The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1914-09-04

by Rev. Calvin >. Slagle, pastor OF St.
Paul's Reformed Church, Bond street,
on Sunday morning. The address has
been published by request.
Isaac ind Chapter, 4th Verse.
Nations shall not lift up sword
against nations, neither shall they
learn war any more"
The Prophet Isaiah who lived long
before Christ was born, looking down
through the ages with his prophetic
eye saw that the time would come
when these words would be fulfilled.
The abolishment of war would be one
Of the fruits of the coming Of Christ
1t may appear somewhat presumptu-
Gus to read these words OF the Text
in the face of the greatest war in the
history of the world, between
nations that have stood at the front of
modern civilization and that we have
regarded as Christian Nations. And
yet in the face of the horrible and un
christian conflict which is now being
waged, l believe, that these words of
Isaiah will be fulfilled. The purposes
of God generally ripen slowly. Gods
ideals cannot be realized in a year
or a century or even in ten century's.
All things are under the law OF
growth. They pass from stage to
stage and it is only at the end that
Gods purposes are realized. Jesus
never wearied of making this plain in
his parallels and discourses. Men all
around him were impatient. His con-
slant advice was Wait He knew that
he was sowing seeds and establishing
principles and truths that would bear
fruit for the healing of the nations,
but he knew also that the seeds would
germinate and grow slowly. For eX
ample, he never said word against
slavery. 1t was an awful institution
but the time of its death had not
come Almost two-thousand 10000
years had to pass away before slavery
was driven off the earth. Because Of
the weakness, the passions and ava
rice of men both in the North and the
South slavery went out of this Country
i'm the crisis of the Civil War. That
war cost the United States infinitely
more than all the slaves that ever
lived in America were worth. I mean
i'm money. We are still paying the
cost of that war although 30 years
have passed since it was ended. If
this country would have paid the
Shareholders the value Of their slaves
it would have cost us but a small
fraction OF what we spent in the Civil
War But neither the North nor the
South would have consented to this.
We preferred to be lead by passion,
prejudice and folly and we paid the
cost OF it and are still paying 1t. Slav-
cry had to be abolished. The truth of
Christ that all men should be free had
come to be SO generally believed that
slavery could not be tolerated. 1t
took long time for the seed sown by
Christ to bear this fruit but the Har-
west was at hand. Slavery had to 60.
The pity of it was that it had to 60
with violence, with War between
brother and brother instead Of going
peaceably.
The world had to wait long and
patiently for the abolishment Of many
evils. But the time OF fruitage came.
And that time will come when the
words of Isaiah i'm regard to War will
be fulfilled. Even now when the
greatest War in the Worlds History is
being waged, we may be nearer to
the consumation of this prophecy than
we think we are. III IL always darkest
before the dawn. The Christian senti-
ment for peace and for a peaceable
settlement Of difficulties between ma
tions is stronger today in American
than ever before. 1t is the dominant
spirit and it is growing. Witness the
forebearance, the patience, the self re-
straint which the United States show
ed during the revolutions in Mexico.
Had we been called upon generation
/ ago to suffer the indignities which we
suffered at the hands of the Mexicans
during the last year we would have
rushed to arms. Some of US criticised
and ridiculed the Administration for
what it did and for what it did not do.
But we ought to be and, | think, we are
profoundly thankful that we have as
I President a man wise and good and
! strong enough to have kept us from
war with all it's attendant horrors.
And in this policy OF preserving the
peace he should have the undivided
support Of all American citizens with
out regard to party. The spirit Of
Peace il stronger i'm America than in
any other country. But even in the
countries which are now in deadly
conflict this spirit Is growing. Just
now it is suppressed by the tide of
patriotism and ii has been crushed to
the earth by the iron heel of militar-
ism. But the truth cannot be quench-
ed. And out of the wreck and ruin Of
war, the devastated homes, the blighted
Countries, the destructio" of millions
of men in the prime of manhood, there
will come the still small voice OF
peace, raised in protest against arma-
ments and standing armies-a voice
that will grow into a chorus that will
be heard over the civilized world. The
people will see the folly of the theory
that the best way to preserve the
peace Il to prepare for war. The war
in Europe has shown the fallacy OF
that teaching. Militarism has been
the running sore, the inexcusable
crime, the objectionable sin of the
Christian world. The world would be
infinitely happier and safer il all the
great fighting fleets Of battleships
were sunk to the bottom or the sea,
and there would be no navy except an
international force OF cruisers Just
sufficient to protect commerce and to
serve a. the police OF the sea- Every
increase in our navy strengthens the
war spirit in every parliament Of
Europe. And every increase OF the
military burden there drives to this
country a new horde OF exiles whose
very life has been almost ground out
Of them by the military system. Every
peasant in Europe carries soldier
on his back whom he must support
This Il one on the causes or the war
in Europe. Possibly it is the main
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