Evening star., 1914-10-05
Church Is Blamed in Part
for Present War in Europe
by Rev. J. Van Schaick. Jr

| Declaring that on the church itself
| rests large part of the responsibility
| 1or the present war in Europe, Rev.
John van Schaick. jr., preaching at the
| Church OF Our Father 18th and L
streets northwest, yesterday. asserted
that the spirit of dominion, instead
! of the spirit of love, has grown up in
the hearts of men,"
| DR.. Van Schaick's subject was
| Church Responsibility for War" his
text being Matthew, 20:25-"But Jesus
know that the princes of the Gentiles
exercise dominion over them and they
that are great exercise authority upon
them. But it shall not be so among
you"
THE blame of the church." DR.. Van
| Schaick declared, lis that it has been
SO among u.s."
In part DIR. Van Schaick said:
mo one cause can. be given as the
| real cause of the war; There are many
causes. Peace societies everywhere
are pointing out the folly of vast
| armaments as peace measures. I'm
| questionably the building of huge
machines creates strong desire to use
built of men or iron. constructed to
float or dive or march or fly, whoever
possesses great costly machines has a
desire to see them operated. Armies
anu IidNleS anu UlS guns anu
experts are cause of war. The desire
of SovereignS to increase their personal
power and extend the territorial limits
of their respective countries, is a cause
of war. Race and religious jealousies
also have been back of nearly all the
wars in history.
"Search Your Own Hearts"
at is shallow and wrong for US. how
ever, today to spend time blaming the
kaiser or the car or the prime minis
ter of England. 1t is wrong for US to
talk about irrepressible conflicts be-
tween Teuton and Slav civilizations. II
Is a partial view which harks back to
the old antagonism between Germany
and France. All these causes must be
recognized in any real study Of the
situation. But a far more profitable
task for religious people on this day of
prayer is searching their own hearts.
studying the direction Of their own
lives and asking whether the influence
they individually exert is for peace or
for war.
wherein are we to blame for this
war? Wherever We fail to recognize
the great progress which has been
to blame.
"Fherever we are ignorant of the
meaning or the achievements of The
Hague tribunal. we are to blame.
church matters we are to blame.
wherever we are arbitrary or auto
cratic in our business relations, quar-
relsome in our families or contentious
in our private thoughts we are to
blame.
Blamed if Gunmakers Rule.
I've are to blame if we let gun
makers do all the creating of public
opinion. We are to blame if we do not
stand strongly and positively for real
izing the possibility of universal dis
armament, international law. interna-
tional courts and an international DO
lice. We are to blame If we talk about
treaties mere paper.
The best form of neutrality is ex-
pressed in newspaper editorial utter
ance which says. Neutralize the antag-
onisms of your own thought and senti-
ment and present the brother front to
all men and nations aliker
1T is not inconsistent with brother
hood to want one side to win. 1t Is in
consistent with brotherhood to want
for any nation anything but true, un-
selfish, democratic development after
either victory or defeat"