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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (July 1, 1916)
wr tswfytgTFnp " ' TV li The Commoner 16 JrfJiJ, :16, NO. 7 ' ' ywg)i!W'!lWWy,y!WT' ' IV I will by no means cloar tho guilty, and that Ho TlslU tlio iniquity of tho fathers upon tho child ren, and upon tho children's children unto tho third and to tho fourth generation, wo need not bo cast down or plunged into despair, but should rather rojolco that wo aro living In a moral uni vorso, controlled by ono who lo altogether righteous, and knowing this wo shall gird our selves and work with rekindled zeal to bring all mon to ropontanco. Tho war calls us, trumpot tonguod, to mako enlarged sacrifices for tho advancement of tho kingdom of righteousness and peaco and joy. Tho greatest conception lodged In tho human mind In tho, nineteenth century .was tho inex jorableness of law. Mon in othor centuries had caught glimpses of tho great fact, but in tho nineteenth century it took possession of the pop ular mind. Tho greatest gift presented to us by modorn scionco is tho idea of a univorso under tho reign of law. Law, says service, is universal. Thero Is no lawless realm in tho whole physical univorso. Law is operative at tho oqUator and at tho poles on tho top of tho. highest mountain and at tho bottom of the doopest sea. Tho same laws which hold our littlo planot in their grip aro also in' force upon tho sun and moon and upon the farthest of. tho stars. All tho adonis of matter, so far as tho scientist has gotten his eyes upon thorn, aro soon to bo dancing in obodionco to tho music of a law that is universal and also without change. ThiB unchangoableness of law is as wonderful as its universality. No law has over yet been al-r tored. Not ono has for an Instant boon suspend ed. From ovorlasting to everlasting all laws romain tho samo. But this is not all. Law is universal, law is unchangeable, and law Is inex orable. It has no pity. It inakos no exceptions. It recognizes no distinctions. Gravitation, fire, water, oloctricity, poison, all work in tho samo way in all places, and with them thero is no re spect of persons. Every man of scionco has this for IUb creed Law 1b universal, unchangeable, and inoxorablo. BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRUPTED BY FALSE STANDARDS But is tho spiritual univorso governed accord ing to law? Aro persons as well as atoms In tho grip of laws which thoy can not escape? Aro souls bound by unbroakablo bonds to a throno? Wo aro all roady to say yes within tho circle of Individual lifo. Jesus has announced principles which wo accept as binding upon lis in the , homo, in society, and in tho church. Ho has sotrup standards whioh wo acknowledge in tho domain of our domestic and social life. Ho has revealed ideals Which wo confess to bo beau tiful, and up to which wo strive with varying dogroos of earnestness to bring our lives. But can wo carry tho ethics of Jesus Into business? A multitudo answer no! "Business is business," says tho hard-headed morchant, "and tho min ister of Jesus Christ has no warrant for inter fering with my methods of cqnducting my af fairs. Tho Goldon Rule is for Sunday Schools, but not for tho counting house and store!" It is because tho ministers of Christ have listened too often to this protest of godless business men that the world of business has been cursed- by a Bories of scandals which s- dl to heaven. Can Jho morality of Jesus bo carried into politics' Certainly not. Tho notion that you can obey tho Ton Commandments in political lifo is an irridescont droani. Lot tho minister of Christ ke0p out of politics. Tho New Testament is for tho sick room and not for tho rooms In which mon aro moulding civic policids and programs." It Is bocauso too many ministers have turned their back on tho great world of political thought and discussion that politics has In bo Zy of ffe worid and aisgracGd us in tb-o eyes Can tho principles of Jesus bo carried into tho arena of international lifo? Can diplomats and statesmen wisely act on tho ideas which the Man of Galileo proclaimed : Are the virtues which Ho recommended vices in tho realm of diplomacy? Aro the graces which Ho praised to be condemned when seen in primo ministers and rulers? Jesus spoke often of patience and humility and forbearance and tho willingness to forgive. Is this salutary teaching for Parlia ments and kings or is it intended for use solely in the home? Tho Now Testament emphases the tremendous importance of gentleness and long-suffering, and meekness. Are such traUs of thoawSrlS?COmm0ndabl0 ln the chcellories Ono .