World Outlook
The hopes of a world-peace, with a League of Nations to insure this blessing to present and future generations, has become the expectation of a large part of the world. What the immediate outcome of this " Peace Conference " will "be, and how much or how little of the high hopes entertained may be realized for a time, remains to be seen. It is not for us to predict as to what shall be accomplished, or what turn present events may take, but rather to turn to God's word as to the final issues.
The Lord is long-suffering. It is not His will that men perish in their sins, but that they turn to Him and be saved; and we know not how much He may yet bear with the increasing tide of evil, of pride, and insubjection to His word, and consequent ungodliness, so revolting in Christendom long blessed with the Oracles of God-the Bible.
Christianity's Prospect
But these conditions point to a near and overwhelming disaster, foretold in Scripture. Romans 11:20 affirms that "because of unbelief" Israel, after long patience from God, was cut off from its place of privilege and blessing; and verse 22 tells Gentile. Christianity that if it continues not in the faith and in the goodness of God " thou also shalt be cut off." Alas, both past and present conditions clearly proclaim that Christianity is to be "cut off." The decree has gone forth that the Lord shall spue out this Laodicean church-condition-"neither cold nor hot"-which He hates ; which neither completely rejects Christ, nor sincerely loves Him who gave Himself unto death for our redemption.
It is said that Christianity is to "conquer the world for Christ," and it has an appearance of truth, in this that it has grown, and is now throwing out branches over the world. But let us remember that it is a Christianity shorn of what has ever made it unpopular to the world. It spreads out mainly in the way of the mustard seed and of the leaven in our Lord's parables of Matt. 13:31-33-by taking a worldly character in place of the heavenly one it bore at the beginning, so that the evil birds (the devourers of the precious seed, of vers. 4 and 19) find lodgment in its branches. Christianity has been leavened too with traditions and superstitions, with church-forms and ceremonies, substituted for the pure truth once delivered to the saints.
The following excerpt from a .secular paper of March 2,19, exemplifies this mode of aggrandizement and adaptation of Christianity to the world:
Three bishops of the Protestant Episcopal Church -will go to Rome to lay before Pope Benedict XV a plan for the formation of a league of churches, it -was announced yesterday. The Bt. Rev. R. H. Weller, Bishop of Fond-du-Lac, Wisconsin, made the announcement at the Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin, No. 146 West Forty-sixth Street, New York.
The proposed league is to follow lines similar to those embodied in the League of Nations project. All Christian churches, including Roman Catholic, Greek, Russian and Protestant, are to be represented.
Bishop Weller said yesterday :'' The people here may think it impossible for such a league to be brought about. They may believe us embarked on an impossible task, though hoping that our mission may not be futile. The idea of a League of Nations was laughed at, yet our beloved President Wilson said that it was not an impossibility, and the conferees at Paris actually agreed upon a proposed constitution for such a league." …
Bishop Weller has been working for nine years to bring all churches together on a co-operative basis. A commission was appointed to arrange for a conference in Europe just previous to the outbreak of the war.
The Rise of Atheism
Yet, in opposition even to such Christianity as this, a bolder evil is now rising in the world as never before. Open infidelity in the masses is lifting its arrogant head against God, religion, and even morality. This atheistic spirit, lawless and cruel in the extreme, showed itself in the French revolution of 130 years ago, but in increased fury and vastly wider range is now overrunning Russia; it has filtered into Germany, and has ramifications in various parts of the world, waiting for opportunities.
The following is from the International News Service of Feb. 28, 19:
SOVIETS OPEN WAR AGAINST RELIGION.
The Russian Soviets have opened a campaign against religion, particularly the Orthodox Greek Church.
The Bolshevik! have decreed that all children born after December 20, 1917, who have not been registered with the Soviets, will be refused food cards. Persons attempting to secure food for the unregistered children will be placed on trial.
Already this ruling has resulted in civil war in the communities of Smolensk and Kaluga, where many such babies, called by the people " stone sucklings," have died.
Peasants who have stores of food on hand refuse to register their children except with the priests, denouncing the registration with the Soviets as the work of anti-Christs. A feud has developed at Kaluga between the parents of anti-Christs and the " stone sucklings."
The Soviet Guard is supporting the anti-Christs.
Henceforth all christenings, marriages and burials may be solemnized only by authorized members of the Bolsheviki.
To the above may be added the revolting fact that marriage as a divine institution has been abolished in some of the Russian Soviets. More corrupt by far than savages, more beastly than beasts, woman is degraded from being the wife of one man, and the unclean progeny is to be the State's property and care!
Another gives the following from Bavaria:
The Munich Congress has adopted several radical measures for the regulation of the non-Socialist press. The Housing Commissioner has received dictatorial power to seize palaces, villas, and barracks, and convert them into lodgings for the working people.
The non-Socialist newspapers are compelled to publish proletarist propaganda, and the Clerical organ has been selected to publish a series of articles preaching atheism.
Fellow-Christian, such is the outlook of the so-much boasted world's progress." Is it not a Satanic progress? And why? Because with the development of man's God-given intelligence and capacity, man, exalting himself and refusing God's testimonies, becomes blinded by Satan, the god of this world, is led by the devil even while denying that there is a devil and a hell, where evil and all rebellion is finally to be shut up.
Conclusion
Rev. 17 :16 shows that Babylon the Great (corrupted Christianity) shall be destroyed by the atheistic powers; but God, taking the judgment into His own hands, will make a summary end of the infidel powers and their followers, described in Rev. 19 :19-21.
"Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot and blameless " (2 Pet. 3:14).