The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-09-07
THE PAGAN GODS STILL EXISTENT IN
THE GERMAN MIND.
French Writer'S Christianity Of France with the
Gott- Spirit the Prussan
FROM tAs French 0, Rem,ro Do Kasrtu.

greater heroism and tenacity than
that of France to-day. But what sur
prises the world Is the modesty with
which the French are fighting. They
are modest all around; in their official
communicates, in the private letters OF
officers and men, in the silent sacrifice
Of the women working night and day
that the soldiers may not lack NUM-
lions and bread. 1t is only when they
talk OF the cause for which they are
fighting that the French become
proud. Then they say that It is the
most noble Of causes; they are fight
ing for law, for civilization, for HUI
manity. The words which giorify
their cause make one almost think OF
those of the utany In their beauty;
and some day poet OF genius VIII
chant them In another litany to inn
mortalize the memory Of the struggle
between Christian civilization and bar
barrie paganism.
The war continues. It's miserles in
crease; the dead are multiplied.
Heroic feats succeed one another. But
the French humility renews its
strength; and, with tho strength of
modesty. grows the will to victory
and q firm faith in the Justice of their
cause. The French speak with mod
esty Of their Generals and soldiers. 1t
is as II they were surprised at the
| capacity Of their leaders and the self
| sacrifice OF their men. How Is 1t
possible that this old Father Joffre or
that old Professor Foch can indeed be
the best OF European Generals, and
| that good Dumont. Duprez, Dubois can
| fight and win and die Just like the
heroes Of Athens and Sparta? But
scarce a French soldier doubts that he
is fighting for all the nations OF the
earth and for what is noblest In
human nature.
This pride in respect of their cause
| and this humility in respect of its de-
tenders are typical of Christianity. To
the good Christian it is as obligatory
to affirm that his God is the only true
God as to acknowledge himself per-
sonally as a sinner. The Pagan
honors himself when he honors his
god, for his god is only the extension
Of himself or OF the things around
him. The Jew may also be proud Of
himself when he keeps the Law, for
his Elohim only requires from him
| the observance Of the Law. But the
Christian must never be proud Of him
self, for Gods primary command to
him is to be humble, and that because
the God OF the Christian is a tram
j scendent, spiritual. omnipotent, benefi-
cent, creative God.
| Man may find signs of his existence
in his own nature and in external
nature. but only signs. Only signs. be-
cause the abyss which separates the
creature from the Creator could not be
bridged without the mediation of Jesus
Christ. "For nature is so made" said
Pascal that it everywhere suggests
a lost God. AS God Is hidden, every
! religion that does not say that God Is
hidden Is untrue, and every religion
that does not explain the cause of this
| is not instructive" Only our religion
| teaches that man is born In sin, and
because man is born in sin his sinful
eyes cannot reach God
This hidden God is the God OF the
believers in France, the God denied by
the unbelievefs, the God discussed by
the agnostics. Both the belief Of the
believer and the negation of tho I'M
believer as we'll as the doubt Of the
lagnostic, are pointing in France toward
this hidden God-the God of Christi
anity. When a Frenchman has the
misfortune Of denying God or Of doubt
ing Of Him, the object of his uegation
or OF his doubt is the hidden God
What never occurs to a Frenchman is
to raise another god in the place of the
true God. lie may doubt Of the true
God, but he will not substitute false
one. There are times in the life OF
France when negations gain ascend
epce over the minds of the people
there are times when doubt prevails
But what never occurs Is a substitu-
ton for the God of Christianity. The
reason is that Christianity has pene'
trated more deeply into the soul OF
France than into that of any Other
people. Christianity had hardly perme'
ated the northern nations of Europe
when the Reformation broke up it.
unity. The nations of the south haC
to suffer during centuries under Mo
hammedan domination. But France
has been Christian since her founda
ton by King Clovis and is the only
European people which has known nj
other religion than that of Christ
Religion and Christianity are II
France, and only in France, synony
nous. 1t is not in vain that Franc,
, is called eldest daughter of the Church
Apart from the age OF the great coun
ellis under the Roman Empire tn,
Church owes to France two-thirds o
her theology, philosophy, art, powe
and institutions.
= AS religion and Christianity are II
. France synonymous, when a French
man doubts OF Christianity he doubts
: also of religion. What he does not d,
, is to convert himself TO a non Chris
tan religion or to infusc into tn,
words OF his Christian religion ;
> pagan meaning. This we have al
ready pointed out, but let us realiz
its implications.
A Frenchman may doubt OF tn,
central truth of Christianty-theb be
lief that the mediation of Christ re
deems man from original sin. IL
!. F'renchman doubts of Jesus Christ, IN
will doubt also OF redemption, and fal
into the desolate persuasion that Their
is no redemption from his sins. TIL
German unbeliever does not doubt o
, redemption; he denies the need OF II
The Frenchman may hide the bitter
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