THE war has ended, but there is no peace, nor prospects of peace as far as the world is concerned. We who accept the teaching of God’s Word look not for peace in that way. For God saith in His Word: “there is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked” (Isa. 48: 22). “We looked for peace, but no good came; and a time of health, and behold trouble” (Jer. viii: 15). That is exactly how we are to-day. Millions have perished, and many more millions are on the verge of starvation, disease and death. The horizon of this generation is extremely dark, and solemnly threatening. The Word of God is ignored by all the nations; there is no exception. Britain is as guilty in this respect as any other nation. Her people are utterly godless, atheistical, and irreligious. Millions are churchless, and indeed no wonder when the churches rejected the Word of God and turned into fables, gossip, and paganism. The respect, and love that should be shown towards the blessed Word is profusely, and lavishly poured out in other directions which must have most awful repercussions on individuals and nations alike. We read in the press that the London conference has been a failure, deadlock, and abortive. We may expect nothing else, and worse to follow. If men, women, and nations think that they are to govern, and regulate the affairs of the world without any regard, respect, or submission to divine principles they will find out that God rules in affairs of men as sure as Nebuchadnezzar had to feel, and forced to believe it. “Take ye heed every one to his neighbour, and trust not in any brother: for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbour will walk with slanders. And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongues to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity” (Jer. ix. 4, 5).
Russia is playing the game of remorseless covetousness. The rest of the nations of Europe are prostrate in the dust, and our own gallant nation sick to death, and unable to stem the tide, and floods which pour across Europe from Moscow. It is obvious that the mighty United States of America is longing to cut the cords which connects her with miserable Europe!
What is the root cause of our troubles, and misery for the last thirty years in particular? It began in 1914. It is going on, as black, as dismal, and hopeless as ever. We have not the least hesitation in stating that the “civilised nations” are secretly, and may be feverishly preparing for the next “blood bath” which may come soon upon us, and by weapons which will forever place former engines of destruction into the shade.
Our readers would have read in the press reports of what is called atomic bombs have been dropped on two cities in Japan with fearful results. It only took (according to reliable reports) a “split-second” to hurl scores of thousands into eternity, and to leave many scores of thousands maimed, blind, hurt, home-less, father-less, and mother-less. It was appalling! That was the experimental stage of this new weapon of destruction. What would ten, twenty, or a thousand times more of this new power let loose on cities like London, New York, Paris, or Moscow mean? But it won’t be used, and the learned world will resist the use of it, and prevent the nations of the world ever using this fearful weapon of ruin, and annihilation! We read the slogans of time-serving politicians after the 1914-18 war, “no more war,” “peace on earth,” forgetting that glory to God in the highest must be the first object to be honoured, obeyed, and glorified before there can be peace on earth! Oh! the madness of man! The spiritual and mental insanity of the graceless human soul, and mind. No wonder wise Solomon would exclaim, “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”
Yes, men will use atomic power, and dare not hesitate for one moment in using it in defence, and offensive—for the law of self preservation is not dead! This new power has been introduced at the end of the bloodiest war ever waged by man since the creation, and the fall of Adam in the garden of Eden. We venture to say that it has revolutionised the weapons of war for all time, and that methods, and means used in the next war will be annihilation for the nation, or nations attacked by the aggressor.
Let us not flatter ourselves that protocols signed, and solemnly signed by politicians will stand a moment longer than it will suit the aggressor to attack his neighbour. Let us listen to one of the most learned, and experienced of our presentday scientists—Prof. M. E. Oliphant, Poynting Professor of Physics at the University of Birmingham, and a member of the Technical Committee of scientists for the development of the atomic bomb. Prof. Oliphant said at the Rotary Club, Birmingham, “that he thought those associated with the bomb’s development were if anything, more horrified than anyone else at the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.” The Professor’s plea was that “intensive propaganda by wireless and leaflets would have warned the Japanese that one of these weapons would be dropped on their country. They would have seen their country illuminated by a stronger light than any sun which ever shone on Japan, and they would have experienced physical evidence of the greatest power of this new force. . . . But only as a last resort would scientists have dropped this weapon on to a city. . . . The idea that Great Britain and America or any other country could control the bomb by keeping the process secret was just rot, as the principles on which the bomb was based were well known to everyone. Any industrial country could have the bomb in five years, and any determined industrial country in two. A lump of material rather smaller than an ordinary Rugby football had the equivalent explosive force of 20,000 tons of T.N.T., and he was confident that before long bombs could be made with the explosive force of 1,000,000 tons of T.N.T. and ultimately 10,000,000 tons. There was no defence against it. . . . If we failed to make use of our opportunities, then he thought that Great Britain was doomed not only to live the rest of its short life as a second class Power, but because of its peculiar vulnerability to aerial attack to annihilation.”
