The Present Truth, vol. 12

December 17, 1896

“The Turkish-Armenian Question” The Present Truth, 12, 51.

E. J. Waggoner

A CONSIDERATION OF SOME NEGLECTED TRUTHS

For a long time, especially for the last eighteen months, the attention of the whole civilised world has been directed to the events taking place in Turkey. The Armenian massacres have been discussed in doubtless every pulpit in Christendom, and the papers, both secular and religious, have overflowed with accounts, comments, and suggestions. Indeed, one expects to see in his daily paper a column devoted to the situation in Turkey or to the relation of the Powers to it, just as regularly as to the state of the market. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 801.1

It is therefore not necessary in this place to devote any space to the detailing of the outbreaks and massacres. No neglect has been shown in keeping them before the public in all their awful enormity; no details have been omitted, that would tend to excite the horror of the reader or hearer. While we do not repeat the reports of these massacres, we shall, for the purpose of our present study, assume that they are all true, both as to the numbers of Armenians slain, and as to the cruelties perpetrated. It might be well, however, to remember that in these reports we have the testimony from only one side,-that of the Armenians and those who are prejudiced against the Turks,-yet we will not now stop to question their truthfulness; let each one think that the outrages are as fearful as his imagination has pictured them. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 801.2

A STILL MORE TERRIBLE THING

The taking of human life under any circumstances is an awful thing. To read of men being shot and stabbed, of human bodies mangled and bleeding in the streets, or kicked to one side as though they were dogs, is horrible; yet no description can equal the reality. So we say that people do well to shudder as they read of wholesale slaughter. But fearful as the massacres in Turkey may have been, there is something to which we do not see anybody’s attention specially called, which is still more shocking, so much more shocking that there can be no comparison. What is that thing?-it is the almost universal cry for vengeance, the demand for war,-for more killing,-that has issued and is still issuing from the lips and pens of professed followers and ministers of Christ. We do not wish to call attention to any individual, but only to the thing, and therefore we shall not give the names of those whose utterances we quote. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 801.3

One man, who shows his strong religious sentiments by the statement, “We want a leader filled with the Holy Ghost, whose only fear is to displease God,” writes thus to a leading religious journal:- PTUK December 17, 1896, page 801.4

Sir, I am the father of a family, but my sons and I are only waiting the call to go out. In God’s name let us raise an army of volunteers, and wipe out the awful stain upon our fair island home of accomplices in crime, and sweep the old murderer and all his tribe into the sea. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 801.5

Another person, a woman, a regular correspondent of the same religious paper, quotes the story of two English captains who received some Armenian refugees on board their ships in the Bosphorus, and then when the Turks demanded the refugees, hoisted the British flag, upon which the Turks went away. Then she says:- PTUK December 17, 1896, page 801.6

How fervently one wishes for a moment that they had fired upon our flag! It would have been the signal for instant war! PTUK December 17, 1896, page 801.7

GROSS PERVERSION OF THE GOSPEL

We have before us a report of a great representative meeting of Wesleyan Methodists, that was held in the historic City Road Chapel a few weeks ago. The writer says that, it was a meeting that showed, above all things, in how large a degree the best conscience of the people is permeated with the idea that the ethical principles of the Sermon on the Mount are applicable in all their simplicity even to the complex problems of international relations, and then follow these words:- PTUK December 17, 1896, page 801.8

The immediate outcome was a resolution assuring Her Majesty’s Government of united and vigorous support in any steps it may take to bring to a speedy end these disgraceful and unparalleled atrocities. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 801.9

That by this resolution was meant support even in the event of war, is clearly shown by what preceded. One speaker said that “if necessary, England must stand alone in order to bring to an end this chapter of Eastern misrule.” This, as another truly said, would doubtless “provoke a European war,” yet even this the reverend gentlemen assembled were ready to accept, for still another said, “With Russia or without her, with the Concert of Europe or without it, we can, we must, we will, deliver the Armenians.” PTUK December 17, 1896, page 802.1

Remember now that to “deliver the Armenians” means war. If one Power should undertake it alone, without the concurrence of the other Powers, it would result in a general war of all the Powers ranged against one another according to their several interests; if there were agreement, then the war would be against the Turks alone; but in any case there would be war. Remember also that this war is just what ministers of the Gospel were and are still pleading for; and remember also the statement that the meeting showed “in how large a degree the best conscience of the people is permeated with the idea that the ethical principles of the Sermon on the Mount are applicable in all their simplicity to the complex problems of international relations,” and it will be seen how greatly men have allowed their passions to cloud their perception of the simplicity of the Gospel as set forth in the Sermon on the Mount. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 802.2

Jesus said, in the Sermon on the Mount, “Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth; but I say unto you, that ye resist not evil; but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.” And further, “I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven; for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” Matthew 5:38, 39, 44, 45. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 802.3

That is all that is in the Sermon on the Mount that is especially applicable to this question, yet so far have professed Christians lost sight of its principles, that they can complacently cite their clamours for bloodshed and revenge as being an illustration of those principles. Indeed, it is from religious teachers and the religious press that the demand for vengeance principally comes, because they regard the case as one of religious persecution and therefore as especially concerning them. Now let the candid reader pause and think seriously, and say if such a perversion of the Gospel is not the most fearfully deplorable thing that could possibly happen. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 802.4

The killing of a few thousands of people by men who do not profess to be Christians, is horrible enough; but more horribly wicked still is it when professors and ministers of the Gospel everywhere fill the minds of the people with the idea that war and vengeance are in harmony with and manifestations of the fundamental principles of Christianity. Such teaching only serves to nourish and glorify the natural fierceness which the Bible says will be characteristic of the last days; and with the people become fully imbued with it, there will be needed only a spark to set the whole world ablaze with the fire of hell. When the name of Christ, the Prince of Peace, is used as a war cry, where shall we look for peace on earth? PTUK December 17, 1896, page 802.5

