p. 10 | THE FATAL OMISSION by The Friend

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Oct 10, 1900

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 26, No. 41.

THE FATAL OMISSION.

By The Friend

IT is aggressive covetousness of others, backed up by arms, that has forced the Chinese to read war between the lines of such Gospel as was preached unto them. And yet the missionaries had the opportunity, had the Christendom that sent them believed in the doctrine, to have made their learners read peace and not war; to have assured them that the undivided interest of the Christian missionary is the kingdom of One whose teaching was, "My kingdom is not of this world; if My kingdom were of this world, then would My servants fight."

While the covetous encroachment of nations has naturally, to the Chinese mind, made missions mean war, and while some missions may have taught the same thing by appealing to the military arm to sustain their foothold within the empire, yet it is not because too much of Christianity was taught that war found entrance, but rather because not enough of it was taught. If the part that is usually omitted had been consistently taught, it would have disarmed suspicion against the missionaries, at least. To this extent only,—the error of omission rather than of commission,—may we hold missionaries, along with their churches at home that taught them, responsible. Had modern Christianity faithfully represented that of the disciples of the first two centuries, whose brave answer was, "I am a Christian; therefore I can not fight," Christians need not have been understood in China, as the pioneers of gunboats and bombshells.

We do not say that Christians before savage men would invariably escape massacre by abstaining from carnal weapons and appealing to the protection of the Prince of Peace alone. Yet, as a rule, marvelous has been the protection of such as have done so. The blood of some martyrs of peace may be expected to fall to the ground as the seed of the church of the Prince of Peace. The testimony of some missionaries of such a Gospel may be blessed and confirmed by being sealed with their lives. But how soon would the carnal sword drop from hands unnerved by the sword of love in the spirit of those whom they were slaughtering! Such passive bravery for Christ's sake is courage with its eyes open. Enmity could not stand before it.

But let every breath of blame be hushed toward those volunteers for Christ who willingly took their lives in their hands to labor among a benighted people. We arraign not them but the Christendom which kept back a part from their outfit for the work—the peace-making part of the whole counsel of Christ. Was not His warning enough, when one tried to defend His cause by the sword, that a Christianity that takes the sword shall perish with the sword? Never will the free triumph of the Christian faith among the nations appear till the weapons of their warfare are not carnal.—The Friend.