That is the opinion of Professor Oliphant! It is a dreadful solemn warning! The Lord alone can prevent the use of it. We need not for a moment hesitate about the use and abuse of this atomic power when, and if the nations of the world will challenge and fight each other but the atomic bomb will be in active operation, and the first in the air with it will be the only surviving nation! No city, nor place, nor nation is too far away—the atomic bomb can reach any, and all, and who can prevent it?
Rev. Dr. H. Cockburn came from Geneva the other day to London, and gave a gloomy account of the conditions prevailing in the parts of Europe known to him, and those associated with him in Geneva. He says:—Germany—”Displaced persons camped in the open air to the east of Berlin wait for days around railway stations hoping for a train to carry them somewhere where they can find food. Starving children continue to arrive in Berlin from Stettin, now taken over by the Poles. France—Grave difficulties over the feeding of 500,000 German prisoners and civilian internees in French camps. One estimate says that 90 per cent. face death by the Spring.”
In to-day’s Daily Scotsman, Field-Marshall Montgomery gives a terrible account of conditions in Germany. We have asked the cause of all this, and let us now try to understand what is the cause of it all. We, who believe the Word of God will have no difficulty in coming to this conclusion that sin is the root cause of it all. Yes, quite true, but God in His infinite love provided a remedy in the gospel to meet all that and infinitely more . . . for she has received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.”
Eastern, Southern, and Western Europe had the gospel and rejected it. Germany had the glorious Reformation, and the blessings of religious and civil liberties restored to her people in the days of Luther, and the Reformers, and so had France. For the great John Calvin was a Frenchman, and many of his letters, and speeches were directed to his native country. That cursed thing popery has been instrumental during the last one hundred years to bring Europe back into the darkness of paganism. As. F.M. Montgomery emphasises that the literal ignorance of the average German, boy or girl, is appalling. We can lay the blame of this calamity at the door of popery, the Jesuits, and their political agents in Poland, Germany, France, Spain, and Belgium. This war which began in 1914 was instigated by the Jesuits, and popish nations.
Popery must be destroyed, and until it is abolished from the Councils of Europe, Asia, America, and the British Isles there will be no peace in the world, or between nations. It is the canker-worm at the root of the political tree as well as at the root of civil, and religious liberty. The gospel of the grace of God as recorded in the Bible can save Europe, and the World from annihilation. Men, and women in all nations must turn to the Word of God. We see not, nor hear of any among the powers that are directing their fellow country to the Word of God. Popery hates the Bible. The Anglo-Catholics of England have no need of the Bible—their pagan ritual is their Bible. The Lutheran Churches of the Continent rejected the Bible. The Greek Church stands between the people and the Bible. Russia and its vast population never had the Bible, and were not able to read it although it were placed in their hands until very recently. The only cure, and offered remedy is the Word of God. If nations will continue to resist it, and reject the gospel we may then solemnly, humbly, but watchfully look for worse to come than what has passed between 1914 to 1945!
Finally, the Lord’s people can do much at a throne of grace, and let them frequent it on behalf of poor, miserable, and dying Europe. Oh! let your prayers ascend to the throne of mercy for the blessed One can turn millions of precious souls to His own blessed Word, and gospel. Our hope is in the Lord. To Him we should look and not to an arm of flesh. The glorious gospel can save the world from utter ruin, and the soul from going down into the pit. The blessed Saviour is at the right hand of power. He will carry out the purpose of God, and fulfil the ever-blessed promises of the gospel to the Church.—J.M.