THE VENGEFUL SPIRIT

It seems as though Christendom were becoming intoxicated with the spirit of vengeance, so that the most peaceably inclined men have lost their senses. One religious paper reprints some floating newspaper stories derogatory to the character of Turks in general, and then exclaims editorially,- PTUK December 17, 1896, page 802.6

Ought such a nation to be tolerated for a moment on the face of the earth? PTUK December 17, 1896, page 802.7

and that but expresses the general sentiment among preachers and people. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 802.8

Just analyse this: “Ought such a nation to be tolerated for a moment on the face of the earth?” is the same as, “Ought such people to be tolerated for a moment on the face of the earth?” and that includes thousands of individuals, and of each of whom it is virtually said, “Ought such a person to be tolerated for a moment on the face of the earth?” That is to say, the spirit of intolerance is already so firmly rooted in the hearts of professed Christians, that they do not wish to tolerate for a moment the existence of those whom they, taking the throne of judgment, have decided to be unfit to live. What is that but charging God with laxness in the discharge of His duty, because He suffers wicked men to live? PTUK December 17, 1896, page 802.9

How different from the Spirit of Christ. When He was rejected by the Samaritans, and two disciples wished to command fire to come down and consume the inhospitable people, He rebuked them, saying, “Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” Luke 9:51-56. The Spirit of desiring to be the instruments of God’s vengeance has always been more prominent than the desire to be instruments of His mercy, and when it is once cherished it inevitably results in getting ahead of the Lord, and being both judge and executioner. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 802.10

THE TRUE CHRISTIAN SPIRIT

But we have a still stronger rebuke of this bitter, warlike spirit. When Jesus had been betrayed into the hands of His enemies, and a mob of men came to seize Him and put Him to death, Peter drew a sword in His defence. The blow just missed the head of one of the gang of murderers, and cut off his ear. “Then Jesus said to him, Put up again thy sword into his place; for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.” Matthew 26:51, 52. And then, as an evidence that He came not to take life but to save it, Jesus healed His wounded enemy. Luke 22:50, 51. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 802.11

If there was ever a time when it was right to resist oppression and injustice, it was then. Jesus was innocent, as even His judges declared. Here was the worst kind of religious persecution. Every indignity, insult, and outrage was heaped upon Jesus, yet He opened not His mouth, and forbade His followers to fight in His defence. How then can any of His followers fight in defence of themselves, or even of their brethren who are persecuted? The disciple is not greater than his Lord. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 802.12

Peter was well-meaning and sincere in his defence of the Lord, and so would we fain believe are those who now counsel drawing the sword in behalf of the Armenians. But Peter did not then know the spirit of the Gospel. He was not converted, and within a few hours after his impulsive defence he denied that he knew the Lord. His example is not one to be followed by disciples of Christ. When he became converted, he learned to know the Lord, and then he wrote:- PTUK December 17, 1896, page 802.13

“If, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called; because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps; who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth; who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously.” 1 Peter 2:20-23. Christians are called to follow Christ’s example, and to suffer unjustly, without complaining, much less resisting; yet all over the world professed Christians are denying this calling. Why is it?-It is because a spirit, not from the Lord, is seeking to drive them to destruction, for Jesus said, “All they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.” If Satan can only succeed in filling Christians with such zeal for any cause whatever, and no matter how worthy, that they will fight for it, He knows that their destruction is sure. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 802.14

THE WICKED, DEVASTATING SWORD

Mark the word “all.” There is no exception. “All they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.” One of our poets has pleaded that PTUK December 17, 1896, page 803.1

The just, the holy, the benignant sword might be drawn in behalf of the Armenians, and professed Christians have applauded the sentiment; but the sword is always unjust, unholy, and devastating. It makes no difference who handles it. The sword vigorously wielded by the hands of professed Christians will work as much havoc and destruction as in the hands of infidels, as history abundantly proves, and therefore it is just as cruel and unholy. The fact that a man calls himself a Christian, does not make it any more a righteous deed for him to cleave another man’s head with the sword, than it would be if a Turk did the same thing. How can anybody think that that which is wicked on the part of a Mohammedan is righteous on the part of a Christian? Is it so that Christians have a monopoly of crime in this world? and that no one but Christians can murder their fellow-beings with impunity? Does the reputation that a man has determine the character of the deed he commits? If a man that is known to be a good man commits a murder, does that make the murder a righteous act? and is murder sinful only when perpetrated by men of previous bad reputation? That is the theory upon which is based the outcry against slaughter by the Turks, and the demand for the slaughter of the Turks. But it is a horrible doctrine. No; “he that doeth righteousness is righteous,” and “every one that committeth sin is the bondservant of sin.” When professed Christians do the deeds, and even overpass the deeds of the heathen, they nullify their profession, and place themselves in the ranks of the heathen. They are then worse than the heathen, because their high profession makes the insolence of their evil deeds the greater. Oh, the pity of the thing, that such a spirit should be consecrated by the name of Christianity! PTUK December 17, 1896, page 803.2

WHO MAKES THEM TO DIFFER?

