Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-05
LAS the Church fallen down on the III
L L war job? al

L war job?
The Rev. Dr. Joseph H. odcl declares
that 1t has. and clcrgymcn all over
Philadelphia are reused to holy W lth
at the accusation.
Doctor Odcll, former resident of
Philadelphia. is now pastor of the First
Presbyterian Church of Troy. y. Y. lie
is as widely known as an editorial writer
and magazine contributor as man Of
the cloth.
In an article in the current Atlantic
Monthly. entitled Peter sat by the
Fire Warming Himself" Doctor Odell
removes the ministerial mtts and goes
after his brethren with his bare hands.
Playing the men of God for their pas
slvism, rather than for their paCihsm,
Doctor Odell points to Cardinal Mercier
as the sole example of magnificent hero
ism the Church has furnished In the
war. The remaining preachers he de-
Clares have been eXpounding the gospel
of the lotus leaves" while Germany has
been at her work of dcbaucher, and
barbarism.
DOCTOR ROBERTS'S OPINION
Everywhere defenders of the Church's
patriotism have arisen, none with more
ardor than the Rev. Dr. William II.
Roberts, stated clerk of the Presbyterian
General Assembly and one of the most
prominent presbyterians in the country.
President Wilson is ruling elder of
the Presbyterian Church." Doctor Rob
ertS commented crisply, and American
PrcSbyterianS put alongsid" Of Cardinal
Mercier the President OF the United
4.
American and as n Presbyterian. lie is
the great outstanding American Chris-
tian."
The Kaiser is what he is. Doctor
Odell asserts. because the preachers are
what they are.
There was time when preachers
were of n different breed" lie writes
"In the middle of the fourth century the
Roman Emperor, in fit Of anger,
locked the doors Of an amphithcatre and
sent his soldiers in to slay the people,
For three ho.irs the slaughter went on.
and 1000 defensefeSs men, women and
children were butchcrcd. Then -hm-
brosc. bishop of Milan. wrote Il stinging
letter 10 Theodosius. Later the Emperor
determined to go to church in royal
state. Ambrose met him at the outer
porch aud raised his hand in denial.
"'You may not enter he said in tones
of thunder. This is no place for such
as you unless you come in deepest
| shame and sorrow. Go back to your
palace Your hands drip with blood
Repent Repent. and then come; but
| not now
The church looked on, Doctor Odcll
/ charges, while the lied Cross and the
/ Y. NJ. G. ~ took up the work Of service.
/ This attempt to drive in a wedge be-
! tween the Y. NJ. c. \. and the churches.
/ Doctor Roberts 'counter-chargcs," is a
/ failure.
I SAYS ODELL LACKS Knowledge
/ Declaring that lack of knowledge on
the part of Doctor Odell is revealed by
/ his article, Doctor Roberts answered him
! point for point in a statement he die
tated to the EVENING PUBLIC LEDGER.
THE official position which ! hold in
the General Assembly of the Prcsbytcri-
an Church." he said. enables me to
state that American Presbyterians have
had no sympathy at any time with Ger
man militariSm, nor with the erratic Ger
man philosophy. nor with the theolog
ical vaAyarics which have been put for
ward during the last twenty-five years
in German universities
we recognize heartily the valuable
contribution which Germany has made II
times past for the welfare of mankind
but in recent years everything in Ger
man thought and life has been twisted
in the direction of the support of tn
German military ambition of the Kaise
and the PotSdam gdng.
when war came the Presbyterian
Church. through its General Assembly
at once took its place alongside the Ma
tional Government established its ma
tonal service commission and has becl
rendering service earnestly and success
fully along lines appropriate to the worl
oc the Christian Church.
Fully 10000 of the men in tn
National Army are Presbyterian churcl
members, and it is to he remembers,
that President Wilson, Vice Presiden
Marshall, Secretary Lansing and numer
Gus others are members Of the Presby
terian Church,
reference is made by Doctor Odcl
to the Y. NJ. G. A.. and from the side o
the wrong idea that the Y. NJ. c. y. 4
independent of the churches. This or
ganization never would have had exist
cnce but for the Christian Church Johi
II. Mott, it's general secretary, is a pro
nounced Christian man and recognize
Oh every possible occasion the indebted
ness Of the association to the churches
Y. NJ. G. \. AND CHURCH WORK
TOGETHER
81 am privileged to he q member O
. the cooperating committee representin
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