The Press. FRIDAY, JULY 23, 1915. The Ministers' Association and the War.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15338, 23 July 1915, Page 6

The Press. FRIDAY, JULY 23, 1915. The Ministers' Association and the War.

The secretary to the Ministers' Association takes exception to our remarks concerning the- attitude of-that body toirards the war. But really it is disappointing, at a time liko this, to find that any body of Christian ministers, when they meet' together, can fine] no more urgent,duty to hand ia connexion with tlio war than to\find fault with the methods adopted by other pcoplo in their efforts to raise funds for the starving Belgians,. o r for tho sick and -wounded troops. If humanity were perfection no doubt all the money required for these purposeswould be raised without having to resort to carnival contests, raffles, and other expedients of tho kind which,, -while extracting the money from the peoplo's pockets, appear . to afford them some kind of pleasure in return. But is not perfect, and the Ministers' Association 'will not.mako it bo by passing resolutions of eonsuro, or pinpricking tho Government to bring down tho terrors of tho Gamins Act on theso harmless diversions. Wo know that the Ministers' Association does'not represent all the Christian churches, and that there are many clergy in tho churches which it does represent who tako a broader view of their duty in this great crisis. Unfortunately the views acd actions of these ministers of the Gospel do not como before tho public, to the samo extent. The-people read of tho Associa-

music on Sunday evenings, and bandplaying in tho Park on Sunday afternoons, and of their solemnly protesting against raffles in connexion with tho raising of patriotic funds. They read, too, of deputations to our overworked Ministers because, although a Protestant chaplain had been appointed to the Hospital Ship, one particular denomination was not represented by a chaplain of its <nrn. They read of heated resolutions condemning the Government because a quantity of wine and other alcoholic liquor was included in stores for Uio patients, but of organised efforts on tho part of tho churches to equip the Hospital Ship they read very little. But they do further read that at an important church meeting solemn exception was taken to tho fact that a particular denomination was referred to in an official lette r as a "body/ , and not as a church. Is it any wonder that people say. "Is " this all the help and inspiration " thn '--•' " ''•- Church havo to " givo us when the Empire is at deatn- " grips, fighting for its existence, and : -civilisation itself U threatened by a "nation of barbarians whoso methods " recall the worst horrors of the Dark "Age*? ,, Ifc is not so in England. Tho Archbishop of Canterbury has >ssued a pastoral letter dealing with tho war, in which he reminds us that what is at stake- is not only the honour of Britain's plighted word, but our safoty and freedom, and the place entrusted to us among tho.nations of tho enrfh -_c spirit arrayed against us, he truly says, threatens tho very foundations of civilised order in Christendom. It car only v ™ *v>vUri v.tl. : :f n-c concentrate on tho task tho whole strength of body mind, anil —' ~' tho nation, and, indeed, of the Empire The leaders of tho Anglican Church therefore " solemnly call upon all tho members •'of the Church and urgo al] their fel- " low-citizens to meet with glad and '' unstinted response whatever demands "of service- or of eacrifice the Govern- " me^ f decide to make." The Bishop of "London has been to tho front in l France, exhorting and encouraging tho ! troops, administering the Communion to them, and comforting tho sick and wounded, and on hi* return to England he has been striving with all his energy to rouse tho people to a sonse of their peril and of their duty, .Nor havo the Freo Churches in England stood idly by or contented themselves with criticising tho efforts of others. A letter prepared by Sir J. Compton Rickett (presidont of the National Council of tho Evangelical Freo Churches), the Rev. F. B. Meyer, and the Roy. Dr. Scott Lidgett, was read in the Free Churches a few Sundays ago. The' letter said that Britain stood in the forefront of •_; the conflict, and they, as Free Church people, had reason to congratulate themselves on the magnificent response given from their churches to all branches of national service. Tho letter urged that every man who could not enlist should seek to render national service, in somo other direction. A very large and influential section even of the Quakers hare declared that in the presence of the awful forces of evil let loose, they realise that ifc is England's duty to fight, and that "those who cannot take tip arms must help in some -way those who do. >>c are in the midst of a crisis such "as the world has never seen before, and are faced with a supreme national duty. ]f tho Church in , this country is not to lose all its influence over the people, its ministers mast rise to the occasion.