THE WAR-PEACE CRY by W. N. G.

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Apr 14, 1898

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 24, No. 15.

THE WAR-PEACE CRY.

By W. N. G.

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the angels sang, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will toward men.” This same Jesus lived a life of unresenting peace, and finally gave His life on the cross, in order that men might have peace with God. This was all done that we might have power to keep these two commandments (on which hangs all the law of God): “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind,” and, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Notwithstanding the great price paid for peace, the fruit of which is such a high degree of love for our fellow-man, we find many popular professed ministers of peace crying out for war. Here is one declaration from a Presbyterian minister of this city:—

There are times in the history of nations when peace would be an outrage, an injustice, a cowardly exhibition of inhumanity. There are times when righteousness demands that the sword shall be drawn.

Whose “righteousness” is it that makes such demand, in the face of the commandment of God? Surely it is not the righteousness of the Prince of Peace; for under His rule, “righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” Ps. 85 : 10.

A minister of the Christian denomination expresses his sentiment on the subject as follows:—

The horrors of war are unspeakable, and it should never be engaged in without a righteous cause, and then as a last resort; but we must always remember that honorable war is better than dishonorable peace; and that at times the only way to establish the peace which love demands is through its auxiliary, war.

But what kind of war is the “auxiliary” of peace? “We [Christians] wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” For the reason that our warfare is a spiritual contest, we are to use spiritual weapons. “Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, . . . having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” Eph. 6 : 12–17. We see, then, that the sword which “righteousness demands”—not sometimes, but all the time—is the “sword of the Spirit.” This because, at all times, “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal.” 2 Cor. 10 : 4.

A Baptist minister of this city also spoke on the same day, on the question, “Shall we fight Spain?” and cited some conditions under which “we must fight.” One condition was the refusal of Spain to make “reasonable and just amends for the loss we have suffered of life and treasure in the destruction of the Maine. We must not let the destruction of that vessel and those brave men go without all the reparation it is possible for Spain to make.” Another condition was, “the refusal of Spain to cease her barbarities in Cuba.”

Now what is the cure which this minister of the Gospel of peace would offer for the “barbarities in Cuba”?—War is his panacea; yet when contemplating war he describes it as “frightful,” “brutalizing,” “terrible.” Verily the people who argue for carnal warfare as the harbinger of peace, are simply catering to the martial spirit of the world rather than furthering the cause of Him who gave His own life that there might be “peace on earth, good-will toward men.” He who is the rightful head of the Christian church, in giving His own life for “peace on earth,” never once advocated the taking of the lives of others. “The Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” This is true Christianity; this is the way to “follow peace with all men.” “And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.” James 3 : 18. All this war-peace theory is a cry of “Peace, peace; when there is no peace.” Jer. 6 : 14.

W. N. G.