RELIGIOUS WORLD.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 116, 17 May 1924, Page 18

RELIGIOUS WORLD.

PRESENT DAY OUTLOOK. (Contributed.) | NEW ZEALAND AND THE EMPIRE. Tbe spontaneous enthusiasm of the welcome accorded to the Special Service Squadron was an impressive illustration of the fervent patriotism of the Dominion and of the value we set upon our citizenship of the I'ritish Commonwealth of Nations, declared Canon James in his sermon at St. Mary's Cathedral last Sunday night. Those who told us that the old narrower loyalties of men to tbeir particular nations were disappearin;: before a wider "internationalism" misread the signs of these post-war times. The same had been said before. A hundred years ago, when nearly all (he thrones of Europe scorned to be toppling some wiseacres were saying that nationalism was a spent force. The story of the last half-century had reversed this judgment; throughout that period tbe sense of nationality bad been growing all over the world. Whilst all christian men must welcome and foster the happily-increasing spirit of international friendship and understanding, we must face the fact that "the road to internationalism lies through nationalism." "If we are to make good men in the Dominions of our Empire, it must be by making good Englishmen. There is w- «. ther way open to us," said tho preachet*. "Here in New Zealand wo are thoroughly English—in the fuller sense of the term. Our civilisation we have received from England. But perhaps the strongest of all formative influences has been our glorious national literature, especially the English Bible. We are tbe beir3 of a splendid past, but what are we going to contribute to* the future? It has been said that the outstanding fact that the war left behind is the British Empire, the greatest empire the world has seen. The outstanding question is world-politics today—a question which must be answered one way or the othcr'in the next generat ion—is this: 'Has our race these qualities that fit it for this unparalleled task of holding and consolidating so stupendous an Empire, and binding together the vast millions of her scattered and diverse peoples in devotion to a common ideal.' The answer is 'find the ideal.' All depends upon the nature of the ideal—-in other words, what British patriotism is going to mean in the new world." History showed clearly that certain foundations were essential for a patriotism that could resist assault from within and without! Religious faith came first. "The fear of God made England great," wrote Froude, "and never was a great nation made by any other fear." By withholding religious instruction and training from the young, we were destroying the main foundation upon which love of country could be built. Another essential foundation of trne patriotism was national morality. A genuine patriotism tnust desire that our own social life should be ordered with justice, purity, and brotherly love. Its first aim in home-politics must always be that, in this beautiful leand, there shall always be a fair chance for everybody to have a happy, healthy, contented life; a life really worth living: that honest labour shall always be rewarded with a fair share of the good things of the land: that monstrous wealth with its inevitable attendants—luxury, pride and ostentation—shall never be allowed witli callous cruelty to inflict undeserved distress upon a large class of our fellow citizens. We must gee to it that, so far as can be, vice, excess and crime, with their attendant disease and poverty, shall be driven far from our midst: that our boys and girls may grow up strong and pure in mind and body. The idea of natisnal duty must find a place in true patriotism. Duty was a characteristically English word, associated for ever in the minds of Englishmen wif.h tbe memory of their greatest sailor, whose watchword it was. "If our Empire is to survive," saif* Canon James "it must be because she is performing a national duty in the world, serving the true progress of mankind. Whatever any of us may think of the action of the present Home Government in declining the request of some of- the Dominions' statesmen for preferential tariffs, all loyal citizens must resent the suggestion (sometimes insinuated) that this refusal could possibly weaken the bonds of Empire. If we can be held together only by reciprocal tariffs and other such shopkeeping expedients, then God help the Empire! This is not the kind of patriotism that can hold a mighty Empire together. Our patriotism must transcend all such petty considerations; it must put national duty before the selfish advantage of individual nations of the Commonwealth or of individual citizens." Patriotism was national selfdevotion to the cause of God. MOTHER'S' VAT. "Mothers' Day may be an American institution with a touch of American sentimentality about it," said Rev. J. Lamb Harvey at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church last Sunday evening, "but it has more to say for itself than the days devoted to St. George, St. Andrew, and the rest." There were only national saints, but Saint Mother was universal. And these saints were all men, whereas (he submitted) the last saints had been women, and the best of women saints had been mothers. The spirit of the true mother, self-forgetful love, was the most beautiful and most God-like thing in the world. Yet this love was of tea abused by sons and daughters. There were many homes whtre the mother was treated as if she were a Bervant. The children lounged while the mother toiled, or lay in bed while the mother got up, or issued orders for the mother to obey. He charged mothers to teach their children to honour them; and to sons and daughters he said, "Honour thy mother by putting her and not yourself first." Speaking of a mother's influence, Mr. Harvey said that while with the army in Egypt, where vice was a trade, he had found that many a lad was held upright by memories of home. A brother padre laid his hand one night upon tho shoulder of a young soldier entering an ' unhallowed door, and said: "What would your mol.h> think if she saw you here?" The lad's face turned white as a sheet, and he fled es if he had seen a ghost. "Love your mother and let her know you love her. Call her your 'dearly beloved mother' on her tombstone if "you like, but she cannot read ber tombstone when shes dead! Tell her now" w' a fi V .** motucr ' 8 sphere? Tha home first, of course. Train the chil-