The prevailing idea seems to be that it is far worse to kill Christians than to kill non-Christians. Thus there is a great outcry when Armenians are killed, and on the contrary rejoicing when Turks are killed. Who has ever heard any sorrow expressed for the thousands of Turks who were butchered in the crusades? A religious paper that is loud in its outcry against Turks who kill, publishes without protest as a matter of simple history, the following:- PTUK December 17, 1896, page 803.3

The founder of the reigning House of Montenegro was Daniel Petrovitch. He was elected Metropolitan in 1696, uniting in himself both the temporal and spiritual powers. On Christmas night, 1702, he cut to pieces all the Turks he could find in his dominions. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 803.4

It is doubtful if there would be much if any indigation anywhere in Christendom if the Armenians should now slaughter the Turks in a similar manner. Indeed, the comments that followed the attack upon the Ottoman Bank furnish a case in point. At first it was thought to be a master stroke on the part of the Armenians; but afterwards, when the theory was circulated that the affair was planned by the Turks, then it was denounced as a dastardly outrage. It is on the same principle that when white men with machine guns kill several thousand blacks, it is a brilliant victory, and when the blacks retaliate upon a few dozen white that they succeed in overpowering, it is a cruel massacre. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 803.5

A well-known prelate has expressed regret that the Spirit of the Crusades has been allowed to die out to the extent that it has, yet he can scarcely be ignorant of the fact that in those Crusades Mohammedans were butchered without mercy, simply because they were Mohammedans. The following brief extract describing the entry of the “Christians” into Jerusalem, amply shows the spirit and work of the Crusades:- PTUK December 17, 1896, page 803.6

The Saracens gave way before them. They retreated through the streets, fighting at intervals until they were driven into the precincts of the mosque of Omar. Blood flowed in the gutters, and horrid heaps of the dead lay piled at every corner. None were sparred by the frenzied Christians, who saw in the gore of the infidels the white way of redemption. Ten thousand dead, scattered through the city, gave token of the merciless spirit of the men of the West. Another ten thousand were heaped in the reeking courts of the great mosque on Mount Moriah. “God wills it,” said the pilgrims.... The Spirit of the massacre is well illustrated in a letter which the Christian princes sent to the Pope. The devout writers say: “If you wish to know what we did to the enemies we found in the city, learn that in the portico of Solomon and in the temple our horses walked up to the knees in the impure blood of the Saracens.” PTUK December 17, 1896, page 803.7

The Crusaders are applauded, while the Turks, who have not equalled them in ferocity, are execrated. Why this difference? PTUK December 17, 1896, page 803.8

In the Philippine Islands the Spaniards are at this very time slaughtering their Mohammedan subjects by the hundreds, showing no mercy to prisoners, but perpetrating the grossest cruelties. Yet there is no demand for the wiping out of the Spanish nation. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 803.9

At the same time that the troubles were taking place in Turkey, English soldiers in Africa, under the direction of the Government, were slaughtering African natives. The white man’s machine guns mowed down the comparatively unarmed blacks making “a mere jujube of black humanity.” When the natives fled and took refuge in caves, these were blown up with dynamite; men, women, and children, torn and mangled, were thus buried, both dead and alive in one common grave. These reports come not from the victims, but from the victors; yet we hear of no meetings called to protest, nor any claims that English people are too wicked to be allowed to live, as indeed they are not. The same course has been pursued with the Indians in America, until now there are but few left. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 803.10

We do not cite these things as accusations, but simply for the purpose of asking why it is so much worse for Turks to kill people than it is for English and Americans; why that which is denounced as an outrage when done by Mohammedans is a thing for applause when done by professed Christians. Truly, the times are sadly out of joint. Why is it so much worse for Mohammedans to kill Christians than for “Christians” to kill Mohammedans? Can anybody tell. Is it worse to kill a Christian, who has hope in his death, then to cut short the probation of one who does not know the Lord? Think of the awful responsibility men take upon themselves when they set themselves not merely to execute God’s judgment on the ungodly, but to anticipate Him, and to send them into eternity while He is waiting for them to repent. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 803.11

A MISTAKEN IDEA

Thus far, in order that the case might stand in the strongest possible light, we have taken it for granted that the trouble in Turkey is simply religious persecution. The prevailing sentiment is thus expressed:- PTUK December 17, 1896, page 804.1

The recent atrocities are an exhibition of Moslem fanaticism and hatred of Christians, which the Powers strangely permit. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 804.2

Now anybody who will take the trouble to think calmly and seriously, can satisfy himself that this is not at all the case. One simple fact alone is sufficient evidence. The Greek Church is just as much Christian as is the Armenian, yet it is a well-known fact that in all the troubles in Turkey, the Greeks have not suffered. In the midst of the greatest excitement in Constantinople, if a man were arrested, or were in danger of death, he would secure his instant release by showing that he was a Greek. If the Turks were persecuting Christians, why should they be so careful not to molest the Greeks? PTUK December 17, 1896, page 804.3

Again, there are many Roman Catholics in Turkey, yet there has been no proceeding against them. We mention these three bodies-Armenians, Greeks, and Roman Catholics-together, because they are very similar. While the Armenian Church is nominally Christian, it is a well-known fact that it is most intolerant of Protestants, as much so as is the Roman Catholic. Protestant work in territory exclusively Armenian is attended with as much difficulty as in Spain. That is no reason why they should be killed, or why those who are suffering should not be assisted; but it may help some who assist the needy to do so on the simple ground that they are needy mortals, and not under the mistaken notion that they are suffering for conscience sake. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 804.4

In September last, just after the last outbreak, the writer witnessed a baptismal scene at Constantinople. It was at a time when the Turkish soldiers were patrolling the streets night and day; one could not turn a corner without seeing a squad of them. In the open day, without asking permission of anybody, a company of Christians went through the streets to the sea, to witness the immersion of some believers. The place of baptism was about midway between the Mohammedan mosques, and within bowshot of each. About half of the company were Armenians, the rest Greeks, and the administrator of the rite was an Armenian. Such a company walking together very naturally attracted a little attention, and a policeman asked what it meant. Upon being told, he said that was all right, and paid no more attention. At the sea there were Turks standing near, witnessing the baptism, and yet there was not so much as a disrespectful or irreverent word or gesture. There could not have been better decorum in any city in the world. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 804.5

It might be well to add that the body represented on that occasion are not revolutionists, and are known to have no connection whatever with politics, but are content with being simply Christians. This is why they have had no difficulty. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 804.6

Another instance will show that the Turkish opposition is against those who are plotting insurrection, and not against those who are teaching the Gospel. A young man, an Armenian residing in Scutari, was in Stamboul, and not being known to the police there, was arrested as a possible revolutionist. He told the police that he was a Sabbatarian, and they brought him to the house where the Sabbatarians were known to be assembled holding religious services, to see if it were so. When they were assured that he spoke the truth, he was released. But that was not all. The young men engaged the policeman in religious conversation, and the writer twice passed the door of the room where they were, and saw that Mohammedan Turkish policeman sitting on a divan with the Christian Armenian, each with a Bible in his hand, reading. The thought would not be repressed, that if all who profess to be Christians had used the sword of the Spirit instead of the carnal weapon in their dealings with the Turks, there might be a different story to tell. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 804.7

IS THE GOSPEL FOR THE TURKS?

