The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1901-05-31
CHRISTIAN
WARFARE
Good Soldiers Of Jesus Christ
Highest Service Of All.
DIR. Hibbard's Eloquent Sermon to
Torbet Post Sunday Night-On
the Great Problem of War Grand
Music Adds Greatly to the Occa-

MUSIC AOOS OEedCly TO CHS OCCd'
sion.
Notwithstanding the threatening
weather on Sunday night, in the midst
of a heavy downpour of rain about the
time the exercises began; st. Peters
church was crowded when the members
of General IT. A. Torbet, Sons of Veter-
ans and Lincoln Guards marched up the
broad aisle to the pews reserved for
them, the days of '61-'65 were wildly
recalled in the minds of the hundreds
present
The chancel was beautifully decorated
with American Beauty roses while from
the massive columns on either side were
suspended American flags.
The music was elaborate and specially
arranged for the day j. Sebastian
Matthews, the new organist of the
church, directed, and was assisted by
Mr.. de Vaux Rogers of New York. who
played first violin in the small orchestra
consisting of several members of the
Damrosch orchestra. These artists
played with great delicacy and refine
ment, and the combination of stringed
instruments and organ proved most
effective as an accompaniment to the
choir.
The service opened with Gounod's
cave Marie" as a prelude, played by
Mr.. Roger, with organ and instruments
in accompaniment. The Canticles fol-
lowed to a setting by Henry Gadsby, in
the key of G, and the anthem was Hail
Gladdening Light" composed by DR..
Martin and arranged for instruments by
Mr.. Matthews.
During the offertory the orchestra
played Bachs beautiful air for the 4th
string. A short unaccompanied me.
mortal anthem to the words From
Henceforth Blessed are the Dead y
written by the 'organist of st. Peters,
was sung by quartet before the final
benediction, and was solemn and fit
ing allusion to the occasion.
The hymns were patriotic and popu-
lar and were heartily Joined in by the
large congregation present. The service
concluded with performance of Gull
mant's 'Triumphal March" played on
the organ.
After extending cordial welcome to
the veterans and their numerous friends
present, the rector, the Rev. Charles H.
Hibbard, D. D., delivered most appro-
pirate sermon from st. Matthew XIV,
6: "And ye shall hear of wars and
rumors of wars; see that ye be not
troubled for all these things must come
to pass, but the end is not yet" from
which the following synopsis is made:
"As often as we are confronted with
the problem of war we come face to face
with vivid paradox. On the one
side, war seems to belong to all that is
worst in CURVATURE; it seems to repre-
sent breakdown of everything thai
can properly be called human; it looks
at first sight like a failure of society
and civilization, and it certainly contra
diets the Christian instinct of brother
hood and 80 lies outside of the Christian
scheme.
| But on the other hand we cannot but
recognize the character that is formed
in the atmosphere that war makes. The
barracks and the drill grounds and the
battle field are training school of char
acter. They take the worst material
which seems to defy all other methods
of education and they bring out the
splendid virtues of obedience and self
restraint and confederated honor anC
brotherhood. Ard in the case of meI
of finer make up they produce the vir
tues of the highest tone and tenderes
mould. virtues which are allied to the
best type of sainthood.
This is the paradox and in face of i
the office of the Church and of religion
is to take these virtues out of the un
worthy setting in which they are found
to release them from their environment
of blood and strife and passion and t.
emphasize the fact that there is anothe
sphere for their service, even the realm
of unbroken peace. Such an evolution
we believe, is going on. The war spiri
is losing its grasp on mems minds. Th
conscience of the world feels NOR
acutely about war than it ever did be
fore. Nations shrink now from
where once they welcomed the oppor
tunity for it 1t is not only against tn
Christian sentiment of the day bu
against the humanitarian sentiment a
we'll,
But in dealing with this subject w
must bear in mind that while war con
tradicts the Christian idea, yet it has
basis of justification in the natural con
stitution of things. Christianity tool
the world as it found it. 1t accepted
the political divisions of the world ant
the institution of the family. Thus
took the nations of the world under it
wing. 1t adapted itself to them. /
thus consecrated the national sentimen
of patriotism. 1t did not and could no
ignore the nation and the family withou
violence to the facts of nature, Nov
both of these are independent wholes
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