The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1916-03-09
BISHOP HALLS
PASTORAL LETTER
Diocese of Vermont. Lent, 1916

sonal but for common humiliation be
Tor God, when We should, like Daniel
confess ard bewaii our sins and tn,
sias Of our people.
This Lent We are surely called u
Ithis common humiliation along witt
fellow-C Christians end with fellow
men, for all the horrors Of the war
as it nils us with shame, as it must
appear in the eyes of the all just, all.
loving, all-holy God.
We see what human nature is cap
able Of, wish restraints thrown of Tho
deliberate destruction Of life, not to
speak Of other less precious things;
the bloodthirsty spirit almost neces-
sarily involved; and then the cruelties
atrocities, reckIessneSs, falsehood in
dulgcd in; the mutual suspicious and
determinations; the base greed that
can seek private gain at the cos. OF
ones country's loss or life We arc
shown to what ambition, pride and
vain glory, covetousness--pe personal or
national-may lead. That man--men
should so speak and sink so low; and
for most part Christians fighting
against Christians, employing all thc
resources of civilization for the de-
struction of their brethren's goods and
lives what cause for humiliation
here,
2. But this must spring from no
! Pharisaic self -complacency and look
ing down on others; it must be humil
iation as fellow penitents, with our
brother men, our brother Christians.
Are we as nation, a community,
free from the same roots OF evil that
have had such disastrous results IN
the war? Think Of the tierceness OF
business competition, the hear,'css
driving of the weaker rlva, to the
wall; the shocking disclosures Of un-
scrupulous fraud in hlCn finance, re-
CARELESS of widows and children who
suffer there; the self-secilinS in poll
tics, high and low, federal, state,
municipal; the class hatred that is by
some encouraged, for which others af-
ford some ground; the corruption OF
judicial administration, so that 1t is
openly said that in some States Jurles
could not be secured that would con
Wet wealthy and influential offenders,
the mercenary spirit that has entered
into our sports; the neglect OF home
and children for the sake of pleasure
and amusement by so many wives; our
miserable divorces, with all that leads
up 20 them; the impossibility of carry
ing out schemes for public improve
ment or the better management OF our
civic affairs, because it would be add
ing fuel to the fire of political corrup-
ton, in giving more places for prefer
ment. Verify we have no reason to
pride ourselves, or look down on
others.
8. Well, it is said by some, granted
that all this is true, where is room Tor
the Christian Church, or its represent
alive, to reproach us? Is it not a
breakdown of Christianity?
Nothing of the kind. Christianity
has not been tried. l. is the break
down of civilization that, while 1t
NAV have called itself Christian, has
refused to be governed by Christian
motives, that has practically denied
the fundamental principle Of The
Christian Religion, the Incarnation,
the hallowing Of the while human
life, in all its departments, by the
welcoming into it of God, His will and
Judgment, His truth, justice, purity,
love; that has proclaimed, Business is
business, and Politics is politics, and
Religion must not be allowed to enter
into either.
Here is the need for Repentance
tina. is, change of mind. Our lives
must be ruled by the fear and love OF
God; we must sec that we are not re-
ioictng in a civilization, or World CITY
like Babylon, built up G.. selhshness
and the ignoring or contempt OF God
This will as surely have its disastrous
crash with US, as The catastrophe has
come to the un-Christian life OF
European nations. Gods judgments
or sin, national as well as personal,
are to be seen in the war.
d, There is another side TO the ter
ribIe story with which we are so
dreadfully familiar; another view that
nust not be left out. We must recog-
nize how God brings good out OF evil
makes the ferceness Of man turn 70
His praise.
War is not wholly evil. In existing
conditions there must be an ultimate
anneal to force as a last resort--in
the family, the school, the city, the
state, and in international affairs
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