It is said, as proof that the Turks are animated solely by hatred of Christians, that people have been promised their lives on condition that they would turn Mohammedan, and give up the name Christian. That is very probably true. When revolution and anarchy are upheld and applauded throughout Christendom, what wonder is it if the Turks should, to a certain extent at least, associate Christianity and anarchy together? When to be a “Christian” is considered, and with good reason, synonymous with being an enemy of the Turks and the Turkish Government, the repression of revolution would very naturally be considered as simply the repression of too active Christianity. In such case it could easily be that real Christians, who hold the name as something more than a national sign, might suffer because they would not give up their faith, the Mohammedans not being able to distinguish between them and those who use the name as a cover for anarchy. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 804.8

In prophetic vision the Apostle John saw “a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and peoples, and tongues,” standing before the throne of God, clothed with white robes, and bearing palms of victory over sin and Satan. Revelation 7:9. That is positive evidence that there will be Turks in heaven. Yet one would not gather from reading the religious press, that there was any possibility of salvation for a Turk. It may be said that the Turks are bitterly prejudiced against Christianity. That is true, and who could expect it to be otherwise? Christianity is to them embodied in the boasted “Christian nations” of Europe, and none of these have ever done anything to recommend the name. But that is not all. Those religious bodies, professing to be Christian, of which the Turks have most knowledge, are the Greek and Armenian churches, and in one important particular the Mohammedan has good reason to believe that his religion is superior to theirs; for he sees the members of those bodies bowing down to and adoring images and pictures, while the Mohammedan abominates the worship of idols. But even this is not the worst. From the time of the Crusades professed Christians as a rule have regarded the Turks with lofty contempt, as beings to be execrated and driven off; now, all Christendom is ringing with unchristian cries for vengeance upon the Turks, and even their utter extermination. Can it be wondered at that the Turks are not drawn towards Christianity, or that they are suspicious of foreigners? But when the just Judge of all the earth punishes the Turks for their misdeeds, who dare say that none of their blood will be upon the garments of those who bear the name of Christian? We appeal to individual Christians to clear themselves, by being Christlike in their words and acts, from all responsibility for Turkish indifference to Christianity. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 804.9

THE GREAT DECEPTION

There is a cause for this present cry against the Turks. That it is not caused by the Spirit of Christ, needs no argument. What spirit it is that is even now working, may be seen by remembering what it is desired to do with the Turks. The least thing that is demanded, is that they be driven from Europe. Such atrocities, it is said, ought not to be allowed on European soil. But will they be any better on Asiatic soil?-Certainly not. Then what would necessarily be the next step after driving them from Europe-manifestly, to drive them from Asia, that is, from the earth, so far at least as their existence as a nation is concerned. This is even now demanded. Their overthrow will be the last act in the scheme to place the world under the dominion of so-called Christian powers, thus to fulfil the dreams of a temporal millennium, in which so many have indulged. But each one of these “Christian Powers” will wish to have the supremacy, and so the armies of all will be assembled in Palestine, the centre of the Sultan’s Asiatic dominion,-when the last struggle takes place. That gathering is thus described in prophecy:- PTUK December 17, 1896, page 804.10

“And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty... And he [they] gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.” Revelation 16:13-16. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 805.1

Here we are plainly told what spirit brings the kings of the earth together at that place. That deception we see working even now; for that Christendom is being deceived is painfully evident. If men were not already grossly deceived, how could they in the name of Christ counsel war? How could they so misrepresent true Christianity before the world as to claim that the blood even of martyrs demands revenge by the sword? Is it not a terrible deception that is even now closing in upon the world? What an awful thought, that every man, be he minister of the Gospel or not, who is upbraiding the powers for naught concerning the Turks, is simply an unconscious agent of Satan to gather the kings of earth to that great battle which is to result in the ruin of all. God grant that many who have thoughtlessly been led away by a popular clamour, may recover themselves from the snare of the devil before it is too late, and show to the world, including the Turks, that Christianity means to be like Christ. We have full faith that this prayer will be answered. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 805.2

“The Promises to Israel. The Veil and the Shadow” The Present Truth, 12, 51.

E. J. Waggoner

“But, and if our Gospel is veiled, it is veiled in them that are perishing; in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn upon them.” 2 Corinthians 4:3, 4, R.V. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 805.3

“And it came to pass, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him.” (Better, as in the margin of the Revision, “Because he talked with Him.”) Exodus 34:29. Because Moses talked with God, his face shone even after he had left God’s immediate presence. “And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him. And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him; and Moses talked with them. And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh; and he gave them in commandment all that the Lord had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a veil on his face. But when Moses went in before the Lord, to speak with Him, he took the veil off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded. And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone; and Moses put the veil upon his face again, until he went in to speak with Him.” Verses 30-35. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 805.4

Unbelief blinds the mind. It acts as a veil, to shut out the light. It is only by faith that we understand, Moses had deep and abiding faith; therefore he “endured as seeing Him who is invisible.” He needed no veil over his face even when he was in the immediate presence of the glory of God. The veil which he put on his face when he came down to talk with the children of Israel, was solely on their account, because his face shone so that they could not look upon him. But when he went back to talk with the Lord, he took the veil off. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 805.5

