RELIGIOUS WORLD.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 240, 7 October 1916, Page 14

RELIGIOUS WORLD.

THE BOOTS OF WAR.

fßy-W. E. ORCHARD, D.D.)

"Whence come wars and fish tings among 7 yoaT'Comc they not hence, even from your. pleasures that war- in yonr members? Ye ' Inst and hare not; ye kill; and ye" covet and ye cannot obtain; ye fight and war. Ye have not because ye ask not Ye ask and - receive not, because ye ask' amiss, that ye may spend it on yonr pleasures. iv. 1; . -Many of us Slave been forced to think daring these last months more deeply and continuously than ever before in our lives. That is, mwmnW that we have had the faintest glimmer within ue of faith in God, or the slenderest attach- ( ment whatsoever to the Christian reli- ■■ gionl Everything that we have believed in has been challenged to the foundations; bur principle* have suddenly revealed implications and conclusions which - have- startled us and compelled us to examine them afresh. A few, surely very few, if they dare take "file verdict of their deepest minds," have been content to find the origin of ■ war in quite external things: some in the wicked ambition and unprovoked aggression of one nation, some in the mediaevalism of modern statecraft, which represents only the most backward and ._ reactionary section of the people, and employs the most antiquated ideas and methods, in the effort to rise superior . .to tiiis obviously secular plane of thought . some have, concluded that some obscure spiritual force is the ultimate cause of war. One rather -well-known thinker on. these lines declares that there has been a. great conflict in the highest spiritual . realm of the universe which is now reproducing itself on the lower and ~ .material plane. And those who can persuade themselves that it is safe to argue from the unknown to the known may find satisfaction in such solutions. In similar fia£*m'ore old-fashioned ways men refer the present distress either to God or the Devil. m&R AS "HUMAN NATURE." It is probable that the simple militarists, with their .blunter minds, are right, and war is simply *. product of human nature, which, until human nature ' changes, must remain. AH that is wrong with this theory is that it regards human nature as something quite abstract. The conclusion is somehow evaded that war comes because we and other people are "aswe are and mean to Temain as we are. " To-erery'inaa'who understands the Christian religion and knows his own heart there must have come the sudden shameful accusation, "You have been a contributory cause to this. ,. And ihere is this tiresome, trath-telling apostle thrusting , it home upon us in a most unsparing , fashion, sweeping aside all our Christian professions . and fine ideas and accusing) ' us of complicity in , the most dreadful of crimes. - — ——• — — I want us to examine our lives very "' thbroughlV'in the light of this passage, and especially those of us who are most horrified at war and unwilling to allow that it can ewer have a Christian sanction. This is particularly a sermon for pacifists, calling upon them to recognise the necessity for seeing that the principles they desire -to rule among nations "fere first'of <dl ruling their awn 'hearte.; "S OSTENSIBLE CAUSES OF WAR ~ ..War can nearly always be traced back* ; to economic causes. ".'. ."ia—oiien- times- this was frankly the ■ occasion of war. Tribes fought for fotm-fcing-grouads, wells, fertile lands. When a certain number of tribes had learned to band themselves together, •■ these inter-tribal contests .were forgotten . and .they fought with others for sea(boarJe, parts, trade routes, colonies. The commercial intereste are more deeply ; concealed now, but if anyone .win trouble to go itcyond diplomacy, and find out how money faas been invested, and what pressure has jbeen exerted by groups of financier, lie wSI find a very sordid concern etQl in operation, and the belief that trade follows the flag exercising a profound influence upon whole sections of the people.' ' But deeper stall goes the argument that "war-is tile only logical conclusion of the competitive system. There., are thoee mho ask impatiently -why some of us are co upset over war when it only replaces a wax that is always going on, a war ■which is just as fierce, destructive, and liatefuL We are appalled at the slaughter that is going on on the -fields of Europe to-day, yet we have remained unmoved by the Buffering involved in our . economic •warfare. The lives lost in mines, . factories, railwaye, shipping, ...through want of adequate protective devices, iwhioh would cost too much to adopt; the infant mortality due especially -to poverty and bad housing; the suffering of the under"ipaid and overworked—these are said to ■be not even numerically incommensur- • able with the loss and suffering of the - present unparalleled war. - : Between the various classes in this and " "aH : civilieed countries a war has been "" going "on -with' increasing 'bitterness and bate,' which must in the end have for worse effects on national life and religion than the most ghastly international war. Th« class division -is - more acute than that felt between different nations. And the opinion has been voiced that <war is ..welcomed by the.upper classes, because it jdrowne this class feeling in the intoxication _of patriotism, gives the workers something else to think about, and postpones social revolution. There is not wanting evidence that in all countries "such opinions have, evenif unconsciously,' been in operation; but it is openly stated, and,'of course, readily accepted, that this has actually ibeen the case with Ger- - many. ■■■■ ■ ■ ■ (To be concluded.) The Rev. Vajmont Triage, of 'Melbourne, conducted a mission this week " in. the Wesleyan 'Church "at" Fitzgerald ' Avenue. A- Koman Catholic ArcWbishoprie has been instituted at Cardiff, in order, it is stated, to' gratify Welsh sentiment. Dr. BSsborrow was enthroned Archbishop. It was claimed at the ceremony that the Welsh had never formally renounced allegiance to the Pope, also that Protestantism was mot a native product.

