A PULPIT APPEAL.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15770, 11 December 1916, Page 9

A PULPIT APPEAL.

"THE VIRTUE OF ENDURANCE." REV. 0. FITZGERALD'S SEHMOX. At the Avonsidc Church lan evening tho Rev. O. Fitzgerald, in his sermon, spoke of the virtues and forces of character which arc fostered by war. The chief and most pronounced were long suffering, patience, courage, perseverance, and endurance. The last-named had its own special qualities and individual force. It was Chrysostom's' • "Queen of Virtues," and few men had displayed it more than he did. even to death. Endurance implied courage, manliness, and brightness and bravery in tho face of adversity .vnd disaster, j He had lately read Belloo's "Battle of I Mons,' r -where a few tried men had to ' meet a force six times its size without ; preparation and without rc*t. Tints ; fine feat of arms was duo to endurance, which was the only thing that • saved ] the small British army from from annihilation. It not only saved the British but it saved France. This was the lesson from Mons to the world, this was the only thing, to save the world, and this was what we ;vll wanted to- | day.

The speaker referred to the great doings o]' the British, past and present; they had upheld the traditions of the Empire, but unfortunately not everyone ; n the Empire was such as these.'

•'There are other things and other men," said -Mr Jb'itzgeraUi,- "tli&t can only niako one blush to think thai a country which can produce such heroes ha*, the _humiliation of having to own the origin of such a mongrel breed as also -exists in New Zealand. To read the plausible and paltry excuses which are being offered as a reason why certain mon should not take their fair share in tho defence of home and country, quite apart from the cause of justice and righteousness, must cause any one to wonder how the same- country could give birth to two £uch different classes. Socialists, so-called, are always crying out for brotherhood and equality, and when they, get such a democratic movement as conscription, they at once give the lie to their teaching by not only trying to excuse themselves from a fair share of the h&nl part of the game, but also by uoing every endeavour to stop others from playing the game and counteract the movement.

"It has been said that there aro people in New Zealand milking money and capital out of.'the blood shod at Gallipoli and France. This seems an impossibility, but to many people this war has meant greatly increased prosperity and wesvltli: Is there any share in the suffering and endurance of the nation l>y such? Is there any thought of giving all war profits to the coiintij'? To my mind, war hoarded -or spent on self, does seem like fattening on the blood of the fallen. That certain people are in the position of making more money may not be their fault, but how they use that money is another question. "As to the Labour organisations. f wish to distinguish between, the individual labourer and the organisations, because the organisations are run by paid officiate. I think they have covered themselves with mud and dirt that will stick for ever. Every true mnn must feel and sympathise with the worker, and admit that he has a perfect right to try to better his position. But this bleeding of the country when it is in tho throes of a death struggle has 'nothing manly or human about it. Ail these strikes," anti-conscription meetings, etc., are playing into thc_hands of Germany, and sacrificing their own flesh and blood in France.*'

Tho speaker concluded by appealing for endurance and true patriotism on the part of the nation a,s a. whole. There should be no shirking in such a crisis, and it was about time that right through the Empire .v Patriotic League should he formed composed of all classes and political parties, to counteract the pro-enemy tendency that was showing disloyalty and sapping tho life-blood of the country.