The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-12-24

! Rev. Teunis Hamlin, D. D., delivered a
/ Christmas sermon at the Church of the
! Covenant yesterday morning on The
Inclusive Errand Of Jesus on Earth
Luke lila: Peace on earth among men
/ Of good Will" After speaking of peace
with God, which brings peace of mind;
and of peace among men as kindred.
! friends. and neighbors, Dr. Hamlin said:
/ This. too, must rest upon good Will.
/ And the foundation of such good viii
/ has of recent years been solidly laid n
/ growing international respect. The benefit
of rapid, easy, and inexpensive communi-
cation among all parts of the globe is not
chiefly commercial. as we are wont TO
think, but moral We have come better
to know our fellow-men of ali races and
languages their civil and religious ideas
and Institutions; their intelligence,
humane feelings. intrinsicaIly sound
character. And to know men, anywhere.
everywhere, is to respect them. Not in
deed TO approve all that they do and are;
but to recognize on the one hand their
limitations due to heTedity and environ
ment, and on the other their capabHity
OF better things, and their desire to at
tain them. Never in the worlds history
have this respect and the good will con-
sequent upon it been so general as now.
And this maTvelously smOoths the way
for the coming Of universal peace. What
only a few years ago was thought 10 be
a poets brilliant fancy, the parliament
Of man. the federation of the world is
now seen TO have been an inspired
prophecy which is to-day in actual proc
ess of fulfliment The old notion that
all international difficulties must be set
tied by the sword is at this Xmastide as
aHuquated as the old notion that all per
sonal quarrels must be settled by the
duel
Fighting Proves Nothing.
Civilized nations have agreed 10 arbl-
trate all differences that do not con-
Germ national integrity and honor. But
why this exception? Can two men prove
which is a scoundrel or a liar by one
killing the other? Can the right and
wrong of any quarrel between two men
be established by their pOmmeling each
other? The issue is decided by physical
strength and agility. by superior work
manship, superior sword play. The moral
question at issue is not touched in even
the remotest way. Force can no more
settle a personal question Of honor than
the weight of the body can determine the
sagacity or any other quality Of the mind.
A personal quarrel may, indeed. be
brought TO an end by one party being
killed. or beaten into helplessne5s. but
its issue of veracity, or other virtue. re-
mains as open as before.
And so of international quarrels and
differences. When did war ever determine
the right and wrong of any public dis
pute? Il brings disputes 20 an end when
one nation is exhausted has no more
men to be killed. no more money 10 be
wasted, no more battle ships TO be sunk.
But that is all that war has ever done,
or ever can do. As well might we say
that a policeman who has dubbed "A citi
zen into insensibnity has thus proved him
a murderer or a burglar as that a ma
ton that has pounded another into help
Iessness has thus proved that other ma
tionaI thief and villain. If the citizen
survives the policeman's club. he must
have his day in court, and his guilt or
innocence must be established before a
jury of his peers. True, justice is not
always done in this way, but it generally
is; and it is never done at the end of
patrolman's bludgeon.
No Justice ut Cannon Mouth.
NO more is international justice ever
done at the lannon's mouth. Il may hap
pen that the nation in the right is the
stronger; but successful war proves
strength only, not the right. How in
finitely greater is the prospect of estab-
fishing the right when nations, like men,
come into court, and before an impartial
and dislnterested tribunal submit their
case TO the arbitTament of facts. reason,
and justice, instead Of submitting it on
bloody battlefelds to the arbitrament of
brute force
But, it is said. war must in the end
be resOrted to in order TO enforce the
decisions Of an international tribunal like
that at The Hague. But this assumes
that nations, which are only men in
masses, are less civilized, less self-re-
strained, less controlled by good will, than
are the individuals that constitute them.
The assumption is absurd. True, nations
may be plunged into war by selfish.
ambitious. headlong rulers and leaders; or
rather they might once have been. 1t is
scarcely possible to-day. The popular
voice can too quickly make itself heard
And that voice is for peace. Not only
because the people have found that they
must sacrifice the lives and property
necessary to carry on war, while the lead
ers who keep themselves in safety are
acclaimed and rewarded; but also, and
more, because the people are men of good
will who respect their national as they
do their community neighbors. and have
in their veins no lust of blood.
Seek for Universal Peace.
Il call upon you. then. beloved, on this
happy anniversary of the birth Of the
Prince of Peace to seek everywhere the
peace Of good will founded on genuine
respect. First, make your peace with
God by repentance and faith, and so
gain peace of mind. Then be at peace
in your family, your circle of friends,
your church. your neighborhood. Next,
be a 'peacemaker' in all these relations.
and secure the divine blessedness guar
anteed TO such. All this is much, but
it is not enough.
Il sOlemnly summon you to stand for
international peace; to feel, believe.
think, speak peacefully; against violence
and for reason. And this means for the
view that reason is adequate to settle