A MESSAGE OF TERROR.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 4, 15 January 1915, Page 4 (Supplement)

A MESSAGE OF TERROR.

KAISER'S CLAIM TO DIVINE RIGHT. AX ASTOUXDING SERMON. CLKRGYMAN'S DIGNIFIED PROTEST. Of all the estimates that have been made of the Kaiser's character, or, rather, what there is left of it. seldom has there been one more reasoned nnd yet more stringently destructive than that of lhe> Vicar of Gorieston (Eng.t the Rev. Forl>es Phillips. The digrn-fie-d restraint of his words makes his accusation all tho more pungent. Reading between the- lines, it look-; as if the reverend gentleman had held back from a public criticism of the Arch Assassin's works until the time came when, in justice to the cloth, he ielt bound to make protest against the utter blasphemy of the self-appointed friend of tiio Almighty. The occasion of th:s piote«t was a sermon of the Kaiser s add re-sed to his Navy.

" THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD HAS DESCENDED ON ME BECAUSE 1 AM THE GERMAN EMPEROR. I AM THE INSTRUMENT OF THE MOST HIGH. I AM HIS SWORD, ill-S REPRESENTATIVE. WOE AND DEATH TO THOSE WHO RESIST MY WILL" —Kaiser's addrceo to his Eastern army."

" Of course." ho writes, " divin" claims in this ago are incredible, but every generation Ims produced claimnnts. . . In materialistic Prussia there wr© swarms of people i\ ho have adopted the cult of divine right, some because they find it pays in Court honours, as it did in England some generations ago, and others because they sincerely believe in ch9 Kaisex's divin® light. "In the eld world the king was supreme over the lives and properties of men; the priest was king in their spiritual plane. Going down the dusty steps of time to the period of_ tho Pharaohs who were kings and priests,, we find there, and there only the type upon which William of Germany mouldy hi mist if. " 'As I look upon myself as an instrument of the Lord. I am indifferent (to (he point cf view of the present day. This is ail utterance of the Kaii-er. If you grant the first nroposition, the rest follows. He is above all law, for lie is tho divin? instrument. Again. 'The king holds his power by the grace of God. to whom alone he is responsible.' GOSPEL OF FORCE,, " Through a reliable eource. which I cannot mention here. I have come inito possession of a sermon preached T»v the Kmperor while officiating as chaplain on one of his own ships. The Emperor took for his text Psalm civ., verses 31-35, beginning with tho words. 'The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever.' and ending with Halleluiah. He raid: — •' 'We have to-day in f tho jnatiiral cour.so of •event's reached tho last Sunday of our northern voyage, and at tho fi ame time the last pairt of the Psalm we have chosen for our guidance, upon which, we shall now discourse. Tho holiness of the Lord is here placed before our view last, but certainly not least. . " 'ln this way it guides us from earth to heaven, from the Isook of .Nature to the Hook of Merey; from the wonders of creation to the nioro marvellous wonders of our redempt'on ; from tlie spacious halls of God s dwell-ing-placo hor« below to the hallo oi God's immense item pie above, where both cherubin and seraphim bow down before Him and send forth in honour of Him th<nr song —Holy. Holy, Holy is the Lord. •' 'Ho looket.h on the earth, and it trembleth; He the hills and they smoke. Let the sinners bo consumed out of the earth, and let tho wicked no no more.'_ " These words are in themselves fine but behind tho weirds there is, alas, tho mental attitude of tho man. Ho will imitate tile thunder of God in his feeble person. He will cauee the earth to tremble at his look. This is the doctrine of the 'mailed fist,' tho gospel u f force tho mosfcage of terror. Ho s tho War Lord, the representative on oarth of the spear-shaking Lord of the ancien.t world. IDOL OF FORCE. " 'Sinners aire to be consumed out of tho oart.li'; to h e speaks to his sailor. To tho office in of his army he eavs: 'Make yourselves terrible.' 1 liundei - bolt hurling foroc- is evidently his idol. After all, we mako God in our own imago however God made man. Bu* to continue tho sermon. " 'When a storm is raging the eea dees not always reflect the sun'ii bright face. Ought not the sailor's occupation esjK'-cill ly to teacn him this? At a distance l'roin homo and tho church of his native place far from lather and mother, from his father's house and his country, engaging daily in laborious toil, oitcn battling with the dements which have been let loose, olt-en only a play-ball in the liaaida oi those eleiueuU* —of a truth is not tin., the man wiio can tell lis what- it is to l'eel that far away Lis parents hands are clasped as a. power of blessing o\ei his head? " 'ls not t!iia the man who can toil us what it is to have God ever present to his sight aud in his heart, siiiico he commits himself daily, yes. hourly, into his hands;-' . " 'That i,i why in tho prolCKsKxn <u sailor above all other callings th e distinction iij most marked between tho God-fearing and irreligious men. Ihorefor: let. uj> listen with more earnestness to the words: "Let sinners be consumi<x\ out ot tho earth, and lot tho wi^Aixl IK* aVO moi*o ' THE STN.XERS. '•'When th" spoikc" is one who (regards all who differ from him ar, Miners and the bearers are simple sailor men. it .ke s rot require much jmaginai.inn to N'O the drift of t-iie t.ermo'i. With hi- piercingly fierce cyo on hi? '•on .rr(\T'!it:o'i he preiceedod them to examine themselves. li.'rouguout. th'- whole eermon was person. |lll speaking for God he pes>od oil wily 1o speak as God. then to judg-> us tike leave of this Sabbath of the "real Word of our God and of our northern voyage. W h:l;> w<' thins ~f rr,N itno-s lot us thank Him with ;V... b.vt of thanks not moroly tl ( . nrii'o of o/ur Tins, but «is'» t/i* tlorn'o. of our who!., life, bv emleivour. ipr, | 0 become ever noire, worthy in oo:-r-jllir.r. " 'Tho Hi"- which nijnals our rotnrn heisfel! " " ThaW-a! ThahJtn!" 'Hio se.'i' The s"a ! shouted th on "-a id Grfok.* in their intoxication cf jov after all their troubles and n'l

tho struggles of their long march through Asia Minor. "The sea! The tea!" ilien le c us shout, for the sea has served us also as if did them.

" 'Tho sea is our second home also, the sea brings us also back to our earthly home; yet; it may even bring us to that eternal homo of which the Greeks knew nothing. All then is well. Tho flag which signals our return is hoisted! Ble sed are they which are home- sick, for they shall reach their home. Praiso the Lord! Hallelujah! Amen.' "Then, all kneeling, the Admiral of the Atlantic offered prayer and thanksgiving 'f(*r all the beautiful, go<xl and great things which Thou hast allowed us to partake of this journey.' "Prophet, priest, king, playwright, bandmaster, general, admiral, statesman, poet» historian, he only requires one more title, master of the world, and that the contemptible little army of Britain is inclined to dispute. "For manv ycair s William has l>een allowed to pick what part he liked ( ind plav the bully under the rat.le cf th> fabro. Xow an outraged civilisation has drawn the sword to put the madman in safe keeping."