A Democratic Sermon.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 280, 25 November 1893, Page 1 (Supplement)

A Democratic Sermon.

By the Editor of the ' Daily , { Chronicle'—His Interpretation : •

op the New Testament.

A prNE start was made ab the London Democratic Club with the winter series of lee- . ur«3. The hall was crowded, and the big a udience heartily enjoyed the address of Mr A. E. Fletcher, editor of the ' Daily Chronicle.' Hia subjecb was 'The State and the Sermon on bhe Mount,' and^ Mr Fletcher's argumenb was thab bhe principles of bhab famous address could well be applied bo bhe purposes of practical statesmanship. * He referred to Archbishop Magee's famous dictum thab socieby would tumble to pieces if those principles were put in practice, He denied its truth. If the Archbishop meant by 'society' a system under which the rich had every facility for plundering the poor, if by ' society' he meant bhe classes as against bhe masses, if by 'society' he meant that charmed circle bossed by the British nobs and worshipped by the British snobs—at which the audience enthusiastically applauded—he was right. But if by ' society' he meant the realised aspirations of bhe democracy he was absolubely and radically wrong. Indeed, Mr Fletcher held that until the Sermon on the Mount was pub in practice there would be no real and lasting reform. He drew loud applause by contrasting the archbishops, wibh £15,000 a year, with the Master, who ' had not where to lay His head,' and theo went on to deal with certain passages of Christ's address. The command to ' resist not evil' first claimed his attention. Thab passage, he argued, contained The Profoundest Political Wisdom, the embodiment of the principles that bad far more terrors for tyrants and oppressors than all the armies and navies that could be broughb against them. The principle was that of passive resistance—a doctrine which was preached over 1,300 ye&rs ago was still taught by bhe marvellous eloquence of Tolstoi—the greatest man of his time now thab Whitman and Lowell were dead, and Ruskin had retired from active work. Ib was by bhe application of that! principle that labour's greatest triumphs had been won. Then 'Blessed ar the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven' —words which the theologians had interpreted in the light of the narrowest} possible individualism, bub which could be interpreted in the widest possible collectivism, Those words meant,' Blessed are they who are with the poor in spirit, blessed are they who, while rich, are willing to become poor, and to help their brethren, blessed are they whose sympathies are with tho poor.' When that beautitude was realised, said Mr Fletcher, bhe days of privilege would be over. 'We shall no longer be paying an archbishop £15,000 a year for holding oub prospecta of perdition to workmen on 15s a week.' Then came the challenge to the bishops and clergy of all denominations to use their influence for ending the miners' lock-out. So long as ib was possible for such a struggle to take place' may God forgive us for suchan Unblushing Piece of Hypocrisy as to call this a Christian land.' Then Mr Fletcher dealt with bhe objections of those oubside Christianiby. 'To tell me,' he Baid, ' that the doctrines of the Nazarene are played oub simply because of the foul crimes that have been committed in His name is to tell me thai the globe itself is played out, because it has bad its ice age and still has its visitations of the deluge and th# storm.' Ib spite of its crimes, the world had progressed through Christianity. Civilisations had decayed and died because they had nothing to do with the Nazarene. If Rome, instead of crucifying Christ, had tried to govern in accordance,wibh His principles, her empire would be living to-day. No ; Christianity was not played out. 16 had still a mighty work to do, and Christians recognising that, should bear their parb in the great battle for social redemption. The discussion, like the lecture, was in« teresting, it being shared in by Atheistaj, Christians, Socialists, Anarchists, and thtt believers in every other 'ism.'