Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-07-01
PASTOR EXPLAINS
why DEITY DOES NOT.
STOP PRESENT WAR
REV chEssMAN DISCUSSES mi
PoRTkNr TOPIC AT BAPTIST
chuRcH-REv. vOkckx TALKS
ON INCOMPATIBLE CHRIST

Rev G. w. Chessman, pastor of the
Baptist church, spoke last night Or
the subject, why Doesn't God Stop
the war" He said in part:
For more than four years now the
~post terrible war of history has been
IN progress. The loss of life. the dev
sstation OF territory, the expenditure
81 Of money in engines OF destruction
has been colossal. We ma, say truth
hlly as we survey the last four years
that war is hell Ii means butchers
Of human life. slaughter OF the limo
cents. outrage, starvation, tears and
martyrdom.
'"rhe question comes to the minds
of many, why doesn't God stop tn.
WARP \ he IS the allpowerful Sover-
eign Il the universe. the God as re
veayd by Christ as lover of men
4 win their highest welfare at hear
yhy doesn't he stop this carnage and
destruction? Why doesn't he hear the
4 cry OF the victims of the Lusitanla
struggling in the waves. the piteous
appeal OF the Armenans systematic
ally deported and butchered by the
Turks; the screams OF French girls in
the lustful brutal embrace of drunken
German soldiers! Is God Indifferent,
10 all these colossal wrongs? Is he
the only neutral In the world today :
These are burning questions clamor
ing for an answer From some quar-
tiers we have the answer. There is NJ
God That inverted bowl called the
sky Is as impo.ent as YOU or L. There
Is no moral government in the world
brutal blind. non.moral force rule
everywhere.
Men from times immemorial havc
struggled with the same question. In
the face of titanic social wrongs, fac
ing brutalities and horrors unspeak
able, they have wondered at heaven,
silence. The book of job is o classic
on the problem The prophet ISaia-
goes from the scenes OF great socia
wrongs and cries to heaven. Oh, tha
thou w0uldst rend the heavens, tina
Thou wouldst come down ...,. tina
the nations may tremble at Thy pres
ence'
The answer to the question |,
hound up in mans moral freedom HI
Ia created a free moral agent He ha'
power to choose the good or the evil
,i--i,sur .a~-- -us,t ;.rpv.-o hts will ueo1
man, he does not override the iude
ments Of men For God to do 81
would mean the destruction of man.
freedom and his degradation into
mere automaton, puppet. This is
moral universe and mans power o
free choice stands in the way Of arb,
trary acts Of divine intervention
The question OF divine interference,
was opropcs before the war. VIII
did not God stop the bliehting, blast
ing liquor traffic which left a hur
ricane Of Voc in its wake? Why dit
not God stop the white slave tratti
with all its frightful iniquity? VIII di1
not God stop the system OF spoils ant
graft that worked such havoc in tn
republic? The same principle is in
olyed. God cannot interfere withou
reversing thedivine order Of the un.
verse. II he became big poicemal
to come in wherever man has troub,
TO correct 1t by omnipotent powe
would mean for man to lose hs gran
\ deur. Godlkensss and glory. H.
would be mere puppet, a nonentity
Presbyterian Church.
YESTERDAY morning Rev. JOhl
vonckx preached On THE lncompal
able Christ taking the parable of tn
merchantmen purchasing the pearl o
great price as the basis of his dis
course. In his Introductory remark
h. indicated that the purpose of thu
message was to show who found an
secured the pearl OF greatprice an
Sthe precious pearls of Gospel truth
Jesus Christ showed that the pear
" great price for which the merchant
nan sold all he possessed that h
night acquire it, was Himself and tn
blessings of salvatons as whole.
The merchantmen does not repre-
n sent the unsaver those who have no
Aeome to Jesus Christ, for their unfol
Nven sin like a bank OF fog obscure
n MIR vision so that they cannot Sc,
~ JeAv Christ as the Incompatible On
i ,naNer does it refer to the pre-
IN N9lhN hristian who years ago mad
II so p~e jon OF salvation and has fol
eos'en aNut the vows that he tool
I'm pu ha,a.Alf LYING. VOWS for which Coz
| w., W. n "o,a ulNN accountable. Such on
nas peen cauAt BY Satan and there
I fore not lookiA for pearls al all
he IS lul'y occuAd with the thing
\ Of THIS world and,Is ignoring God
neither Is the mercihN tman represen,
alive Of the Cbristh who mako
church attendance a inter of cor
yenlence rather than o., obliga,io,
or who seldom opens his bile excep
when he goes to church or sunda
school, or whose prayers are mar
words that he has gotten inn RI
habit OF saying. for of what oroh ,
II 10 rattle of words unless the heir
IA In them. unless we really men