BISHOP WALLIS ON PATRIOTISM.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 10381, 26 June 1899, Page 2

BISHOP WALLIS ON PATRIOTISM.

{KEOil OTTB SPECIAI. . WELLINGTON, June 25V In the ccHirse of an able and. most interesting address to a large congregation at ot. Profs. Pro-Cathedral,, this morning, the Bishop* of Wellington (Dr. Wallls) spoke at some length on. Christian patriotism. lie commenced by pointing out that several importanfc anniversaries awl events had occurred during the post week, each as the anniversaries of the Battle of Waterloo and the Queen's .Accession, the carrying of Federation in New.South Wales, ijid the opening of the Parliament of New Zealand. He spoke of the Queen's personal influencelor good, and the jtisfc government that had clianSoteriged her reign. . Iα this way he said the hearts of Englishmen the world over had been, knit together.; Then there was the Federation movement in Australia, the success of which was now fssured. jLuougk the struggle had'been'marred by mucn that was undesirable, still' a great work <was being accomplished, and the leaders were doing, perhaps, only half-con-sciously the work of ood. Then* again, sue Parliament of New Zealand had just fteen opened, and they prayed that the blessing of God might rest on its deliberations. Some people might question whether in the Lord s house, and on the Xiord's Day, they ha«i bright to busy themselves with such questions. They had their own souls to save, and to work out their own salvation. - The world, they said, was passing aw«4y, and time etpent in this way was wasted. Others might say that in order to gave their own souls,* they must strive to save the souls of others, and, -therefore, they were interested in national events, ia so far as they might affect the Church of Christ. To others, again, even this was too narrow. Their city was the whole world, and they asked now could the interests of one nation be forwarded except to the detriment of other countries. But, paiu the Bishop, this kind of cosmopolitanism was apt to become a very vapid sentij nvent, and was liable to degenerate into an j : excuse for doing notumg. People ahould not cut themselves off from the. national life of their country, but should remember that kings, governors aud statesmen, as well as the clergy, were ministers of God. National i life was tig much God's appointment as family and the life of the Church. The nation was much more than a sort of volun- j tary institution, or an alliance of men bound together by a common interest. It was a : definite institution, with a definite work to j do. But a work could nob be definite unless it mis limited, and, therefore, God had set limitations to a nation's life. The nation had a home to live in, though its bounds might iram time to time be changed. Nations, also, differed in character, and that, too, was God'a appointment. Each j nation had a different work .to do, and as , long a£ it did that work God kept it alive. It was an inspiring thought that" God had thus given a nation a special -v?ork to accomplish. v People should be ready to make sacrifices for their country, great personal sacrifices at times. They should even be prepared to fight, if necessary, for t national, liberties. A true Christian, and, therefore, a true patriot, should not shrink from discharging the monetary ooiigsttions the State imposed upon 'hdm. And then there was the vote. A man should prepare for thiffc- with, prayer. It was a solemn work, like that of ordination, for was he not choosing the ministers of God. No man bad a right to hold aloof from public affairs, or to refuse to take his part in the government of this colony. A man ought not to say he nad enough to do to mind nis own affaire, and that'he took no interest in social reforms. Great mistakes might be made, and reforms might not cure the evils they were intended to cure, but it was better that mistakes should be made than that men should hold aloof and do nothing. .Participation in national affairs was of special value from a'Christian atandpoinfc, for it taught the lesson- of unselfishness. It was one of the great schools, of" unselfishness. National life lifted m«n out .of themselves. In toe family; .the Church, and, the nation, God taught men. to love all mankind. .' True cosmopolitanism was impossible! .until men had learned to love their fellows in the smaller circles.