The Palatka news and advertiser., 1917-09-21

great figure, as the childish mind
makes mighty figures of monsters and
demigods out of the clouds floating
above it's head. But Mr.. Wells has
shown beyond all question that he
may make complete return to
which heretofore he has accepted and
proclaimed. He must have a god,
even if his god be creature of his
own making; and in manufacturing a
deity for his soul he shows a dispo-
sition to initiate, although somewhat
grotesquely, the God of Christianity.
These dreadful days of a warworn
and war-torn world force him to re-
aounce his former faithtessness. 1t
is to be hoped that he may make a
complete return to Christ; and such
may be the case if his life is extend
ed somewhat beyond the years COM
mon to men. In any event, his case
reveals that skepticism has no adap-
tation to human needs, and is DOOM
ed by reason of it's lack of this quail
ty which so strikingly characterizes
Christianity. There is nothing in
doubt to soothe the sorrowing soul,
and the deathless longings of the hu
man heart are fully met only by
Christ and his salvation.
Wherefore said Matthew Arnold,
"To the Bible men will return; and
why? Because they can not do with
out it. Because happiness is our be-
ing's end and aim, and happiness be-
longs to righteousness, and righteous
ness is revealed in the Bible. For
this simple reason men will return to
the Bible, just as man who tried to
give up food, thinking it was vain
thing and he could do without it,
would return to food; or man who
tried to give up sleep, thinking it
was a vain thing and he could do
without it, would return to sleep"
Men are talking of the new era that
will dawn upon the world when the
war ends and peace returns. And
some have begun to talk of the "new
Christianity that will appear"
Doubtless many conditions will be
changed. AS ancient cathedrals have
been cast down by wars ruthless
hand, so many other old things will
fall into ruin. But the old faith will
not pass away. The old sun is still
shining, though the fields of France
and Belgium are torn by SHOT and
shell; and, under his warm beams,
trees and flowers will spring up again
and cover with verdure and beauty the
gashes made by war in the wounded
hills and valleys. In like manner the
old faith will continue to soothe the
sore hearts of the bleeding nations.
For them there is no other source of
healing.
In their hours of deepest need men
and nations must turn to Christ as
did St. Peter when he cried, "Lcrd, to
whom shall we go? Thou hast the
words of eternal life" John vi:68.)
A Chrstless world would be 4
comfortless world. The modern man
could not endure to live in it.
Our world must be !. Christian
world, or it will soon be no world at
all. A Confucian world, or a Budd-
hist world, or a Mohammedan world,
is mpossible-almost inconccivable.
Christianity alone can restore the
bruised world that will emerge from
the war. And there is no hope of
an enduring peace to follow the war
unless the principles of Christianity
dominate the thought and control the
conduct of the nations.
And be it said that no emasculat-
ed Christianity will meet the needs of
the modern world. A stout faith is
required to restrain and direct the
strong world of today. Mankind has
acquired by science such vast power
for good or evil, a mastery moral
force is required to hold this aug
mented strength to safe lines, and
save the world from self-destruction.