The Gospel of Force

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Oct 24, 1895

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 21, No. 42.

The Gospel of Force

The Gospel of Force.—It does not sound good to the Christian heart which has heard and yielded to the love of Christ through the Gospel of persuasion. It is not the Gospel of Christ, though it masquerades in his name. It is the gospel of apostasy, conscious that Christ and truth and eternity are not on its side; hence appeal to present seen forces on the field and to the principle, “Might makes right.” We see it in the clamor so widely in evidence that the nations of earth should interfere in the affairs of Russia to compel better treatment of Nihilists; in the affairs of France, to compel relinquishment of Madagascar; in the affairs of Turkey, to compel better treatment of Armenians; in the affairs of England, to compel better treatment of the Irish; in the affairs of Spain, to compel the recognition of Cuban independence, to compel toleration of missionaries in China. All these may be good in themselves, but it is a sad thing that the Christian churches should be preaching the gospel of force to accomplish what they think ought to be. The Nation, of New York, well says, in referring to an article in Harper’s by Captain Mahan, involving these very principles:—

“With so many signs of relaxed moral fiber about us, in public and in private life, it is no time to preach the gospel of force, even when the preacher is so attractive a man and writer as Captain Mahan.”

Even the great Independent catches the same fever and calls for a crusade. In its issue of October 10 it has two poems of the same import on the first page, the second of which we quote:—

“No tomb of death shall be our quest Wherein the Lord of life may rest.

“No empty sepulcher of stone Across the world makes bitter moan,

“But Christian hearts that break and bleed For our avenging pity plead.

“O brothers, for our brothers’ sake Let the crusading spirit wake!

“O Christian England, ’tis the Christ By Moslem hands is sacrificed!

“Away, away with hollow words, Now sheathe our speech, unsheathe our swords!

“God wills; the guns of Christendom Proclaim the tyrant’s doom has come!”

All this is not the Gospel of Christ nor of the Spirit. It is not Christianity which is demanding such things. It is not Christianity which is arming the nations, building battle ships, drilling the boys and girls of our Sunday schools, all in the name of the Prince of Peace. Grant, we believe, tersely said, “War is hell.” It is. It may compel, but it will never win the nations for Christ, nor usher in the millennium of peace. It is an indication of the spirit that is fast possessing the hearts of the people of the earth, because Christ, with his Gospel of self-denial, meekness, and love, is shut out.