The veil over the face of Moses was a concession to the weakness of the people. If he had not put it on, then each of them would have been obliged to put a veil over his own face, in order to come near to listen to Moses. They were not able, as Moses was, to look upon the glory of the Lord with unveiled face. Practically, therefore, each one of them had a veil over his own face. The face of Moses was unveiled. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 805.6

That veil over the face of the children of Israel represented the unbelief that was in their hearts. So the veil was really over their hearts. “Their minds were blinded;” and “even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart.” This is true not of the Jewish people alone, but of all who do not see Christ set forth in all the writings of Moses. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 805.7

A veil interposed between people and the light, leaves them in the shadow. So when the children of Israel spread out the veil of unbelief between themselves and “the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ,” they naturally got only the shadow of it. They received only the shadow of the good things promised them, instead of the very substance. Let us note some of the shadows, as compared with the realities. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 806.1

SHADOW AND SUBSTANCE

1. God had said, “If ye will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then...ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests.” But they never became a kingdom of priests. Only one tribe, the tribe of Levi, could have anything whatever to do with the sanctuary, and of that tribe only one family, that of Aaron, could be priests. It was certain death for any one not of the family of Aaron to presume to serve as priest in any way. Yet all who are really the children of God through faith in Christ Jesus, are “a royal priesthood,” even “an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 2:5. This was what God promised to the nation of the Jews, at Sinai; but they never attained to it, because they did not keep His covenant of faith, but trusted in their own strength. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 806.2

2. Instead of being brought to the heavenly sanctuary which God’s hands established, and being planted in it, they had a worldly sanctuary made by man, and were not allowed to go into even that. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 806.3

3. The throne of God, in the sanctuary above, is a living throne, self-moving, coming and going like a flash of lightning, in immediate response to the thought of the Spirit. Ezekiel 1. On the contrary, they had in the earthly sanctuary but a feeble representation of that throne in the shape of an ark of wood and gold, which had to be carried about on the shoulders of men. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 806.4

4. The promise in the covenant with Abraham, which God’s people were to keep, was that the law should be put into the heart. The children of Israel got it on tables of stone. Instead of by faith receiving “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus,” (Romans 8:2), that is, upon “the living stone” in the midst of the throne of God (See 1 Peter 2:3, 4; Revelation 5:6), which would impart life to them, making them also living stones, they received the law only on cold, lifeless stones, which could give them nothing but death. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 806.5

5. In short, instead of the ministration of the righteousness of God in Christ, they got only the ministration of death; for the very same thing which is a savour of life to them that believe, is a savour of death to them that do not believe. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 806.6

But see the kindness and mercy of God even in this. He offered them the bright shining of His glorious Gospel, and they interposed a veil of unbelief, so that they could receive only the shadow. Yet that very shadow was an ever-present reminder of the substance. When a thick, passing cloud casts a shadow on the earth, we know, if we are not too dull to think, that it could not cast a shadow if it were not for the sun; so that even the cloud proclaims the presence of the sun. If therefore people nowadays, even professed Christians, were not as blind as the children of Israel ever were, they would be always rejoicing in the light of God’s countenance, since even a cloud always proves the light to be present, and faith always causes the cloud to disappear, or else sees in it the bow of promise. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 806.7

GOD’S WITNESS IN UNBELIEF

It was better for the Jews to have the law even as a witness against them, than not to have it at all. It was a great advantage to them in every way, to have committed unto them the oracles of God. Romans 3:2. It is better to have the law present to upbraid us for our sins, and to point out the way of righteousness, than to be left entirely without it. So the Jews, even in their unbelief, had an advantage over the heathen, because the Jews had “the form of righteousness and of the truth in the law.” Romans 2:20. While that form could not save them, and only made their condemnation the greater if they rejected the instruction designed to be conveyed by it, yet it was an advantage in that it was a constant witness to them of God. God did not leave the heathen without witness, in that He spoke to them of Himself through the things that He had made, preaching the Gospel to them in creation; but the witness which He gave to the Jews, besides the other, was the very image of His own eternal realities. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 806.8

And the very realities themselves were for His people. Only the veil of unbelief over their hearts kept them from having the substance of which they had the shadow; but “the veil is done away in Christ,” (2 Corinthians 3:14), and Christ was even then present with them. Whenever the heart shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away. Even the blindest could see that the sanctuary of the old covenant, and the ordinances of Divine service that were connected with it, were not the realities that God had sworn to give to Abraham and his seed. So they all might at once have turned to the Lord, even as individuals did throughout the whole history of Israel. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 806.9

Moses talked with God with unveiled face. When the others “stood afar off,” “Moses drew near.” It is only by the blood of Christ that any can draw nigh. By the blood of Jesus we have boldness to enter even into the holiest, into the secret place of God. The fact that Moses did this shows his knowledge of the power of the precious blood and his confidence in it. But the blood that was able to give boldness and access to Moses, could have done the same to all the others, if they had believed as he did. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 806.10

Do not forget that the presence of a shadow proves the present shining of the sun. If the glory of God’s righteousness had not been present in its fulness, the people of Israel could not have had even the shadow. And since it was unbelief that caused the shadow, faith would have brought them at once into the full sunlight, and they could have been “to the praise of the glory of His grace.” PTUK December 17, 1896, page 806.11

Moses saw the glory with unveiled face, and was transformed by it. So if we believe, “we all, with unveiled face, reflecting as a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18. Even so it might have been with the children of Israel, if they had believed, for the Lord was never partial. That which Moses shared, all might have shared. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 806.12

“THAT WHICH WAS ABOLISHED”

“Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” Romans 10:4. He “hath abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel;” (2 Timothy 1:10); and that Gospel was preached to Abraham, and to Israel in Egypt, and in the desert. But because of the unbelief of the people they “could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished.” 2 Corinthians 3:13. Because their faith did not lay hold on Christ, they got only the law as “the ministration of death,” (Verse 7), instead of “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.” PTUK December 17, 1896, page 806.13

