D 524 .P4 Copy 1 HOW THE WAR FOR DEMOCRACY CAN BE WON ISAAC LOCKHART PEEBLES OF T!!l Mi -SSIPPI CONFEHtNfE ^mi Mw. HOW THE WAR FOR DEMOCRACY CAN BE WON ISAAC LOCKHART PEEBLES of the MISSISSIPPI CONFERENCE 1918; TELL FARMER, PRINTER AND BINDER MERIDIAN, MISS. Copyright, 1918 BY Isaac Lockhart Peeblks APR 29 1918 'CLA496284 PREFACE Much is being said and written about war, and hence we have conchided that a Scriptural production on the subject will be pertinent just now, and especially helpful towards the ending of the one now in pro- gress in the orient. Therefore, whatever this work shall do towards that end, Ave shall gladly give all the glory and honor to Almighty God, our Holy Father. Isaac Lockhart Peebles 1522 13th Avenue Meridian April, 1!)18. Miss. CONTEIITS Page The Occurrence of the Word War in the Bible 7 11. The Uses of the Word War in the Bible 7 III. The IMeaning of the Word War 10 IV. How the War for Universal Democracy Can Be Won 10 ISAAC LOCKHART PEEBLES HOW TO WIN THE WAR I. The Occurrence of the Word War in the Bible The word war occurs 262 times in 8 forms ill the Bil^le; war, 22(3; wars, 15; war- reth, 1; warred, 9; warriiii;', 3; warfare, 5; warrior, 1; and warriors, 2 times. Polemos is the Greek word for war and it occurs 300 times in the Bible; 282 times in the Old Testament and 18 times in the New Testa- ment. Pok'ineo is the CJreek verb for mak- ing war and it occurs 172 times in the Bi- ble; 165 times in the Old Testament and 7 times in the New Testament. Other words occur in the (ireek for wai", l)ut the noun and verl) already mentioned are the prin- cipal words for Avar. Mache is used for a battle, single engagement, strife, etc. Stra- teia is used for warfare, etc.; strateuma for an army, soldiers, troops, etc.; strateuo used for being a soldier, to serve in war, to wage war, to war, etc. II. The Uses of the Word War in the Bible 1. It is used in the sense of nations using forces and weapons against, each 8 How TO Win the War other in order to their subjection one to the other, as when the Kings of Shinar, Elam, Elhissar and nations (lil^ely a tribe made up of peopk^ from all countries), made war with the Kings of Sodom, (lomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim and Zoas, (len. l-i:!, 2, in order to control them and make them con- tribute to their po^ve^, wealth and honor. 2. The next use made of the word Avar, is in the sense of God's destroying the enemies of His people, as when jNloses said: "The Lord is a man of Avar." Ex. 15:3. He thus denominated Him, because after Pha- raoh and his host Avere in the midst of the Red Sea, Ood brought the tAvo Avails of Avater doAvn on them, and drowned cA'ery one, so not one escaped. He drowned all of them and hence Moses could A^ery Avell declare: "The Lord is a man of war." No Avarriors cA^er so completely destroyed their enemies as God did Pharaoh and his host. 3. The Avord Avar is used in the sense of opposing, and also Avithholding good from, as Avhen it Avas said of God: "Be- cause the Lord hath SAvorn that the Lord Avill have Avar Avith Anialek from genera- tion to generation." Ex. 17:16. Amalek Avas so Avicked as to justify God's treating him as He had determined to do. 4. The ]iext sense in Avhicli Avar is used is that of driA^ng back the enemies in How TO Win the War 9 order to safety and self-protection, as in the case of the Jews being- ordered to war against the invasion of their enemies Avho desired to snl^ject and rnle them. 5. War is nsed in the sense of death as when Solomon said: "Neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war." Eccl. 8:8. The pos- sibility of a discharge in death ceases. 6. It is nsed in the sense of a strnggie against the flesh, the world and the Devil, and also, the strnggie to obey (lod and do right generally and in every possible way, as when Panl wrote to Timothv: "War a good warfare." 1. Tim. 1:18. That is, not only to l)e snre of the right war to engage yon, bnt he snre to nse right weapons and right methods. 7. War is nsed in the sense of nn- pleasant contentions and feelings, and too, ambitions and selfish raging desires as when James wrote: "From whence come wars and fightings among yon? Come they not hence, even of yonr lusts that war in your members f" James 4:1. 8. It is used in the sense of ])ersecu- tions and death of the saints as is declared in Revelation: "And it was given unto him to make Avar with the saints and over- come them." Rev. lo:7. 10 How TO Win the War 111. The Meaning of War Tlie word war is tlioiigiit to l)e from old French ^^'e^^o, or lilsiel}^ from how Latin \ errere, to sweep, to drag away. The Greek errein means to perish, to be lost, to disap- 2)ear wholly, etc. AVar means two forces, or a niiion of forces contending for certain teiTitoi\v, or territories, or for domination over each other, or the prevention of dom- ination, or for freedom of one from another, or for certain prin('i})les, or rights. It means also opposition of good forces against the wicked forces, or the opposition of wicked forces against the good forces, as that of the flesh, world and Devils against the Spiritnal and Divine forces. It means opposition of righteonsness against wicked- ness, or the wicked against the wicked. The present war means an effort on the part of prepared forces to conqnin-, possess and ride irresj^ective of rights. The oppo- sition is a \\ar to prevent sncli a course, and also, to make it })ossible for the people to rule themselves within the limits of relig- ious, civic and individual rights. IV. How the War for Universal Democracy Can Be Won It looks possil)le for the Allies to win How TO Win the War 11 despite eyerytliiui;- and any thing, Init we .