The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-02-12
Military Chaplains.

.hhs"ES ShNpANAhSs .sy.H
We deeply synlpathize with all those 3
ambassadors of the "Prince of Peacen
who are called upon TO act as war
chapIains. The preparations and
training for eXpertness in human
butchery that the man of God, if he :
be such, and have any conscience,
must feel sadly out of place, amid the
din Of tho camp and the strains Of
martial music, so different from the
song of the angels at the birth of Him
who came not to destroy mems lives,
but to save them, and so very different
from the soft, sweet music of the re-
deemed in Heaven. When he looks
upon the dcep-mouthed cannon and
tile glitterirg bayOnet, and remembers
the purpose for which they are made,
and then remembers the words Of Je-
sus, "But say unto you that ye resist
not evil but if man smite thee OH
one cheek, turn to him the other also."
When in his morning devotion he :
prays "deliver us from evil" how his
faith must falter when lie remembers
that he has voluntarily put himself in
the way of evil. When he prays ,
"Thy Kingdom come," he sees very
much more evidence of the reign OF
Satan than of God. When he prays
"rhy will he done on earth, even as it
is done in heavem," he sees much more
evidence around him that the will of
Satan is being done on earth than the
will of the Lord. When he prays
''forgive us our trespasses, even as we
forgive those who trespass against us,"
he knows that he is asking God to take
vengeance on him and those with
whom he is associated, for that is what
he and they are trying to do to those
whom they call their enemies. When
an engagement is pending, and he
prays, the Lord, to direct their mis-
siles to the hearts and heads of their
enemies, he knows that he Is praying
to God who has said Thou shalt not
kill" and in the name of a Saviour
who has said, "love your enemies"
If he prays, Lord, be merciful to
those with whom I am associated, but
help us to inhict swift aud speedy ven Z
geance on those who are arrayed
against u.s." and then remembers that
Jesus has taught, "Blessed are the/
merciful, for they shall obtain mercy
and remembers also that the Bib
copy of which is in his hand
his pocket, teaches that
thade of one blood all thed
me earth," it may ava I
his mind whether G01
answer his prayer aS
or not. Aud tha(
Spirit may bIi
the truth Y l5 not Of
which led should send out
1 foz( ysfty, and he should he
cal Upon TO pray for their success,
1nd then remembers that the God to
hom he is praying has said, "rhou
shalt not covet anything that Is thy
neighbor's," it places him in an ex-
ceedingly embarrassing position. If
his military commander sends out
squad of men to cut off the enemy's
supply of food and water, and he is
called upon to pray for their success,
how can he do 50 in the face of Gods
positive command, "If thy enemy
hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give
him drink" Poor man how pitia-
ble is his lot.
If a soldier has conscientious con-
victions about obeying the orders of
his officers which require him to kill
and rob his fellow-lnen for whom
Christ died, and comes to the chaplain
for advice as to what he must do under
the circumstances, the chaplain dare
not read from the Bible the advice
which John the Baptist gave the SOL
diers who came to him: "Do yS0-
lenc To no man," for that would be
teaching them insubordination to
their military officers, and render them
perfectly worthless as soldiers.
If he is called upon to administer
spiritual comfort to sick, or wounded,
or dying soldier, although the soldier
at the time of his enlistment and sub
seauently may have been taught to
believe that to die for his country was
sure passport to heaven, the chaplain
has to dissipate all such ideas from his
mind, and teach him that salvation is
not of works, but is Gods free giI to
man through repentance toward God
and faith toward our Lord Jesus
Christ"
Take it altogether, we think if there
is any one in heather or Christian
countries who needs the sympathy
and prayers of Gods children, it is
the war chaplain. He is protesting
allegiance to two authorities so wide
apart in their spirit and methods, that
he cannot possibly obey one without
disobeying the other. He is trying to
serve two masters, and what pleases
one, displeases the other. The Lord
grant that his eyes may be opened to