MEETINGS ON THE SABBATH

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 145, 16 December 1913, Page 3

MEETINGS ON THE SABBATH

CONDEMNED BY PRESBYTERIAN ASSEMBLY (IT TILBQIUPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION.) j CHRISTCHURCH, 15th Dec. I During the discussion at the Presbyterian General Assembly this morning on Sabbath observance, references were j made to the holding of strike and political meetings on Sundays. j The Rev. Jas. M'Caw (Lower Hutt) said that the Lord's Day Alliance in Auckland 'had protested against meetings and processions' being held on Sundays in connection with the strike, and in doing so had done really good work. "We in Wellington," he continued, "have become so accustomed to these labour meetings in the Opera House and processions to Newtown Park that we have failed to record our protest. No matter how much -we sympathise with Labour—and we sympathise with Labour to the hilt—l am sure of this, that Labour's aims will never be reached sooner by desecrating the Lord's Day." The Rev. A. Miller (Auckland) said that replies had been received to a resolution of protest sent out toll the Auckland Strike Committee and the Auckland trades 'unions. Those replies did not thank the Lord's Day Alliance for the reminder—the Alliance had scarcely expected that they would. The labour unions retorted') that Christ taught that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath, and quoted other texts of similar effect. The Alliance's view was that it was not in accordance with Christ's teaching that trades organisations should meet to discuss strike matters, or that processions should be held. He wanted to call attention to a matter that happened noli a week or a month ago, but which happened on the previous day in Christchurch. There was a meeting under the auspices of the Strike Committee. That was nothing new, but there was also a political meeting held by an organisation supporting one of the candidates for the Lyttelton seat held on the previous afternoon. Without indicating what candidates the Lyttelton electors' should vote for—that was no business of the Assembly—it was only right that the Assembly should express its strong disapproval of political meetings being held on Sundays. (Applause.) It waa a manifest breach of the Lord's Day as far as they understood the observance of the Lord's/Day. They might have something to say about the. language used, but he did not intend doing so! The fact that a political meeting should be held on the Sabbath was a matter on which the Assembly "ought to strongly protest during discussion of Sabbath observance.