-^honld not forget the great nncertainty of people right in a critical time, and hence the possibility of a defeat, and therefore, in order to rnn no risks whatever, and too, to bring the war to an innnediate end, let ns meet the right conditions in the right ^yi^y and we shall have no fears al)ont an immediate victory. Now, therefore, let ns respect the following conditions: 1. The chief and the real condition of onr snccess is fellowship with (Jod and a continned increasing faith in Him; for it is plainly declared: "The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong." Eccl. 9:11, and also it is written: "For promotion Cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the sonth; bnt (lod is the Jndge; He pntteth down one, and setteth np another." Psa. 75:(),7. At this point one might pertinently ask the (jnestion: "Will ijod allow the" wicked to prevail?" If we ignore the conditions. He might as a pnnishment to ns for ignoring the condi- tions, and too, being wicked onrselves; jnst as He allowed the Ba])ylonians to conqner His people, the Jews, in ancient times, and pnnish them and snl\ject them to 70 years captivity. He allowed that, not l^ecanse the Babylonians were right, not at all; bnt becanse His own i)eople had ignored i)lain conditions, and therefore, had ])ecome 12 How TO Win the War wicked tlicniselves, and lieiiee needed a de- feat as a punishment. At this time we have many good peoj^le, it is true, ])ut if they grow careless and self-confident, and sanc- tion the wickedness of the wicked, they will thereby se})arate themselves from good grounds for a hope of winning the present war, and hence the possijnlity of a sad end. Our enemies have made a god of human learning and skill, and therefore let us guard against such a misfortune, and never allow oiu'selves to trust more in our knowledge and skill, not even in our best and greatest leaders, than we do God. In the sense of trusting great leaders more than God, the Bil)le ])laiidy says: "Put not vour trust in princes, nor in the son of man." Psa. 14(k;). And then urges: "Trust in the Iioi'd with all thine heart; and lean not unt(^ thine own understanding." Prov. 3:5. And as an encouragement to trust God it is de- clared: "Whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall l)e safe." Prov. 29:25; and again: "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is." Jer. 17:7; "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord." Psa. 33:12. Let it not be for- gotten that right trust in God means right living. That is, living like God commands us to live, and hence we give a summary of how God requires us to live. L He requires us to reverence His How TO Win the War 13 name. We must not profane it, and we must love Him more than we do anyone else or any tiling else besides. 2. He requires us to keep the Sab- bath holy. The captivity of the Jews was due more to disregarding the Sal:>])ath than anything else it seems. Read Neh. 13:15, 1(),17,18. Unless it 1)ecomes rigidly necessary we should make no preparations for war on (lod's holy day which He requires us to regard and keep. It profits and also ex- pedites war ])reparations l)y our keeping the Sabbath holy. TIk^ best thing for sol- diers and the people generally, is for them to attend church services and religious work generally on (Jod's holy day, and thereby equip themselves most surely for whatever they have to meet. EememlKn' Gideon took only 300 men to conquer their enemies who swarmed over their country like grassho])|)ers for num]}ers, and yet they routed and conquered them in a few hours bv the hell) of (Jod. Think of one man Samson, killim:- a])out 6,000 enemies at one fhjie. Judg. 16:27, and also the thousands of Philistines killed and i)ut to flight bv God's thundering upon them in answer to Sam- uel's prayer. T. Sam. 7:7-13. Think of David's wondei'ful victory over the Philis- tines by trusting God, or rather, having God with him in Avar. I. Sam. 17, and let all remember that ( Jod is the same now as 14 How TO Win the War then, and too, "For there is no respect of persons with (!od." Koni. 2:11. :>. (Uh\ coijiniands us to honor our fathers and mothers, and therefore will visit ns with curses if we dishonor them. One of the most hateful things with God is for a child not to l)e good to his parents and not to ohev them in the Lord. Ex. 20:12. Eph. 6:2. 4. He requires us to love on another as ( Christians better than ourselves. John 18:34,35. 5. He requires us to love everyone, even our enemies. "For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them." Luke 6:32. 6. Pie requires us to do to others as we want them to do to us in all that is right, just, courteous and good, and hence Christ said: "All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to vou, do ve even so to them." Matt. 7:12. 