p. 8 | NO PERSONAL ENMITY by T.

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jul 21, 1898

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 24, No. 29.

NO PERSONAL ENMITY.

By T.

SPEAKING of the naval battle at Santiago de Cuba on July 5, an editor of a leading daily says:—

“The surrender of Cervera was a touching incident. When he came aboard an American ship, he came as a prisoner, wounded in body and spirit. An American officer met him with extended hand, and said, ‘I congratulate you, sir, on having made as gallant a fight as ever man made at sea.’ Here was chivalry. Between these men no personal enmity existed.”

No “personal enmity,” yet cruel, barbarous war forces them to stand up and madly shoot at each other with the desperate purpose of killing if possible. And some try to make themselves believe that such work is the Christianity of the Christ. Leave the thought of the battle-field and its artificial glory out of mind, and carefully study Jesus just as He is, and you will find no such cruelty in Him. “For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” Luke 9: 56.

War is the very essence of cruelty. Christianity is all gentleness and positive goodness and kindness. These facts should not become obscured by the misleading influence of any plausible sophistry. While this present evil world continues, nations will continue to resort to the sword, but Christians should keep aloof from it. They have a nobler and more important work.