Internationalism and World Union
ONE of the most strongly pronounced sentiments is that favoring world organization and a world combine. In a recent speech in Pennsylvania, former president Taft expressed the belief that when the present struggle in Europe is ended, "the evident trend of international public opinion will be toward a universal league whose interest in the maintenance of universal peace will make them recognize the advantage of a union against war." Mr. Bryan suggests an international conference, following the war, to arrange for international peace, "a united church to aid nations in preventing wars." The idea of such an international union is sounding from many pulpits, and the press is full of it. It will be brought about, without much question, possibly with whirlwind rapidity, immediately following this war. But in the heart of this sentiment in favor of international union and combination is the thought that the church must take a stronger part than it has ever had. There is a revolution away from the atheistic sentiments of the past generation, and toward the church idea. In one of his recent speeches, Mr. Taft made "a plea for world peace with the" A great many people are making the mistake of believing that this shows that the world is getting better, and that religious sentiment is growing. There may be, indeed, a very rapid increase of a certain sort of religious sentiment, and it may be labeled "Christianity"; but we should not make the mistake of regarding it as such in reality. This world is about to try the experiment over again of placing the church in the lead in settling the problems and difficulties of the age. Have you studied what the prophecies of the Bible predict concerning this experiment? Have you read the story as foretold in the book of Revelation, of how all the world would wonder after the beast, and that all, under the penalty of death, would be ordered to worship him? All the Bible prophecies point with unmistakable clearness to this as the time when the realization of this vision of the prophet will be manifested. Men will become greatly confused in these times unless they stand in the distinct light that the Bible alone gives.