The sun., 1915-12-19
The Rev. Nehemiah Boynton Thinks
Result Will Be to Draw People
Closer Together
our Lord since tho morning stars sang

our Lord since tho morning stars sang
together.
Well, then, watchman. what Of the
night? The challenge Of the French
socialist IL ringing and strident: "How
long. Oh ye black gowncd priests. have
ye known these things and have kept
them from the people?' Is there
point to the query made in tho House
of Commons, that "sincc there Is noth-
Ing doing in Christianity it Is time
for the ministers to enlist?' 1s there
no way out, except fighting and blood
10 the bitter end? No CLINT amid this
gloom except the flashing Of the drawn
sword, or the belching flare Of the
cannon's mouth? Solution may bc ap-
parently impossible, but IL therc no
solace Of any kind?
The leader Of the world Of labor in
his day. referring TO the workingmans s
troubles, declared: when any man
proposes a. solution always move to
adjourn" But Carroll d. Wright spent
his life seeking solutions. and what
is more to tho point, dispensing sac
rificial sympathy to a cause which
still waits for righteous recognition
and adjustment. We shall be weak
and foolish in our wallowing in the
horrible pit and miry clay Of the battle
SCARED world II We forget that there
arc rocks as we'll as clay on which
humanity may find a footing and the
heart a hope.
1t is no Insignificant benediction that
strained. wrenched. twisted, tortur-
ing and death dealing world situation
drives humanity into the presence OF
its fundamental faiths. In prosperity
| we are content with tho surface of
things; in adversity the passionate de-
mand grows for certainty regarding
the life Of things. Beneath bright
| skies We are content to enjoy our
world. In the presence Of typhoons
and euroclydons We demand explana-
tions Of our world.
Here is the sharp pointed interroga-
ton which distress and disaster have
driven like an iron shard through the
minds of countless thousands. What
about this world? Is this ultimate
hell' which our eyes behold. the final
| meaning? Is this world big bloom
| ing. buzzing confusion?' Or is there
| I. fundamental principle in the faith of
which one may doubt not through the
ages one increasing purpose runs?'
Were the scientists right who said
that for the Interpretation of the
world we no longer need the hypothe-
sis OF God. but that some time we
| would take the hitherto ruler Of the
! universe to its boundary and bow him
! out with thanks for his provisional
services?
These questions have leaped out ot
the pulpit and are discussed in the
forum. They have escaped from mint
| of priest or monk. or minister, anC
have set up clearing houses for them.
selves in the lives OF multtudes whose
drastic and dsillusioning experiences
have driven them to the unecclesiasti.
cal, untheolog!cal, but patheticall,
human quest. because Of the gnawinl
| of the lean and hungry wolves of sor.
rowful despair at their very heart
strings.
| Playing dolls with religion. dressing
her in the vestments OF small ecclesi.
asticisms. and giving her the sandbos
of strict and ofttimes senile theologies
in which to dlsport herself. cultivatine
hypocritical superiorities because OF
other possessions than Fundamental
worth, having the name to live but
being dead, may pass current as &
worth while occupation for nero eX
cursionists across the fields OF time
but when by the turning OF fortune.
wheel the excursionist is beset will
suffering and begirt with calamity hi.
| aft OIL n tv,c
- him or nothing. Its Fundamental
verify must he disclosed lie mus
know II
| Human hands and helpless
Cropping blindly IN the darkness
Touch Gods right hand In that dark
ness
And are lifted up and strengthened. :
or whether he must add his patheti,
amen TO the prayer wrung from th'
despairing Frenchman. 20 God. arr
We are all orphans?"
There Is no high church or low church
in the trenches; nothing but real re
ligion Is equipped for that service. II
the turning and overturning: In thu
making of all things new. II is al
Increasingly evident and grateful as
surance that the fundamental Of reli
gion is freeing itself from the cere
ments and gravecloths Of tho tempo
rary tombs in which it has been in
tered by the formalisms. the super
stitions and the narrownesses of mel
and is standing forth, strong limbed
high powered and appealing, The sens,
of God is proceeding.
Victor Hugo declared regardln
Waterloo. Napoleon embarrasse
God and the feeling deepens an
strengthens in tho world to-day tha
any modern embarrassment OF God. Il
the outworking Of his intended designs
will meet it's Waterloo. and any mod
ern Napoleon his island Of st. Helene
1t Is at least a dull prophecy OF tn
bow Of promise across the world thun
den head clouds to-day that humanit
Is feeling the stir OF a new conviction
the conviction which was Abraham
Lincolfs when out OF the midst O
what was for him Tho darkest clou
! earth ever stretched lie said, Gentle
men, God Is not dead