As a suitable memorial to the late Dr. Ward Taw Thompeon, it has been suggested by the London Missionary Society that a training institution for native teachers he erected in order to provide efficient help to the natives ■qualified to assist dn the work of Christian evangelisation.

■ Dr. John Shaw Hanks, an ex-president, of the Wedeyan- Conference, celebrated • - this-year his sixty.years' service with the . Methodist Connexion. Born in 1835, be ■was ordained in 1856,ae a missionary to .'. India, Where, he remained eight years, and-then on his...return 'travelled" for fifteen years to five of the important circuits of Wesleysn Methodism. Later he ■was associated with one of the Wesleyan " training colleges, and hie.Studies enabled' "Mm to prepite ibeofce ontheological cub-

CHURCH NEWS AND MOTES. The Bishop of Waiapu, in. his addreae I'to" the Synod, referring to the death ot the late Bishop WiHiams, said: '.'Perhaps the most wonderful of all to my mind was his broad outlook, his wide sympathies. He Jived to see men of hie generation pane away—men. of the old school ot thought—and their places taken by men of a more modern echooL With these he was in closest sympathy. Many men of his years would have been left stranded and isolated, but it iwas not so wifch him. He was of the past, a. great and historic past, but he was a faithful link with the living present. The greatest tribute that I can pay him personally is to say that it eased the burden of the episcopate, when I came to be consecrated, just to know that he was here, and he was to mc more than I dared to hope."

It is estimated that Dean Vaughan, who died in 1897, influenced for the ministry of the Church over 450 men.

Mr H. B. Peryman, choirmaster of Tai Tapu Methodist Church, who has been superintendent of the Sunday school for 35 years, was presented last week with a silver-mounted hairbrush •by the members of the choir.

The Rev. Father Barra, S.M., for some years of St. Joseph's Church, Buckle Street, Wellington, who goes to the ifiont as a chaplain of the N.Z. forces, was presented by his congregation with a portable chapel, fitted complete in every detail. Father Barra, being a French reservist, has been granted permission by the Government of bis country to go jwith. the New Zealand forces.

The Right Rev. Stephen Reville, whose death is recorded, was appointed Titular Bishop of Creamis and Coadjutor Bishop of Sandhurst by Papal brief on January 27, ISSS, and succeeded to the see in October, 1901. He -was born at Weiford in 1844.

The JJnglish edition of the "Methodist Times" states that at the Wesleyan Conference in London a short time ago - one of the distinguished visitors was "Col. the Hon. G. J. Smith, a -bronzed Methodist from New Zealand." Other distinguished visitors introduced to the conference were Lieut.-Colonel the Rev. J. A. Luxford, CLM.G., and Mr. Thomas Allen, of Auckland.

