The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-01-10

way, and they will adopt something easier in
their PRACTICES though they may not repu-
date entirely its truth in theory. To return
to our previous analogy, we could hardly
call a man "Republicanized' who acknow-
Iedged that doctrine of politics good, and yet
voted and moved with its opponents. Men,
as a rule. will not accept the cardinal teaoh-
ines of the Christian religion; they will not
do unto others as they would be done by;
they will not forgive man his trepasses as
fast as he wrongs them, but will defend their
rights, and nations as well as individuals
will war for them; they will not when smit-
ten on one cheek turn the other, in principle;
they will not as general thing in honor pre-
fer one to the other, but will as a rule seek
it for themselves; they will not forgive their
enemy, nor practise self-denial, or relinquish
any of their rights, but spirit of insisting
on having ones own, for justice, not grace,
will always govern mankind in general
Thirdly. We argue that the world or any
considerable portion of it cannot be Chris
tianized, from the fact that that is not the
design of the Christian religion. The Church
is for special purpose. 1t is to gather out
from among the nations a people for His
name. 1t is to form in this world a body of
peculiar people, jealous of good works. 1t
is to allow few of the Gentiles (those who
are willing to deny themselves the things
which the world values), to share in the pro-
misses made to Abraham, when David's Son
shall sit upon the throne of Israel, and be
King over all the earth. 1t was to be preached
in all nations Gas has been done) as witness
merely, of the probable fulflment of the
promise made to the fathers, but that any
considerable number of mankind will be bap-
tised into this religion, is never once limited
or contemplated in the plan. A kingdom
must of necessity have subjects as we'll as
rulers, and the Kingdom of Chrift will not be
an exception.
And fourthly. The plain words of pro-
phecy contradict the theory of the world
being Christianized. 1t seems superhuous to
refer the Bible reader to the teachings of
prophecy respecting the termination of the
present Christian age. Back as far as Haniel
il is spoken of in such words as these, "When
the transgressors have come to their full the
God of Heaven will set up kingdom, etc.,
which cannot mean the world will be Chris
tianized by the expression "when the trans
gressors have come to their full.
So Jesus predicted that this age or dispen-
sation would close amid time of trouble
and war among men such as was never before
known; besides wonders in the heavens and
wonders in the earth, such as extraordinary
waves of the sea, earthquakes in unlocked
for places also great love of war among men,
and great spiritual coldness in the Church.
which expressions are not, in our opinion,
harmonious with Christianized world. The
parallels all teach the same thing The
Church spreading as a tree, and fowls and
birds lodging in its branches. "Birds" always
in Scriptures are types of errors and of the
adversary; also the ''leaven" pervading the
meal until the whole was leavened-'leaven"
in every instance being used as a symbol
of corruption; thus Paul exhorts the infant
church to purge out the leaven that had
made its appearance among them even then;
also the ten virgins, representing the
condition of the Church at that time, when
| half of them, even, are rejected from the
marriage of the Lamb-all in utter variance
with the idea of the world being Christian
lied. Indeed, it is doubtful if that much can
then be said of the Church. st. John also,
when thrown forward in spirit into the Lord s
| day, records what he saw of what shall be
at that time. War, pestilence and famine
desolating the civilized world men so trou-
bled with the plaques of Satan that they seek
death, but it flies from them; Gods ancient
people suffering such persecution at the
hands of the GENTLE governments as was
never before heard of; and on account of still
accumulating troubles it is said that those
who then die, in the Lord, are blessed, on ac-
count of the still greater woes to come upon
the earth, the great Anti Christ, aided by
Satan, having extraordinary power over the
nations, all of which things are wholly in
compatible with Christianized world.
Therefore, we conclude that those Christ
ians who are dreaming of the world ever
being Christianized, or that it is going in that
direction, are indulging in a theory that has
no foundation in past experience, in the
design of the gospel, or in the teachings of
the Word of God, but is an opinion formed
in opposition to all evidence of every kind.