April, 1935
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
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Socialism, Communism,Fascism “ THREE UNCLEAN SP IR ITS L IKE FROGS” | B y LOUIS S. BAUMAN Long Beach, California
they see approaching with appalling speed. All is due to the spirit of lawlessness which has crept into every depart ment o f human activity. “ International law” is a high- sounding phrase, but it means nothing to the pompous spir its o f Socialism, Communism, and Fascism— “ these filthy dreamers [that] defile the flesh [and] despise dominion” (Jude 8 ). They that “ despise dominion,” despise law ! Some years ago, fifty nations signed the “ Kellogg Peace Pact.” By this “ Pact,” war became an international outlaw. But, alas! The “ Pact” only proved to be another “ scrap o f paper.” Major nations already have spurned not only the “ Pact,” but have thumbed their noses at the World Court and League o f Nations as well, even as they flew at each other’s throats. The armaments o f all the signatories to the “ Pact” have been stacked higher than ever before in human history, and the nations continue to stack them high at a feverish pace. Likewise they have increased tremen dously the power of these instruments o f death. Verily, “ This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be . . . trucebreakers” (2 Tim. 3 :l-3 ). F ascism ? L awless ! In “ The [official] Life o f Benito Mussolini,” the author of modern Fascism, also its foremost leader, we read: A Fascist soldier has a moral law entirely to himself. The common moral law, associated with the family, with political affairs and social relations, primitive as it is, is of no value to a Fascist soldier. Mussolini himself said on March 13, 1926, “A good Fascist cares nothing about elections and parliaments.” Mussolini placed Italy in the League o f Nations. But when some Italian surveyors were killed in Albania, he snapped his fingers in the face of the League and hurled a one-day ultimatum at Greece. Greece called to the new League of Nations in vain. Before the cocked guns o f the premier outlaw of the world, Greece went to her knees, happy only that she was not blown to smithereens before she could get the 50,000,000 lire out o f her pocket! Fascist Germany knows well that the persecution o f minorities is contrary to all international law ; yet she ap proves of the persecution o f 600,000 defenseless Jews. Ger many has laws by which to try men accused o f treason, and by which to put them to death if guilty. Yet her Chancellor sneaked forth at night and shot down in cold blood men and women whose loyalty to him was doubted. Afterwards, he went before the world with a poor speech in which he approved his murderous lawlessness. The London Times (July 3, 1934) said: What is ominously symptomatic o f the present state of Germany is the savagery, the disregard for all the forms o f law which are the indispensable safeguards of justice and which are sacrosanct in every modern civi lized state. What is o f still deeper significance is the indif ference—even the complacency—with which this resort to the methods o f the Middle Ages is apparently regarded. C ommunism ? L awless ! All the world knows that a Communist acknowledges no law save the law of his own fist. Thousands upon thou-
“ Humanity on the March”— To Where? C ivilization has struck its tents and the caravan o f hu manity is on the march.” Such was the terse descrip tion given by that world-famous soldier, General Jan Chris tian Smuts, in speaking o f civilization today. “ The caravan o f humanity is on the march’V-unquestionably! But— to where? Many and varied are the answers given, One is correct: “ God knows!” Yes, “ God knows” ; and, more over, God has told us that destination. Those who read the Book have the infallible answer: “Armageddon!” For ages the sons of men have dreamed o f a world brotherhood in which all “ shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away” (Isa. 35:10). But, let not the un failing Word be forgotten—humanity’s march to that Gol den Age lies across the bloody fields o f Armageddon, not because God would have it so, but because man will have it so (c f.L k . 19:41-44). L awless —T he L eaders on H umanity ’ s M arch “ Humanity is on the march.” And even the most super ficial observer o f our times must confess that, “ on the march,” humanity is being led, or sadly misled, by these “ three unclean spirits” — Socialism, Communism, and Fascism. Other spirits there are; but these three lead the marching legions today. Where? As we have before observed, these three spirits are morally unclean, spiritually godless, and racially anti- Semitic. Now, spirits that are unclean and godless are spir its that are by nature lawless. And when, by the fortune o f war or other satanic devices, these three spirits shall cease their present antagonism to each other, and, realizing that their real purposes are one, shall federate in common cause against the establishment o f the kingdom o f God on earth, their supreme leader is to be one already named by the Spirit o f God —“ the lawless one”’ (2 Thess. 2 :8, R .V .). T o Daniel (1 1 :36), “ the lawless one” was revealed as the W ilful King— “ the king [who] shall do according to his will.” Every catastrophe that has ever overwhelmed men or angels has had its roots embedded in lawlessness. The an gels that, even now, lie “ in everlasting chains . . . unto the judgment of the great day” (Jude 6 ) were spirits of law lessness. Chains are only for the lawless. Lawlessness put Adam and Eve to bed with a shovel. Lawlessnes tolled the death knell o f the antediluvians. Lawlessness dealt the coup de grace to the kingdom o f Judah (2 Chron. 3 6 :16 ). Law lessness engulfed the splendor and pomp o f imperial Rome. Lawlessness will ring down the curtain upon the glory o f the millennial age, and will raise the curtain from before the great white throne o f the last judgment (Rev. 20:7-14). Yes, “ the caravan o f humanity is on the march,” and lawless are the leaders and lawless are the marchers. A World Court and a League o f Nations stand by, pitifully helpless to prevent the catastrophe o f man’s civilization, if not the total collapse o f all man’s proud building, which [This article is the fourth o f a series o f messages on this subject, brought to K in g ’ s B u sin e ss readers by the pastor o f the First Brethren Church, Long Beach, Calif. — E ditor .]
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