The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1918-08-01
THE PEOPLES FORUM.
The Fare to Tarshish.

The time was when our nation could
have put the ban on Mormonism, but
for political reasons it was not done.
The call to duty was not needed. Law
makers and politicians looked at pre-
sent conditions and legisIated for per-
sonal advantage. Right was ignored.
Gods law was disregarded The best
interests of society and state were sac
rificed. Compromises with evil were
made. Corrupt alliances were entered
into and rs is the case always, evil fol-
lowed. The government became weak
er morally, instead of stronger. She
paid the fare to Iarshsh but her voy-
age has been stormy. Ambitious men
were seized with the idea of rulership.
Inflated with pride they would erect a
world wide aristocracy. The military
spirit was fostered; it spread; it in
creased in its power. The minds of
children and youth were poisoned with
the obnoxious principle of Prussianism.
Might was elevated to the place of
right. Emperors usurped the authority
of God; subjects were downtrodden,
oppressed and treated as vassals. The
divine right of kings was promulgated
and enforced by brute force. Weaker
nations were conquered and their Godgiv-
rights were wrested from them. Muir
der ran riot, fraud prospered, lying was
their chief virtue, deception was sue
cessfully practiced and took the place
of craftsmanship; while individual ma
tional rights were disregarded. But
this was costly fare to forbidden Tar
shish, and as may be expected the voy,.
age is fearfullv rough. The storm
RACES now, and such storm the world
has never seen. 1t rocks the deep with
its. submarines; it rends the heavens
with airplanes; it pillages the earth and
red handed butchery runs riot while hu-
man blood flows like river.
This war is the logical result of
widely diffused materialistic philosophy
studiousy spread abroad by Germany
The destructive critics in pulpit and
schools prepared the German people for
the awful carnage vi today. This I'M
dermined faith in the Bible as the word
of God, sneered at miracles. denied in
spiratlon, rejected the divinity of Christ
in short it honeycombed the Christian
religion with atheism, skeptcism and
matecialism. Preachers in the state
church can preach, just what the Kai-
ser permits. He is the ecclesiastical
censor. His subjects must imbibe
the doctrine Of the evolutionists They
must believe that this race is on the
way up. Yes, they are so far up that
they nave arrived at the ferocious stage
of the tiger.
They must be taught to feel that ir-
reverence for humanity, of which men
are capable, when they conclude they
are well developed race of apes. That
teaching has made the German soldier
what he is today viz: furious, merci-
less demoe, the dread of the world, the
heartless butcher of unarmed men and
helpless women with their babes in
their arms.
American universities. colleges and
theological seminares went daft over
this kultur. 1t appealed to the natural
man and made it easy to get away from
personal responsibility to a personal
God.
Our schools aud churches have be-
come saturated with the helish virus.
Society has fallen into the trap and for
years, we have been going from bad to
worse until the fundamental doctrines
of the gospel have been relegated to
the rear and social Christianity has
been emphasized and substituted where
it is possible. Sabbath dissertation has
increased due in part to the introduction
of the automobile.
Practical infdelity has been in the
rampage, peoples hearts are failing
them because of fear. We have for
gotten the living Cod we have deliber-
ately disobeyed Him; we have gone con-
trarY to His teaching and now the ma
ton is plunged into the valley of b.
chine, for our boys, the best and truest
of the land have been called to suffer
hardships, we cannot conceive. and to
give their lives to rectify the result of
the teaching of the last half century.
It's costly price to pay for ticket
to Tarshish 1t is drenched in blood
the best blood of America. But the
Lord cares for his people. He will pre-
serve them. They will learn the lesson.
Fish university is neither a healthy or
pleasant school. but it's course is won
derfully thorough and complete. Isn't
it time for the church to get on her
knees, to fall on her face before God
and with her hands to her mouth, cry
unclean?
Out of the ashes of humiliation she
will arise to shine as never before and
to go forth as chastened and purified
messenger to carry the message of the
Lord unto the ends of the earth. When
peace comes, as it will probably. though