People talk about “the Gospel age” and “the Gospel dispensation,” as though the Gospel were an afterthought on the part of God, or at the most something which God long delayed to give mankind. But the Scriptures teach us that “the Gospel dispensation” or “Gospel age” is from Eden lost to Eden restored. We know that “this Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Matthew 24:14. That is the end of it, but the beginning was at the fall of man. The Apostle Paul directs our attention to man in the beginning, crowned with glory and honour, and set over the works of God’s hands. Directing us to fix our gaze upon man in Eden, lord over all that he saw, the apostle continues, “But now we see not yet all things put under him.” Hebrews 2:8. Why not?-Because he fell, and lost the kingdom and the glory. But we still look at the place where we first saw man in the glory and power of innocence, and where we saw him sin and come short of the glory, and “we see Jesus.” Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost; and where should He seek except where it was lost? He came to save man from the fall, and so He necessarily went where man fell. Wherever sin abounds, there does grace much more abound. And so “the Gospel dispensation,” with the cross of Christ shedding the light of the glory of God into the darkness of sin, dates from the fall of Adam. Where the first Adam fell, there the second Adam rises, for there the cross is erected. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 806.14

“Since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead,” because the second man Adam is a quickening Spirit, (1 Corinthians 15:21, 45), being “the resurrection and the life.” Therefore in Christ death was abolished, and life and immortality were brought to light in the Gospel, the very day that Adam sinned. If it had not been so, Adam would have died that very day. Abraham and Sarah proved in their own bodies that Christ had abolished death, for they both experienced the power of the resurrection, rejoicing to see Christ’s day. Long before their day, Enoch’s translation without seeing death had proved that its power was broken; and his translation was due to his faith in Christ. Much more, then, was “the Gospel dispensation” in full glory as far down in the history of the world as Sinai. Whatever other dispensation than the Gospel dispensation any people have ever shared, has been solely because of their hardness and impenitent heart, which despised the riches of God’s goodness and forbearance and long-suffering, and treasured up unto themselves wrath against the day of wrath. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 807.1

So right there at Sinai the ministration of death was done away in Christ. The law was “in the hand of a Mediator,” (Galatians 3:19), so that it was life to all who received it in Him. Death, which comes by sin, and the strength of which is the law, was abolished, and life put in its place to every one that believeth, no matter how many or how few they were. But let no one forget that as the Gospel was in full glory at Sinai, even so the law just as given at Sinai, is always present in the Gospel. If the law on the lifeless tables of stone was but a shadow, it was nevertheless an exact shadow, of the living law on the living stone, Christ Jesus. God would have all men know, wherever His voice is heard, that the righteousness which Christ’s obedience imparts to the believer is the righteousness that is described in the law spoken from Sinai. Not one letter can be altered. It is an exact photograph of the character of God in Christ. A photograph is but a shadow, it is true; but if the light is clear it is an exact representation of some substance. In this case the light was “the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God,” (2 Corinthians 4:4), so that we may know the ten commandments to be the literal and exact form of God’s righteousness. They describe to us just what the Holy Spirit will print in living letters of light upon the fleshy tables of our hearts if they are but sensitised by simple faith. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 807.2

“‘Put Not Your Trust in Princes’” The Present Truth, 12, 51.

E. J. Waggoner

The injunction not to put one’s trust in princes is emphasised by the recent news from Russia. At the time of the coronation of the Czar bright prospects were held out to the betterment of the condition of those in Russia who were persecuted for conscience sake, but it seems that whatever the ideas of the Czar are, or might have been, the power behind the throne has no intention of making any change in Russian policy. A report says:- PTUK December 17, 1896, page 807.3

During the reign of Alexander III. the Old Believers were granted certain liberties which went to ameliorate their hard lot. These privileges, according to M. Pobiedonostseff, should be now repealed, and police and gendarmes should be authorised to see if no means are available for bringing back these erring sheep to the fold of the Church. One inevitably concludes, after reading this report to the Czar, that the Minister believes himself in accord with his imperial master, as he would hardly advocate a policy which he believed to be distasteful to him. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 807.4

The grim irony of the sentence, “Police and gendarmes should be authorised to see if no means are available for bringing back the erring sheep to the fold of the Church,” is a sad commentary on those beautiful and tender Scriptural passages where Christ compared Himself to the shepherd, and His followers to the sheep which knew His voice. In Christ’s parable of the Good Shepherd He did not represent Himself as calling for a detachment of Roman soldiers to go out on the mountain with swords and spears to drive in the wandering lamb. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 807.5

But Russia is not alone. Daily instances are not lacking, in every country, to show how far the accepted religious organisations of the world have departed from Christianity. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 807.6

“‘I Am’” The Present Truth, 12, 51.

E. J. Waggoner

In the eighth chapter of John we have three distinct utterances of Jesus, in which He sets forth the fact of His oneness with Him who is “from everlasting to everlasting.” Speaking to the carping Jews, who blindly refused to understand Him, He said, “If ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins.” The reader will notice that the word “He” is in italics, an indication that it was added by the translators. There is in the Greek no hint of it. Therefore since the translators inserted it, we can well omit it, taking the words of Jesus without the addition. Thus we have, “If ye believe not that I AM, ye shall die in your sins.” PTUK December 17, 1896, page 807.7

In verse 28 we have again the same edition of the word He. So we read, “When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I AM, and that I do nothing of Myself.” PTUK December 17, 1896, page 807.8

In verse 58 we have it clearly and plainly stated, “Before Abraham was, I AM.” PTUK December 17, 1896, page 807.9

In these texts we have the truth set forth that Jesus “through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God” (Hebrews 9:14), and that it is by a practical belief in His eternal nature that we are saved from dying in our sins. The power by which we are saved, is the power of a self-existent life. Christ is the One who was—His goings forth have been from of old, from the days of eternity. Micah 5:2, margin. He is the One who is—“He ever liveth.” And He is the One who is to come—“Behold, I come quickly.” PTUK December 17, 1896, page 807.10

“I AM—.” Fill out the blank with any good thing you please, and that is Christ, but yet only in part, for no one but Himself can fill it out. That blank indicates infinity and eternity. “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” “I am the root of the offspring of David, and the bright and Morning Star.” “I am the Good Shepherd.” “I am the Door,” “I am the resurrection and the life.” Yea, all we need, and more than we can ask or think, we find in Him; and it is His cross, His being lifted up from the earth, that makes us know these things. Therefore, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” PTUK December 17, 1896, page 807.11

“Tea Drinking” The Present Truth, 12, 51.

