The Washington herald., 1917-07-01
The Demand Of the Hour

What Is faith In Its essence? 1t
Is the power ~ which we grasp the
future. the unseen, the infinite, the
eternal. and in it's application 1t is a
principle of knowledge. of power. of
action. As a principle of knowledge
revelation tells lis what we can
know of the invisible and eternal
world and faith makes the message
her own.
Faith as a principle OF power not
only apprehends the unseen but en-
tiers into Vital union with it and SO
makes real the future.
Faith as a principle of action brings
us. as Christians into active relation
ship with Christ and His Kingdom. as
touching eternal verities-and brings
us as citizens into active relation
ship with our rulers and our coun-
try. 1t leads us as followers of
Christ TO be So united TO Him as
to be obedient to His command for
His service, and as followers Of ma
tional rulers to be obedicnt to their
demand upon us as citizens for our
country's good. AS touching these
matters, Jesus pronounced Himself
definitely and conclusively and COM
mitted His followers to loyalty in
our nations welfare.
Render unto Caesar the things that
be Caesars and unto God the things
that be Gods"
Such admonition does not divide
the heart but makes it pulsate strong
ly In Its feality to the Almighty Crea-
tor and Father Of all things that
stand for spiritual benefit of oneself
ana all mankind: and in temporal
matters for the nation that gives US
our citizenship and defends and pro-
tects US In our rights-as partners in
all 10 which our nation has rightfuI
claim.
rms leads me to say-'The demand
OF the hour as touching the spiritual
ana temporal things OF lfe-is FAITH.
reasonable man knows that his God
and his nation have a rightful claim
TO MS faith. I admit that there are
times when ones faith is dim and
variable despite doubts. condi-
tions or environments We must cling
10 the remaining faith we have en-
couraglng II to become stronger.
Jesus thus encouraged, His discI-
pies during His ministry among them
in such worGs as 20, We Of little
faith" 20, faithless generation" IF
ye mad faith as a grain of mustard
seed" and BE not faithless, but be-
lieving."
The heather philosopher Plato said
My son. many have ere now doubted
the existence Of the gods, but no man
ever passed from youth to age with
out at some time or other. believing"
Horace Bushnell. the noted clergy
man, scholar and college president.
said that when he was a student in
college he lost his belief in God as
God is usually understood All that
remained to him Of his previous con-
version was belief in the abstract
principle OF right. That was not much
Of n God, hut II was something he
held. Instead OF entangIing himself
in the intriCacies OF the dark realm
Of mystery in which he could so
easily have become enslaved and sub
merged, and thus letting his splendid
career of Christian faith and service
be saCridced-he simply held his
ground inside the very small area of
assurance remaining to him.
Instead Of dissipating his religious
energies by roaming aimless in a
world whore nothing offered to him
basis Of firm support, he kept sim
ply and unwaveringly TO his conf
dence in the abstract principle OF
right. To this he not simply hold him
self, but he knclt down and prayed