Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-09-11
Mistellaneous Readina.
SAcRIllGIOUS FAITH

The stoled priests the waters lay
| On tongues that take new faith, and
pray
To that meek One of Galilee:
| o, Help us, Lord,
To kill
The sounding pulpit breaches zeal
To bending forms that suppliant
kneel.
And pray to Him of Galilee:
o, Help us, Lord,
To kill
The victors from the bloody field,
Where lie the dead who would not
yield,
Give thanks to Him of Galilee,
Who gave them strength
To kill!
o Man Of Sorrows, Prince of Peace,
Who came in love that war might
Behold Thy children!
Bow Thy head,
A second cross is Thine.
The ploughshare has become the
sword,
The sanguined earth hears but one
word,
Out Of a saddened and embittered
heart, an eminent Philadelphia sends
| us the verses we print today-a search
ing satire upon one Of the most de-
pressing manifestations Of the war.
| AS though it were not enough that
the twentieth century Of Christianity
should see half the civilized world en-
gagged in barbarous conflict, the war
ring peoples beseech Omnipotence for
aid in battle and raise to the Prince Of
Peace their prayers for supremacy in
slaughter.
King and kaiser, czar and emperor,
have affronted Heaven with their i'm
pious supplications. The new thought
here is that this monstrouS perversion
Of the religious instinct Of man is not
an offense of autocrats alone, but Of
millions Of their people. By uncounted
numbers of human beings it is still
| held that their national ambitions are
to be furthered by a divinely inspired
war; that the God of the universe is
God of battle, of burning cities, mur-
| derous cannon and blood-soaked
| trenches.
| Nothing we believe, has ever so graf
ed upon the sense Of reverence Of this
nation as the dreadful invocations that
have issued from the throne-rooms OF
Europe during this causeless war. AS
he launched his Cossack hordes against
neighboring nations the Russian des-
pot proclaimed:
| With a profound faith in the JUS
tice of our work and a humble hope in
Omnipotent Providence, in prayer we
call Gods blessing on holy Russia and
her valiant troops"
Immediately the war lord of Ger
many issued his powerful defiance:
I'VE are animated by the unbending
desire to secure for ourselves the
place where God has placed us. De-
vout before God and courageous be-
fore the enemy, let us confide ourselves
to the everlasting Almighty, who will
strengthen our defense and conduct it
| TO a good end"
This godly aspiration was uttered
when the government Of Germany had
trampled upon a solemn covenant and
had begun a ruthless invasion of the
| territory Of neutral people.
Within a few hours Of the time when
German bombs were flung from the
clouds upon the sleeping homes Of Ant
werp the Imperial government publish
ed to the world that touching telegram
from the kaiser to the consort Of the
crown prince:
Il rejoice with thee over the first
victory Of William. God has been on
his side and has most brilliantly sup
ported him. To Him be thanks and
honor"
Likewise, while the huge forces tore
at each other in furious conflict, this
dispatch to the king Of Wurtemberg:
With Gods gracious assistance the
Duke of Albrecht and his splendid
army have gained a glorious victory.
You will join me in thanking the AL
mighty"
A little later he sent to his minis
try an exhortation expressing conf
lapno in tho ;rrac;ctibla N, ipbt of orr
heroic army and unshakable belief in
the help of a living God"
Equally imbued with religious fer
vor. the aged emperor of Austria
scanned the reports of carnage and
devastation in Belgium and telegraph
ed to his illustrious ally:
Victory after victory. God is with
you. He will be with us also"
Yet it must not be supposed that
the regal effrontery Of these utter
ances signifies that the autocrats are
singularly depraved. They would not
be moved, they would not dare, to pro-
claim such impiety if their sacreligious
faith were not shared by the great
masses of their subjects.
German troops on their way to the
storming of Liege and the sack of
Louvain knelt humbly in the streets Of
Berlin while ministers of God blessed
their arms. We read Of this scene in
st. Petersburg:
Crowds prostrated themselves in
the streets as the imperial family
passed to the palace for the purpose
of attending Il special service of pray
er. One hundred thousand persons
gathered in front of the palace. The
service was opened by Il priest. who
read the declaration of war. a TIE
Deum was sung, and the cZar venerat-
ed the holy cross and the ikOn."
In ten thousand places of religious
worship this scene has been duplicated
in spirit. if not in pomp and magnifi
cence. Countless affairs are alight with
vOtive appeals, and millions of hearts
h..S. hn Of ,k.ith