7. (lod does not authorize us to do anything that is not for His glory, and hence it is written: "Whether therefore ve eat or drink, or ^^'hateve^ ve do, do all to the glory of God." I. Cor.' 10:31. Our eating and drinking, and everything else, must be for His glory. That is what He created us for. The life that He requires How TO Win ttie War 15 IS wholly uiiselt'isli. Peter says: "Be ye holy ill all manner of conversation." I. Pet. 1:15. We must not be covetous, for covet- ousness makes one selfish, greedy and an extortioner. He cares little or nothing- for others further than he can use them for himself, neither does he properly care for himself. A greedy grafter is heartless and the world would move on much better without him. Oh, a man heartless enough to cheat and rob his fellow men! He is a def ( u'lned uk nister ! 2. To win the present war, we should have not only the best physiques and brains, but the most moral and spiritual as leaders to insure (iod's presence with us, and too, as an incentive to our soldiers to guard against useless rashness and always reminded that it is, "in God we trust." 3. We need healthy, stout, active, well trained, iiKH'al and religious soldiers. We should strive to get everyone to form fellowship with (iod, if he has not already fV)riiied it, and then bring to bear every means possible for his living like (lod re- quires. Instead of sending our soldiers from great feasts and dances where Ood is not oiilv not worshipped, but where He is insulted, if we would send them from ydaces of ]3rayers and good counsel, it would make it most certain that this most brutal wnr would soon end. Oh, just think of a bright. 16 ITow TO Win the War buoyant young' man sent from the ball room to be shot without God! Just think of the thoughtlessness of the hearts that Avould dare to provide a dance for him and make him ])elieve that that is the last l)est place for him before he leaves his country for eternity — it may 1k^. Let all the means be used necessary to our soldiers' readi- ness to meet (Jod, and es])('cially to have Clod with them on the battlefield for their protection against the missiles of death, and their success in j^utting an immediate end to the most disgraceful l)rutality that has ever blackened our race. AVhat a vic- torious class our ])resent selects will prove themselves to l)e, if they will enter the bat- tlefield eml)oldened, empowered, and pro- tected by Almighty (Jod. No others would be needed. They Avould enter the war not with a don't care, but with a full con- sciousness of (lod's protection and help, and David-like win the war without delay. 4. To win the Avar Ave should be united and each class liaA^e a proper respect for the other. We should striA^e to do aAvay AA'ith all bossings and each class have pro])- er a])preciation of the other so their shall not be any lackinus of confidence. No class of men can afford to trust that class of men Avho are striAnng to l)oss and rule all the rest. Such a class is uuAvoi'thy of confi- dence, and let that not be forgotten for- How TO Win the War 17 ever. Any class that has the spirit of boss- ino- and drivino-, evinces that principle of selfishness and devilism that would subject all rights of others to its own profits and forceall power and authority of others un- der its own domination. Let each class of men respect properly the rights and im- portance of the others, and therefore, there will be no room for such devilry. Preach- ers, farmers, merchants, doctors, educators, bankers, railroaders, mechanics, etc., are all needed, and therefore, let neither class l)e guiltv of the low, mean, sneaking, sel- fish, cowardly, dogish practice of influenc- ing legislation and general sentiment in its own favor irrespective of the rights and prosperity of others. Any class that has such a mean, inexpressibly low, black, dirtv, filthv spirit to do such a thing, will sneak, misrej^resent, lie, rob, nnirder, in short; there is nothing too low and mean for it t(^ do, if it just can succeed and prevent anv loss or ruin to its own base self. Each can- didate for any office sh(nild denounce most bitterlv, and' also, expose any class th-n would dare to commit him to its devilism. Such a dirtv, filthy class is unworthy of existence, and hence should he disorganiz- ed and branded as unworthy of existence, and therefore, for i)roper unity in these times of great perils, let each and every class prove its worthiness of confidence by 18 How TO Win the War fraiikiu'ss, sincerity, justice, goodness, love, and its ])itter hatred for anything that is sneaking, low, unjust, unkind, tyran- nical, and bossy. Just think of an American tyrant and boss! The infinitesimals needed in an effort to ex])ress his littleness and meanness after their shrivellings of his moral existence would flag imagination and force the conclusion that morally he is not even in the realm of infinitesimalities. An American boss and tyrant should shame the devils from his association, and force them to prepare an a])artment in hell for his as- sociation with the dogs, scorpions, spiders, h(U'nets and the hissing, rattling, biting, stinging venomous snakes that may he pe- culiar to that horrible region. True unity is when each and all desire, purpose, speak and do nothing but the honorable, just and clean thing, respecting the rights of all most rigidly. 