The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1917-05-24


zeiger for November ID, 1914, we read as follows
"But the deepest and most thought-inspiring re-
suit Of the war is the German God Not the ma
donal God, such the lower nations worship,
but our Cod who is not ashamed of belonging
to us, the peculiar requirement of heart Max
LEM has already testified to the revelation of the
German God, and Luther's hymn Elm feste Burg
list unSer Gott,' merely expresses the idea in
other words"
Doctor Bang then proceeds to substantiate his
statements in detail by quotations from German
sermons, of which we have only space for
two samples. H. Francke is the author Of
a popular book of "war-sermons," which was
Ornamented with the iron cross and published at
the request of numerous members of his flock.
Here is typical utterance of the many quoted
by Doctor Bang:
Promise Of the Lord.
'"They envy our freedom, our power to do our
work in peace, to excel in virtue of ability to full
fill our appointed task for the good of the world
and humanity, to heal the world by the German
nature to become a blessing to the people of the
earth. Wherever the German spirit obtains SUI
pre1nacy there freedom also prevails And have
not our enemies to fall back upon lies and ven
Omous calumnies in the endeavor to justify their
assault in the worlds eyes and their own? Does
this not prove that the truth, too, is with us I?
Truth and freedom, those two great blessings are
in our gospel promised by the Lord himself.
Germany is precisely-whO would venture to
deny it?-the representative of the highest mo-
rality, of the purest humanity of the most
chastened Christianity. He, therefore, who fights
for its maintenance, it's victory, fights for the
highest blessings of humanity itself and for human
progress. Its defeat its decline, would a
falling back to the worst barbarism."
Walter Lehman is the pastor of Hamberge in
HOlstein. He has preached a series of sermons
which he has published under the title: about
the German Cod" The book is Ornamented with
the Iron cross.
In sermon of August % the question is put !:
"Who is responsible: the crazy murderer in Sera-
jevo the weakling in character and will on the
Russian imperial throne, the criminal grand dukes
our neighbOrs both sides, or the deceitful
islands? In any it is not we.' He then
1auds the Fatherland, the mother tongue-it is
for these are fighting, and Germany is the
future of humanity"
"He who in these days sets forth to defend the
German hearth, sets forth in holy fight; he sets
forth to great, incompatible divine service, in
which, indeed, neither prays sings, but
in which stakes life itself, this single sweet,
beloved life, for the life of a whole nation a
ton which is Gods seed-corn for the future"
In a discourse on Sedan day. September g he
rises to lofter heights. "Once again German sol
ders are treading the soil Of places rendered IA
nous by the of 1901. Once again German
soldiers lie at st. Quentin preparing quietly and
confidently, for the march Paris. God writes,
indeed, wonderful history.
Eyes, but SO it is, my friends: that glorious feat
Of arms a years ago gives us courage to believe
that the German soul is the worlds soul, that God
and Germany belong to another
Here is from Karl Koenig, the author of
six War Sermons:
It Is Gods Will.
"God does not will the war, but he wills that we,
as Germans. shall will freedom, because other
wise we cannot fulfill great tasks in the
ice of mankind, and be enabled to become a source
of love and light of truth, virtue and religion.
We Germans did not will the war, but did will
and are bound to will freedom. And because they
will not let us have it, it was Gods will that we
should will the war. And thus we carry on the
war in Gods cause, in the cause OF mankind, In
the cause OF liberty, In the cause OF dear
great Fatherland. Kansas City atsx