THE PAY OF WAR CHAPLAINS.
By T.
According to the New York Sun, a “post chaplain ranks as captain in the army, and his pay for the first five years of his service is $1,500 a year, and this is increased for every five years’ additional service. A chaplain in the navy receives $2,500 a year when on sea duty and $2,000 on shore duty for the first five years, and after that he receives $2,800 for sea duty and $2,300 for shore duty.” This is fairly good pay for the disciples of Him who “had not where to lay His head.” And may it not be that in some instances at least the fat salary blinds the eyes so that the chaplain does not see the inconsistent position that he takes? He claims to represent Christ, who said, “Love your enemies,” but he goes onto the battle-field to pray that his enemies may be slaughtered and utterly routed. There is no place for war in the heart of him who is completely governed by the kind and sympathetic precepts of Christ. Civil governments often fight to maintain their existence or rights, and God may overrule in the war to bring good out of that which Satan has stirred up to work a great evil. But with these questions of war, Christians are neutrals. Of his followers Christ said: “I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” John 17:15, 16. Then the Master Himself says that His followers “are not of the world,” even as He is “not of the world.” Study the life of Jesus closely and see how He treated the affairs of this world. They were almost wholly out of sight, while His whole being was absorbed in the work of His Father. He knew that this world’s course of sin would sooner or later plunge it into ruin, and he devoted His life to the one work of rescuing as many as possible from the wreck. Why should the disciple take a different course from his Lord? When you are alone, meditate on this important question, and make your reply to God. T.