Large .bequests to Baptist institutions were made by Mr. Heaton Hall, of Keighley, who left property of the gross value of £33,689.

In a sermon preached in St. Stephen's Churqh last Sunday the Rev. I. Jolly preachea on the question "Shall We Pray for Our Dead?" He said that in the Lord's Prayer we have a model prayer given for our learning, but it has no reference to prayers for the dead. A similar silence is found in our Lord's other teaching regarding prayer, and also in His great Intercessory Prayer, and in Hie Ministry of Comfort in "the fourteenth chapter of St. John's Gospel. That silence about ■ prayers for the dead could not be accidental. We dare not regard it as a defect in His teaching, , and where He is silent we dare not profess to know. Nor is there any reference to prayers for the dead in the teaching of the Apostles. The Word of God is silent about it. A similar silence was found in the Apostolic Fathers, and in the Church of the earliest centuries. Prayers for the dead were based on a view of the intermediate state, which closely resembled of purgatory, and this view < was-Tipheld in a sermon recently preached by a representative High Church Anglican on this subject, who expressed the belief that after death men are perfected through suffering. He (Mr Jolly) contended that expiatory suffering in the other world could not be reconciled with the doctrine of our Lord's perfect atonement. "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin." The home of many mansions, the presence of the Lord, the inheritance, incorruptible, undented reserved in heaven, as described by St. Peter, and the condition of the white-robed throng, as described by St. John, give a wholly different hope than that of expiatory suffering. All Protestant churches, including the Church of England, discourage prayers for the dead. We do not pray for the dead as supposing they are undergoing purgatorial suffering; we give thanks to God for them knowing they "are in joy and felicity" with Him. We do this in our great hymns, several of which were quoted. The great hymn "For All the Saints Who from Their Labours Rest" was sung.

It has 'been decided at ai recent conference of the Melanesian Mission that the language to be used in future at the central schools and at Norfolk leland I shall be English, instead of Mota. The treasons for the change are eet out in a paper circulated; by fch« bishop come months before the conference, the principal reason being that Mota is understood only in a very email district of the Banks Island, while in the Solomon Islands pidgin-English ie spreading fast. The subject was discussed in all ite bearings at the conference. The only argument added <was that, at present, if a white man comes to a village wishing information 'he has to eeek as an interpreter either an ex-Queenslander or a native "wibo hae picked up pidgin-EngJfah at a plantation. The teacher, who would much better represent the village, is unable to make himself understood. It was further emphasised that a civilisation was destined to come to the Solomon Islands; should it be entirely that which issued from plantations, or should the Mission try and take its full part in bringing influence to 'bear? In the districts tile native language will continue to be the school language.

The Eight Rev. Cecil John Wood, D.D., Bishop of Melanesia, in hie opening address at the eecond conference of the Melanesian Mission staff in the Solomon Islands, held at Maxavovo, said:—"lt must be clear to you that for some years the Mieeion 'has made little progress. In the absence of white supervision it is the fidelity of teachers that has kept things going. They have been -well tested, and, in the main, have stayed true. We shall praise God for this object lesson of his power and love. . The teachers are the key of the mission work. Such has always been the case. Our policy ie to take all steps poeafble. to make our teachers ac efficient as possible, both as men of prayer and as men of action. The organisation. of the Mission has been adopted with' this end in view, with the system of village schools, central schools and Norfolk leland. The efficiency of the central schools and of Norfolk Island remain good. I consider that our main work of the near future is to use every possible means for making the village schools efficient. Where there is a white man this should not be difficult. Let him not dissipate his efforts, but concentrate on this one thing. The key of the inefficiency ie the teacher, unless it be the white man himself. Has the latter failed in encouragement, or in helping lihe teacher in new courses of lessons? Has he failed to examine the schools when he visitß <4e village, or to help with revised syllabuses to meet new needs? Then he must 'be chary how he blames the teacher."