Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1914-12-18
THERE WILL NEVER BE AN
OTHER WAR"


sources, have you heard that state
ment within the past years? Men Of
all classes from teachers in universe
ties on down-preachcrs, missionaries
end private citizens, have believed and
said, eve will never have another
great war" Their belief was based
upon foundations. One class said that
the different nations were so thor
cughly equipped with powerful ships
ard big guns that each would be
afraid to attack the other. Another
said that this is an age of the Brother
hood of Man. We believe i'm and rec
ognize the Brotherhood-o Man the
Dry, and, they said, brother will not
again go to war against his brother.
Another said, this is the age of Il high
and noble civilization. We are far
and away from the age Of the bar
barian. We no longer believe in war.
Another said, Christian missions are
rcvolutionizing the world. Look at
the vast amounts-fabulous sums con.
tributcd to send the gospel preacher
and the Bible to the uttermost parts
If the earth. Church conventions all
over the country and the world re-
ported thousands converted, and
ether thousands begging, like the man
from Macedonia, for the gospel mes
sage.
Great Laymen's Missionary Move
mcnts held all over the country told
us that with money enough the world
would be evangelical and Christian
lied within Il generation. The Hague
Peace Conference was i'm session, do
ing its great work, to which the
world looked for the accomplishment
OF great things. All over the world
the cry of peace, peace" was heard.
All at once, with the suddenness Of
an earthquake, came the greatest war
the world has ever known, mocking
the churches and SCATTERING theories
hoary with age. Irony of fate! Not
only war, but the worst, most brutal
and barbarous and immense, springs
up and out from the very midst. Ca
thedrals and churches shelcd and
Burned, universities used as stables,
colleges and seminaries closed, mis-
sion stations shattered, women and
children beggarcd and pauperizcl.
He'll turned loose among the people
OF the highest civilization on earth by
rrofessed Christian nations, each
claiming that "heaven is on our side
And who can predict the end?
The Norfolk Virginian- Pilot, asks
will the world "be deaf to the past
and blind to the present." and we add
'to the future? The subject is too
awful, too disappointing, too discour-
aging and too big to even think about
calmly, much less write about. Hopes
PLANS, prospects have been shattered
as paper doll house would be torn by
hurricane. One hundred years from
today, perhaps longer, the baneful re-
suits of this war will be seen and felt
must rebuild its ruined structures OF
philosophy, sociology and theology
nut must wait the process of rebuild
ing until the devil has exhausted his
strength and his resources, and given
us room to build our scaffolds. A new
civilization must he built and con
structed totally unlike and different
from this which has collapsed built
upon different foundation. Preach
ers, and teachers of religions must
construct new sermons and theses
l he old ones seem not to have brought
forth anything but war and devasta-
ton and destruction. Will we be "deat
to the past and blind to the future" ?
Like Il pin-settcr, we have been set
ting up and building up structures for
the devil to knock down. We must
build no longer upon the sand but
upon The Rock. Won't we learn
wont Europe learn, that after all, tn !
Christ of the Bible is the only great
teacher, and the only great example ?
A civilization without Christ must
inevitably collapse, however highly
civilized we may become.
A christian Civilization" means n
civilization permeated by the Spirit
OF the Christ. Nothing short of it de-
serves the name or will stand the test.
Marvel not that | said unto you, we
must be born again." said the Great
Teacher to great teacher. And how
many Tor how few of us today, have
any knowledge whatever of this "new
BIRTH? Until sin and hell is exor-
cised from the hearts of men there
can never be abiding peace among in
Gividuals or nations, and no amount
or kind of human education or con-
duct will bring to a human being this
rev birth"