CHURCH AND WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2908, 21 October 1916, Page 13

CHURCH AND WAR

GERMANY'S MAD ILLUSION

ARTICLE BY G. K. CHESTERTON

Mr. G. K. Chesterton has contributed a notable article to "Land and Water." Ho writes:

_ "Tho peculiar peril that appeared in North Germany was this: Men made a false discovery that the Old Adam was really the Now Adam; was, indeed, the newest of all possiblo Adams. The fresh and -unique evil consisted in a curious idea that all this ordinary human backsliding was progress; that tho barbaric short cut-was actually the path of improvement. The heads of tho Gorman's were not only turned with success, they wore turned backwards. They beheld tho miry path from tho dens of bestiality as a now avenue- pointing to a now goal. So far from itceing from the Citios of the Plain and their red aboriginal sins, they regarded them not merely as Jerusalem but specifically as the New Jerusalem. Tho stale sins of savagery were suddenly reinvigorated by ail tho energies which men must always associate with the ideas of expectancy and youth.

"The Germans had hope; but it was hope in all the things that have made humanity seem a hopeless business. It was an idealism of opportunism; a paradise of cynics; a golden age of brass. Like other tribes, they marched towards a promised land; but it was a promised land of broken promises. Like other religions, they believed vaguely, that their redeemer or avenger would appear in the latter days of the earth. But they believed that he would not only como like a thief in tho night, hut behave as such. This extraordinary mutiny of tho mire, • under a mad illusion of novelty, has since filled Germany, and infected many other parts of Europe, with every fantastic form of short-sighted self-indulgence and superficial self-excuse. But its first appearance in European history was. m. the irreligious vacuum of the early eighteenth century; and its form was' that wholly now. and frightful thing called the diplomacy of Prussia." "LO, I DO LIFT MY HANDS." A MOVING BATTLEFIELD STORY. The Well-known writer, Moss A. Eraser Robortson, sends this, story to the "British Weekly":— ' "Dr. Kelman, on Sunday, told a moving story from the battlefield. A private in a Highland regiment was badly wounded, but managed with difficulty, to just reach a neighbouring hedge and crawl beneath its cover. Lying there in agony, his thoughts turned to the 143 rd Psalm; and to-the old tuno of Louchars he struck up:

J,o, T do lift my hands To Thee, my Clod, alone. Continuing through . tho following versos ho came in time to a, stop. Instantly from tho other side of the liedgo camo a voice, 'Go on! Don't stop!' Ho started again, and this time a duet floated over the battlefield: Lord, let my prayer prevail, To answer it make speed, For 10, my spirit doth fail; Hide not Thy face in need. Thus out of tho depth of their own suffering did these 'bravo men encourage others.", THE CONVERSION OF RUSSIA. One of the: most interesting articles in the July number of "Tho International Review of Missions" .(Oxford University Press) is that oil. "The Conversion of Ilussia," contributed by Canon. ; 0.: H. Robinson,,,editorial secretary .of. .the-.Society;, for .the Propagation of the Gospel. Canon Robinson states t'liat "thero is no .country other than Russia in which national and religious aspirations are so completely identified and tho national life of which is so inseparably connected with its religion.. As a present-day illustration of this statement wo may point to tho fact that all the chief Government offices in Pctrograd have churches or chapels attached in which, prayers are constantly being offered up that the blessing of God may rest upon tho work wMcli. is being transacted in them. Ever since the timo of Vladimir religion has been a dominant factor in the evolution of Russian life and character, a.nd he who would forecast the future development of Russia must first strivo to understand and to breatlio the spiritual atmosphere in which its peoples live. As a step towards the accomplishment of this difficult task, ho would do well to study carefully tho conditions under which the Russians accepted the Christian faith and the story of the missionaries who first sought to evangclke their country." The "Review" contains a number of other instructive articles, including "Stratogio Lines-of Christian Missions in Africa," by W: J. "\V: ; Roome; ,"A Chapter of Expprience in China," by Arthur H. Smith; "A Sociological View of Religion," by M. Henri Bois; and "Christian Literature in India," by J. N. Farquhar.