OCR Text |
Show J ? A World's Concernment WHEN Christianity was first proclaimed in Rome it was met with a fury which has made a dark page in history ever since. But it gained headway under persecution and within five centuries paganism was formally banished. Even the terrible Goth, Alaric, accepted Christianity. Its growth since has taken in the civilized world. Its central stations have been in Europe; and in wonderful sermons and books learned writers and speakers have drawn glorified pictures of its progress and made estimates of the near coming of the time when all the world would accept it; when universal peace would be ushered in and nations would learn war no more. Lovingly deVout men and women have repeated the prophecy: "For unto us a 'child is born, unto us a Son Id given; and the government shall bo upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called 'Wonderful, 'Wonder-ful, Counsellor, the Mighty God; the Everlasting Father; the Prince of Peace.' " Especial emphasis has been laid upon the last four words "The Prince of Peace" as especially describing the character of Him whom all men were expected soon to bow before. Tj r But, just now, in Europe, in the very center of m ' enlightenment, awar is raging in its second year,, jj before the horrors of which the iron legions that i) Scipib and the great Julius led to victory would have recoiled in fear. I Has Christianity spent its forces and failed? f Was its mission merely to enlighten men to in- i vent new and more fearful means of destruction, ' and to so chill their sensibilities that -they, in- i stead of being shocked at war's atrocities, would A exult in them, and gloat over their accomplish- ' ments in perfecting the science of wholesale mur der? Has it not that look in Belgium, in Poland, in the bloody trenches all the way from France to Byzantium; in the deep sea beneath unsuspecting ! V ships; over fearful cities where are congregated i ( milfibns of helpless women and little children? .We can, through the pall, discern the plans 4jr of rulers who are striking for power; for the y ' rule of the land and the sea, to gain more terri- , tory and the control of the world's commerce and I Crade; but as yet we cannot, through the bloody , spray which fills the air, see what the other plan is, that which designates unseen hands to set the i stage and unheard voices to call the acts of the ? unparalleled tragedy. ft But let us hope that in its scope the purpose L' is to awaken the higher attributes of the masses; I ,,, to impress upon them the truth that inasmuch as rr When wars come their lives have to pay the ut- ' most penalties, of right they should have a voice i i in deciding whether a war "is or is not necessary; and, to impress upon all mankind the truth that, I j, while the world's history is litlo more than, a his- 1 tory of the world's wars, most of which have been utterly unnecessary, there must bo a better way than through war to settle the differences between be-tween nations; that the old prophecy may be finally fulfilled through the reign of "The Prince of Peace." |