The Penn's Grove record., 1914-03-20
UNDER GODS RULE
He win Pass Upon All Questions
Affecting Mans Happiness
and Prosperity.

THIS battle in which we are engaged
/ today In this America of ours Is a
religious battle. II the government has
to do with the same human relation
ships with which religion has to do,
how otherwise can it be Than religious
in the exercise Of its powers? Pre-
cisely this is the fact. The only rela-
tionships with which government has
to do are the same relationships with
which religion has to do. If religion
be divorced from human relationships
the relationships growing out of alt
the pursuits and businesses and affairs
Of men, 1t becomes a pure sentiment
without n field for its exercise or its
operation.
l grant you that religion is awe and
worship in the presence Of God. I
grant you that religion has tt do with
the other world in the emotions which
it awakens in human hearts and In
human affections, but what has It to
do here, unless it has something to do.
and much to do. with the human rela-
tionships OF human society? And
how can government divorce itself
form religion, or how can religion
divorce itself from government, save
as both deny that they have to do
with life and liberty and the pursuit
Of happiness?
What has the tariff to do with God
or with religion? Only this: II the
tariff be unjust, whether it be a pro
tectiVe tariff or a tariff for revenu
only, it Is something against which
God Almighty lifts his hand; for this
world was made by one other than un-
just. and it is written by the stars in
their courses that the unjust thing.
whether it be in the relationship sog
government and those that are gov
erned o between individual and In
dividual, shall not survive.
Always Religious Question.
The tariff in its last analysis is a re-
hgious question It is not a church
question, it is not a theological ques-
ton 1t is an ethical question; it Is
ethical in so far as the question Of
justice or injustice is involved.
How does it happen that there IS
this cutlery against what has come to
be denominated as predatory wealth.
What is the meaning Of this intense
opposition to what has been named
the trust? What is the explanation OF
all this criticism of combination of
wealth in the hands of a few men.
with the mighty power which such
agency in the distribution Of wealth
imposes? 1t is the aroused conscience
Of the people, and when you name
that word conscience" you bring God
on the battlefield. For conscience in
an individual or in a nation is God self
~assertive, and in the protest on the
part of the people as the result OF an
awakened conscience against the trust.
God himself is declaring in unmfstak-
able language that there is about the
trust and about this sort of Industrial
ism that for which he viii not stand.
The economic question dealing with
the tariff, dealing with the trust, deal
ing with child labor, dealing with all
these vital relationships that affect
mans opportunity and his happiness.
is Gods question. and so it is that in
every Armageddon it is the flaming
sword Of the Lord God Of Hosts that
has been drawn and it is he who is
seen by the eye Of faith ahead Of the
far-hung battle line and leading on to
final victory.
What is religion? Religion is the
aspiration of the soul toward God with
all the exercise associated with indi-
vidual or collective worship of God.
That is its Godward side. Religion. on
its MAYNARD side. involves on the part
of an individual or on the part Of a
government protection OF human life.
the giving Of opportunity to those he
windows OF whose souls are closed be-
cause of industrial conditions which
make 1t impossible to open them.
through which windows need to come
the fine things and the richer things OF
life.
Under the spell and inspiration and
power OF love first Of all the govern
ment must be just. business must be
just, and afterward we can come into
the higher realm where we are not
satisfied because tho law tells US to 20
n mile, but we win go with our
friend all the way. and thus In going
beyond we are getting out of the re-
gion law and justice into the re-
gion Of love. where all duties have
wings and where all our pursuits and
activities bring to us exhilaration. so
that we can run and not grow weary
n walk and not faint. and mount, as
1t were, upon the wings OF the eagles
DR. Edward L. Powell. First Chris
tian church, Louisville. KY.
Our pa~