E. J. Waggoner

Some recent statistics of the tea trade show that the consumption of tea is increasing out of all proportion to the increase of population. It is becoming the popular beverage in countries not formerly using it to any great extent, and,- PTUK December 17, 1896, page 814.1

“In those where tea is already the popular drink-Great Britain, Russia, and Holland, and, over seas, our Colonies and the United States-it also grows continuously in favour, though, of course, there is not room for such a large relative increase. The total consumption of all countries from which returns are obtainable, exclusive of the East, shows a rise of twenty-three per cent. in the twelve years. In short, tea seems to be conquering the world: those who used not to drink it have begun to do so, and those who drank it before drink more than ever.” PTUK December 17, 1896, page 814.2

And another thing, too, is growing-and we constantly meet its expression in medical and scientific journals-and that is the conviction that the increase of nervous troubles is due in great part to the increased use of stimulants. Under the heading, “Terrors of Tea,” the St. James Gazette comments on this aspect of tea-drinking as follows:- PTUK December 17, 1896, page 814.3

“Nervous people, experience shows us, are, as a rule, extremely selfish. La femme nerveuse is the most inconsiderate specimen of her sex. Her nerves have become a species of fetish, which must be propitiated by the sacrifice of everybody’s comfort except her own. She considers every action, both of herself and the world at large, primarily from the point of view of the effect it will have on her nerves. If she happened to be omnipotent, she would no doubt at once stop the movement of the earth, for fear of its giving her a ‘turn.’ Her sentiment of pity for the misfortunes of others is entirely blunted by her horror of the sight of pain and the sound of woe. She exacts the utmost forbearance and sacrifice from others,-not for herself, but for her nerves,-and exempts herself from gratitude on the same grounds. She tends, in fact, to become completely soulless; accepting all devotion as her due, bitterly resenting any resistance to her claims, and substituting for all higher spiritual life an egotistical form of pessimism which is as delusive as it is difficult to combat. That she is not actively cruel is an accident; passively cruel she is continually, without remorse or thought; and it is probable that when provocation and opportunity offered themselves simultaneously, she would not stay her hand from direct cruelty. The nervous woman is a product of the nineteenth century, and, inferentially, of tea. She takes it to soothe her nerves, and it rather excites them; or else she takes it because she has acquired the habit, and the result is the same. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 814.4

“Russian women are even more afflicted with ‘nerves’ than their English sisters. They are more inclined to fitful and violent excitements, more skilled in intrigue, more pessimistic, more selfish as a rule. Now it is worth noticing that they have known the use of tea much longer, that they drink a purer and stronger beverage, and that they indulge in it oftener than English women. The children take after their mothers, and in the men the characteristics become more pronounced and more brutal.” PTUK December 17, 1896, page 814.5

“Items of Interest” The Present Truth, 12, 51.

E. J. Waggoner

-Vital statistics show that persons born in the spring are usually of a more robust constitution than those who come into the world at other times in the year. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 814.6

-Abyssinia is reported to have ceded to Russia a strip of coast next to the Italian colony. Thus Russian diplomacy wins another victory and gets a footing in Africa. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 814.7

-At the four great markets of the Western United States, for several years, the number of beeves slaughtered annually has averaged more than three and one-half millions. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 814.8

-The Czar has a bodyguard of fifteen Cossacks who accompany him nearly everywhere, and occasionally sot as detectives. They sometimes officiate as cooks, and very frequently insist upon “tasting” fresh bottles of wine three or four times p day, to be sure it is not poisoned. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 814.9

-The Budget of the Congo State still shows a deficit. The State lost nearly a milllon francs last year. A Belgian traveller has lately visited the State and reports that the morals of the whites there are utterly bad. Women are bought and sold at very low figures, and the influence of “civilisation” is anything but good. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 814.10

-When it was proposed in the London County Council to enlarge Haswell Asylum in order to accommodate the increasing number of lunatics a member suggested that the proper authority for maintaining imbeciles was the Government, inasmuch as lunacy was chiefly caused by alcohol, the sale of which brought s large revenue to the Treasury. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 814.11

-An Archbishop of Canterbury has to pay out nearly ?900 in fees before he can be enthroned. The officials of the Board of Green Cloth, the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, the Clerk of Parliament, the Auditor of the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury, the Yeoman Usher of the Black Rod, and the doorkeepers of the House of Lords all profit by a vacancy in the Primacy. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 814.12

-Great suffering is reported among the Matebeles. The stores and cattle of the natives were very largely destroyed during the recent war, and so many of the males were killed that many of the surviving families are perishing of starvation. Similar and more extensive distress exists in Armenia, where following the disorders of the past year or two, the cold winter is bringing misery and suffering upon destitute survivors. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 814.13

-During the war between Japan and China Russia intervened in behalf of China, and compelled Japan to hand back Port Arthur and the surrounding country. Russia also loaned money to China. The price of this friendship is now made public, if reports are correct. China gives Russia practical control of Northern China. The railway through Manchuria is to be guarded by Russian troops, and Russia is to have a naval port at one end of the railway. Another branch of the railway is to run to Port Arthur, and this fortress is to be occupied by Russia in time of war. Thus Russia takes what Japan gave up, and the political balance in the East is entirely altered. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 814.14

“Back Page” The Present Truth, 12, 51.

