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Tne League of Nations A Study of Federations of Bible times, and tke Light of Scripture on the Question of the Permanency of anÿ Movement for World Democracy)
Bÿ DR. A. C. D IXON , of London who soon joins Bihle Institute Faculty
The trend of modern times is toward federation. Labour has federated into “Unions” and capital into “Corpora tions,” “T ru sts” and “ Syndicates.” There are federations of farm ers, me chanics, and housemaids. Even th e beggars of New York, it was found a few years ago, had a federation. The Churches have been caught in th is uni versal trend, and it is the am bition of some to form a fellowship of all Churches regardless of creed. But the federation which ju st now occupies the largest place in th e world’s though t is an in tern ation al federation to be known as “The League of Nations.” The devout Bible stud en t tu rn s to th e Book which to him is th e highest au tho rity , and finds several national leagues which present-day statesm en will find it profitable to study. In Jo shua 9:6-16 is a league secured by lying diplomacy. The Gibeonites de ceived Joshua by representing, and act ing it out, th a t they came from a far country. Joshua was deceived because he tru sted his own judgm ent and did not ask the guidance of God. If he had spent fifteen m inutes in prayer, God would have saved him from his blunder. This suggests to us th e g rea t need of men a t the head of n ational affairs who persistently tak e God into th e ir coun sels and seek guidance from Him. Happy th e nation whose ru lers, sta te s men, generals and adm irals are men of prayer. The league which David made w ith the E lders of Israel gives us a govern m ent w ith a democratic basis. David does no t proclaim him self king un til
he has secured the consent of th e rep re sentatives of the people. “So all the elders of Israel came to Hebron and King David made a league w ith them before th e Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel.” (2 Tim. 5 :3 ). The signing of th is league was a very religious act. I t was done “ before the Lord,” a holy covenant between David and th e elders- of Israel. He accepted th e crown th a t was offered him by the people and reigned fo rty years over this kingdom democracy. On th e other hand, th e league be tween Solomon and H iram was auto cratic. It was a compact only between two kings. The people had nothing to do w ith it. They simply rendered obedi ence and paid th e taxes. “There was peace between H iram and Solomon and they two made a league tog eth er” (1 Kings, v. 12). Such was th e “Holy Alli ance” o»f 1815, in which, a fte r th e Napoleonic wars, Alexander I. of Russia, F rancis I. of A ustria, and F rederick W illiam III. of P ru ssia pledged th em selves to govern th e ir peoples according to th e principles of th e Bible and the “will of our Divine Saviour.” This league was evidently suggested by a woman, Baroness von K rudner, to Alex and er of Russia, who prevailed upon F ran cis of A ustria and F rederick W il liam of P ru ssia to sign it. They did so reluctantly, F rederick W illiam , as he w rote his name, saying, “ if it is a ques tion of politics, I m ust refer it to my Chancellor; if of religion, to my Con fessor.” A lexander, th e Tzar of Russia, was w illing th a t th is “Holy A lliance” should be in terp reted as giving to th e
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