Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-05-02

ey and 4. j. Searle speak at the First
NJ. f. Church on the Duties of the
Hour.
The impending war was the partic-
ular subject of services in two of
Rock Islands protestant churches last
evening. At the First Baptist the
choir sang The Red. White and
Blue The Flag of the Free and
The Star Spangled Banner" while
Mrs. Thomas Casey sang Only
Wait as solo. Rev. DR.. c. E. Tay-
Tor, the pastor, preached from the
topic. The Impending Crisis-Chris-
tianity and War" His text was
Isaiah XXXIV. ):
For my sword shall be bathed in heaven.
The words of the text occur in a
prophecy concerning the approaching
chastisement of the enemies of God.
The sword that shall smite them is
lifted in the name of justice and
righteousness. 1t executes the will
OF heaven. We are, as a nation. in
the midst of an impending crisis.
We have begun war. War is always
a calamity. 1t is to be deprecated
and avoided. War is force in opera
ton for the destruction of human
life. 1t arouses and stimulates the
powers of the human mind and calls
into exercise all mans inventive fac
ulties in preparing and operating en-
gines of destruction. 1t means death
or manning from the flying bullet,
the bursting shell, the exploding
mine, or disease. or on the sinking
ship. 1t means the long march, the
lonely watch, and often hunger and
cold and WEAKNESS and the prison
pen. 1t means homes desolated.
parents bereft. wives widowed. and
children orphaned. Yet the history
of our race is largely the record of
contentious, struggles and wars. 1t
was not simply poetic license fired 10y
a fervid imagination that caused Mil
ton to speak of 1.-The Internal serpent"
warning against the throne and
monarchy of Cod Scripture affirms
that in heaven righteousness and peace
were made secure by war. The To-
roostrians taught that there We're two
spirits. One of light, life, purity,
law and truth; and one of darkness.
uncleanliness, falsehood. lawlessness.
evil and death; each spirit able to
create the spirits and forces in the
world, and that the earth was the
battlefield of these respective forces.
This world has, indeed. been a battle
field between good and evil, right and
wrong. There have been two tendeu-
cies in the world. One working for
truth, righteousness, God, liberty
and human elevation; and one for
falsehood, evil, Satan and human en-
slavement and degradation. We
believe that the good is GER
tainly gaining the ascendency.
After being long hidden from the
people of the earth, in Gods good
time America was discovered. and
here. in the providence of God. has
been formed Il great nation-free, in
telligent, powerful and christian.
The nations of the old world have
contributed of their best sons and
daughters. Here are the people who
believe in freedom who make their
own laws. who regard man as n
man and consider no one great be-
cause some dead king. some hundreds
of years ago, conferred upon his an
h.. - l.. ae 4
allow any privileged class to disre-
gard the rights of the common people,
because the common people are the
rulers. We believe that all have
the inalienable right to life, lib
erty and the pursuit of happiness.
The Reigu in Cuba.
The preacher spoke next of Cuba
and the conclusive proof of the bar,
barism practiced there which has
shocked the sensibilities of the civil.
lied world. Spain's record in Hol-
land was recalled. and it was found
that her hyena-kike cruelty and tiger
like blood had not changed in SOC
years. She still has the spirit of the
| dark ages. She is ignorant and su-
perstitious, her arguments not ideas.
but brute force. She has been guilt,
of every crime, and singularly lack
| ing in every virtue. unable to sur.
press Instruction. She has waged a
war of determination through starva-
ton and murder The call has come
to civilized nation to act in chris
tianity's and humanity's name. Oul
ships are upon the high seas, stripped
for action. In the past week we have
seen our young men called to prepare
for the conflict. Others are making
ready. Nav christian nation iustl,
engage in war? Not for conquest, oil
riches. or To acquire territory. nor fol-
vain glory or ambition. But to right
wrong. to defend the helpless and t.
snatch the diving from the pit of de
| struction. she may. God sometime.
makes a nation the messenger of hi.
justice. America was pictured a.
the Good Samaritan stepping between
Spain and the victims of her rapacity.
Finding Spain despoiling and murder
ing. America says, stop" and Spain
replies, Il viii not, and the old gen
tleman called United States saws
Then / win compel YOU to.
The impending crisis is also con-
flict of ideas and principles and ten
| denotes.