-need only to glance at the history of European diplomacy to discover that BuTone .has noW been Christian in the realm of poUt! leal ideal and action. She has remained throng r all tho centuries miserably pagan. Her funda mental prlnclplo has been always gelf-lnterest She has never recognized -tho principle of lovo. Many of tho most influential political teachers and leaders, such as Machiavelli, Frederick tho Groat, Napoleon I, and Disraeli, have been pa gans to tho core Tho primo ministers and dip lomats have been baptized into tho namo of Jesus, but they have said in tho realm of po litical action' "wo will not have this man to rulo over us!" Jesus was frank and open, but European diplomacy has been secret and un derhanded. Jesus despised tho love of dominion, but dominion has been tho primo ambition of European diplomats. Jesus counselled patience, but tho leaders of Europe have believed that a nation should strike first and hard. Jesus be lioved in gentleness, but tho lords of European statecraft have believed in diplomatic pressure, meaning by that a pressure of guns.. Most of tho rulers and statesmen of Europe have par taken regularly of tho sacrament of the Lord's Supper, but thoy have crucified Jesus Christ in . thoir action. Thoy have said what tho crowd said on the day of tho crucifixion: "Not -this man, but Barabbas!" It was out of this unchristian conception o? national lifo that thero came the pernicious pol icy of armed peace. It was a pagan world which coined the adage; "In timo of peace prepare for war," and Christian Europe would never have adopted It had she been Christian in her polit ical thought. For forty years Europe used up a largo part of Jier income on guns and battle ships. Nations hpld their wealth as stewards of God. Ho does not entrust them with wealth that It may be squandered on instruments de vised for tho slaughter of beings created in His image. For this sin of wasting gold Europe now stands before tho judgment throne. For forty years a large part of tho mental energy of tho great nations of Europe went into the construction of gigantic war machines. The military and naval establishments grew larger and larger. They were a vampir.o sucking the blood of tho people. All the nations of Europe have for years been nervous and excitable and sick, because of this constant and weakening drain on tho fountains of vitality. Millions of men have been obliged to throw away tho best years of their life in military and naval drill. For this squandering of time, Europe now is judged. In order to keep up armies and navies, it was necessary for the governments of Europe to rob their people. Thero has been a soldier on every peasant's back. In some countries all movements for social betterment were held up. Schools were closed. Children were deprived of an education that soldiers might be fed. The body was Btarved and so was the mind. Thou sands of Europeans have been fleeing from Eu ?PiJn, ordeito escape the crushing burden. Multitudes of them have come to our own shores A. constant stream has been flowing for a quar ter of a century into our republic from south eastern Europe. Who. could stand at Ellis Is land and look into the faces of these strangers and not be touched with pity and indignation. S e.nt' e?es v"n the light of hope almost extinguished, faces marked by deep lines which poverty and suffering engrave, in many instances the very skulls trampled out of shape by- the boots of tho war lords of Europe! MINISTERS OF CHURCH STAND CONDEMNED But the war lords aro not the only sinners SLmini8iers 0f,the Ghristian church muit aJso stand condemned. What did they say about this wicked squandering of tho people's money' What protest did they offer to this shameless Snif inT?AnB 0PPression of the helpless and the poor? What thunderbolt of condemnation and warning did they hurl at rulers and statesmen? For the most part they were silent In Kl the priests were dumb docs In t?iS and Austria the Roman 6athol!c priests were speechless In Germany the LutheS ,2 was gagged. In England tho Anglican" SSfflJ gave forth a tono feeble and uncertain PSien tho nonconformist leaders, with numerous not able exceptions, failed to get their evo on ?t heinous and damning sin. 7 n thIs Tho educators were also culprits. Thnv i many things, but they did not knni ?L thing which it was most necVsaaw tw f ? ne should know They boasted o TheV-hlr" learning, but their learning did not carrv t high enough to see what is tho m f S y them God They were JvanVed'' tbS ers buTfhpv failed to advance to where jPiin S2' P they preached the Sermon or f Moun Thev116 aware of tho fact that Copernicus ?Lri 3?y Wee