E. J. Waggoner

Speaking of the increasing frequency of earthquakes, Professor Milne says that some years ago Japan registered about 500 shocks per year, but in recent years as many as 1,000 a year have been experienced. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 816.1

“I tell you,” said a non-thinker, who fancied himself a free-thinker, “the idea that there is a God has never come into my head.” “Ah! precisely like my dog. But there is this difference, he doesn't go round howling about it.” PTUK December 17, 1896, page 816.2

It is announced that the army, as well as the navy, is to be materially increased. This is to keep pace with the increase which France and Germany are making “Thus militant Europe continues,” in the language of one newspaper, “to make ready for an inevitable, colossal conflict.” PTUK December 17, 1896, page 816.3

Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world; if My kingdom were of this world, then would My servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews.” John 18:36. The kingdom of Christ is not a thing to be fought for. The force that takes the kingdom of heaven, is not the force of arms. But if a man will not fight for the greatest thing in the world, how can he fight for the minor things? If he will not fight for the kingdom of Christ, it is certain that he will not fight for any kingdom of man. Therefore the servant of Christ will not fight at all, under any consideration. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 816.4

“Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” But the man who starts in the service of the Lord with his eyes on “these things” of a temporal nature, is not seeking first the kingdom of God and righteousness. The man who does not see “these things” receives them, and is content with what he has, whether he abounds or suffers need, while the man whose thought is upon the material things has no certainty of them, and fails of receiving the righteousness. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 816.5

“Papal Etiquette” The Present Truth, 12, 51.

E. J. Waggoner

Papal Etiquette .-Some idea may be formed of the wonderful magic still exercised by the papacy over men’s minds, says the Chronicle, by considering the inconveniences to which crowned heads voluntarily submit in order to keep up the fiction of “the Prisoner of the Vatican.” Passing over the fact that such good Catholics as the Emperor of Austria and the King of Portugal are absolutely prohibited from setting foot in Rome, we may just note the conditions upon which King Alexander of Servia, a member of the Greek Communion, was permitted last week to call upon the Pope. The idea of a visit on his return from Naples, when he would no longer be King Humbert’s guest, could not be tolerated for a moment. It was intimated that he and his whole suite must be conveyed in mufti by the Court carriages to be Quirinal Hotel, declared for the occasion to be Servian territory. There the party had changed their civil garments for gala uniforms, and then proceed in hired carriages to the Vatican. After the visit his Majesty must await in uniform the call of Cardinal Rampolla, and then resuming his every-day clothes return to the Quirinal Palace and the royal vehicles. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 816.6

“The Gospel Gives” The Present Truth, 12, 51.

E. J. Waggoner

The Gospel Gives .-It makes all the difference in the world how one looks at the Gospel. If one looks at it as taking away from us things that we have always prized because they are peculiar to us, it is hard; if we look at it as giving us the best possible things, it is easy. The one who says, “If I am a Christian, I shall have to give up” this or that thing, can see nothing but bondage in it; while the one who knows that if he accepts Christ he receives everything worth having, sees joy and gladness in the Christian life. The Gospel gives, instead of taking away. “God so loved the world, that He gave”-what?-“His only begotten Son,” “whom He hath appointed heir of all things.” John 3:16; Hebrews 1:2. Now “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” Romans 8:32. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 816.7

All that the Lord asks us to give up is our own evil way, which we try to persuade ourselves is good enough, but which the Lord says is but “filthy rags.” But He offers us instead His own perfection. Imagine now a poor beggar with filthy garments that will scarcely hold together, saying to his companions, “I am invited to go to Mr.—’s house; but if I go I shall certainly have to give up all these clothes of mine.” “What! and go naked?” asks one. “Oh, no; he will give me a fine new suit.” “Well, then,” some sensible fellow would say, “you have stated the case wrong. What you ought to say is that if you go you will receive some good clothes, and instead of complaining, you ought to rejoice. Even so the one who knows the Lord will, instead of complaining that he must give up the filthy rags of his own misdeeds, say: “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness.” Isaiah 61:10. “Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift.” PTUK December 17, 1896, page 816.8

“‘Christendom’ and Heathendom” The Present Truth, 12, 51.

E. J. Waggoner

“Christendom” and Heathendom .-The Rev. Mark Guy Pearse, of the West London Mission, as thorough and loyal an Englishman as there is living, preached a sermon at St. James’s Hall, on “Temperance Sunday,” published in the Methodist Times of Dec. 10, in which he said:- PTUK December 17, 1896, page 816.9

All that England has done and is doing to advance the welfare of the nations is undone and worse than undone by the curse of strong drink. It hurts one indeed to think of it, but it is just the awful and terrible truth, that in spite of our Bible Societies and all our great Missionary Societies, the world would be better to-day if there were no England. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 816.10

And the same is true of every other nation on earth, in proportion to its power and influence, the reason why may be seen from the next statement made by Mr. Pearse:- PTUK December 17, 1896, page 816.11

In India, it is said that for every native converted to Christianity, one hundred natives are made drunkards. When the natives see a drunken man they are accustomed to say, “He has left Mohammed and gone to Jesus.” “Now that Burmah has been annexed,” says a missionary, “it has become a place of cheap drink and great crimes.” PTUK December 17, 1896, page 816.12

It is awful to think that people are given such false ideas of Jesus and Christianity, and it all comes through that fiction expressed by the term “Christian nation,” which many real Christians thoughtlessly foster. If the truth had always been proclaimed, that Christianity is simply Christlikeness, that it is an individual affair and that all nations are, as nations, always heathen, and only heathen, much dishonour to the Christian name would have been saved. PTUK December 17, 1896, page 816.13