The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-12-23
WAR OPINION.
Beyond the Point Of Issuing Messages
and Pronunciamentoes.
cLsReYMsN TALK OF WAR SCARE
And Its Effect Upon the Chris
tian Nations.


hurst. in tho Madison Square Presby-
terian church yesterday, took for his text.
peace on Earth, Good VIII TO Men"
After describing the coming OF Christ as q
surprise to mankind, he said that human
history does not contain anything which
prepares us for the general surprises hang.
ing upon the edge OF the future. The
sermon led up TO tho Venezuelan ques.
tion, and he made passionate plea for
peace. He said i'm part:
'It almost seemed as though there wero
providence In the way In which these
Christmas days synchronize the year with
events that are just now filling our hearts
with disturbance and throwing an un-
comfortable shadow across the track OF
the near futgre. Now, we do not care Ia
beat about the bush in this matter, but
prefer to go straight to tho mark by say.
ing that IL Christendom wants to mako
the religion OF Jesus, with its Bethlehem.
Its angelic choir and its anthem Of Peace
on Earth a laughing stock to the ungodly
and contempt 10 the heather, the best
thing IL can do will be to set the two fore
most Christian nations of the earth to
work blowing up one another's cities and
blowing out one another's brains.
"Unlcss we utterly misconccive tho
-
both here and on the other side OF tho
watcr-I say unless we utterly miscon.
.ccive that sentiment as il seems 10 be as.
serting itself in sober second thought
such an issue will be morally impossible.
But the church must now move TO the
front - ~
There will be no conflict that will go
hey ond the point OF messages and pronun-
ciamentoes on either side, IL the church OF
the Bethlehem Christ comes out and records
its veto. Christianity both here and in
England Is too thoroughly an integral
part OF national life for armies and navics
10 clash in warfare We are not here 10
discuss the international technicalitios OF
the case.
"i'hls is not tho place to enter into q
philosophical or historical exposition OF
the Monroe doctrine, only 10 is safe to say
that this nation is not going TO be drawn
into an international conflict Of arms
90 the dishonor OF Christianity. the dis.
couragement Of civilization, tho destruc.
tion OF life and treasure and the demoral-
ization OF our entire organic life-in be-
half OF a doctrine such that probably 80 per
cent of n congregation, as well informed as
this, would not be able to state intelligibly,
and the other 10 per cent, who can state it,
whether the doctrine is applicable to the
present situation.
I'VE are not speaking disparagingly OF
loyalty To country or patriotic regard for
our national rights. But patriotic pas
sionsare incensed, and can easily be fired
10 the point where righteousness il ig-
noroG and reason and balanced considera-
ton tabooed, and that Is the mischief OF
inflummatory sheets that make ~ paying
newspaper business OF tanning the flames
OF international animosity. l wish for
two weeks that il could be state prison
offense TO print newspaper headlines with
anything larger than small capitals.
IF the nations wogld first take up the
business that belongs 20 them, and IL Eng
-iaffti affti-tif-- United States would join
hands In the rather more Gospel enter
prise Of rcscuing pillagcd and outraged
Armenia from the dirty, bloody grip OF
the Turks, these two nations Of brothers
would soon find themselves in good Chris
tian condition of spirit probably to settle
that little question OF civil engineering
down In Venezuela in a way that would
save both parties not only their pride and
their heads, but their Christian reputs."
Voices of Other Preachers.
A number of other pastors OF New York
city and Brooklyn delivered discourses
upon the subject OF, a possible war with
England. Rev. Charles II. Eaton, pastor
of the Church OF tho Divine Paternity,
preached u sermon on the wickedness of
war
1t was deplorable, he said, that the
day on which Christians were NO celebrate
the birth of Christ and proclaim from
every pulpit the doctrines of peace, the ma
tinn shnuld bo oauoriy xraftina th,, nj
timatum of statesmen and mutterings OF
war should M the land
In the course OF his sermon, "Civiliza-
tion's Debt 10 Christianity" Rev. DR.
Madison q. Peters of the Bloomngdale
Reformed church said: ''War is cruel
hateful, wrong. War Is he'll The poltl-
cal demagogues whe-tst- Christmas
tide are shouting for war will be branded
by the second sober thought OF tho Ameri-
can people as the criminals of the 10th
century. When these men had an oppor-
tunity to fight for their own land, when
the Stars and Stripes werc trailing in tho
dust, they sent substitutes.
"A war between England aud America
could never he terminated until one or the
other went into bankruptcy or had no
more men to Ill the ranks. As the
preacher of the Gospel of peace and uni
versal brotherhood, call Tor arbitration.
Blessed are the peacemakcrs.' / pray
that England and America may look
across the centuries and hear the angels
PROCLAMATION, Peace on Earth, Good Win
10 Men,"
"Jingoism" Gone Mad.
OF all the anti-war sermons preached in
this city the flercest was that preached In
the Central Metropolitan church by Rev.
s. u. Cadman, DIR. Cadman is an Amer
loanized Englishman, and his language
was directed with equal vehemence against
the war advocates Of both countries.
Beneath the thin veneer of liglon. ho
said, there was much OF barbarism In oil
of us, when the howlings of the war dogs
could bring us so near tho throsss o. our
neighbors. II war was avorted, he said, 1t
would be only because of the Intervention
OF the religious. DE-. Calman then tie
ponucad thc chnplatn Of tho houso nf rcr