liaaven, the answer will be that it was because our 

 Christianity w as not Christian 1 



The simple religion of Jesus Christ has been per- 

 verted into a system of theology. Forms and for- 

 mulas, rites and rituals, creeds and confessions, 

 organs and organizations, signs and sacraments, 

 have been substituted by the church in place of the 

 simple ethical philosophy of the Sermon on the 

 Mount. The accepted orthodox Christianity of the 

 day could not and would not prevent the European 

 War; but the Christianity of the Sermon on the 

 Mount, epitomized in the Golden Rule, could have 

 ajid would have prevented the war. And surely in 

 those calm days which are coming after the con- 

 flict, there will he a revival of real religion. Forms 

 and formulas, rites and rituals, creeds and confes- 

 sions, organs and organizations, signs and sacra- 

 ments will be thrown on the scrap-heap, and the 

 Go'lden Rule of Christ will be placed upon the moral 

 throne of the world! Already here and there above 

 the shouting and the tumult there is heard the voice 

 of the propliet speaking in the language of ancient 

 Micah : 



Wherewith shall I come before Jehovah, and bow 

 uiyself before the high God? Shall I come before 

 hiiii with burnt-offerings, with calves a year old? 

 Will .Tehovah be pleased with thousands of rams, or 

 ■with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give 

 my llrst-born for my transgressions, the fruit of my 

 body for the sin of my soul? He hath showed thee, 

 O man, what is good; and what doth Jehovah re- 

 quire of thee, but to do justly, and to love kind- 

 ness, and to walk humbly with thy God? 



O foolish Christian church! let "it be a lesson to 

 you! Your traditional orthodoxy has been weighed 

 in the balances and found wanting! Shamefully 

 powerless have your creeds and confessions proven 

 lliemselves in this world woe! Away with your im- 

 potent theoretical theologj', and enthrone the potent 

 t<?aching of the Master: 



Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto 

 jou, do ye even so unto them. 



Thou Shalt love tJie Lord thy God with all thy 

 heart and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind 

 and thy neighbor as thyself. 



lllllllllll::^!lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll^|.^'(|,|;:|^u!!!>!il:l:lI;,|||•|!^|!|M|||||I|||||||{| 



CAN A CHRISTIAN WITH A CLEAR CONSCIENCE 

 GO TO WAR? 



The letter below is from an old and valu- 

 ed friend. As you will notice by the date, 

 it eame some time ago. Read it and ponder 

 over it as I have done. 



^ Dear Friend: — This is from the father of Wesley 

 Foster, who used to read with delight and profit the 

 old Americaii Bee Journal and Novice's articles. 

 Pardon me if I suggest a few thoughts \hat seem 

 I'liportant at the present time. The worldwide war 

 still rages, and Christians of all these nations have 

 no clear and effectual protest or explanation, nor 

 any remedy to offer. For nearly 50 years I have 

 been led to think the gospel remedy is not in itself 

 at fault. We have all adopted the sentiments of 

 tiie sermon on the mount; but in our practice we 

 liave set it at naught — made its vital force void by 

 our traditions of putrioitism — our law-and-ordei- 

 ideas and our military sentiments. We have vainly 

 supposed tliat men would, by and by, put up the 

 sword; but to-day scarcely a man in a million dare 

 confess his belief in a gospel that forbids war. 

 There is no conscience regarding the taking of hu- 

 man life in war. We hear no testimonies to-day 

 like those of early Christians who declared, " I am 

 a Christian ; I cannot fight. I cannot fight, even if 

 I die." 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



I can think of no stand that we could take to-day 

 which would be more pleasing to God and our Sav- 

 ior than a calm, persistent refusal to take any part 

 in the bloody conflict now raging. Such counsel 

 may appear foolish, coming from a grandpa who is 

 too old to be in the ranks. But why should our 

 extreme age exempt us? We have lived long; our 

 race is nearly run ; our lifework is about finished. 

 The world can better spare ns than the young men 

 with growing families. Surely it is wrong for any 

 nation to call such citizens to the ranks of slaughter. 

 God never intended to bless such a murderous sacri- 

 fice. Surely a young man may claim a right to ful- 

 fill his mission by building a home and leaving a 

 goodly number of his little ones to bless the world. 

 Don't tell me we are to obey rulers when they call 

 to arms. Rather let us say in faith, " Whether we 

 ought to obey God or men, judge ye." See Acts 4: 

 19. P'or nearly 2000 years we have tried profession 

 without practice; but now it is up to us to practice 

 what we profess, and give God a chance to work 

 miracles by protecting his own, even those who are 

 willing and obedient. Some of our heroic mission- 

 aries take their lives in their hands and work won- 

 ders until the merchant ships land their traders, 

 backed by warships, and military ideas creep in and 

 sow seeds of distrust, and the pure gospel of peace 

 becomes tarnished. 



What of the cross of Jesus i Even when the mob 

 crowded about him he could have called for legions 

 of protecting angels for himself and his cause (this 

 last more dear to him than life) ; but he chose rath- 

 er what we to-day cannot fully understand — that the 

 weapons of our warfare are not carnal but spiritual. 



You and I should have some timely counsel to 

 offer our childi-en, even true words — " wisdom from 

 above," the kind that is "first pure, then peaceable." 

 Has not the experience of years shown us the value 

 of the gospel in all the lesser evils? and are we not 

 tailed upon to declare our belief that, when rightly 

 applied to this age-old wounds of the nations it will 

 cure that also? We shall not see the triumph of 

 Christ until his followers cease their present-day 

 hypocrisy. We must, regardless of what others do, 

 live, practice, and teach what .Jesus taught, and was 

 willing to lay down his life for. Martyrs of that 

 sort are not many, but are notably such as do not 

 die fighting with the weapons of war in their hands. 



Twin Falls, Ida., Nov. 28. A. F. Fustee. 



After reading the above I feel strongly 

 inclined to stand by our good brother and 

 say, " I cannot consent to raise my hand 

 against my fellow-man," or declare, " I am 

 a Christian. I cannot fight, even if I die." 

 But when I consider further, how about 

 defending the home, the wife, and the chil- 

 dren? T have before asked the question if 

 we should knowingly let counterfeiters ply 

 their trade; and the same with pickpock- 

 ets, highway robbers, and the midnight as- 

 sassin? After every earthquake or flood 

 there are in every city those who would 

 plunder, rob, and steal. Shall we stand idly 

 by Avhere the officers of the law and po- 

 licemen are nearh- overcome while doing 

 their best to restrain a mob? I leave our 

 readers to judge; and may God in his great 

 mercy guide us in the straight path, even if 

 this war should come clear over into our 

 own country. 



