external to mankind. But let us look the facts solemnly in the
face that the Christian religion has now been in effect for nearly
two thousand years; that the nations now warring are Christian
nations, in the very foremost rank of Christendom; that never in
history has there been so much bloodshed in such wide-spread areas
and so much hate, and that we see no signs that Christianity is
employing any influence that she has not been employing for nearly
two thousand years.

If we look for the influence of Christianity, we can find it in
the daily lives of people, in the family, in business, in politics,
and in military bodies; everywhere, in fact, in Christian countries,
so long as we keep inside of any organization the members of which
feel bound together. This we must all admit, even the heathen know
it; but where do we see any evidence of the sweetening effect of
Christianity in the dealings of one organization with another with
which it has no special bonds of friendship? Christianity is invoked
in every warring nation now to stimulate the patriotic spirit of
the nation and intensify the hate of the crowd against the enemy;
and even if we think that such invoking is a perversion of religious
influence to unrighteous ends, we must admit the fact that the
Christian religion itself is at this moment being made to exert
a powerful influence--not toward peace but toward war! And this
should not amaze us; for where does the Bible say or intimate that
love among nations will ever be brought about? The Saviour said:
"I bring not peace but a sword." So what reasonable hope does even
Christianity give us that war between nations will cease? And even if
it did give reasonable hope, let us realize that between reasonable
hope and reasonable expectation there is a great gulf fixed.