Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-04-22

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faith and fear Of God downtrodden and
deted, seemed singularly applicable to
the situation created by the outbreak of
the European war. In this has seemed
to be an apparent exhibition of the fail
ure of Christianity to dominate peoples
who have longest professed It, with in
cidentally plain disclosure Of the exist
ence of frank paganlsm. Though Chris
tianity may in general be treated with
respect, or even with tenderness, yet it
seems not able to control, or even great
~ to modify, the ambitious and pa ssions
of nominalil Christian nations In time
of stress. Net that our times are worse
than others. >: that in their conditions
is anything essentially different from
those of times past only that the oc-
casons of the divide conflict are
seen to result from tendencies indicating
hostility or indifference of the world to
the law of God. making us that 20
centuries of Christian influence have
counted for much less than we had hoped
and believed.
| The challenge now made to the faith
| Is comparable to the greatest challenges
of the past. challenge that takes the
form of pointing to failure. When
Roman Emperor first favored Christian
| ity, he did so because he seemed to see
In Christians an element of political
unity. Here was a orld-wide brother
hood, held by bonds of n faith so strong
that all the forces of the empire could
not break them. Why, thought Con-
stantine. ought not this religious unity
be used as bulwarl< for the State, and
these Christians, long regarded as adj
herents of an unsocial superstition, be
used to cement the diverse social elc-
ments of the empire? This Catholic
broth erhood. based on love of God. might
certainly be expected to promote inter-
racial, nter-provincial. international
union. Nothing could have been more
reasonable than Constantine's belief in
( its unifying power. Centuries later bar
| barbian hordes invaded the Roman ter
ritories; and it became evident that con-
troll Of the world in future lay largely
with Teutons and Savs. What could
train them. develop their best powers,
check their passions, school them in
ways of gentleness and honor? What
more natural than that Christians of
those days should he confident that this
task could he accomplished by the
monastic missionaries should believe en-
Enthusiastically in the disciplinary value of
Christianity, in its oducat!ve mission and
power? In our own time the newly
reused nations of the East, impressed
by the efficiency of western nations. look
for the secret Of this in their nominal
religion. How inevitable that China and
Japan should scrutinize Christianity in
IL, fn, H.. nyi..
Of the Occidents chief civilizing power,
Looking over the past we can point to
definite results of Christian influence as
clear proofs of Christianity's service to
human society in promoting unity. edu-
cation, civilization. We, like our fathers
believe that in our faith alone can be
found clues for solution Of every prob
lem Yet there is new difficulty for us,
necessity for some new justification of
J, our faith in the fact of Elaring dis
crepancies between the early promise
and the late results. The principles of
the gospel promised unity to mankind.
; Even in Constantine's day they proved
Ineffective; and how much more have
they seemed to fail as centuries have
passed, All Europe has had the church
for schoomaster for a thousand years;
| yet in practice the cult of Thor and
Odn seems more firmly established than
the cult of Christ. China and Japan,
more fully acquainted with divisions
: among Christians conscious of mishes
in western civilization which do not
equally disflGure their own, are 9cepti-
cal s to whether the western religion
is all that at first they conceived it might
be. can We trust, as much as our faith
ers did. what, though il has promised so
well, has seemed to accomplish 50 little?
In its strongholds, where it has been for
centuries entrenched, it seems not able
to show itself supreme. Has 1t not after
fair trial seemed to fail? That Is a special
form of challenge made to the faith in
our generation.
Though He STAY me, yet will i trust
Him The failure Is not so great as ap-
pears, We must deal fairly with oppos-
ing facts; but we must also claim faii
dealing with facts that favor us. 1t is
quite true that the leaven has not leav-
ened the whole loaf yet; but its trans
forming power has been in many ways
obvious. Moreover, failure on the part
of individuals and generations fully tc
, apply principles mus. not blind us to tho
character of the principles themselves
: The armies of Europe may not be fol
lowing the Prince of Peace. The worship
, of Almighty God in America may seen
to yield often to the pursuit of the Al
!. mighty Dollar Yet nothing has altered
the teaching of St. Paul and St. John
the truth of the incarnation Of the sol
eternal; back of all things is the enc tru'
&c