International Review of Missions (Volume 8) (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1919. Excerpt: ... THE INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF MISSIONS THE SPIRITUAL BASIS OF THE NEW WORLD-ORDER By HENRY SLOANE COFFIN, D.D. Men who have lived through a catastrophe in which the world they knew fell to pieces with incalculable suffering and loss, are asking themselves on what foundations can a new order be reared that shall be safe for them and for their successors. The question cannot fail to take them down deep to the very structure and fabric of the universe itself. They may conclude that it is so constituted that no such foundations exist. Mr Bertrand Russell has written: 'Brief and powerless is man's life; on him and all his race the slow, sure doom falls pitiless and dark. Blind to good and evil, reckless of destruction, omnipotent matter rolls on its relentless way.... All the labour of the ages, all the devotion, all the inspiration, all the noonday brightness of human genius, are destined to extinction in the vast death of the solar system, and the whole temple of man's achievement must inevitably be buried beneath the debris of a universe in ruins.' With such a prospect one can scarcely attack the task of rebuilding the world When articles in the Review are an expression of the policy or views of the Continuation Committee, or of the conclusions reached by any of its Special Committees, this fact will be made clear. In all other instances the writer of the paper is alone responsible for the opinions expt essed. with enthusiasm. (Although Mr Russell's own attitude appears vastly more hopeful than his expressed opinions.) And if such an end is in view, it might as well come as soon as possible. It is surely no kindness to allow future generations to toil and suffer and hope in vain. One of China's foremost Christian leaders, Mr Chang Poling of Tientsin, in recou...