Christianity Always for Peace.
The contest between Greece and Turkey over the island of Crete is a continuance of the old religious feud between the two countries. It is Mohammedanism on one side and Greek Church on the other. There is extant the common error that it is Turk against Christian, but the Scriptures teach that Christianity does not war with carnal weapons, whatever any class of people may do in its name. “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal” (2 Cor. 10:4), is the plain declaration of the Spirit of God. Christianity has been held responsible for much crime which was wholly due to fanaticism or mistaken zeal of people professing its name. For instance, it is said that the Crimean war originated in a quarrel over the custody of some rusty keys of “holy places” in Jerusalem, between Papists and Greeks. The contention was taken up by their respective protectors, France and Russia, and it required the united forces of France, England, and Italy (“Christian nations”), and the shedding of torrents of blood, to prevent Turkey from being dismembered. Whatever demands may be made in the name of Christianity, involving physical strife of any kind, true Christianity is always peaceable. “The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality [margin, “wrangling”], and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.” James 3:17, 18.