The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-10-19
n A Ministers View.

Those who enjoyed the privilege Of
the meetings Of the Bible conference
conducted in Memphis during the past
two weeks we're impressed with the
ability and sincerity OF DR.. Gray
DIR, Evans, DR.. Torrey and others on
scriptural matters.
There has come into our posses
sion a copy of the Moody Bible In
stitute Monthly. containing an ar
ticle written by Dr. Gray, dean of
the school, on The League of Ma
tions and the Danger of Federation"
Dr. Gray has been training mission
aries and ministers for many years,
and believing that the public will be
interested in his Interpretation of
the league, the following extract from
the article mentioned is reproduced
as follows:
1--WE have been asked to express
ourselves on the league of nations
now that II has become u national
issue. and we believe 1t may be done
without the charge of politics or par
tisanship because of the deep and
serious import of the subject. and
also because both the great parties
tons in one way or another. Even
the Democrats, with all their desire
TO honor their great leader, President
Wilson, will permit reservations for
.,f TIn
more specific the obligations of the
United States
For our own part. however. while
admiring the craftsmanship exhibited
in the reservations adopted at the
last session of the senate by the
united action OF representatives of
both parties, nevertheless we prefer
the position of the irreconcilables'
as the safer and more consistent; for
we can not diyest ourselves of the
fear that the league. in almost any
form, spells war rather than peace.
In other words, we believe with them,
that it is almost certain TO produce
the very injustice, hostility and con-
troversy among the nations which II
proposes to prevent. Our knowledge
Of human nature and our acquaint-
ance with history leads us to believe
this, without speaking of the Bible.
For this cause 1t was that, some
time ago. We did the strange thing
for us, of advocating what is called
universal military training. Con-
WINGED as we are that the league,
with or without reservations, is al
most certain to be adopted by this
country, and that thus sooner or lat
er we shall enter the maelstrom of
European ard Asiatic politics and be-
come a part Of the cynical imperial
ism of the old world we look for a
wholesale butchery OF our young mon
and the loss Of untold treasure. UNI
less We are better prepared for war
than has been the case hitherto.
aside from that. however, what
we now wish to express is this, that
all the holy prophets including our
Lord Himself, leave us IN no doubt
that wars shall continue during the
whole of this dispensation and grow
fiercer and more terrible as the end
approaches. Neither do they leave
us in doubt that a league Of nations
u some sort is yet to come. That
the present league is the predicted
one would be too much to say, but
il is significant that the nations of
the old world which are combined
in this are those to be combined in
that while some that are omitted
from this, Germany and Russia for
example, are also to he omitted from
that. Is it any wonder, therefore.
that VIC are loath TO see our nation
entangled in it
But will the United States he
selfish IL she stands aloof from the
league and II she continues as here
tofore, to live her own life in her
own way? VIII she break the heart
Of the world II she does this?
God forbid. Nations as we'll as
other. to humanity and 20 civiliGa-
ton, and the United States has never
failed to recognize or act upon thatI
principle, Did not her power IN the
late war lie in this, that she was
free to arise when the crisis came,
and TO throw her great influence on
the side Of the right as she saw ii
az the time? viii she be less altruis-
tic and less heroic in the future than
in the past
1.-THE prophetic earth, or that par,
OF the world on which for the most
part the prophecies OF the B!ble To-
Gus, are the nations Of tho Old Ro.
man empire, those that are grouped
around the Mediterranean These
are the nations Of the predicted
league, the league Of prophecy AZ
whose head the Anuchrist viii yet
appear; and these are those yet TO
be federated, and to be gathered to
the war OF the great day OF God
Almighty, (Rey. 1910.
I'VE love our nation as the prophet
jeremiah loved Judah. though We
have not as deep a reason and we
plead with her her legislators and
executives, as he pleaded with Judah.
her kings, her princes, her priests and
her people. to obey God and listen
to His word that VIC may be spared
the calamities that are approaching.
The opinion Of so eminent a man
as DR., Gray can not be, attributed to
politics. No doubt large number