Evening journal., 1917-05-09


the European war and this country
participation In IT, He characterized
IL as a war IN which the free peoples
are opposed to the natural foes OF
liberty The bishop said: "The ban
DIT and pirate nations have been run
ming amuck." He believes that with
abundant Justification" the President
has called this country to take an &C
tive part IN the war. The bishop IN
his address said:
How can Christians justify war and
active participation in It? This oues
ton IS asked on all sides and arise.
in many forms in our own minds. How
can the Prince of Peace ever be One
Who brings not peace on the earth
but a sword? II we defend the use OF
armed force as a necessary means for
accomplishment of certain necessary
ends, we are reminded Of the dangers
Of the doctrine that "the end justifies
the means a principle. by the way
on which we all sometimes act. There
is no doubt as to the dificulty of the
moral problem; nor is there doubt
as TO the assurance of conscience that,
under certain circumstances use of
force by an individual or nation is not
only a right but a duty.
The Divine law forbids murder, and
there is speciousness in the question.
Does not this forbid war. as being
merely organized. scientific murder on
the largest scale? We are at once
forced to recognize the moral dis
tinctions which motive and circum.
stances make between similar or even
identical acts. The killing of a mur
derer TO protect innocent lives Is not
In the same moral category with the
act Of the murderer himself II we
have to choose between murderer and
victim, "Thou shalt not kill" may in
volve a murderer's death. The com
mandment is intended to prevent the
sin, not TO protect those who commit
H. "WhosO sheddeth mans blood, by
man shall his blood be she'd" The
curse on the sin iustihes, even re-
Quires, its punishment in kind. HE
that taketh the sword" for selfish ag-
grandisement shall perish by the
sword" of retributive justice The
warning against taking the sword i'm
plies that another sword shall be taken
BY the avenger Of blood. On many
occasions force must be used to pro-
tect life and weakness, to prevent
outrage and bloodshed, to punish
powerful wickedness Not to oppose
evil is to share its guilt. We hear
much OF "the innocent bystander."
There is such a thing as the guilty
bystander, a spectator who is passive
ly accessory 10 an evil act. To ac-
quiesce in crime to neglect possible
meang to prevent 1t, is in itself Grim
inal
Our Lord enjoined meekness and
forgiveness; He exhibited both. But
it is only moral and mental perverslty
which can cite His authority in sup
port Of action or inaction which aids
and abets evil, or can see in His Pas.
sion anything but resolute opposition
10 evil men He never encouraged sin
by tacit acquiescenoe in IL. His obedi-
ence unto death was that OF a war.
rior lighting for God "The Lamb that
was slain" leads the hosts of a heay-
enly army Often must we heed the
principle. implied In His words, "He
saith unto them, When / sent.you forth
without purse or scrip or shoes,
acked ye anything? They say unto
Him. Nothing. He saith unto them.
But now ] say unto you, Let him that
hath a purse take it. and likewise his
scrip. and let him that hath no sword
sell his garment and buy one" Our
Lord taught a great lesson of human
brotherhood in the Parable OF the
Good Samaritan. "A certain man went
down from Jerusalem to Jericho and
tell among thieves. who stripped him
Of his raiment. and beat him and
wounded him, and departed leaving
him half dead" Then came the priest
and Levite who passed by, and the
Samaritan who did what he could for
him. Suppose the Samar' tan had come
up while the thieves were still rob
bing and beating. What would have
been his duty? To have said to the
thieves, GO on, my friends, don't
mind me. When you have finished
with your victim, / will pour oil and
wine into his wounds, send him to a
hospital and pay the bill; but as a
neutral and pacihst, / won't interfere
With you. l am quite ready to relieve
suffering after Il is inflicted: but con
science forbids my doing anything to
prevent?" Would our Lord have then
said OF him, as example OF a neigh
Dor showing mercy. GO and do thou
hkewise?' Never. Had the Samaritan.
able TO fight the thieves and deliver
the victim, refrained from so doing
on specious pretenses, he would have
fallen under the condemnation OF our
Lords woes" against hypocrites.
blind guides which strain at a gnat
and swallow a camel" who pay tithes
OF herbs, and neglect "the weightler
matters OF judgment, mercy and
faith''
We must have sense OF proportion
and power of moral discrimination in
dealing with the ethics and aspects
or war It is not possible TO give a
direct answer 10 the question, Is not
war sinful2 Sometimes it IS; some
times 1t is not. Use of force for con-
quest Is nothing but wholesale rob
berry and murder; use of force TO pre-
vent this has exactly the opposite
moral character. War in self-defense
against unrighteous aggression, war
Tor the protection OF the helpless, war
in behalf Of the highest ideals. may
be justified not only on political but
also on religious principles.
Is this true Of Americas participa.
tion in the present World-War? How
are we justified I'm feeling that our
cause is one on which We may with
confidence pray for Divine favor? We
have frequently heard the reasons;
yet we need constant reminder OF
them. Il has always been claimed BY
the Prussian government that war
was forced on Germany by combina-
ton Of envious rivals. Many people
believed this assertion three years
ago. some still maintain its partial
truth Il viii always be repeated By