New-York tribune., 1918-04-30
Christ or the Sword?
To the Editor of The Tribune.

" tHc EUlIO1 vi Hc 1IlUuHS
Sir: This is hstorys gravest hour. Not
since Christ stood before PLATE has there
been SO momentous a trial of moral sys-
TENS as that which is taking place.
Two theories of life are striving for
mastery. A civilization that is the lcgit-
mate outgrowth of Christianity, expressive
of kindness, good faith and democ ratio
tolerance, is at deaths grip with rein
carnation of ancient barbarism. weaponed
stealthily by modern science behind mask
of Christ, which has sprung suddenly to
the worlds rcconQuest.
Thus the old morality once more con-
fronts the new. The spiritual power en-
throned by Christ in the hearts of men is
tempted to its overthrow by the gentleness
of it's faith, while the barbar ric conception
of rule by force alone, in full resurgence, is
poised TO slay it with the very discoveries
Of Christendom.
Into this struggle the West has gone
not for material or political reasons, but
for moral reasons, The Christians heri-
tage is assaled and VIC are offering posses
sions and life in its defence. If the Chris
tian world ever has had need since mediaval
times to dedicate It's all to the duty of
snatcling the sword from the foul hand of
destructive inidelism it is now To-day
the modern crusade is afoot, and in the
crusader spi rit America has entered the war
Those who compute its losses in terms of
property or life have no spiritual concep-
ton of its costs. The dead will be re-
placed and the wreckage restored, but not
the glorious, hower-like structure of
chivalry which, honored even by the Sara
cen o. old, has been slowly moulding the
peoples into a single family, moulding them
while they fought. Its beauty which men
loved; its strength, in which they trusted
tho fold and wit
usefulness, all born of the heroism of nine
teen centuries, have been struck from the
Christian era by one of civilizations great
est debtors, now turned renegade.
If in this crisis Chrstcndom stand less
firm in its faith than did its martyrs in the
arena at Rome; if in it's hour of suffering
il be not ready to say with Christ in the
garden of Gethsemane, 80, my Father, if
this cup may not pass away from me, ex-
ccpt l drink it, thy will be done" if, in
having said with Him to the aggressor, "For
all they that take the sword shall perish
W ith the sword" it hold not faithfully to
it oath; If, having forsaken it's ideals to
make coward peace that fails to draw the
1angs of the serpent power, Christendom
tao the latter, not stripped of it's venom,
again to its breast, then indeed will the
moral law among peoples pass from use
and all men sleep upon weapons.
human institutions are again in the cru
clble Thence will arise a civilization
based upon the spiritual conception of life,
or the material. Antagonal codes of moral
u.lty cannot survive as equals in the same
world; one will prevail If the West have
the power and fortitude to endure to the
| end, and succeed, humanity will ascend to
undreamed-of heights OF opportunity and
freedom; if it have not, and fail, what, then
shall save both from the craftily directed
enginery of this soulless, scientific barbar-
ism, that, blasphemously fegning the ap.
proval of God to palsy trustful Christen.
dom, is gathering up the peoples of the
earth? HENRY A. WISE WOOD
New York, April 20, 1918.