PEACE DESIRABLE, WAR A NECESSITY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 27 September 1913, Page 3

PEACE DESIRABLE, WAR A NECESSITY.

A VEXED QUESTION VIEWED FROM A NEW ANGLE BY PASTOR RUSSELL.

(Inserted by Arrangement.)

Pastor Russell made same statements last Sunday which seemed startling though reasonable. His ar- ' guments quite upset some popular! theories, yet seemed so rational as to be convincing. His text was, "He makefh wars to cease until the end of the earth. ... Bo still, and know that I am God" (Ps»lm xlvi. 9, 10). The Pastor declared that no »ne could be more opposed to war, on general principles, than himself. He' declared himself an extremist in his sentiment for peace. Yet he could not close his eyes to the facts of history—that practically every blessing has com© to the world through war, at th« cost of cruel bloodshed. Where would the natiotns of Europe be to-day if they had not fought to maintain their national liberties? Where would a refusal to fight land every nation in less than a year ? When Jesus said, 'Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children.:of God," he was riot addressing nations, but individuals—those who would become "his disciples by a full renouncement of all earthly interests'. These were instructed that they should come out from the world and be separate—a new nation, a holy nation. The Redeemer's declaration respecting nations was the very reverse of his statement respecting his followers. He declared "Nation shall rise against nation," and there shall bo wars. THE TRUE SITUATION. I fear that I shall be misunderstood (said the Pastor), but there is so much confusion upon the subject that the truth needs to be stated plainly. The truth is that war is ndt the disease, but merely a symptom of disease in the body of politic and in the affairs of earth. So long as the disease continues, its outward manifestation, war, is bound to continue. Need I say to you that the disease to which I refer is sin? Sin and war are inseparable. 'There would be only <two ways of inhibiting war: :■ (1) By converting the world of na- s tions from a condition of hardness of heart, selfishness, sin / to a condition of righteousness, tenderness of heart, generosity; <2) By the establishment of a government or power, not swayed by sin, ■to supervise, overrule, and control the .affairs, of tßie, sinners by a superior strength. "Is this proposition debatable?" asked the Pastor. -He answered that it is not. Its basic facts a re/he claimed, as sure as mathematics., m certain as that two and tw<* make four. He citecl various Scriptures corroborating this, his position, and showing that sin selfishness, is continually on'the warpath, either politically, socially or financially. The battle, the Pastor declared, has ! been going on ever since man became I a sinner. At one time this selfishness manifested ifaelf in buccanoerI ing, piracy, and slavery. At another time policy changed, and the leaders of men perceived, that they could accomplish more by milder methods, along the lines of politics and ecclesiasticism. Again conditions changed, and the wise perceived that with the coming of mechanical inventions into the world's affairs human slavery wouM be unprofitable, and that more coufl be accomplished with less responsibility by setting the slaves free, and making them work for their own living in competition with mar chinery. , Next came the era of financial combination, giant trusts and corporations controlling the destinies of the. t human family, from peasant *to king. But witK all these changes war haa gone on. It has merely changed its form, its weapons, its methods. The basis of all these wars is selfishness, arid so long as selfishnes continues, war will continue. Success will mean prosperity.,: Failure will mean oppression. VARIOUS KINDS OF WAR. "You see that I am not limiting warfare to naval engagements, not to battles fought -with guns, swords and charging steeds. lam including in the great warfare all the social, political and financial disturbances and conflicts," said the Pastor.. They "8 are all battles, in which the shrewder minds, as a rule, conquer, and now instead of earth's* war being ended, we see new conflicts begun from new quarters. Labour, having organised, is developing strength more and more each day. It is professedly training for a great conflict, or battle. The conflict is on;, already Labour has won some victories, and declares that its warfare against oppressors of every kind is ctnly commencing. The speaker declared that the dull, the stupid, the ignorant of a century . ago by free schools and educational advantages have become keen-eyed and keen-witted; alert to grasp every possible advantage. Moreover, for a quarter of a century our great colleges have been undermining faith in the inspiration of the Bible, and their influence has extended finally to the masses. These are now declaring their doubts respecting a future life, and their determination that they will grasp at the earliest possible moment the opportunities of the present life, that they may share the luxuries of the rich and make them common to all. If their programme be half carried through, it will mean the most dreadful war ever known in the world's history. The Bible describes it as "a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation" (Daniel xii. 1). The spirit of war, the speaker said, is selfishness in action; it corroborates the thought that the world was never more on the alert for selfgratification; and although enjoying blessings beyond the dreams of any other day, discontent is more general than ever before, and is goading mankind onward with increasing speed to the greatest of all conflicts. So long, as money has tts value, and political combinations can hold control, the social structure will intact and exercise itself, nation against nation, through fleets and armies. But as soon as the political and financial

powers begin to orumble, the warfare will become anarchy, which the Scriptures describe as "every man s hand against his neighbour." WHAT IS THE REMEDY? The Pastor then proceeded to explain that God had foreknown the oourse of evil for the Six Great Days of tho eartlt'a history—six thousand years—and had prepared-for the great Seventh Day, a thousand years long. He describes it as. the Pay in wMch Messiah up6h %» Throne, will make all things now, in which"'PWr eousness will be enforced throughout the earth by not only the word of the King, but by the Divine power of his Kingdom. Tho words of the Prophet were quoted, describing Messiah's Kingdom as tho "desire of all nations." The Pastor explained that othei* Scriptures show that the time of trouble now looming up as a cloud before mankind will be such an awful storm olf strife, bloodshed, trouble, that the world will have its fill. Thenceforth, under the guidance of tho new administration of Messiah, spirit of a sound mind will gradually come to mankind as a whole, and proportionately they will turn to Messiah's Kingdom in loyal obedience, declaring, as says the Prdphet, "Lo, this is our God] we will wait for Him. He will save us" (Isaiah xxv. 9). Rich and poor of every nation will gradually be made aware of the changed .conditions, and all lovers of righteousness will rejoice tor gether.