Perth Amboy evening news., 1917-12-17
PASTORS SPLIT
ON WAR ISSUE
Rev. Mr.. Ham Answers Rev.
Mr.. Simpsons AntI-War
Sermon at Roosevelt.
Gy Special Correspondent.

Gy Special Correspondent.
ROOSEVELT, Dec 17:-This bor-
ougih Is all ''het up" over sermon
preached by Rev. w. c. Simpson in
the Presbyterian church here week
ago yesterday, in which he declared
that war is never justified under any
circumstances. 1t WAS the talk of the
town all last week and interest was
doubly aroused when it became
known that Rev F. B. Ham, pastor of
the Methodist church, proposed to
answer the Presbyterian pastor.
Mr. Ham made his purpose known
early In the week by the circulation
of cards headed, Patriots Attention"
The card set forth that the sermon by
Mr.. Simpson cannot go llnchstllenged
by loyal Christian citizens
The card went on to state that the
sermon would be answered at the
Meth odist church, and all who heard
Mr.. Simpsons sermon were especially
invited Ito hear the other side"
"It ought not to be necessary. Mr..
Hams card said, ito defend our fore
fathers who fought in the Revolution
and Civil War, and the Saints Of old
who fought the wars of God.
IF you have patriotic blood in your
veins the card went on, ''be on
hand"
When the hour for opening the
service at the Methodist church ar
rived last night there was large
congregation present to hear what
Mr.. Ham would say in reply to Mr..
Simpson, the Presbyterian pastor.
The people were not disappointed.
Taking his text from First Chronicles,
fifth chapter and twenty-second verse,
There fell many slain, because TIL Z,
WAR WAS OF GOD"
Mr.. Ham spoke in part as follows:
II dislike to combat-any opinion of
so fine man as. my. fellow pastor,
Rev. William G. Simpson. But an
error supported by man OF good
character is more dangerous than if
held by an immoral man So when
he proposes that war is never justi-
fed at any time or under any circum-
Stances ! must as a Christian and
patriot, with my country at war, op-
pose SO dangerous u proposition.
Mr.. Simpson proposes that nigh
does not make right with either in
dividuals or nations. and we should
oppose evil, like Jesus, only with love.
But he confuses two widely different
matters, the conversion of souls and
the administration of government. God
does not convert men by force, but
God does-and has commanded us to
conduct government by force. There
is a spiritual sinless kingdom of heav-
en- into which come souls born again
which is ruled by love, and there are
earthly governments large and small,
where sin, when it breaks out, needs
policemen and armies. Would Mr..
Simpson dispense with the club and
pistol Of the policeman when mur-
dcrer runs amuck? or with many
clubs when a mob is bent on destruc-
ton? Then an army, or many armies.
we'll equipped. are necessary when
a nation or nations go wrong. If Mr..
Simpson were escorting a frail and
virtuous women and a brutal man at
tackled her, would he be paciflst?
Il agree with Mr.. Simpson that sin
is at the roots of all wars. Some tribe
or nation sinned, or wars would not
have started. In some wars both sides
have sinned. In some wars where
there have been moral issues and right
and wrong sides, the right side mas
not always leen sinlcss. But there Is
a right way to conduct the right SIDE
in war. so that the right moral 1ssu
shall triumph. And so long as SIN
runs amucll in the world, so long must
clubs and guns and prisons exist, God
loves the sinner, but hates sin. a
mother loves her child and spanks 1t.
And in opposing Mr.. Simpsons error
tonight, ! am not hating him.
Jesus was no modern paci1ist, He
lived in a time of peace. New Testa-
ment history is not clouded by war
like Old Testament history. So the
New Testament does not deal much
with war. The phrase, the angel Of
jehovah is construed by many com
mcntators to mean no less being
than Je5uh himself. If so Jesus ap-
pearcd as commander of Joshua $
army, and called Gideon to the de-
struction of the Midianites. Jesus
used the most scathing epithets pos
sible against the Pharisees: he used
his divine force against the mob at
Nazareth, parting them so he could
PASS through them. In Gethsemane
lie used the same force, throwing
down the soldiers that came to arrest
him. He felled his enemy. Saul of
Tarsus, 10 the ground. LIE. twice used
The lash on men who desecrated Ms
temple. He said, not one dot or dash
should pass from law which includ-
ed death and war penalties; some of
which penalties were to be inflicted
German fashion, without trace. He
said in parable that his OWL death
should be avenged by destroying
those murderers and burning their
city" Matt 21:41, 22:D. He said, 1t
is necessary for wars to como Matt.
24:6). And He gave a revelation to
John on Patmos in which he pictures
himself with sharp two-edged
| sword proceeding from his mouth,
riding a white horse and shifting the
nations.
Wan has settled many issues. II