Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-06-10
MINISTER'S TAKE
STAND ON CHURCH
AND WAR DUTIES
Must Push For Complete Vic
tory; Object to Spectacular
Sabbath Demonstrations

committee of the Harrisburg
Ministerial Association. consisting of
the Rev. DIR. Robert Bagnell. pastor
OF Grace Methodist Church. and the
Rev. DIR. $. Winfield Herman, pastor
OF Zion Lutheran Church, made pub
lie to-day Declaration of Princi-
pies authorized by the association
and setting forth the position of the
ministers with respect to the activity
of churches in war work. The dec
laration holds that it is the duty of
churches and of ministers to co-oper-
ate with the Government in every
way for the attainment of COM
pletely victorious peace. but objects
to spectacular demonstrations on the
Sabbath or to such exhibitions as
mailing the Kaiser. which had their
origin in the unspeakable practices
of our enemies" and against the use
of profanity in public addresses.
Statement In Full
The statement of the committee
follows:
AT a special meeting of the Min
isterial Association of Harrisburg
and Vicinity, held i'm Pine Street
Presbyterian chapel, June 7th the
following Declaration of Principles
was authorized to be formulated and
issued as an expression of our faith
and practice during the present war:
we believe that this war is being
waged in the interest and for the
establishment of righteousness, JUS
tice, humanity and abiding peace,
and, therefore, demands the un-
qualified support of all ministers and
churches.
I'VE believe that for the winning
of this war every ounce of our en-
ergy must be eXerted. and to this
end the ministers and churches must
most enthusiastically cooperate in
every effort of our Government to
secure funds, to conserve food to
educate our citizenship and to help
end the war by a most speedy and
complete preparation and thorough
prosecution until a complete victory
has been won that shall guarantee a
righteous peace.
I'VE believe that the ideals for
which our country has entered the
war are of such a character as will
necessitate the victory, provided we
assure ourselves that we are waging
it with the help of the Lord of
Hosts. the Triune God, and to this
end cease not to confess our individ-
ual and national sins. pray unceas-
ingly for the guidance of Him Who
alone knows the way and has the
gift of victory in His hand, and
persistently wage a war against ev-
cry form of unrighteousness in our
civic and political spheres; and be-
hold firmly to the conviction that in
all our evidences of loyalty and pa
triotism it is essential that these
principles be remembered and that
our practices conform.
I'VE believe that when patriotic
demonstrations are made their prep
aration and execution ought to be
attended by stateliness and fervency
such as are in harmony with the
great and worthy causes for which
we are contending, and to this end
We protest against unseemly use of
the Lords Day as an occasion for
spectacular celebrations, against
practices which tend to brutalize
men, women and children, such as
mailing the Kaiser and other prac-
tices which had their origin in the
unspeakable practices of our enc
mics, and against such unguarded
speech and tendency to profanity
that we have observed in various
forms of the patriotic propaganda
which might be used as propaganda
by our enemies.
We call upon all men to pray. to
speak and to act as is befitting citi-
zens of the greatest republic and as
citizens of the kingdom of God.
Rev. Robert Bagnell. D. D.,
Rev. Stewart w. Herman, ID. D."