The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1919-01-09
THE REBORN CHURCH
VERSUS ANTI-CHRlsT
A Cali to a Crusade Against the Dis
loyal Press

A Cali to Crusade Against the Dis.
loyal Press
| The following address was delivered
by Rev. van Rensselaer, Gibson, a
former rector of St. James Church in
Arlington. at St Andrews Episcopal
Church, Yonkers, N. ". November 10
1918.
This address was directed against
the journals Of the yellow hue which
have done SO much harm 10 the gen.
| eral good Of our country and which at
this time are under observation.
"As to the immediate issue with
Germany, the tree has been hewn
down but the roots have not been torn
up and cast into the FIRE. One main
shoot from those roots draws its nour-
ishment from the hot bed Of German
conspiracy in our midst, temporarily
covered over and apparently lifeless,
but ready to sprout up and crowd out
the new grown plants Of unintelligent
and momentary patriotic fevor as
soon as atmospheric conditions attend
ing the gentle springtime Of peace be-
come little more favorable.
"The dangerous tools Of Germany in
America still ply their malignant
trade and work their dark purpose.
True, they are shrewd enough to Tie
low in the face Of the present irrist-
able wave Of patriotism that has swept
the country, slyly watching for oppor-
tunity to carry out their dark designs,
under cover. Now they must Of ne
cessity exercise their Germanic genius
for camoufage with greater cunning
than ever before. They must inter-
sperse at more frequent intervals in
their editorials their pseudo-patriotic
utterances, designed at once to clear
themselves and to steal away the
hearts Of credulous and impressionable
folk. All the while the deadly infu-
ence of evil suggestion is at work on
the subconscious mind of the reader.
Daily this sinister influence, inspired
by Germany, becomes more subtle and
insidious than ever. In spite of ap-
parent immunity from official interfer-
ence, they dare not with patriotic feel
ing running so high, openly espouse
the cause of Germany, thereby expos
ing themselves to the popular fury.
Il need hardly name the fountain
head Of this evil influence before a
gathering Of informed persons If !
take this whole system and for con-
venience call it Hearstism, it will suf-
fee. / make no apology for refer
ence to a matter of this kind from a
pulpit in the chuvch Of the Lord of
Righteousness. This is day when all
senseless convenient conventionalitles
must'be swept aside. This is day
when spiritual wickedness in high
places is not to be tolerated even by
the church. This is a day for divine
fearlessness and recklessness, after
the manner of the kingly Jesus, ma
iestic in His defiance of evil, that shall
spell quick and certain disaster for
every tool Of the Prince Of Darkness,
and arouse easy going comfortable
Christians from their indifference and
lethargy and self-complacency and
idle dream of religion that is a thing
apart from the common concerns OF
men-with a ringing call to take the
sword of the Spirit, which is stronger
than steel, for the overthrow Of the
strongholds of Satan, mighty to the
pulling down of strongholds. 1t is a
challenge to high and holy crusade
within the church, first against the
evil within our own hearts and then
against the evil in all the world with
out. This is great age long war
fare, Of which the warfare with Ger
many is but small though important
part, and to which the church is defin-
itcly committed and commissioned.
"There is a descicable and danger
Gus foe to our moral and national in
tcgrity in our midst The church is
a-conservative--th Jesus Christs
religion IS the most radical thing in
the world--so radical that il would be
more dangerous than the evil we at
tack, were il not actuated by the Holy
Spirit of Love. In spite Of this, It
seems more difficult to inspire action
on a great moral issue Of this charac-
ter within the church than elsewhere.
The argument is that It is the church's
function to hold service punctilious IN
ritual; to bury the dead and so on.
This Is an obvious absurdity. Indeed,
II is pure camoufage, the'rcal reason
being indifference, lack Of courage, or
such gross ignorance Of what con-
stitutes real religion as to be an un-
pardonable sin in this enlightened day.
So far as know no church and few
groups within the churches have plac-
ed themselves on record az enemies OF