Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-07-21


realm. there * Il law OF gravity 10
which all life must conform The su-
rrene architect tests tho lives OF men
and nations by dropping tn. plumb
i'ne OF His righteousness 10 ascertain
their moral perpcmdicularity. SO to
speak. and either continuing or dc
stroyinS them. according as they con
form or do not conform to that supreme
test
now GOD TESTS CHARACTER
OF MEN AND NATIONS
He speaks OF judgment" and right
eousness.' but perhaps 80 VIII better
understand his meaning. il We US. thu,
words truth and Justice These
arc the two highest Laws OF the mora
universe II is y! these God tests
the character OF men and nations.
just has no permanent abiding place.
AS the wall thar rises crooked from
the ground Coilapscs BY it's own WEIGHT
50 falls the crooked character. insti-
teton or nation, not because God, 81
u SPEAK. pulls IL down miracu!ouSly
by Ills own hand, but simply because
II has not been built straight and has
! become moral: top-hca.y.
This is no mere p.ous affirmation. but
fact or history and Of experience.
The nation or institution that is not
true perishcs. Lies. shams. hollow pre-
tensions. empty boas;inEs, false IDEALS.
se!i-dclusions are the sure precursors
OF national doom. When 81 people loses
touch with reality, II loses touch with
f; God and has no further place in HIS
universe save as a warning 10 others
wno would tread after 1t the path of
lies. Rome once served the purpose
of the Most High. simple in l.fc. free
( in their institutions. with a genius for
law and order which has never been
surpassed. the Romans OF the old Re
nuhiicem days. for many centuries
buildcd wisely ana we'll and main
tanned a political ana social life that.
on the whole. made for Righteousness
But when empire bred pride and boast
ing, when the simplicity of the earlier
days gave place 10 pomp and luxury
borrowed from the East. when battery
and lies became the passpor; TO po!iti-
cal preterment. when the Caesars in the
Liberalization Of their power established
, the imperial cult and made a whole
I world worship them as gods-tbeu
Rome lost touch with reality and il
was only question OF time before the
more vigorous hordcs from the nortr
should overflow her borders and leave
her only the empty shadow OF IA once
mighty name.
POWER TURNED THE
HEADS or PORES
But even then Rome might have sur
v.Ncd as bcnefactrcss TO the world
On the ashes of the empire rose the
church--a great world wide spiritual
empire. so TO speak, whose power for
many centuries was, on the whole. for
good. The conscience of the world
was in her keeping. Her authority was
practically unquestioncd. She made
and unmadc kings and cmperors She
brought order out Of the chaos that
succeeded the barbarian invasions. She
organized with statesnlanship that
has never been surpassed the religious
sentiment of widely divergent races
she was spiritual power of trench
dous significance. But the same thing
happened to the church a. TO the EN-
pirc. Power turned the heads of popcs
priests and prelates. Human inven-
tions-plain frauds in some cascs-be-
gan to be substituted for the simple
truth Of the gospel. For the genuine
authority OF the pure spiritual life WAS
substituted the false authority of a
papal court maspuerading III the cast
of garments of the Caesars. The popes.
once the servants Of the servants OF
Cod, set themselves up in the place of
God and claimed 10 speak with infalIi-
bic voice. Wealth. magnificence, out
ward show. dictatorical claims unwar-
rantcd uSurpationS--the merest trap-
pings OF empire-took the place of that
real power over the hearts and con-
sciences OF men which of right be.
longs 10 the church. Then the newt
able happened. The wall began to lean.
In the hands OF the Protestant Reform
ers. the plumb line Of God Was dropDcd
over it. and because it had ceased TO
rise perpendicu!arly TO the truth of
things. IL fell never again To rise as
the one only true and Catholic Church
which il once in reality was.
The Bastille was the symbo; OF all
that was cruelest and falsest in the
regime OF the old French Kings Once.
the French Kingdom had stood for
liberty and national unity as these
things were then understood The
civilization OF the world owes much to
Its royal iine-to Charlemagnc. carries
the Hammer, Henry ~, Francis I. But
gradually all rights and liberties be-
came vested In the Grown. and with
the arrival OF Louis XIV. 10 Grand
Monarquc. began regime OF absolutist
pretcnsiona that even an Oriental