Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-07-26
WAR IS DUE TO PASSAGE
OF WELSH CHURCH BILL
Some CIergymen Attribute England's
Losses to Same Ubiquitous"
Measure.
ONE ASSUMES ROLE OF PROPHET
Most Ministers Convinced Nations
Cause Is Just and That God Is on
Their Side-Angels Are Helping
British Troops to Win.

| LONDON, July 25.-Some Church of
England clergymen are convinced that
this war, or at least Englands parti-
cipation in it, has been caused by the
passage of the Welsh disestablish-
| rible losses she has suffered in the war
to the same Ubiquitous" measure.
None of them Is recognized as a lead
ing light of theology. but each can
claim credit to possessing courage of
his convictions. for not one has hest
tatcd to place his opinions on record
In sundry sermons and parish maya
zines.
Conspicuous among them is the Rev.
William James who STYLES himself
priest in Cod" but in the clerical d.
rectory is more prosaically termed "cu-
rate in charge" His church is at
Whitby. in Cheshire Not content with
proclaiming his views from the pull
pit as to the dire and divine punish
ment England has brought upon her
self by disestablishing the Welsh
Church. he has published them In fam
boHant poster FORM which he sells for
n penny. Here are some extracts
from 1t:
England has put on her statute
book the Welsh Church bill. which
proposes sacrilege Sacrilece means
ruin. God has uttered three warnings
On the bills introduction. loss of the
Titanic d,5G0 lires), terrible railway
disasters. awful pit accidents alarm
ing strikes. On it's second and third
reading. loss of the Empress of Ire
land u.ooo lives), threatening Of civil
cruisers G,200 Iives)."
MIR. James goes further than this.
He assumes the role of n prophet Eng
land, he declares, is doomed If she
sticks to the Welsh disestablishment
bill. On the other hand, she Will win
inc war and reap honor and glory from
1t il she takes the bill off the statute
book. He writes:
England is doomed unless she re-
penis and repeats the Welsh Church
Dill. Choose we the bill with disaster.
misery, ruin. or the accused thing
put away, and Gods blessing and pro-
tectlom restored. Victory, honor.
CONVINCED THAT GOD
IS on ENGLAND'S SIDE
Most clergymen. both Church of
England and nonconformist. are con-
WINGED that England's cause is Just,
and that God is on her side. And some
of them actually believe that angels
arc helping the British troops TO tri-
umph over the Germans. A Church Of
england clergyman ut Southampton
writes in his parish magazines:
THE daughter of n well-known can
on of the church knows two officers
who themselves saw the angels who
saved our left wing in the retreat
from Mons"
Then he goes on to describe how the
German cavalry in overwhelming
numbers were swooping down on the
British. whom
They saw between them and the
enemy whole troop of angels. The
German horses turned round terrified
and regularly stampcdcd. The men
tuggcd at their brides, but the poor
beasts tore away In every direction
from our men,"
The Rev. DR.. Horton, a distinguish
ed Congregationalist divine, lends the
weight of his authority to this same
story of angelic intervention. In n scr
mon delivered at Manchester he said ::
There is n story repeated by so
many eyewitncsses that IL anything