Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1914-06-04

in fact, they do so
in ignoring him. In IN editorial IN
Q reputable daily newspaper, enuued
God Not to Blame" commentator
was given to a Unitarian minister Who'
IN speaking OF the recent burning OF a
club house In ST Louis. where more
than thirty persons lost their lives,
said that the disaster was to be attrib-
uted to criminal stupidity and oostl'
macy" Commendation was also given
to another minister. who said that the
disaster was an evidence OF the shal'
low fashion in which men accept so
cial responsibility" In connection
with these concentrations this was
said: 1T used to be the fashion to
blame God for such disasters, or at
least to speak of them as mysterious
dispensauons Of his providence. We
have outgrown that cowardly and IN.
intelligent viewpoint" The question
arises In connection with this edito-
rial, Was God asleep when the club
house burned, or was he so far away
that he could not get information Of
the event? Such questions seem ride.
ulous, even blasphemous, for God was
awake and everywhere immanent.
Granting that as to human response
bility the remarks Of both the min
listers referred to were correct, does
that rule God out? God may work
through men or events for the accom-.
plishment OF his mysterious proyi'
dence, as he may work without them.
How could the destruction of Pompeii
and Herculaneum. Of St Pierre, OF
Galveston, or of San Francisco be con-
nected with criminal stupidity and OBJ
sinacy? AS far as men can see, man
could have nothing to do with those
occurrences. and yet they we're disas-
tiers greater than that in St. Louis.
Had God anything TO do with them?
How God Is in such events we are not
able to explain, and SO short-sighted
are we in the face of disaster that
cannot be charged to human stupidity
and obstinacy hat all we can do Is
to acknowledge that we cannot under
stand, and to say. For SO 1t seemed
good in thy sight
In the text there are three things
to be noticed. God claims TO be Lord.
in the words, Il am Jehovah and there
is none else" That Is to say, In all
the great universe. | am the supreme
God, / created the universe, | made
the laws to control It, and nothing
transpires within II without my knowi-
edge" II we concede the knowledge
of God, logic compels US to say that
everything is according to his pur.
pose, however we fail to reconcile
some things with the character Of
God as loving and mercifuL
God says to Cyrus, l will grid thee.
which means, l will strengthen thee.
As the armies OF Cyrus swept over
Asia, and kingdom after kingdom fell
before him, as the great walls OF Bah
ylon, presumably i~mpregnable, we're
no barrier to his entrance into the
city, doubtless Cyrus would be tempt
ed to think Of himself as a great world
conqueror, in the style Of ancient days,
although We do not have record to that
effect. God had a great work for Cy.
rus to do, and, to impress this upon
him, tells him that the strength that
he would show in hie military success
was simply Gods strength. In mod
ern times great political, social and
military movements are made. and
those making them largely ignore God,
but God is in all Of them. God was
moving in the Russo-Japanese war, in
the Chinese revolution, in the war in
the Balkan states, and he is now NOV.
ing in Great Britain in connection with
the Irish question, and in Mexico in
connection with the civil a In all
the great movements Of modern times,
In the great inventions, and all accom-
plishments of men that are the won.
der Of an unlocking world. God is
moving.
The charge OF God against Cyrus
was that as yet he was not recogniz.
ing God. That is precisely what we
believe that editorial failed to do in
connection with the St. Louis disaster
God was not ignorant OF that disaster,
nor OF the burning OF the steamer
Slocum, mol Of the sinking Of the tt
tanic, although In connection with all
these events man was criminally stu
pid and obstinate.
As the president OF the United
States is watchfully waiting the issue
OF the struggle in Mexico, SO ought
man to watchfully wait as he seet
God working In the world. Shake
speare was not wrong when he said
There is a divinity that shapes oul
ends, rough hew them how We may.
The editorial referred TO would cal
such teaching Theological sentimen
tally, the suppression Of which would
be a wholesome and hopeful sign o
the times, but It is the truth. and Il
sustained by history. philosophy, expe
rience and the word Of God. and mel
would profit II they would heed II.