LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2824, 15 July 1916, Page 10

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS

Sir,—The pitiful explosion of hostile anti-religious feeling on the part of one styling himself "Anti-Hypocrisy" in your Wednesday's issue is so utterly absurd as to scarcely deserve a serious reply. It is just like tho_ arguments of some blatant jingoists. rtioy dare not appeal to Christian principles, nor even to reason. They feel first and think afterwards. "Anti-Hypocrisy" wishes to know why X would rend, think, and pray while the enemy ravage my lady relatives. In reply, I need only to ask: "Haß he or anyone else ever heard of any praying man's wife or daughters being treated in the way he suggests? I challenge him to give one instance, if ho can. .1 believe sufficiently in tho simple theology of tho Old Testament Psalms to agree with tho writer'when he says: "I have been young and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread," much less suffering the horrible calamities your correspondent suggests. No, it is usually the irreligious man, often the fighting man, who meets with disasters like those. When two parties light, one of then! must ultimately get tho worst of it, and so subject himself to the more or less tendor mercies with which the enemy chooses to visit hiin.

Some men are inucli bigger hypocrites than they suppose. They profess to believe in God, but will not put Him to the test in a simple matter like this. I believe the current theory that society must necessarily bo based on brute force to be a Devil's own lie. Austin expounded this lie in the department of ordinary jurisprudence. Modem writers on the same subject, however, have long ago smashed up the theory in that department. The time wi'l como when-the same theory will be exploded also in tho de* partment of international jurisprudence. The great State of Pennsylvania—greater already than most European kingdomswas founded by Penn, the well-known Quaker leader, on the peaceful principles of his society. The original colonists went allout unprotected—refused to'carry arms. What was the result? For seventy years, for .-nearly three human generations, not a drop of hitman' blood was shed in that colony. Tho Red Indians ceaselessly made war on the other colonies, but, no PennsylvMiian colonist was ever molested. Unbroken peace reigned until other and warlike counsels prevailed ill the IJtale Legislature; and tlien the troubles which came upon all the other colonics came Upon Pennsylvania also. If the world's statesmen had had in .the past the Courage of Willihnl I'enn, war would long since have been ended, and the rise of an aggressive military State like Germany ivculd have been an utter impossibility."-I am, etc., . CHAS. B.J.