THE IDEALS OF THE DOMINION.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12933, 12 October 1907, Page 12

THE IDEALS OF THE DOMINION.

Last Sunday evening, iw St. Paul's CSuiroh, the Rev. Thoe. Tait preached a eenron cm the ideele of the Dominion. Reviewing the principles underlyine the politics of great nations, he made some interesting remirks upon the beginmingjß of demooratic government in- ancient Athene and Sparta, ac well ac upon the peculiar genius of the Roman. EmpiVe-. There wee a, distinct lesson to learn, tiie preacher said, from each of the great nations of antiquity, and our new Dominion would do well jo aim «& combining the most worthy features of ancient demoaraciee. The'fell of the Athenian Republic hind led to Flato'e aittempt to construct the ideal oy a curious combino/ticm, of philosophic 1 culture and Socialism. Aristotle's criticism of Plato's theory wee one the modem Socialist should ever lay to heiart. There was also a apodal lesson to be got from the little State of Sparta., resembling, as it did, in , come of its characterietice, modem SwifcBcrfaaid. SiimpHtity of life, the wholeeome striotoeeß of ite military discipline, and also the patriotien» of its citizens, were wortihy of serious contemplation-. One of fine perils of the cdtiz«n army in, «, land like this was scorn of discipline. Not that he (the preacher) would desiderate an unwise curtailing of individual liberty in connection with our volunteer j foroee. but rither tihet each man | who entered upon military training ! should realise that it was military training, and that such training involved the voluntary acceptance of certain new responsibilities, which it ought to be the joy and pride of each volunteer to fulfil. The acceptance of almost any form of service meant that tlio individual was prepared, not to sink his individuality, but of his own i free will to subordinate himself to the best ideals and discipline of his new undertaking. It was not a question of blindly following the methods of other lands, but of truly realising the necessity for discipline, and gladly submitting to it for the common good. How easily a mistaken idea of individual i liberty tended to degenerate into I license, was convincingly shown by the fall of the Athenian Republic. After j>ll, the most precious asset of our Dominion was the moral character of • the citizens. \V*e heard much of the i dominion of capital, the dominion of j i labour, the dominion of culture, and so forth. All Mich dominions were but so many satellites revolving round that God. Who was our sun? If the natinn as a whole refused to centralise ' its life and policy in religion, it was only all the more incumbent upon those who professed to belong to Christ and Hi* Church to remember how He said, " Ye are tho light of the world, ye are the salt of the earth." Only in so far as our Dominion bowed to the King of kings nnd Lord of lords, and found its best ideals and inspirations in the teachings and spirit of the gospel, would it justify its new title. i