earth out of the central pX sublm , en e Pv but they did not reaVafGod'haf &? , Jesus of Nazareth and not Mara at the cent and ha decreed that all nations must bow S him. The leaders of Europepolitical, ecclGRi astical, and educational were blind, and alai" tho nations are all in a ditch. If men can not gee that tho systematic and continuous snuan dering of human energy and thought on ner fecting the methods of slaughter, is a sin against Almighty God, then they are certain, soon or late, to bo overwhelmed by tho destruction thev deserve. The amazing thing is not that Eurono is being drenched with blood, but that the affile tlon was so long postponed. Because of the protracted delay men becamo increasingly reck less until they boasted of armament as a badgo of honor, and measured the glory of nations by their equipment for destruction. For years the cry of the oppressed has gone to heaven "O Lord, how long!" and men have been tempted to say in their hearts: There is no God! But at last He has laid bare His arm. "Though tho mills of &od grind slowly, yet they grind exceeding small; Though with patience He stands waiting, with , .exactness grinds Ho all." JUDGMENTS OF GOD FALL. AS LIGHTNING Take down your Bible .and read what it says on the subject of retribution. Every sentence shines with a deeper meaning when read in the glare of this European conflagration. How sud denly the war came! It had often been predict ed, but nobody realized it was at the door. A hundred thousand Americans, fearing nothing, were on a pleasure tour through Europe when in an instant the sky blackened and the light nings began to flash. Europeans, were as amazed as 'were the Americans. Rulers and prime min isters were off on their summer holiday, and in the twinkling of an eye the yolcano belched fire. The judgments of God are long delayed, but when they fall they fall a? tho lightning does. So it was in the days of Noah, and so it was in the century in which Jerusalem was destroyed, and so it was in tho eighteenth century when France toojk firo and the old regime was con sumed, and so it was in the year 1914 when the greatest of all wars began. The Bible tells us that tb,ere is such a thing as a "Too Late." We had read "about It, but it was only a story which we dimly understood. In August of 1914 we saw the meaning as we had never seen it before of the parable of the virgins who were foolish. What earnest efforts were made In July to ward off the horrifying catastrophe. One can not read the diplomatic correspondence of those feverish, distracted days without concluding that in all the countries honest hearts sincerely desired to keep the feet of Europe in the -paths of peace. Sir Edward Grey of Europe suggested a tribunal. But it was too late. Peace tribunals must be con structed before men's hearts become wild with fear. In Russia and Germany and England and France there was an effort to secure just a little time for reflection and conference, but no time was given. It was too late. The boat, long risking the rapids, was caught by a current which could not be stemmed. Will you ever forget how helpless you felt in that awful hour When you realized that Europe was rushing to her doom? You turned to the right and the left in search of some one strong to deliver, but you found none. You went forward and then back ward, but there was none to save. You looked heavenward, but even God's face seemed to be averted. The patience of the Almighty can be exhausted and there comes a time when He leaves men and nations to drink the cup of His Wrath. The awfulness of the punishment can not bo put into words, for it passes beyond the com prehension of the' mind. The tragedy of the war is so vast we can not take it in. The hor ror of it is so immeasurable that it leaves us stunned. We only know that Europe is being beaten with many stripes, that she has been cast into the darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. We know-that the nations nave been cast into Gehenna and the smoke of their torment goes up before our eyes day and night. It is indeed an awful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, unless you are in harmony with His will. It is true, as the apostle says, that whatsoever we sow, that also we are certain to reap. Nations can not escape the con sequences of their sins. There is a judgment throne before which they must stand. Paul was not mistaken when he said that however nations might have lived in tho past, God now calls all men to repentance, for He will judge the nations by that man whom Ho has ordained, the man who rode into Jerugalenvon the back Continued on Page 30.) ..