Shall We Write "Finis"?

It has been said by some that this is not an opportune time to discuss the government issue and the "war question." Whether that be true or not, the indications now are that the discussion of the questions can be discontinued within the precincts of the Gospel Advocate and the vicinity of Nashville, Tennessee.

It is out that Brother H. Leo Boles recently made application to the War Department for an official connection with the government to appoint preachers of "the church of Christ" to the official position of Chaplain in the army. Brother Boles has previously believed that it is wrong to join the army, and has held that a Christian cannot be a soldier, nor even hold a government office. But according to the letter from a Major in the army, referred to in the July Bible Banner, he recently applied for an official position in which he would be empowered by the government to appoint men to an official position in the army. A Chaplain holds the rank of an officer in the army. One of his chief duties is to build up the morale of the soldiers. Brother Boles wants the government to appoint him to appoint our preachers to be officers in the army.

It might be claimed that the position he would hold would be in the church. We merely ask how could the government appoint him to a position in the church? And where is the scripture for any such office or authority as that to be conferred on any man by the church, for the government, or by the government for the church? If the government belongs to the devil, as these brethren have contended, then it looks like Brother Boles has applied to the devil for an appointment in the church. That looks bad.

The Chaplainry is not an office in the church--it is an office in the army, and according to a Major in the army, Brother Boles wants authority from the government to pass on the appointment of all preachers of the "Church of Christ" to that army office!

That is certainly not in harmony with his recent "challenge" for a debate on the "war question," nor with what he has previously believed and taught on the government question. Therefore, since he has now "changed" on the issues involved, we cannot expect him to reply to Brother C. R. Nichol's letter to him in answer to his own "challenge," nor to negotiate propositions with either Brother Nichol or Brother Whiteside for the debate that he appeared so much to desire, and for which he wanted to write the propositions. Just how could Brother Boles consistently debate with anybody on the government issue now? Truly, the legs of the lame are not equal!

In the time to come, when Brother Boles and the Gospel Advocate have anything to say about that debate on the "war question," we have only to remind everybody of his letter of application to the War Department. Is it not time for Brother Goodpasture and Brother Boles to write "finis" to the argument and forever hold their peace?