Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-06-06

peace is a demand for the dismissal of
all the international police in order that
the strongest nations may do what they
please with the weakest. peace aris-
ing from the withdrawal of military
Frorce in order to allow commercial force
to inflict on the helpless whatsoever in
jury it might choose would be a peace
offensive to heaven and destructive to
earth. 1t could not and would not and
should not be endured by mankind.
Another matter which is preliminary
to universal peace is the worldwide 40
ceptance of a standard of right by which
to try the conduct of both individuals and
nations. What shall 1t be, christian or
heather? Confucian ethics will not be
acceptable to christian nations; that was
made manifest by the "extra-territorlal-
ty" laws and courts which were set up In
China and Japan years ago, and which
are maintained in China until the present
time The Christian nations say by
these laws and courts I'VE will not suf-
fer our nationals to be tried by judges
having no higher sense of justice than
your heather system of morals develops
In like manner the Federal government
has given Mormonism to understand that
its standard of Morals concerning mar
rage and the home shall not have a
place in the Republic. No more would
our nation endure the ethics of Moham-
mechanism. From these examples 1t is
evident that civil laws rest, and must
rest on moral bases. The philosophers
of Ancient Greece perceived this truth,
and treated ethics and political economy
as branches of the same great subject.
International law, like civil law, must
I,oY
Christian ethics or heather ethics? In
Tennysons vision of peace he saw the
kindly earth" at rest 'lapt in universal
law" But ca any law, other than the law
of life in Christ Jesus ever be universal?
If the Christian nations consent to ac-
cept a lower standard, they would con-
sent thereby to do less than they know
is right, or in other words to relapse in
that degree into heathenism: can they
afford such a relapse in order to obtain
so good q thing as peace even? On the
other hand are all the nations ready to
cast away their low system and come
ub to the high level of christian moral
ity? If not then it is manifest that
Christian truth must dominate the mind
of the world before permanent peace can
prevail throughout the earth, and 1t Is
clear that the missionaries. who are car
rying to all the benighted nations of the
pldu6L the lIQNn do II 10 ~ oSSASS -
the men who are laying the only posi-
BILE foundation for universal peace. A
worId-conscience must be created before
there can be a world-confederation, and
the messenger of the Christ in all lands
are doing the most and the best that is
being done to make such conscience.
They are the peacemakers among the ma
tions because they are the ambassadors
of the Prince of Peace. The sentiment
=. f1 no Yr.nr "a
prevalent and powerful in the earth than
the Christianity from which it is sprung.
Many men accept the sentiment of peace
who are not avowed Christians, but it
is because they have not been able to es-
cape utterly the influence of the religion
of peace which they project; from a
christian atmosphere they have imbibed
influences which have colored, If they
have not perfectly controlled their lives.
1t follows from all this that the only
reasonable ground to hope for the reali-
cation of the dream of universal peace
is in the spread of Christian truth among
all peoples and nations A machine-made
peace will not,-can not,-endure. The
evil spirit, of war can not be cast out of
the heart or the world by the selfish
spirit of commerce, nor by the subtle
spirit of diplomacy Only Christ is able
to exercise this bloody demon. He may
30 IOFln IOT u SSktSOn inc COAAilSAA0 VI
earthly poweEs fbut in a little time he
will return whence he went out and find
his place swept and garnished for his
coming hack to his former habitation.
aud then will he take with him seven
other more evil than himself,-avarice,
ambition, luxury, RIGHTEOUSNESS, coward
ice cruelty, and injustice, land the last
state of the world over which he has
reigned so long will be worse than the
first.
Only Christ can command the peace in
all the world. Only when He judges be-
tween many peoples, and decides in
righteousness concerning nations afar
off, will they consent to beat their swords
into plowshares- and their spears into
pruninghooks, to lay aside their swords,
and learn war no more. micah iv;3).
This the poet and king, David, saw: I'm
his days shall the righteousness flourish
and abundance of peace till the moon be
no more" (Psalms lxxIi:O. In the same
strain sang our own LongfeHow centu-
ries after the times of David and Solo
mon:
Down the dark future, through long
generations
The echoing sounds grow fainter ard
then cease;
And like a bell, with solemn, sweet vi
brations,
I hear once Ilore the voice of Christ say
Peace.