a Christian Nation By Rev. Henry S. Coffin, D. D. Of Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church, New York (All rights Reserved)
Note:— This ,sermon was preached by Dr. Coffin in Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church on May 14, 1916, from the text: 1 Peter 4:1—“Arm ye yourselves also with the same mind.“ g GJGftCgl HE apostle is writing on pre- paredness to a community of Christians who have wives and children and business interests to ■ consider and the heritage o f their convictions and institutions to protect, exactly as a not morally convinced o f the rightness of its conquerors, and the New Testament demands a preparedness to accomplish that completer victory : “Arm ye yourselves with the mind o f Christ.”
As sincere patriots we do not wish to see our nation destroyed, or even imperilled. W e believe in the United States o f America; in the aspirations o f the forefathers who conceived here a ‘community dedicated to liberty and brotherhood; in the great ex periment o f democracy they inaugurated. W e cannot but feel that the invasion of our land must be resisted, not only because o f the injury that would be done to our property—property is o f small moment to believers in eternity—nor even because of the horrors that might have to be endured by our helpless- population, although thé protection o f the helpless is a Christian obligation, but chiefly because we believe that the spiritual significance o f this free republic must be preserved. This Was without doubt the patriotic idealism in the thought o f some who planned and carried out the great civic demonstration o f yes terday. As a protest against the flabby- donothingism o f many o f our fellow-citi zens, as an awakening to the realization that we possess treasures o f which we are!~ stewards for posterity and for the race, ahd which, we dare not suffer to be endangered
nation has to think o f the welfare o f its citizens and its national inheritance. He does not urge them' to be passive and take whatever treatment may be accorded them unresisting: “Arm ye yourselves.” The New Testament preaches a stern and heroic ..militancy o f .spirit. Certain metaphors, like the lamb and the dove, have been pressed, contrary to the connections in which they are actually used, to represent it as enjoining dumb submission to supe rior, force. Lambs and doves disappear in the form o f chops and pie; but New Testa ment Christianity had no intention o f disap pearing; it was resolved to conquer the world. Its early letters are full o f the phrase's o f an aggressive militarism: “ Take up the whole armor o f God,” “ So fight I, as not beating the air,” “Be not overcome o f qvil, but overcome.” It plans, however, a moral victory: “overcome evil with good." It contemplates the triumph o f its convic tions and ideals over men won to their will ing acceptance, and transformed from foes to friends. A physically beaten people is
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