Corinthians 10:11) Not only Abraham, but as A. T. Jones, so eloquently put it…

“Moses did it in Egypt. God maintained his cause, delivered him and his whole people from it, made him the greatest legislator of all times, and took him to an eternal reward. OMP 5.2

In the face of a blazing furnace of sevenfold heat the three Hebrews did it in the presence of Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. God vindicated their course, preserved them in the midst of the fire, brought them forth unscathed, changed the king’s word, and made the circumstance a lesson to all kings and all combines forever. OMP 5.3

Daniel did it individually alone in the presence of the Medo-Persian combine and the den of hungry lions. God vindicated him, because of his “innocency” in the matter, and again made the individual an example to all men, and the circumstance a lesson to all one-man powers and combines, forever. OMP 5.4

John the Baptist did it, Jesus Christ did it, Stephen did it, all the apostles and early Christians did it, not in a “combine,” but wholly as individuals, each for himself alone, in disregard of the greatest one-man power, and so the greatest despotism, of all ancient times. OMP 5.5

John Wycliffe, John Huss, and Martin Luther did it against the greatest one-man power, and so the greatest despotism, of all time, ancient or modern. OMP 5.6

These are the ones who have kept alive liberty and the rights of mankind through the ages, and have saved the world from being engulfed long ago in the vortex of unmitigated despotisms.” OMP 6.1

“When from Nimrod onward the despotism, the combine, of a one-man power, had afflicted the world for a long series of ages, there arose a people who renounced all that as akin to it, and established a government of the people. They threw off all kingship, and declared that they needed no such figment to govern them, but that they were capable of governing themselves, and so established a government of the people, by the people, and for the people—individual self-government, the republic of Rome. They were right. The principle was sound, and the government was a grand success—while the people really governed themselves. But the grandeur of their success brought results which caused the Roman people to lose the faculty of governing themselves; and the government fell to cliques, coteries, and combines.” OMP 6.2

“…Again there was a long series of kingships expanding into empire, with their consequent tyranny, though these tyrannies were so far overtopped by the one greatest of all tyrannies—the Papacy—that they were but slightly felt in comparison. Then after that series of ages of kingships and imperialism there arose another people who cast off all kingship and established a government of the people. They declared that men are capable of governing themselves, and that, therefore, governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed. Accordingly, they established a government of the people, by the people, for the people—individual self-government, the republic of the United States. These men were right. These principles are sound. The government was a grand success so long as the people governed themselves.” OMP 7.1

“But how many of the people of the United States to-day are self-governing? And it must not be forgotten that the majority is, in effect, the government. In a government of the people, when a majority fail to govern themselves, the government is gone. In the world of business and traffic in the United States to-day, how many of the people are governing themselves in their own business?—The vast majority are governed by the trusts. In the world of labor to-day, how many of the people govern themselves?—The vast majority are governed by the unions. In the realm of government itself in the United States, in politics, how many of the people govern themselves?—Almost the whole body of them are governed by “the party,” by “the machine,” by “the boss,” and according to “the state.” OMP 8.1

It is interesting to me that what was written by Elder Jones, was written in the 1900s. We are told in the Word of God, that history repeats, Ecclesiastes 1:9. This will surely take place as we see the current climate, we are rushing headlong to meet our destiny.

“Those who endeavor to obey all the commandments of God will be opposed and derided. They can stand only in God. In order to endure the trial before them, they must understand the will of God as revealed in His word; they can honor Him only as they have a right conception of His character, government, and purposes, and act in accordance with them. None but those who have fortified the mind with the truths of the Bible will stand through the last great conflict. To every soul will come the searching test: Shall I obey God rather than men? The decisive hour is even now at hand. Are our feet planted on the rock of God’s immutable word? Are we prepared to stand firm in defense of the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus?” Great Controversy (GC) 593.2

We will have to make a choice. No middle ground. With the precious time that we do have, let us purpose in our hearts and like Joshua who said, “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve;..but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15