(276-277) owe that dawn, with all its promise, more than to anything else, to the pioneer work and the channels opened up by Christian missionaries. Missionaries are largely influential today in the diplomacy of the Orient. The value to America, therefore, of missions is simply incalculable. The fruitage is only in its beginning. “So I think the subject of foreign missions should command the interest of patriots and philanthropists, men of all creeds and of no creed, men of commerce, manufacture, finance, of bankers, importers and exporters of our country, and of all who have the well-being of their own country or of mankind at heart. In the long run it will be found that the effect of the missionary enterprise will be to bring to them the peaceful conquest of the world.” MOB VIOLENCE INCREASING We have all noted the increasing tendency to mob violence, anarchy, disregard of law, in our own land, especially in connection with strikes and lock-outs. The same spirit grows everywhere, as evidenced by the following late press cabiegrams: FINNISH MOB THREATENING Viborg, Finland, Aug. 15.—The court-martial which tried Prokope, who killed Col. Kremarenke, Chief of Police of Viborg, July 21, today sentenced him to he hanged. A regiment of dragoons has arrived to reinforce the garrison, as the mob threatens reprisals. Prokope refused to plead unless tried by a Finnish court, and the witnesses summoned by the prose: cution .said they would testify only before a Finnish Judge, A crowd of 5,000 persons made a demonstration outside the Governor’s house here yesterday against the trial by courtmartial. BALTIC PROVINCES ALARMED St. Petersburg, Aug. 15.—-The situation in the Baltic provinces becomes daily more terrible. The Slav population, ZION’S WATCH TOWER ALLEGHENY, Pa. exasperated against the landed proprietors, for the most part nobles of German blood, is constantly making attacks on life and property. The upper classes and higher bourgeoisie are hastily leaving the country. The Government has appointed an extraordinary commission to report on the situation and the necessary measures to be taken. 6,000 HUNGRY MEN IN ARMS IN SPAIN Seville, Spain, Aug. 15.—A commission of landed proprietors and farmers have laid before the authorities the conditions prevailing in and about Osuna in Andalusia. They estimate that there are 5,000 workmen armed with rifles roaming about the country. The municipal authorities disclaim responsibility for this condition of affairs, The jails are crowded with persons who have committed no offense, but who have surrendered to the police on the pretense of having committed crimes in order to get shelter and food. The charitable societies have exhausted their resources, and government action is awaited. Hunger riots are of daily occurrence, and are becoming more and more serious. ‘heft and pillage are common, and it is impossible to maintain order. Reinforcements of the civil guard are needed in every town and village. Not a drop of rain has fallen in that district since March, and the summer and autumn crops will be ruined unless rain falls soon. It is feared that the peasantry will take the law in their own hands, and even now signs of open revolt are plentiful and exasperation at the Government’s inaction is becoming daily more pronounced, * * * This is the spirit which must be expected more and more to develop during the next few years, according to the Scriptural forecast—“Every man’s hand against his brother and no peace to him that goeth out nor to him that cometh in.” GERMANY’S RELIGIOUS TURMOIL “More than one solemn voice is being raised within the Protestant churches of Germany, voices of warning, seriously asking the church to prepare for the coming of evil days. Three terrible enemies beset the Reformed faith; and these carry on a war of the most ruthless character, and give absolutely no quarter, just as they expect none, “There is, first, the old enemy, Rome, ceaselessly on the watch perpetually pushing forward her advanced position, taking advantage of every slip and error in the opposite camp, sleepless, indefatigable, unscrupulous in her methods, The organization of the church of Rome in Germany is far superior to anything which the Evangelical churches can show. The discipline of her clergy is perfect. These are apparently not bothered by racking doubt as to the faith that is in them. They have no questions to decide about theological chairs, and ‘positive’ and ‘liberal’ professors. Their supply of divinity students is not falling off. Their exchequers are full to overflowing, and a recent report of the Archbishop of Ratisbon boasted that never before in the history of German Catholicism has so much been subscribed by the faithful for purposes of religion. Their associations for young men and young women show a full list of members, and are all financially sound. And their great annual political gatherings, at which they send messages to Pope and Kaiser and receive congratulations in return from both these potentates, are full of enthusiasm and give unmistakable evidence of an advancing cause. “What is being done by the Evangelical churches of Germany to weaken the church of Rome, either spiritually or politically? I fear absolutely nothing. There are Gustavus Adolphus associations and Protestant Alliances, and many another society with resounding names: but what are they doing? Where are the proofs of their progress? One asks in vain, and the fact remains that throughout the land Rome is united, compact, strong, growing stronger, militant; while the Protestant churches are torn with internal troubles, feeble, presenting no united front, and above all distracted by religious doubts. SOCIALISM VERSUS OLERICALISM “Arrayed against Protestantism to probably a far greater extent than against Catholicism is the whole force of the Social Democrats. Few people outside Germany have any conception of the hatred with which the Socialist leaders follow the Evangelical churches. To a very large extent their hatred is returned with interest by the leaders of the church. The feeling of hatred against the church is easily enough explained. It exists in all countries with a State Church, but in Germany to a still greater extent than—say, m England. In England, although parson and squire had common interests and were invariably united against the poor man, there was always, even at the worst of times, an eminently respectable residuum which threw in its lot with the poor man, and defended him against his oppressors, But in Germany, especially in Prussia, this residuum has hardly existed, and the great land-owner and the great manufacturer have invariably had the pastors at their back. “The pastors in Germany, with few exceptions, support every measure which tells against freedom. They support universal military service, and are identified in every way with the crushing military life of the country. They support the antiquated electoral system of Prussia, which practically excludes every poor man from the poll. During the exciting times of four years ago, when the proposed new taxes on breadstuffs rent the country into two warring camps, I do not remember a single clerical voice raised on behalf of cheap bread and against the utterly selfish agrarianism of the big landlords. In a word they are opposed to reform as the people understand reform, and in consequence there is a gulf between the representatives of the working classes and the representatives of the church which it is impossible to bridge over. At almost every election throughout the country the pastor’s candidate is opposed by a Socialist, the two men representing diametrically opposite ways of political thought. PROTESTANT UNBELIEF A FOE “But no enemy of the Protestant church in Germany is so potent and destructive as unbelief. Were only unbelief removed, Rome and Socialism might vainly unite their forces. The believing church is invincible against all attacks; the unbelieving Church falls a prey to any and every enemy. What can we think of the controversy which has been raging lately in a portion of the Protestant church press as to the exact number of ‘positive’ and ‘liberal’ professors of theology in German universities? By ‘positive’ is meant those who believe in Christ as very God; by ‘liberal’ is meant those who do not believe either in the divinity of his person or of his teaching. It is significant of the whole situation that these leading Protestant journals are busily engaged in collecting such statistics. And what do these statistics reveal? A very terrible state of affairs, viz., that the number of unbelieving professors far surpasses the number of believers—96 liberals and only 79 positive. This is a state of affairs causing jubilation in the ultramontane camp. Hear the leading and most popular Roman Catholic journal in Germany:— “We can, however, still believe that of those Protestants who still interest themselves in church affairs there is probably a ‘positive’ majority. The most remarkable thing about this classification into ‘liberal’ and ‘positive’ is that both parties belong to one and the same church. And yet here are two totally distinct religions, as distinct as Lutheranism [3628]
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