CHURCH AND WAR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2824, 15 July 1916, Page 3

CHURCH AND WAR

DR.' WILBERFORCE "THE BOLDEST WAR PREACHER." The Vcn. Albert Basil Orm'e Wilberforce, D.D., Archdeacon of Westminster, rector of St. Jolm's, Westminster, and chaplain to the House of Commons, died on May 13. Ho ivas one of the most brilliant men in the Church of England. As a .platform speaker and pre.acher he distinguished himseif by eloquence and. force of original thinking. A writer in the "British Weekly," in referring to the death of Dr. Wilberforce, says: "The boldest war preacher in the Church of England passes away in the twilight before sunrise. Only those who have closely followed the more recent work of Archdeacon Wilberforce, and have read the magazine of St. John's Churoh, Westminster, can have any idea of the service he has rendered to his country. With unceasing energy lie has sounded-the call to duty. He recognised from the first that the British Empire had been called to endure a great fight of afflictions." Dr. Wilberforce had no sympathy with open or cryptic pro-Germanism in t.he pulpit. It seemed incredible to him that for many months after the war began certain London preachers should warn their congregations against believing the official narratives of German atrocities. The awful nature of the struggle was revealed to him "in a lightening before death," and lie recognised that the powers of tho nethermost pit wera incarnate in the Prussian military system. No solemn warnings have fallen from the lips of Mr. Hughes and Mr. Lloyd George than may be found in tho Archdeacon's sermons of 1911 and 1910. He has not lived to rejoice in the _ victory of the Allies, but his Nunc dimittis might have been spoken when his beloved country resolved to make the uttermost sacrifice. He maintained while strength lasted the Sunday evening intercession services, whieli were so remarkable a feature of London's religious life. They have often been described in the newspapers. Policemen near the Abbey have answered many inquiries in Teccnt days about tho Archdeacon's illness, for he possessed a host of unknown friends among rich and poor. . , „ TT-. i Preaching t!.e Central Hall, minister, the Rev. Dinsdalo .T. Young (Wesleyan) paid the folio wing tribute to Archdeacon Wilberforce:—A gifted and distinguished minister of Christ passed last evening into the -unseen. I refer to. Archdeacon Wilberforce. I rec-all Archdeacon. Wilberforce as, thirty years ago, I used to hear him on the temperance platform. He was ono of the most thrilltemperance orators to whom I. ever listened. Ho rendered such service to the temperance causo as few have accomplislied. I can L;ra no it, as I him at ono of the most wonderful religious gatherings I over witnessed. It was the celebration of the fiftieth birthday of England's greatest preacher, C. H. Spurgeon. Lord Shaftesbury presided, and Dr. Parker was one of tho speakers. Canon Basil Wilberforce (as he then was) delivered an address of overwhelming power. .Ho was a warm personal friends of Mr. Spm'geon. THE CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR.

LIMITS OP TOLERATION. Speaking at a Confirmation in Christ Clrarch, Londonderry, the .Anglican Archbishop of Armagh said that there existed a class of persons _ who thought that citizenship carried with it no responsibilities. They called themselves "conscientious objectors." Shakespeare spoke of conscience in a remarkable ivay, when he said in reference to another matter, "Conscience doth make cowards of lis all." The Archbishop said ho hon- t oured « man's conscientious objections it he were prepared to suffer for those objections. ■ But if conscientious objection only meant that a man's conscience prevented him suffering for himself and his country, wlmt other people were suffering for him and his country, then he failed to honour him. Referring to tho "conscientious objector" problem, the "Guardian" says: trust that we have all proper respect for a roally, consciontious conscfeiice; but wo seem to havo observed that "conscience" has of late in a laTgo number of cases meant littlo better than poltroonery. A creature who declares publicly that his precious conscience would not permit him to lift a finger against enemy soldiers who wore assaulting his mother prostitutes tho very essence of his soul to the basest possible uses. It is commonly forgotten that conscience, unless properly regulated, is exceedinglylikely to lead its possessor into the very difficulties from which it was intended to preserve him. Much of the evil from which the world suffers is the product of the type- of conscience which is the obedient registrar of our desires- and prepossessions. • • ■ Tho Quaker protest will not have been utterly futilo if it helps certain persons to. clarify their thoughts on tho oft-re'euri-ing problem of the limits of toleration. It is generally allowed, We suppose, that the State may put down immoral practices, even when pursued in the name of religion. No one held that tho Indian Government was persecuting when it suppressed the Thugs or prevented widows from burning themselves alive; and though John Stuart Still had the chivalry to plead for liberty of polygamy to the Mormons (whom he naturally held ill peculiar abhorrence) few have been found to regret the decisive action of the United States' Legislature in regard to those preeiou9 "saints." In this country, again, the "Peculiar People" aro restrained from acts of faith which condemn their children to die for want of medical aid. Nor, as a matter of com-m->i! morality, can Pacificists be suffered' to refuse the State in its extreme need service which it demands in return for innumerable benefits conferred and accepted."

IMPRESSIVE INCIDENT. A CAPTAIN'S COMMUNION ON THE BRIDGE. • "The Rev. 11. I'entin, vicar of St. Peter's, Portland, preaching at a Lenten service at Salisbury Cathedral, mentioned a striking incident which, occurred in the Grand Pleet at Christmas, says tho "Salisbury and Winchester Journal." "The weather wns very rough, a gale was blowing. The captain of one of the battleships was on the bridge, calm buc anxious. His place was there, and only there. He knew that there were to bo tiiree celebrations on hoard on Christ's Birthday, and ho wished to communicate) for he was, like many other officers hi the Navy and A,tiny, a quietly religious man. But he had a duty to the ship, and to the bravo men serving under him. What should he do? Ho. sent s< message asking tho padre to bring tjia Ga'crament to him ou the bridge. The seas were breaking over the vessel, the keen cutting wind was like to tear ths chaplain's white surplice to shreds, the noise of tho storm was deafening. And so amid tho tumult the solemn words of the Communion wero but as' whispers. AVhat a picture for an artist, said tlu preacher. What an. inspiration and example! The naval chaplain who told liiiii of this incident said that had erer impressed the whole ship's comlinnv so much as that simole act of faith and duty on the part of tho captain.''