CHURCH SERVICE CLOSED.

Evening Post, Volume LXXI, Issue 143, 18 June 1906, Page 5

CHURCH SERVICE CLOSED.

» ■— INTERRUPTIONS BY UNEMPLOYED "SOT A DEBATING CLUB." tPHESS ASSOCIATION.] > (Received June 18, 9.23 a.m.) MELBOURNE, This Day. Two hundred unemployed attended Scots-. Church yesterday. Owing to the continuous interruptions during the sermon, the Rev. Alesander Marshall abruptly closed tho service. He declared that he would not allow the House of <?od to be transformed into a debating'club. This is the second church service which has been attended by the unemployed in Melbourne. On the 3rd June a large number followed Mr. Tom Mann to St. Paul's Cathedral, and the correspondent of the Sydney Telegraph thus describes the scene: — A rustle of expectation went round as Archbishop Clarke mounted the pulpit to preach. Basing his sermon upon j the words, "If any man havo not the ! Spirit of Christ," the Archbishop plunged straight into the uniqueness of the position. "The presence of 250 of you," he said, "shows that you are in distress." The unemployed at onco showed that they ignored tho conventionality of silence. Several "hear, hears" were heard, and to tho words "in distress," a voice added, "and robbed." With a mild rebuke- against interjections, the Archbishop went on to say that if the people failed in their duty, blame must not be laid on Christ or Christianity. He added, "It is said tho Church exists only for the rich." "Quite right, too," shojited a man. \ The Arcnbishop rejoined that the I Church's greatest support came from the people who lived on daily wages. The evil was in the selfishness of human nature^ \ "It's the evil system," shouted an j interjector. Dr. Clarke remarked that the workmen of England he knew were not so welJ off aa those in Victoria. A strident voice: ''That's not the point." The Archbishop : "No, but we should be thankful for small mercies.*' (Laughter and interruption.) A voice: "For" the sunshine, I suppose." The Archbishop: "Yes, for the sun. shine. How v?4s it, -with trade good and money plentiful, that men cotild not get work? If the men's story was true, something must bo wrong with the community." This remark aroused more interruption, and a man shouted the opinion that "we had too many Parliaments." "That's political," replied the preacher. He went on to advise them to put by a little money 1 from their wages. Therewas more interruption, I "Where's the ynemployed to get ' wages?" a young man called out. I ' i call no man master," shouted an- ! other. The Archbishop, proceeding, a"d vised them not to 'throve up a certainty for an uncertainty. "We havent any positions to throw up," shouted a shabbily-clad individual. The preacher mentioned that at the metropolitan mission they provided good beds for hundreds of people. "We don't want charity, we want work," replied the shabby man. The Bishop pointed out that it was ; not charity.' A small charge was made, and an effort was made to obtain them employment. He then appealed for tho assistance of employers to aid in this work.