The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-05-16
NOTED PRESBYTERIAN DE-
CLARES GOD SPEAKING
AND CALLING.
DEITY IN THE TRENCHES
But People Try to Make the Sol
dier Forget Him When They Go
Home, One Reverent Fighter Is
Quoted as Saying-Some Vital
Statements.

quoted as Sdyl1S-ooiile Vital
Statements.
Columbus, Ohio, May l6.-At the
opening session here today OF the
general assembly OF the Presbyte-
rian Church, North, the retiring
moderator, ]. Wilbur Chapman, in
his farewell sermon spoke earnestly
OF the responsibilities placed on the
church by the war, and of a church
reborn and revitalized out OF the
sufTerings of the world war. lie
told of rabbis comforting dying gem
tiles in the trenches with sight OF a
crucihX. In the course of his ser
mon he said:
I'VE are confronted today with
the most serious crisis in the world 5
history. Other general assemblies
have faced situations which have
been critical, but how insignificant
they seem in comparison with a
world war with millions in the death
struggle, with so-called Christian
nations arrayed against each other,
with multitudes rushing into eter-
nifty, and with tomorrow a dread
uncertainty.
God has a lesson in all this ca
tastrophc which we must surely
learn. Sir William Robertson, un-
til recently the chief of the imperial
staff of the British army, said:
"We may confidently rely upon
our soldiers and sailors fighting
bravely and count upon having
abundant ammunition, but we must
not stop at that. am old-fashioned
enough to think that this great war,
like those OF which we read in the
Old Testiment, is intended to teach
us needed lesson; and if this be
so, it follows that we ought to cx-
anime ourselves and take the lesson
to heart
Says God Is Calling.
1T is as if God were saving to us
As a people: 1 called YOU in other
days and you would not hear. Now
| call you with the war clouds dark
ening the sky with shrapnel burst
ing, with the cable quivering with
messages from the front, with your
family circles broken and your hearts
crushed. would be sad, indeed.
ii God should thus call and We
should fail to hearken to Him.
IL have found much more of a
spirit OF union throughout the
church than ! had supposed existed.
We are just beginning to learn. as
We know each other better, how
much We have in common as Chris
tan workers. There can be no
union between men who differ as to
the great essentials. We cannot
keep rank with those who deny the
Lord that bought them and who
would, ii they could, take the super
natural element from the Word OF
God. But ! have learned that many
supposed difference, between men
are due 10 their vocabulary, that at
heart multitudcs are really one in
sincere devotion TO Christ and in
loyalty to Gods word.
There are so many things to
make Us one in these dawes. SO let
us keep rank in our devotion to
Christ, in our loyal service. in our
determination TO win this war. for
we must win it if it costs our last
dollar and if it calls for our last
man.
"A union Of all Christian bodies
is suggested by some. We are told
that we are too much divided that
this division is an embarrassment.
and it is said that when the war is
over and the soldier boys come
home they will resent and resist our
denominational lines.
The church is not Methodist.
Baptist Episcopal. Presbyterian. ItI
is the body OF Christ and We have
denominational Affiliations because
OF the fact that in these bodies We
are working with people Of the same
temperament, of the same apprecia
tion of special truth. and because
thus located We work along the line
OF lease resistance. The world i, !
critical not because we are Presbv- !
terianS. but because being Presbvte-
rams, We may be lacking in The
Spirit OF Christ.
Should Be Merger.
Il am quite sure that there are
some great denominations which
ought to Der merged and thus ,
merged would have right TO exist |
Surely there can be no reason IN the |
world why all Presbyterian and Re /
formed bodies should not be united. /.
We have the same history. we he I
lieve in the same great doctrines. I
we are inspired by the same purpose /
an living. and If such union could .
be brought about the Christian
world would rejoice with us.
On the SAME basis and for the /
same reason other bodies tempera-
mentally in harmony should be |
united and thus the number OF de-
nominations materially decreased.
But, whatever our denomination
al name, while we hold tenaciouslv
to Jesus as the Son OF God. diving
upon Calvary's cross to make atone
mem for sin. and the Bible as the
Word OF God. giving us the true
revelation of God, we must have a
broader vision, we must have a
more inclusive platform. We must
make 1t possible for all classes and
conditions OF men who will affirm