MARSDEN'S MISSION

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 153, 26 December 1914, Page 4

MARSDEN'S MISSION

ADDRESS BY BISHOP SPROTT Christmas Day, 1914, was, to have been celebrated with befitting ceremony as the centenary of the Rev. Samuel Marsden's work beginning at the Bay of Islands in 1814. The war intervened, consequently the celebrations which were to have included a missionary congress to bo held in New Zealand and to be attended by Church dignataries from all parts of the world could not conveniently take place. The movement had been cordially taken up by the people of New Zealand, and it was hoped to collect a laige sum of money for promoting religious education. In an address at St. Paul's ProCathedral yesterday, Bishop Sprott stated thai it was true that the year 1814 was one of peace, and it seemed that the Napoleonic wars had ended, but shortly afterwards Napoleon escaped from Elba and after "the one hundred days," Waterloo was fought. The present crisis represented the spirit of Napoleon reincarnated. The history of a century ago was repeating it&elf. At that time Marsd<>n was taking a large hliare in founding a new world. England had turned to the Southern Hemisphere as an outlet for her convicts, aud it was Marsden more than any other man who helped to bring into that hell upon earth that England had created at Port Jackson some of the elements of Christianity and civilisation. It was by his efforts that the magnificent possibilities of Australia and Xcw Zealand came to be fully realised. Whatever might be the issue of the present war one thing was plain. A new world would have to be reconstructed • out of the wreckage. The philosophy of Nietzsche iliat might was right had to be combatted. The question that would have to be determined was: Was a nation in its dealings with other nations under the law of Christ Y The Napoleonic school said it was not. Christianity must be confined to the individual. The Law of Christ, however, was the law of sacrifice for the well-being of mankind. Was any nation willing to make a great sacrifice for the well-being of mankind? was the question, and it must be iaced if a better world was going to be founded. It was terrible to think that at this Christmas time Christian men were killing each other. But the law of Christ must govern nations as well as individuals. Surely if Olirist stood among them that day would He not say, "Why commemorate My birth and pay no heed to what T sayf' The Christian people were- face to face with this question and it must be fought out.