Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1914-11-03
PASTOR SAYS Love
WILL lessen Wars
DR.. Dole Discussing Ger
many and the Next War,
Differs With Bernhard
FINDS REASONINGS
UNCHRISTIAN

George Henry Dole in the New Church
on Sunday night The sermon was
based on Bernhardis book, Germany
and the Next War" DR.. Doles text
was from Math. xxi 81; Thou shalt
love the Lord thy God with all thy
heart, and thy neighbor as thy self.
The pastor said that he was not to
consider the right or wrong of either
side in the present war of nations, but
to review a book, and answer the
question, Are its reasonings Chris
tan"
DR.. Dole said Bernhard regrets
the peace-loving tendency OF the Ger
man people, saying that they are al
most too peace LOVING and that a
rude shock is needed to awaken their
warlike instincts He reasons that
war is the greatest factor In the fur
therance of culture and power; that
aspirations for peace threaten to poi
son the soul OF the German people,;
that war is AN indispensable factor
of culture that the desire for peace
has rendered most civilized nations
anaemic, and marks a decay of spirit
and political courage that it is the
exhausted ages which have played
with the dream of perpetual peace.
| have no way OF knowing how many
approve of such teachings as these,
but that they are eminently un-Chris-
tian is clearly evident; for the Bible
promises as the worlds final and
greatest blessing a state In which the
swords shall be beaten into plow-
shares and the spears into pruning
hooks and nations shall study war
no more. The Lords kingdom Is one
in which the increase Of peace shall
/ know no end. Bernhardrs fundamen-
tai error here is that peace derived
/ from the absence of war causes de-
cay. Il is not this peace, but the
peace of worldliness, sense-satisiac-
/ ton, and indulgence that causes de-
generation. Against this peace OF
self-satisfed indulgence the Lord
came to send a sword-the sword OF
truth and righteousness.
"Bernhardi reasons from evolution
that life is a struggle in which tn
mightiest survive; therefore there mus
be war TO determine which the might
lest is. He concludes that weak nation
have not the same right to live as hav
stronger nations, and that war is bi
illogical necessity that war gives
biologically Just decision, and that wa
SIS not only a biological law, but
moral obligation. If this were tru
then his further conclusion, that TO a,
vocate perpetual peace is a positive evi
and that might makes right are co
] fut1a - nfhnr Cha
most superficial notion Of the theol
of evolution He sees might onl
might winning the right to live.
{ fails TO see that the might in nature
/ struggles is subject to the might
God who has brought TO survive not q
brute strength of the age of mastadon
, but the might of the human mind,
truth, and love. He that taketh u
sword shall perish by the sword b.
the righteous shall inherit the earth
AIightier than all powers is the powC
Of righteousness, which in rejecting tn
sovereignty of God, is not seen.
Bernhard errs in assuming tina
the State is the sole Judge Of right
because no power exists which cal
judge between states and the stat
is sovereign. He forgets that Co
judges the nations of the earth Tn
state is nothing other than the peopl
of the state. People individually an
collectively are subject to the trutl
and the state is subject to justice an
the laws of God. To the assertio
that German culture cannot becom
world power without drawing th
sword We would reply that any GU
ture that has not In II the power I
extend itself by the appeals of II
own virtues is not worthy of exter
sion. And any civilization or doc
trina that argues the sword for il
extension publishes the fact of II
own sterility, and needs to be rel'
gated to antiquity along with Nc
hametanism.
mo greater mistake could be mad
than when Bernhard says the Law
Love God above all things and tn
neighbor as thy self ca
claim no significance for the rel,
ton of one country to another b.
cause the love showed to anoths
country as such implies want of loN
for his own countrymen.' What
perversiOn of common sense tn
statement is. We are not civilized if v
do not love the welfare of every nj
ton as our own. In the degree Thu
one loves justice, he will love a
: nations TO the extent that they al
. Just. Love cannot be confined with
I state lines and be love. A nation Thu
loves justice will not attack anoth'
nation; yet it Is in duty bound
protect itself when unjustly attacke
because II is then protecting justic
Bernhard Is right in saying tn
treaties cannot insure peace. No, y
cannot insure peace by treaties, b
the love of justice can and eventual
will secure universal peace. Pea
cannot secured either by treaties
by the might of a State. II must con
another way, namely, by the exte
sion of the love Of justice and
mankind until justice reigns. I'll
Lord conquered the world by low
Love is the power omnipotent, in
are all virile powers, all that perfe
man can desire. AS Gods love pc
/ tl.f