5. To win the war we should pray often and earnestly. In order to our ];)ray- ers being answered, we must live right and keep our hearts ck^an after God has cleans- ed th(an, for the Psalmist said: "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." Psa. 66:18, and again it is written: "He that turneth away his ears from hear- ing the law, even his prayer shall? be abomination." Prov. 28:9; and also: "Now we know that (Jod heareth not sinners; but How TO Win the War 19 if any man be a worshipper of (lod; and doetli his Avill, him he heareth." John 9:81. From these Scriptures it is clear enough that (rod will not regard favoral)ly any one's prayer for others Avho does not live aright. He will hear a poor sinner when he peni- tently cries for his own pardon and deliver- ance, but He will not hear him for others. If we break the Sabbath, cheat, charge too much for what we sell, charge to much for our work, discourteous, unkind, self-con- ceited, selfish, caring too nmch for our- selves and little (U* nothing for others, mean and sueaking, hurting others liecause we do not like them, dishonorable, rol^l)ers; in slKU't, if we wilfully do not live aright, our prayers will l)e im])udent and hateful to (lod, and therefore, let all who are not right with God, repent and l^eg Him to for- give them and pur])ose to live aright and (lod will regard and answer their prayers. Oh, He will end the brutal carnage and give us peace in a short i)eriod! Let all, therefore, get right so (lod can have right of way with us in all matters, and esjoec- ially the war just now. 6. To win the war, preaching to the soldiers, food, money, clothes, etc., will be necessary, and therefore, we shall have to do our ]jRYt towards supplying whatever is needed; but let those who are well circum- stanced, not onlv contribute liberally, but 20 How TO Win the War let tlicni guard against making it imneces- sarilly hard <»ii the poor and the unfortun- ate. Let them rememl.)er that if their giv- ing does not lessen their ta])le supplies and discontinue their luxuries, it is not to be compared to that of the poor who have to eat less and caimot afford any luxuries whatever in order to give supplies to the war. Let the rich and the poor have pro})er sympathy for each other and each class do the best that they can as one familv. Let extravagance in contracts, daily labor, food, clothing and in everything else be avoided. Let their be no vain l)oastings, for the Lord said: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the might}^ man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the I^ord which exerciseth loving kindness, judgment, and righteous- ness in the earth; for in these things I de- light, saith the Lord." Jer. 9:23,24 God's great desire is our right and holy living; our real love for Him, and then He will be free and unlimited in His care for us. Weapons, skill, food, money, clothing, etc., ma}^ be necessary in meeting and conquer- ing an enemy, but we should not glory in them, but in Tiod who is our real source of success. It is He who makes food stuffs grow, supports and ])rotects us, and gives How TO Win the War 21 US victory over ourselves and even our en- emies. Let us have proper love and re- spect for our leaders and cheerfully obey them in right limits, and also let us prop- erly love and respect our soldiers on land, sea and in air, and rightly appreciate our flag, ships, sulimarines, airplanes, weapons, etc., but let us see rigidly to it that we make Gods of none, nor surrender an iota of vir- tue, honor, justice, or self respect to any. Let God be our (Jod, and on His altar let us with all that we are, have, or ever ex- pect to be and have, be placed to remain forever. Then we can truly say with Paul, Avho wrote: "Whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's." Rom. 14:9. To be the Lord's is more tlian all else, and too, it is an assurance of all things, and hence Paul wrote: "All are yours." I. Cor. 8:22, and the Psalmist wr<»te: "Trust in the Lord and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land and verily thou shalt be fed." Psa. 37.8. Sol- omon also wrote: "When a man's ways please the liOrd, he niaketh even his enemies to be at peace with him." Prov. 16:7. Now let us therefore be the Lord's, and see to it that (mr ways please Him, because we obey Him, and hate the sin of worldly anmsements, sensual ])leasures, adultery, greed. Sabbath desecrati( )ns, intemperance, dishonesty, cheathig, lying, stealing, disobeying par- ents, tyranny, sneaking, robbery, selfish- 22 How TO Win the War iiess, vain pride, laziness, glutton v, self -in- dulgences, filtliiness, profanit}^ envy, mur- der and all other sins, and our enemies will fear us and be glad to l)e at peace with us. The present inmameable l)utcli- ery will come to an innnediate end. The Almighty, Just, Holy, Merciful, All-wise, Omnipresent, Omniscient, Eternal, Infin- itely (Jood, Sinless (!od oiu* Holy Father, end the unnameable curse immediately and forever. Let each and every one trust (iod and do his ])art, and we have nothing to dread. Amen ! r^i'ii.*