The Washington herald., 1914-09-13
The Stimulus of the War
On the World of Religion

Sin is the ultimate cause Of the pres
emit unprecedented wharf.-the in OF ma
tons, and the nations OF Europe now
are suffering the just punishment OF
their SINS" declares the Churchman, in
the Boston Transcript Let statesmen
and historians continue to fuss about
racial antagonism, Balkan problems, the
influence of ornaments, etc, in their
search for an immediate causes All
such alleged Immediate causes bark
back to selfishness and the determina-
ton to crafty selfishness through wrong,
and that is sin. The desire for expansion
Is at the bottom Of the so-called imme-
date causes and this desire is the
fruit of two motives: First, to furnish
an outlet for OVERLOOKING population
Charmles enough in itselfO and second
to utilize this apparent necessity as an
excuse for the extension of power, the
use Of force in securing that extension
and the subjugation of the weak by the
strong. These motives explain all such
expressions as Pan-Germanism,' PAN
Slavism' and the instinct Of race and
national expansion.
The present situation is explained by the
Episcopal magazine, Spirit of Missions
in this manner: AT the outset it must
worse than war. Just as there are su-
preme crises when a man or wamon might
better lose life than keep it at the price
demanded, so there are crying evils ano
bitter wrongs against which nations
must protest to the utmost. dishon-
orable and ignoble peace is no doubt
worse than cruel war; nevertheless war
is a crime toward the individual mis-
fortune to the State, a betrayal Of Chris
20 he
worship. Yet We fight, and believe tnat
We must.
The failure lies in the fact that the
GOSPEL of Christ has not yet taught the
nations what it has succeeded in teach
ing individuals; self-restraint, kindly
sympathy, desire for anothers welfare,
willingness TO live in peace a sense OF
responsibility for the worlds wel-beins.
Our international relations are still in
the semi-barbarous stage We would
not permit two men who had griev-
ance TO fight it out in our door-yard, nor
would We let them MAIN and cripple one
another in the public street. We would
saw to them: You may either go 10
court or go TO jail If you have a real
grievance the courts are open for its re-
dress: if you insist on fighting we shall
call the police But there is no court
and no Jail for nations; for The Hague
still represents an unrealized dream. No
nation need go to court unles 1t wishes.
It may 20 into the door-yard Of another
nation and met its adversary there, or
1t may stand out in the worlds highway
and hack him into bits-and the world is
helpless"
The Gospel has not been in this world
Of ours for nineteen hundred years In
vain declares the Christian Herald
The benehcent grip Of Christ, making
for ultimate peace has been not only
upon the hearts of his people. but upon
the reins Of his enemies as well. He has
made the very wrath of men to praise
him. The roads which Caesar built for
his legions. as he supposed, proved to be
highways for Christ's messengers OF
peace. The vast ornaments Of the ma
tons are all working the same way. War
is their purpose, but in the logic Of God
peace will be their ends"
England in her organization for Chris
tian work has a Mission to Deep Sea