The Gazette and land bulletin., 1900-01-27
The Religious World.
Gods Aid in War.
and the South
African Con-
flict.


constantly presented of two contendlng
forces each believing in the justice OF Its
own cause, and each supplicating the same
Divine Power for victory. Perhaps this is
one disadvantage of monothelstlc concep-
tion of Deity for the Greeks and Romans
other polytheists were not troubled by sucn
scruples, and for them martial triumph
meant the favor of the more powerful goa
toward the victors. The present conflict IN
Sontb Africa is arousing the old discussion
of this problem, for Boer and Brlton- are
each appealing to the same Goa. Ihe
London Spectator, admitting that the prom
lem is probably insoluble, tries nevertheless
to find partial solution by means OF an
illustration drawn from the American ClVll
War. 1t says:
"Tbere are plenty of things which are
inscrutable in the governance OF the world
but we should not therefore try to tnrn
away from them or bury them out OF sight'
We NAV have to GO forward with the work
of the world and leave them unsolved' out
we do not make them less mysterious o.
owe-insniring by pretending that they 90
rno+ ox;st Mr.. Lincoln during the Amer1-
oan Civil War faced the matter we are
now dealing with, and faced it with Ills
usual clesrness of vision and detachment Oh
mind He did not solve the problem OF
onrso hut at least he left it not cold,
hard parauox, a thing for mocKery Or
sneers, but what it ls-a matter Wnicn II
ZOO hard for man is not too hard for God.
T. 20 in the second inaugural that the pass
aco we refer to is to be found. In ina
astonishing piece Of reasoned poetry wnelo
tho greatness IF the occasion coupled Win
, tho craatness of Lincoln's own nature. made
, the President speak like prophet new IN
sr;-ed he nuts before US the exact dlfhculty'
Roth sides in the war, he told his country
mon read the same Bible, and pray to the
same God; and each invoke his aid against
the other. 1t may seem strange that any
e mon sbould dare to ask just Gods assis-
/, tonce in wringing their bread from the
a ,,root of other mems faces; but let us judge
not that we be not judged. The prayers
fbotb could not be answered, that OF
neither has been answered fully. The
2 Almighty has His own purposes woe
2 ,r,o the world because of offenseS! for 1t
r nust needs be that offenses come: but woe
! to that man by whom the offen'e cometh''
Those words might with only little change
be said to-day, and said without offense by
sithar side. as might also the passage
which begins --Fondly do we hope, fer
ventlv do We pray-that this scourge OF
war NAV speedily pass away" and ends
with the declaration that whether the wal
he long or short. we can only say: 1.-The
judgments of the Lord are pure and right
eous although" The last period must be
i ouoted verbatim, a passage both for thought
and language as noble as anyin our la''-
e ouage; s'With malice toward none; with
S charity fer all; with frmness in the right
c as God gives us to see the right, let us
strive on to flush the work we arr in; to
bind up the nations Wounds, to care foI
for his widow, and his orPhan-to do al
:; which may achieve and cherish a just ant
n lasting peace among ourselves, and with
n all nations Here it seems to US in the
must not cherish the feeling that we dC
y not care whatthe merits in the case are,
j. or speak as if the justice or want of justice
Il I,,1r
( matter. On the other band, those who be-
is lieve that the war is just one need moi
, and ought not to worry themselves, MOI
= because they have doubts as to orr cause
being coed, but because the Beers sc
sincerely their cause good, and because
both views can not be right. Iha is nc
concern of ours. As Lincoln says; With
Hrmnness in the right as God gives us tc
see the right, let US strive on to finish the
&C work. IF we are to think, not of our owr
70 standard and sense of right or wrong, bu
ba are to be constantly looking round to Sc,
whether somebody else has not got diff.
~ erent or better one, which conflicts with
OF or even cancels ours we shall simply par
It, alyze our hearts consclences. 1t is no
% expected of va that we should do more thai
What honestly seems to us right 1t is ia
no better to do that strongly and esrnestl,
ed than to do nothing, because there may
ul another view of what is truth ann justice
ia The Almighty has His own purposes
bo We can only strive to do our duty conf
dent that 1--WE do that all must fall right
Ka whether the issue is or is not the one w
'as desire. But part and no small part, {
I'd our duty in moments of peril and danger
to stand by our own country. Ws do ne
for a moment wish to Indorse the mis-
chievous sentiment, "My country right {
wrong" II man sincerely believes ths
nix his country is playing alb evil part he ca
d. not. oe course give her help with a who
Of heart But for the men who have z,
ne arrived at any such conclusion, or who q
oIe not profess to have mastered the merits
So the quarrel The duty OF patriotism is clea
ire 1t is not for nothing that men are boun
led each to each by the ties of patriotism
mt They can not break away from the dur
,od of national cohesion lightly or capriciousl
nd Till the country is committed to the a
ire bItrament of war man may take sid,
. a against the Government, that is, that whic
rer represents his country, and has a right
-. speak in It's name When howeyOr w,