The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-03-21
WAR THE DAILY THEME
A Question of Great Import for
the New Generation to Study.
SPAIN AND THE GOSPEL
Christianity Cuts but Little Ice With
That Decaying Old Nation-Opinions
Handed Down From the Pull
pit-Historical Facts.

The spirit of war has invaded every
household in the United States, n to-
day the rising generation is confronted
with a question of great Importance.
No since the rebellion las there
been such intense feeling, and
the all-absorbing topic is war. 1t is
being discussed in the workshop, the
mine, store, office, by the fireside, on
the highways, byways, in schools, lob
bies, on the street corners. in the
woods, on the ranges and in the pull
pit. Last evening Rev. Mr.. Custer of
the Methodist church spoke on the re-
lation of Cuba and Spain 10 the pres
ent state of Christian civilization. He
took for his text. Think not that / am
come to sen peace upon earth. L
come not to e peace, but a sword
Matthew, 10, "a. He said:
THE one great difficulty in under
standing the Bible is in failing to see
hat IL speaks of all the future in the
present tense. Christ was to be the
Prince of Peace. but the new principles
and the truth he uttered and the king
dom he established made conflict nee
essary and war between the old and
the new. Christianity aroused and built
up a new conscience, and then came
the sword because human greed would
not let go of the slave without the
sword, and in this name he came to
send the sword: but after the sword
shall have done it's work shall come
the universal reign of peace.
The only just way to judge the
word of God and Gods providential
government is to stand upon the great
peak of the past eternity. and, looking
over the entire field of time. see the
great peaks of the coming eternity, and
with faculties and vision infinite judge
- 4. II . 81 & 9 - 80
no be done, then obedience is better.
In studying Spain it will be well for
us to go back very far, for only thus
can we arrive at a just conclusion. 1t
il true hat the gospel was sent to
Spain, but it never had much hold upon
the nation. The Bible has never been
read there to any appreciable extent.
Those Mohammedan adventurers over
ran the nation, and they, with their
corrupt religion, colored it all and gave
il it's fatal trend. Turke. in Asia and
Spain in America have both had about
the same spirit, n that spirit has
come from the accused Koran and the
career of Mohammed. Spain has never
known mercy: neither did Mohammed.
Either the Koran or the sword was his
battle cry. Spain has been exceed
ingly sensual ever since that time. Her
sensuality flooded the new world like
dirty water, and only her debauchery
made her weak here. \ bun fight or a
low degraded opera are the things she
loves. QuiXotic literature is about the
only kind she ever produced. Her
great navigators were from other n
and the same thing is true of many of
her great statesmen, If she ever had
any. If she is to continue her horrible
cruelties it would be better for war to
be declared at once and the awful,
Notwithstanding desolation to end, just
as il would have been better for Tur-
key To have been divided up among the
nations of Europe. "A lower n more
cruel state of civilization must ever
give way to the higher, and if il give
not way without war, then war will
come.
when war shall have ceased n the
Prince of Peace shall ave made the
spear to be the pruning hook and the
sword the plowshare, then will this text
have become historical and that other
text which speaks of peace become ac-
tive, for il is now only prophetical.
When Christ comes no blood Will be
shed. When He reigns no treachery
and no hatred will exist"