July, 1936
259
THE KI NG' S BUSINESS
On November 19, 1925, in the Palk. i Chamber, Musso lini imperialistically demanded of Parliament to ap prove laws whereby Fascism, and not the Italian Parlia ment, should become the actual government of Italy. On that occasion, he said:
one-time vagabond son of a b lack sm ith m arched into his domain and told him to sign on a dotted line, submitted with the meekness of a lamb—imagine such a king being a Caesar, fulfilling Mussolini’s ambitious dream of world empire! Julius Caesar thrice refused the imperial crown, though he took unto himself the full exer cise of all its powers. It will scarcely be a Victor Em manuel who will be sitting upon the throne when Caesar’s courtiers will address him again as of old: “Caesar, Em peror, Divinity, God!" R oman F ascist L egions A gain to R ule t h e W orld A ccording to t h e N ew C aesar ’ s P rogram The ink of King Victor Emmanuel had hardly dried on that dotted line, back there in October, 1922, before Musso lini proclaimed to the world his political alchemy—a system of government based upon the liberty-crushing despotism of a Caesar. Speaking to Lady Drummond Hay, he cried: “Liberty! Is there such a thing as liberty? . . . Mass can not govern mass! Quantity cannot govern quantity! I maintain there can be no such thing as liberty!" Noticing the bust of the great Julius Caesar in a niche in the wall over Mussolini’s head, Lady Hay asked: “Why do you work with Julius Caesar looking over your shoulder all the time?” Lady Hay says that Mussolini’s face took on an inspired expression, his eyes a curious dreamy look, and his voice sounded strangely moved as he replied almost rever ently: “He—HE is my ideal, my master—Julius Caesar, the greatest man that ever was!" with God as a thing to be retained by grasping; but emptied himself, taking the form [the place, the grade, the position, the rank] of a slave, becoming in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, be coming obedient unto death, yea, the death of the cross.” So far, we see the humiliation, the self-imposed humili ation, of the Son of God. Thus was the way prepared for Him to become the Way to God for all who would come through Him. The ladder could now be set up on the earth to reach unto heaven, and make communication, and com munion also, possible between God and man. Now, let us read on: “Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every name; that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” But just whom did God thus exalt? Was it the Son of God as such ? Would it be exaltation for Him to be received and restored to the place already His, and His from all eternity ? That would be restoration, but not exaltation. It would be recognition, but not exaltation. Whom, then, was it that God thus exalted and placed at His right hand in the heavenlies? It was Jesus, the Son of man. But is not Jesus the Son of God also ? Yes, indeed He is; but it was as Son o.f man rather than as Son of God that He was exalted to the right hand of the Majesty on high. “Jesus” is His human name; His name as Son of man. In His own Hebrew tongue it was “Jehoshua”—-Jehovah the Saviour—given to Him because He was sent to save His people from their sins; Jehovah incarnate; the Lord
It is impossible to hinder Fascism from the in terior, and I affirm that in Fascism there are principles of life and universal character which cannot be stopped. All the world feels that the parliamentary system, although necessary during the last century, is inadequate for modern life. This principle is not con fined to Italy, but exists for all other countries. . . . I will not menace any country [Oh, no! Inquire of Ethiopia!] but in my capacity of chief in this govern ment, I warn the entire world. You know me as a man who does not speak, but acts. ’ T h e F ascist C reed
The following year (1926), Mussolini gave to Italy and made known to the world, the famous Fascist Creed, which is nothing less than a blasphemous parody on the Apostles’ Creed. Since that year, every schoolboy in Italy has had to be able to quote that creed from memory. Every Fascist soldier has to know it “by heart.” To refresh our memories, we quote it here:
I believe in (1) Rome Eternal, the mother of my fatherland; (2) And in Italy, her first born; (3) Who was born of her virgin womb by the grace of God; (4) Who suffered under the barbarian invader, was crucified, slain and buried; (S) Who descended [Continued on page 260]
Why the Son o f God Became the Son o f M an [Continued from page 256]
of glory dwelling in the virgin’s Son that He might be the Saviour of men. Some one may ask how He could be called the Son of man since He was the Seed of the woman and born without a human father. The answer is that He was the Son of man in the generic sense; He was the Son of the race of men, the Son of mankind, the Son of humanity. In the four Gospels He applies the title of the Son of man to Himself eighty times. A M an in t h e G lory When Jesus of Nazareth was taken up from the Mount of Olives and seated at God’s side, there was a Man sitting there for the first time. As Son of God He had occupied that place from times everlasting, but as Son of man He had never been there before. We may now rejoice that there is a Man in heaven. He sits there for us. He is pur Repre sentative as He sits there, and His session there is a pledge and guaranty to us that we ourselves who have taken our place under the shelter of His shed blood shall one day sit there also. Indeed, in God’s Reckoning, we are already there, seated together with the Son of man (Eph. 2 :6). He is there as our Advocate (1 John 2:1, 2), and He is there to keep us saved unto the end, ever living to make inter cession for us (Heb. 7:25). It is as Son of man that the Lord Jesus will one day judge the world (John 5:22-27; Acts 17:31), and in that judgment we shall be associated with Him (1 Cor. 6 :l-3). Let us rejoice in Him who thus humbled Himself to be come our Redeemer, the Daysman betwixt God and man, that He might lay His hand upon us both. How thankful we are that as there is one God, there is “One mediator also between God and men, himself man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all” (1 Tim. 2:5, 6, R. V.). Blessed be His holy name forever!
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