Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-11-13

been talking mainly in terms of de-
mocracy and OF national and interna-
tional Justice. And as we approach
the final discussion of questions of
permanent readjustment the same gen.
eraI thought is uppermost; we are
still emphasizing the purely political
and social influences that will make
for international harmony and human
happiness. That is as inevitable as ii
is proper. Statesmen and diplomatists
work only with the brick and mortar
OF constitutions, OF government. of
popular and national rights and pow
ers The structures they erect for
democracy and liberty must be built
They can go no further. But the
house OF safety for the world is
temple not constructed simply with
the hands of intellect. but one built
with souls and consecrated to eternal
things.
Who and what are the agencies that
are to safeguard the safeguards of
statesmen; that are to give enduring
vitality to the new order which the
statesmen create? Clearly only the
organizations that represent the moral
and religious forces of the world, those
which are ayowedly dedicated to the
work OF spiritual and religious uplift.
Whether they can perform this essen
tial service depends wholly upon how
much they have learned during the
last four years.
This is an hour for humble self-ex-
animation, for ruthless soul-search-
ing on the part of organized religion,
on the part of what we describe by the
general term THE Church. And the
more humbly and the more relentless
ly organized religion examines its own
soul the more hope there will be for
the world in the days to come
Mankind cannot do without religion.
nations cannot be safe without it.
Robespierre in the maddest period of
the French Revolution coined or
echoed a great phrase when he said II
there were no God. men would have
TO invent one. But the religion that
keeps nations safe must demonstrate
it's sincerity in its life 1t must be
clothed in the spiritual sackcloth of
humility and sacrifice, it must prove
its faith by it's works. AS soon as it
becomes of the world worldly, of the
earth earthly, IL loses its hold on the
human mind and becomes a power for
evil rather than for good. The men
who point other men 10 Heaven must
show their own chief interest lies in
Heaven and not in earthly dignities
and rewards. The history of the
Christian church and of all other re-
ligious systems points the same moral
Ia moral that must be remembered
now, If religion is TO perform the saw
ing work that il is called upon TO do.
The question of contributory respon-
sibility for the struggle which is now
drawing to an end has been debated
voluminously and with bitterness on
both sides. So far as mere govern
mental and national influences are
concerned the main responsibility has
properly been placed on heartless Ger
man ambition. But it would be dis
honest for religion TO put the whole
responsibility upon the moral pervers-
ion of Germany. What did religion do
during all the years of preparation for
this war to teach Germany the danger
and the wickedness of the thing her
rulers were planning? The basic
principles of religion are love, peace,
justice and right If the German peo-
pie were so perverted that they came
TO put wrong for right and darkness
for light, whose fault was it? And
how many religious voices were raised
against this moral perversion in Ger
many, even while the slaughter of the
innocents was going on? Many pull
pits in his own land will thunder
against the Kaiser now and in years
to come. How many Numbered
against him. how many told him the
truth, while all things were going
we'll with him?
But has religion been at fault in
Germany alone? Was it doing its full
duty in all things everywhere else in
the half century before this crisis de-
veloped? Had il been doing its full
duty, for that matter. for a century
and half before-not to mention pre-
ceding centuries? A great cutlery has
been raised whenever this suggestion
has been made since 1914. and great
outcry viii be made again; but the
question is in the general mind and
it cannot be answered by an cutlery
There are millions of real Christians
and genuinely religious people in the
world. and there are thousands of
priests and preachers who are worthy