dren for Christ and social service. But they wanted to see the mothers of the community making their influence felt more directly within it. Just becanso they were the mothers of our future citizens they ought to make their voice heard on what affects the city's life and ] morals—its housing, its education, its I sports and amusements. So on questions of drink and war. When foolish statesmen or fire-eating colonels got up and urged young men to get ready for the next war, let the mothers' answer that it was such men as these that produced war, and that if they could not ensure peace they ought to make room for those who could. There should be | mothers in Parliament—not like the old women of whom Parliament was sometimes said to be already composed, but practical women who would look at polities from the standpoint of the home, and the young. Women like Lady Astor or Miss Margaret Bondfield in the British House of Commons were humanising politics and elevating the mora_3 of the nation. CURRENT NOTES. Negotiations for the union of St. Stephen's Presbyterian Church and the Central Congregational Church at Winnipeg, Canada, have fallen through. "Ralph Connor" is the minister of St. Stephen's Church. Mr. Thomas Herbert, whose death occurred recently at the age of 7U years, was well known throughout Glasgow as the official bellringer at Tolboo-th Steeple. He held that position for 40 years. Mr Herbert was also organist in" Montrose Church for about 30 years. For 15 years the Baptist Missionary Society bas arrange-! a special gift an.l self-denial week amongst the churches in Britain. The total result has been that | the funds benefited to the extent of j £107,000. The average each year has been | about £7000. To cover the deficit for J 1023-24 the sum of £20,000 is wanted | this year. I Y. "bat is probably a record choir l mastership in New Zealand has been achieved by Mr. Geo. Daltry. of Christchurch. Mr. Daltry has been choir master of the Sydenham Methodist Church for the long period of fifty-three years, ne has resigned now- in order to settle in England. He leaves New Zealand with the best wishes of hosts of friends. The death of Dr. Hastings Rashdall, Dean of Carlisle, removes a brilliant leader amongst modern Churchmen who hold that theology and views of the Bible and the Church need revision in the light of scholarship nnd science. As Canon of Hereford and Dean of Carlisle. Dr. Rashdall cultivated friendly relations with Free Church men. He was also an ardent supporter of the Workers' Educational Association. The president of the British Wesleynn Conference, Rev. T. F. Hulme, M.A., in a recent speech, said. "I know a church which has this remarkable record on its minutes:. —'In order to improve the financial position of the Trust, the trustees decided to make the burial ground more fruitful.' " i Mr. Hulme comments, "Their prospects are behind them. Their hope is not in the livinf, but ia in the dealTheir prayer is, 'Lord, give no more burials.' I am quite sure that that 13 not what some churches need." Thirty to forty years ago one of the ■best-known men in Auckland was Mr. Thomas Allen, of Mount Albert. For some years he occupied an important position in the firm of T. and S. MorrinMr. Allen was an active office-bearer in the Methodist Church. In recent years he has travelled much, and an English exchance states that he is about to publish his experiences in a book. Archbishop Julius will preside at the annual meeting of the friends and supporters of the work carried on for Maori girls at Te Waip.unamu College, ______ year's review is of especial interest because it marks the period during which the work has been carried on under its revised constitution, and also introduces the school as now cared for and superintended by the Sister of the Community of the Sacred Name. The report of the council contains a good deal of interesting matter, and the bal-ance-sheet is encouraging. Several gratifying features furnish evidence of the success of the Methodist Maori Mission department durinc the past year. A number of young men have been converted and become workers and local preachers, and the stall of voluntary workers is steadily increasing in efficiency and in numbers. More interest is being taken in work among the children, in some cases leading chiefs are gathering the young folks for regular Christian instruction. A Mission Hospital has been established in Te Kuiti, and recently a larger and more suitable building has been secured, which will enable the authorities to do more and better work. An additional deaconess h__s been added to the stair, the money for her support being found by the Methodist Women's Missionary Union. The general superintendant of the Mission is Rev. A. J. Seamer. "War and Christianity" was tbe subject of a sermon preached by the Rev. A. 11. Collins, in which the bravery of true service was emphasised. At the same time, the need for stern lessons was touched upon. Mr. Collins said: "You remember how, prior to the w-ar, keen observers who were net unfriendly critics deplored the effeminacy of our j fashionable youth, who seemed in danger of losing his soul in tbe contemplation of his embroidered socks. Dean Inge, speaking from the pulpit of St. Paul's, said, The modern Englishman iB sentimental in religion, in politics, in charity and in everything else. He hates doing or seing anything unpleasant. He is coming to think all punishment unjustifiable. His social Utopia will be a farmyard of tame animals. We need to emphasise the stern and severe aspect of Christianity, which was never meant to be a comfortable creed for comfortable people. Our chief danger, the love of comfort and the dread of pain, so widespread among all classes, might be checked, as a result of the war. We shall all have to learn to endure hardness.' These were stern, true words, .and their need has not passed away. Then came the dread calamity of war, and thousands of these same young fellows pulled themselves together and at i the call of Empire put aside their simpering way and their silly frivols, and took their place at the front; and it was one of the compensations of the war, that it woke the heroic in the voun_ manhood of the nation. But I "don't want thetr heroism to eclipse our own. I don't want the tocsin of war to outcall the summons of Jesus Christ. I don't want the Anzacs to have, endured hardness simply that I may live safe and snug."