ARCHBISHOP’S APPEAL

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21707, 14 February 1936, Page 20

ARCHBISHOP’S APPEAL

TO TH» BDITO* 09 TOM PXBBB. Sir—lt was satisfactory to find in the archbishop's appeal to the churches for peace, the leaders * of Britain s national church realising their responsibility to the whole Empire, • and hence their appeal in your columns. “ Studying with . Interest its summing ? up, it is practical, correct, , xnbn sense, while Its statement of the .nation's dependence upon the gmdi; arte« and ■ power of the Most High - mS* frequent emphasis. Already > gihtve errors have found place in many Zealand churches, which, in*

stead of strengthening the church’s opposition- to the wars we - dread, in their terror of the horrors of modem warfare; seize upon any excuse, even if they have to manufacture it. If this is incorrect, will some brother Methodist kindly favour me by quoting the Bible passage in which the Lord Jesus Christ says, “I am a God of love only; I am not a God of justice. ' I have never identified myself with war, have never approved it, taken part in it.’’ . !• know many passages that contradict' those assertions, not one that supports them. Yet unless I an* misinformed, .a few unauthorised members, without even asking the permission of the parents, have asked young people of both sexes to promise not only that they would not fight, but that they would take no part in ambulance work or aid in non-combatant’s duty. II this is not correct I hope for the honour of my church it will be promptly contradicted; but personally. I have had to listen with what patience I could to the “Not a God of justice” business, and the insistence that no true disciple of the Christ has any right to fight for his nation, his liberty, his faith,' not even in defence of his wife and children, I shall close by their absolute rebuttal. Sir. as my friends, with some impatience, might testify, for weeks past I have thought with worry and anxiety on no other subject than this: we have reached an enigma. Can any man hold this view of the Christ and not uproot the basis of the Christian faith — or take another simile, destroy the rock on which the Christian faith is built? Create God, the Son, as He is portrayed as a God of love, but not of justice, and always an opponent of all war, and the position is hopeless. I will confine myself to' the New Testament. Start at the beginning, take the last four or five verses of the last chapter of the first <pf the Gospels, Matthew. Our Lora has been missed at His sepulchre, and has appointed a meeting with the disciples, some of whom still doubt on a mountain side in Galilee. When they meet Him, they worship Him. Now listen to what this “God of no justice” says, and see if- it squares with the “no justice” statement. Here we have the plain statement of the Triune theory, God the Father, God the Son. God the Holy Ghost: “All power is given to Me in heaven and earth. Go ye therefore and, teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe whatever I have commanded .you, and 10, I am with you alway, even unto the end. of the world. Amen.” Follow it out, and it is found recognised, registered, asserted in all the four Gospels, followed by the Acts, and then every epistle, and most strongly in the Book of Revelation. Is it false or is it true? If true, what is the God of love but not God of justice: that surely v hich every Christian church should abandon.—Yours, etc.,* 1 ___. LEONARD M. ISITT.