The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-05-24

The first prayers of the Wesleyans
was for "deliverance from our ira
ditional sins of drunkenness and
pride" In the abstract, apart from
the central purpose of the gathering,
and as a general supplication against
two besetting human inirmities, no
exception, but that of slanderous ex-
aggeration, can be taken to this Pc
tition But it is impossible to take it
so. Offered on a day of special in
tercession for the nation and its de-
tenders, it was plainly intended to ap-
ply to the war-not as aprayer against
one principal cause of our slackness
in prosecuting it, but as an effort to
probe the mystery of the worlds suf-
fering, and to account to humanity
for the purposes of God.
THE CRY OF BLEEDING HEARTS.
Why does God allow the war to go
on? If he is an almighty and ben
eficent providence, why does He not
put an end to this cruel, merciless,
Meaningless carnival of barbarity?
For what reason that is Ineligible
to the mind, and appreciate by the
heart of man, does He permit it that
y
be wronged, and the weak and the
innocent should suffer intolerable out
lrages at the hands of the strong and
the guilty? In the midst of catac-
llysm that is shaking the foundations
of the woodworking millions OF
mothers of their sons, millions OF
their husbands, and millions of child
rem of their fathers-is God doing
anything? If not, why not? Is il
because He does not care?
Such is the cry, hardly daring tt
become articulate, that has gone UT
from the bleeding hearts of suffering
people all over the world. And tht
; silent answer of hundreds of millions
of humble and reverent souls, con
fronted by this most dread mystery
has been, and will continue to be, sc
don't know; I do not see; only Coz
knows and sees; and before His awfu
, Will 1 bow and wait"
'sMan Has Sinned; Therefore,"
But through all the ages there ha
been a type of the religious min
which has been unable to maintain
this attitude of devout humility.
} must reconcile Gods ways with mar
and being forbidden by the cardina
doctrine Of its faith to believe tina
. God does nothing, still less than H
: does not care, it falls back on the ez
PLANTATION that the evils which ar
{ permitted to befall humanity are God
' chastisement Of man for his trans
gressions. Man has sinned; therefor
God wills it that he shall suffer.
> the suffering is to be removed, tn
| ciV 1Cf 1n
That has been the meaning Of thous
ands Of pious pilgrimages in times {
:, plague, and days of fire, famine, an
j slaughter, and (whatever other wore
\ surround it) it is the central motiv
of the prayer of the London Wesle!
ans at Central Hall today, when,
I the face<of the tragedy Of the wa.
they ca11Non God for "deliveranc
e from our traditional sins of DRUM
n enness and pride"
TREASON AND OOWARDICE.
But think of the impiety of it, tt
treason and the cowardice Of it, p
= into plain words, it means that NJ
German treachery, and the spirit of
J baser plot than had ever before bee
e Matched by cruel greed and heartle
ambition against the peace and we
Il fare of the world. but our own sill
were the true authors of this war.
. 1t means that the punishment of oil
Il British drunkenness and pride God h
d permitted Germany to fall on Of
country, to fall on Belgium, too, al
destroy it; to fall on Serbia also, al
"a leave it desolate. 1t means that
order to purge US of sins that da
back to old time, the Almighty HI
wiIled it that with every barbarity
warfare our enimies shall scourge
that our young men, who have do
come our enemy. Therefore (hoN
aver sincarely fntended) it is impiet