Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 79:313 (Jan 1922)
Article: Is The Ideal Of A League Of Nations To Enforce Peace Christian?
Author: John Elliott Wishart

BSac 79:313 (Jan 1922) p. 8

Is The Ideal Of A League Of Nations To Enforce Peace Christian?

John Elliott Wishart

It may be that this is a strange and unnecessary question. It is surely not an extravagant statement to affirm that ever since the morning when the angels sang, Peace on earth, Good will to men, the influence of those who profess to call themselves Christian has on the whole, in spite of many failures and backslidings and many resorts to carnal weapons, been exerted against war. It was the dream of Isaiah and Micah, and possibly of an early prophet whom they both quote, that the time would come when swords should be beaten into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks, and nations should learn war no more. If there ever was a man of peace, it was the Lord Jesus, and though he foresaw that one result of his work would be to send a sword upon the earth, he never authorized his followers to use such a weapon in supporting his cause. During the gloomiest periods of the dark ages, the Church, which assuredly had faults enough, put at least some restraints upon the violence of men, and her sanctuaries and monasteries were a refuge in a time when fighting was the principal business of life. And in our own age, a great poet whose Christian faith and hope were the constant inspiration of his verse, dips into the future:

“Till the war-drum throbbed no longer, and the battle flags were furl’d
In the Parliament of man, the Federation of the world.”

— Tennyson.

The belief in the possibility of a Truce of God, worldwide in extent and permanent, would seem to be due to the influence of the gospel.

BSac 79:313 (Jan 1922) p. 9

But unfortunately there are evidences enough that the question is not an entirely gratuitous one. Some at least of the advocates of certain popular eschatological views are given to saying that there can be no peace until the Prince of Peace comes, and they view with suspicion governmental or international plans to substitute arbitration and the rule of reason for the appeal to arms, as a thing which is not only futile but almost irreverent. It would be quite aside from the purpose of this paper to attempt to discuss favorably or unfavorably current theories regarding the coming of the Lord. The hope of His advent certainly does not of necessity lead to such discouraging conclusions with respect to the present world situation, and not all, perhaps indeed no very large proportion, of those who make this expectation the center of their teaching are opposed to treaties and leagues which tend to maintain peace. But that the number of those who take the attitude indicated is considerable, that their influence because of high character and devotion is great, and that thus many Christian people t...