The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-03-15
Religious Side Of War
BY Frank o. Lowden, Governor OF
Illinois.


men of the German Empire. We did
not realize that these universities
and these professors were a part of
the State, established by the State,
receiving their appointments from
the State. and therefore not men,
bers of free educational institutions
as we know them in America.
Not only were they made servants
of this conspiracy, but as time went
on we found that the German clergy,
as we'll, lent themselves to this mon
strous doctrine that might makes
right, that the cannon and the
sword are the only argument as be
tween nations, and that whatever is
for the material benefit of the Ma
ton itself, it is her duty to seize and
hold if she can.
| quote here a statement bearing
upon this question, made by a long
time resident of Germany, one who
had in the past loved Germany well.
This testimony is contained in a re-
cent issue of the Atlantic Monthly,
and it quotes from a leading Ger
man divine:
The German God-the God of the
Old Testament; a God that dealt in
realities, stern, severe, uncompro-
missing; the God of the warrior, ia
voring Zebadiah, the Son of Ishmael,
Joshua, and Judas Maccabaeus.
Think of such language coming from
the pulpit of great nation in the
twentieth century. When l reflect
upor this al@o reject that these
ministers of Germany receive their
appointment, TOO, from the State,
and l thank God that i'll my land.
church and State are absolutely di-
vorced."
l quote from the same authority
the oath of fidelity. which all who
seek to enter the German ministry
must take:
Il will be submissive, faithful, and
obedient to His Royal Majesty-and
his lawful successors in the govern
ment--as my most gracious King
and Sovereign; promote his welfare
according to my ability; prevent in
l:.rv- ard ac+ri@9t to him: andAQar-
tlcularly endeavor carefully to Guilt
vate in the minds of the people I'M
der my care sense of reverence and
fidelity toward the King, love for the
fatherland, obedience to the laws,
and all those virtues which in a
Christian denote a good citizen; and
will not suffer any man to teach or
act in a contrary spirit In particu-
lar, VOW that l will not support any
society or association, either at
home or abroad. which might endan
ger the public security, and will in
form His Majesty of any proposals
made, either in my diocese or else
where, which might prove injurious
to the State. l will preach the Word
as His Gracious Majesty Dictates"
That is the oath which the ministers
of religion of this Imperial State
must take if they would preach the
Word of God.
No wonder that for half century,
in pursuance of this conspiracy by
the military autocracy to become the
master of the world, the church from
day to day has coupled the name of
Deity with the name of the German
Kaiser, until today the Kaiser him
self speaks of Deity as though He
were upon the same level as himself.
The German God is not the God of
the Old Testament. The God of
Joshua was a God that believed in
law. believed in keeping the Com
mandments, and Joshua spent his
last years in trying to bring his peo-
pie back to a realization of and ODE
dience to the Law as it had been
| written.
Some one has said that this Ger
man God was the God of the pagans.
He was not, because even the pagan
gods had qualities of mercy, of JUS
| tice, of gentleness. The German
God is that old savage god called
, Wooden, who, it was supposed, was
dethroned in the German forests g.
900 years ago.
Across the brow of that German
God should be written in letters of
flaming light, Made in Germany
because he has no existence any
, where else.
And so | say that while it is It
war of democracy, war for liberty,
a war for righteousness, war for
mercy, it is more than all this. 1t
is a war between the hosts of Hea
ven and the evil powers that have
always threatened righteousness
since the first dawning of time.
In the old wars, the defeated pa
triot, the defeated lover of liberty,
the defeated Christian could seek
some land somewhere else-maybe
our own beloved land-where liberty
of conscience reigned supreme, and
where he could find an exile from ty
ranny and oppression. But if this
war goes against us there will be no
nook or Granny in all the world big
enough for the defeated lover of lib
erty, big enough for the defeated
lover of justice and gentleness and
right.
Do you realize that Germany, the
home of the divinest music which has
ever entranced the ear, has not writ
ten any beautiful music of late
years? Do YOU realize that when
hate enters the human heart and
dominates the human life there are
no notes in all the gamut with which
to weave divine harmony? Do you
realize that years ago beautiful, eX-
allied, and inspiring poetry came in
volumes from the German pen? But
of late years the only German poem
of which l know that has gained
fame is a poem called The Hymn
of Hate" And the German Emperor
decorated its author,
If there ever was war in which
the clergy should be united and
should be viligant, it is this war in
which We are engaged. Every boy
who is wearing the American uni
form, whether he be in camp in our
country or in the trenches on the
other side. or on the high seas, is
your comrade, my friends, because
he is helping you to win an everlast- |
ing victory for the forces of righte- |
business, which are involved more
than aught else in this war. They |
are your comrades. They are the |