The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1876-11-16
CHRISTIAN MINISTER'S AND
PEACE

dlnaZlnS. OnS "ouiu suppOSe eua0
these prominent disciples of the
Prince of Peace would oppose war as
zealously as they do intemperanee,
dueling or idolatry; for there is moth
ing in the wide world so much at var
lance with christianity as war; moth
ing which interferes so much with its
extension. and universal Nprevalense;
nothing which counteraets 50 paeh
the influence of ministers, AND rem
ders their teachings from the pulpit
nugatory. There is nothing which
degrades, imbrutes, ~enslaves, demon,
allies and units men for heaven SO
much as war and there is nothing
which brings such terrible evils on
innocent women and children.
But we are disappointed. While
these ministers of Christ are general
ly peace men in times of peace, they
are perhaps as GENERALLY war men in
times of war, especially if their own
government is engagedin it. Instead
of manfully telling their people that
they ought to obey God rather than
man, they yield to the mad current of
popular opinion, and are carried
away by it. Indeed, they add fuel
to the fame, by preaching what they.
call patriotism, instead Of universal
brotherhood, and incite their hearers
to engage in the work of blood.
They have done so, not ever since
the first establishment of Christiani-
ty, for during the first two or three
hundred years christian ministers as
well IS christian members, were con-
sistent peace men, and refused to
fight or encourage fighting. But
they have done so since christianity
became partially paganized by its un-
ion with the state, under the half
christian, half Constantine. Dur
ing the many centuries since then,
the world has beheld the surprising
spectacle of christian arrayed against
christian for human slaughter and of
christian ministers on both sides in
citing them to acts of carnage and
bloodshed.
What has rendered ministers more
guilty, is the power which they have
all along possessed of preventing wars
entirely. Who doubts that if the
&C, 1000 ministersi in our country,n north
and south, had preached peace as
zealously as they urged enlistment,
they would have so Influenced pub
lie sentiment, that some better way
out of our national difficulties would
been found than the one adopted.
He who does doubt it, does no. know
the power of 10000 educated men,
speaking weekly or %oftener, from as
many pulpits, to millions of the intel
ligent and influential of our people
But, alas, ministers are like Other
men, instead of leading as they
should, they are led by public opin
ion. When it becomes as unpopular
for nations to fght.as it is now fol
individuals to do so; when it is gen
orally admitted that is it q Thousand
times worse to kill q thousand mer
than it is to kill one man, and that i
is just as wrong to murder at tn,
command of another rs it is to do i
at ones own free will, then we ma,
hear as many sermons against wa
as we do now against intemperance
But who has heard sermons agains
war now? And who has heard ther
since the church abandoned it's prim
tive testimony against this crime
There have been afew such sermons
but compared with the whole mum
Der, they have been as a drop in til
bucket. or a sand in the ocean shor,
A celebrated French historian one
wrote as follows:
"Of the five or six thousand sci
mons of Massillon, are there a col
pie where you could pick out
word or two against the scourge an
crime of war? Bourdalon preache
against impurity, but what sermo
did he ever direct against the muI
der, rapine, brigandage and u%nivers,
rage which desolate the world? Mi
) cradle physicians of souls! you d'
: claim for five quarters of an hou
against the mere pricks of q pin, an
say no word of the curse which teal
us into a thousand pieces"
:, Reader, when did your paste
i, preach on peace and war, and preser
the Bible view of them? And whe
aoM he do it, unless you interest hi
in these subjects by calling his a
tention to their Importance, and pla
n ing peace documents in his hands
Y We have no hesitation in saying tn;
0 there will be no next war betwee
!, our country and another, or betwee
: different sections of the United Stat
if, the ministers will do their dut
and that if there is another wa
e they will be more responsible for
than any other class, because the
have greater power to prevent it.