The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-03-03
OUR MINISTERS
MUST PREVENT
WAR IN FUTURE
DR.. Fitch Says They Can
Do It By Proper
Preaching.

| New Haven, Mar. 3-That militar-
ism is but another expression of the
pagan principle which is regnant In
American life as well as European
and that it is up to the ministers
Jesus to the laws of nations and to
! the economic and Industrial order
thus preventing a great world war
| such as is now raging, were interest
! ing remarks made by DR.. Albert P.
Fitch, president Of the Andover the
| illogical seminary during the annual
convocation sermon which he preach
| ed in Center church.
"Men," he said, ''use the steward
| ship of public funds for private gain;
| we use public office for personal ag-
grandisement, exploit the natural re-
| sources of the nation, lay the bur-
dens of our debts upon the shoulders
of. the coming generation and consid-
| er that our opportunity is our suffi-
cient justification. It's all very well
| for US ITO rail against mi1itarism and
the iniquity of war, but, unless we
would add hypocrisy to our self
righteousness, let US confess that mil
itarisTn is but another expression of
that pagan principle which is reg
nant in American life well as Eur
opean.
will end. We shall then be rich with
our crimSOned gains. We shall have
founded some new industries, and
have received fortudinous stimulus
for many others won from the eco
nomic he1plessness, the misery if our
European brothers. And when the
war is over what are we going to do :?
Are we going to say to Germany with
her vanished commerce, say to Eng
land with her captured trade-we
will do nothing to help your men.
women and children, try to get once
more few of the decencies, the
amenities of life. Up around our
prosperous and compIacent land we
will build our preferential tariffs
Shall we let our dividends be cut, our
investments fall, our surplus be re-
duced because you are in need. Not
SO. Welter in your blood, die in
your sins, live an enbruted and
dehumanized life; what we have we
keep. All. if we say things like that,
and If there do not arise among the
ethical and spiritual leaders of this
community men who shall make it
impossible that we do things like
that, then there will indeed be no
new division of the word and with the
loss of the vision we, too, shall per-
ish.
'fBut, on the contrary, if the min
listers of tomorrow shall have the
courage and the insight to apply the
ethical principles Of Jesus to the laws
Of nations and to the economic and
IL In0y Snail De dDIO
to show the reaction of world policies
upon natural life, be able to con-
vince the leaders of the nation that
sublime sentimenfaism nor an i'm
practical ideal, but the one principle
the principle of good will is not
upon which a just and ordered world
can be built then the church, though
again her seed be the blood of the
martyrs, shall rise once more to pow
er. And then, If thus the Christian
ministry is lifted to so high an ethical
idea1isIn that the teaching of Jesus
becomes, to some appreelAble extent
the practice of mankindzthen there
shall be on the sodden fields of Elan
ders, the bloody plains of Ga1icia, the
mountains of Serbia and Armenia,
the pleasant slopes of France, a great
stirring of the dead within their
graves, and the signing of one voice
we see, we see of the travail of our
souls and are satisfied"