THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 109, 1 February 1941, Page 10

THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY

Comments —Reflections Intercession. Eternal God, we beseech Thee to preserve the faith of those bowed down under the heavy yoke of the oppressor. Where tyranny has usurped the seat of power, make Thy children know that Thou art still their God and that no weapon formed against Thee shall dually prosper. Do Thou deliver them that they may join witji u.s in bringing men and nations more under Thy rule aml in closer fei lowshlp with one another, through Jesus Christ our common Lord and Saviour.

‘•lf the tide of Nazism is to be rolled back, both Britain and the United States must net with speed. The pressure is severe, and we must expect that the attack will develop with redoubled force in the spring.”—Sir Walter Layton.

“To the air staff which took the big and keenly contested decision to adopt the eight-gun lighter, now for a year the master of the skies; which planned the training system now proved in action to be the best, in tlie world ; which has thought out the strategy, tactics and ancillary organization of air warfare, the country will one day realize its debt.” —Sir Archibald Sinclair, the British Air Minister.

■•True faith only exists when a final and eternal reason is given to man’s disinterested search for truth and an ultimate value to his pursuit of righteousness. The history of humanity is the story of the age-long effort of Righteousness to overcome Unrighteousness and of Truth to subdue Falsehood. It is the story of,seers and prophets who ‘through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of lire.’ ” —Dr. C. J. Wright, in the “Hibbert Journal.”

“Just as we don't talk much about bread and water unless we foresee a scarcity, so we are apt to take liberalism for granted till it shows signs of disappearing. Of course, liberalism is not the property of any one political party nor the product of any one political platform. It is not a fixed programme of action nor a vote on tills or that particular measure. Liberalism is an attitude of mind. The liberal, for example, might be opposed to regulation of business in one instance and in favour of it in another. The criterion of the liberal philosophy is this: in the faith of the liberal the emphasis is on individual freedom, while in the ideologies of either the Right or Left it is upon social control.”—Mr. Wendell Willkie, in an address at the University of Indiana.

“With M. Dekanosoft's appointment as Soviet Ambassador in Berlin, M. Stalin’s personal interest and concern in German-Russian relations is strongly indicated. Together with M. Zhdanotl, M. Dekanosoff lias always been considered the most influential politician among M. Stalin’s intimate counsellors. Both belong to the young Communist intelligentsia. They were chosen by M. Stalin and grew up under his watchful eye to become his proteges and closest collaborators. Many of the shrewdestplanned schemes behind the mystery of of the closed doors of the Kremlin have originated in the brains of these two men. It is they, so it is being said, who interpret for M. Stalin the events of the modern world. Both of them are looked upon as favourites for (be highest. offices which the Kremlin and the Communist Party have Io oiler.” — “Daily Telegraph,” London.

"Can there be any special significance in the discovery nt Rome just at this time of the wall of Nero’s circus, in which so many Christians were martyred and in which Nero himself loved to make public appearances? Perhaps it is not surprising that it is to Nero that our cartoonists and those of other countries have gone for a link with Mussolini. The bulky figure, the thick neck, the facial expression suggested the comparison between tlie two. and Mussolini’s efforts with tlie microphone may lie compared with Nero’s on tlie lyre. Mussolini, il may lie guessed, lias had little use for the motto which Horace gave to Augustan Rome and its first emperor—‘Thou rulest tlie world by bearing thyself humbly toward tlie gods’—and it was with Nero that all pretence of acceptance of any such creed departed from the Roman Empire. And, whether or not Nero fired Rome, in another sense Mussolini has set fire not only to Rome but to his ‘empire’ generally.”—"Lucio,” in (lie "Manchester Guardian.”

"On November 3. J(i4(>, (lie Long Parliament; moi. al Westminster, and tlie lloodgnles of the English Revolution were opened. Tlie I'lirlianient was not Io he finally dissolved for 20 years, nor tlie revolution eonsiinumited for nearly 50. in tliat struggle lliere was no final victory for either party. Not till both liail suffered disappointment and ruin, til. King and Parliament alike had been submerged under military rule and that: too had failed, till tile two factions had learnt in adversity to understand one another better, was tlie conflict trnnscended. But that Which emerged was worthy of tlie greatness of the sacrifices that had been made, worthy to survive, as it lias survived, as tlie way of life of tlie English and tlie faith for which they are slill ready to tight and die. It is a doelrlne that ihe inlerest of tile commonwealth is greater Ilian Hint of any part or class, and yet that no pari may be neglected in (lie compul a I ion of (lie whole: that no man is too great Io lie subject to tlie law. and none too small to enjoy its protection: that all opinions are onlitled to a hearing, but none may lie imposed on tlie unwilling; that authority is tlie only safeguard of free dom and the liberties of the subject, tlie only abiding foundation of which authority can rest. — ’’The Times.” London. The Man for the Tinies.

Give me a man that is not dull When all the world with rifts is full, But unainazed dares clearly sing Wlienas Hie roof's a-tottering; And, though it. falls, continues still Tickling the cittern with his quill. —Herrick (1591-1674).