FROM GERMAN PULPITS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11509, 4 October 1915, Page 5

FROM GE RMAN PULPITS.

SOME ASTOUNDING SERMONS. TJisbop Frodsham lias an interesting ariiclo in the "Nineteenth Century" based on wvera! issii.es of the German " Christian World '' (.Die. Christl.clie Welt), which he iinds depressing reading. He gives quotations to show what religions Germany is thinking, i Mere are some of the German editor's f running co turnouts upon several _.serj mons which he considers _ " specia ly | noteworthy," because -with " great power they associate our uatiorialcau.se with that, "of God, and giro free, rein to ind'gnation against our enemies.*' First in the list are the sermons of a Horn an Catholic priest in Munich called Worlitseheck. Lust are those of Rabbi Sclignian of Frankfurt ! _ j •' Worlitscheck's characteristic. scr-1 mons are enthusiastic ill the cause of j the Fatherland. He speaks of helping I the war; of the organisation of o"i-; cia'.ly recognised ambulance corps in preference to pi-irotc aid ; ojP military j protection, in which he enumerates' tf/erythhig that can protect us on the three fronts, the und'crworld, the cnterworkl and the inner-world: he den's with war anxictes, war awakenngs. the '' War Saviour,' Jesus. Wlio had to ;jo to tho front—how His whole lire wore a military stamp—from His .meagre field diet and I lis many bivouacs during His march-.??', until His great 'subordination' on the Cro : : s. " Lehman. with resolute :>ne-sid?d-iip?s. pj'aep.s the (ic<l of Germany in :■ central position; if pre-onf. events have j destroyed all thoughts of ' world re- | ligion,' then wo shall consxueniionsiy I j keep a, German national religion before I ! our eyes. Al! Jus hopes and all his | efforts ;n\- centred :/poii making tran--I (fiorurcd Germany, the grout and glorious Fatherland', five heart of the uni- ! verse. German Christianity, ;i Ger7)ian soid, tlie-o are his passwords-: they amioiineo the dawn of a new era. An' elevated train of thought runs through the'-e sermons; the spirit of a second Isaiah speaks in them. They contain no trace* of hatred, they are emphatically directed against hatred. " Rump is quite different. His sermons a'su arc intensely jjatriotic, hut they d : ffer in tone; his train of thought is rather ■' with G' d, for King and Fatherland.' In them the insistence} on victory predominates. But we do i . nut like to read amongst the many - accusations he makes against our enemies the reniark 'Against us: a horde of men without Jesus 1' He very hap- . j>i!y traces a parallel between Germany 1 and Israel, the model nation "i our Bible. ... i •' The sermons: of Rabbi Sehgmmi are J of spec'al value. The wiv in winch the l preacher transfers to the German -virion, the srreat task formerly allotted to t God's people Israel of _ being the on'v I ■witnesses and ior the hopes oi mankind is very striking.'