THE TIE THAT BINDS

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 111, 13 May 1935, Page 13

THE TIE THAT BINDS

KBfG'S SILVEE JUBILEE

THANKSGIVING SERVICES

SERMON &V BISHOP SPROTT

Special thanksgiving services in connection with the Silver Jubilee of his Majesty the King were held in the churches of Wellington city and the suburban districts yesterday. : St. Paul's Pro-Cathedral was crowded at the morning service. His Excellency the Governor-General (Lord Galway) and Lady Galway were present, and they were accompanied by his Excellency's official staff. Amongst those also present were the Hon. E. A. Ransom (Acting Prune Minister), the Hon. R. Masters (Minister of Industries and, Commerce), the Hon. A. Hamilton (Postmaster-General), and the Hon. C. E. Macmillan (Minister of Agriculture), the Et. Hon. Sir Michael, Myers (Chief Justice), Mr. Justice Blair, Mr. Justice Smith, and Mr. Justice Page, Sir Charles Statham' (Speaker, House of Representatives), the Mayor (Mr. T. C. A. Hislop),: ;the chairman of the Harbour Board (Mr. T;'R. Barrer), Consular representatives, the heads of the Naval and Military Forces and of Government Departments. * The order of the service was that adopted at St. Paul's Cathedral, London, last Monday. .His-Excellency the Governor-General (Lord Galway) read the lesson; Canon Percival James conducted the service; and the sermon was preachedby the Rt.; Rev. the Bishop of Wellington (Dr. T. H. Sprott). : " "I propose to confine myself to two points: first, the character of the King as itrhas stood out,in.those,twenty-nve eventful and fateful years; and, next, the place which.the. Monarchy holds in our Imperial, life" . said Bishop Sprott. "Arid,'first;,;let-irie take you back to a particular' moment in the Coronation Service..;; Alter. the Archbishop- has placed the-.croym: on the: King's headland the crowning has been acclami?d;,he; presents ;a Bible to the King, saying.-these:>wOrds: 'Our gracious King, we present you with this Book, the most "yal'Uable: thing that this world .affords;,.; Here is; Wisdom, this is the Royal Law, these' are the lively Oracles of God.; The presentation of the Bible might, at "once : serve to remind the newly-crowned- King that there was a law higher-land more royal than his, a power'greaterfthan his. TBDE KING AND THE'BIBLE. ;; ."There may .have been times in our history when'the presentation of the Bible was considered a mere formality. But we have the best of reasons for knowing that it was not so account,ed by-our present iKingV... Those who are in a position to' tell us something of the King's personal life-tell us that it is his* daily habit to read the Bible; Well, as he read, he would come across those words of our Lord,'in which He gives His ideal of kingship—words, on the surface most simple, yet profound in their significance, destined to revolutionise the whole conception of kingly rule, and, indeed, of all exercise of authority: 'The kings of the Gentiles have lordship over them, and^hey that have authority over them- call themselves benefactors. : But'So it shall not be among you; bufhethaijis greater among you, let him become' as^ the younger, and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.V (St Luke xxii,,24 ( 25, 26, cf. St. Mark x, A 2, 43, 440 O.ur Lord had in mind the rulers^ of the nations in His own day. These were despotic, tyrannical—'pla^r'the ;tyrant;';.;our Lord says—arbitrary, irresponsible^; :Some of them, as,, .fpr! example, sorfie -of the Kjngs 'of Egypt,'assumed^'ihe-title* of "Benefactor'—a'title whieK;hnplied virtues, idt r which, I: anj afraid, not all of them _■ werie • conspicuous. 'Not <so shall it be in thfi.Kingdom^i am founding,', said the .Mastet; ■'in. : :that Kingdom to serve is i^^reign;'';'guph is ■ the Christian! cohceptibh : of; kingship, and it is the sunple;truth-to say that our King and Queen.-haye .made it their ideal." ~-^.^]..-i<-^}-:-.: : x':-.s^ I . After referring to the strenuous effort made by. the: King to avert the outbreak of war. in 1814, and the work which the King"and Queen; did during the war, .Bishop j'Sp.rott;';said that the Throne emerged from'the'wsgr not only unshaken, bufrvmore'deeply than ever rooted in the national'heart. .And so it had been through the years since the war with themtragie-.problem of unemploymeßt., —?^: -i -'? V . "Durhig -the-'tiast. •-twenty-five, years it has been-his ,:36t,TtQ'work with Ministers of very •different political opinions and', jconyictiQns—opinions strongly held'-and-isometimes passionately expressed,"-?^continued his Lordship. "He has.^b'eeffi able''L to work cordially with 'pieaii all, ;,atid that not by that subtle deixterity.-in manipulating men which'^Bttweyer-; expedient at the moment, is ndt!saltogifiier admu"able nor calculated Ho 'inspire confidence, but by ttt.at;^eaceable wisdom, which,' as St. 'Jamesj.'1 [ says.v 'cometh from, above.!. For f.^am siire.it is true to sa^ toatl the'Kiag does enjoy the confidence of the whole; people and of every political parly Jii i&e' State.. THE PLACE MONARCHY HOLDS. ''I pass.now to the'second pohit I mentioned at the bfeginnitog—the place which the Monarchy holds, in the Imperial system.";l am sure we are all convinced oil the supreme importance of maintaining- and strengthening the unity of the' Empire, not-only for its own sake, but for the peace of the world. I think it is true to say that at this hour the prestige arid influence of England stand higher in the councils of the nations than those of any other Power. This is in great part due to the vastness of the Empire. England speaks on behalf of peace as the centre of-a great family of peoples scattered over the world. Let the Empire be dissolved into its constituent parts, and its prestige arid influence must be immensely lowered. And, as for ourselves, where should we be? What influence could a small and isolated community exert in the councils of mighty nations?. None—absolutely none. And yet in the course of history our fate has become inextricably bound up with the fate of the world. Our problems! are the problems of the world. If we' have great wisdom, we may find a partial solution, but the full solution must be a world solution. Yes, the unity of the Empire is of supreme importance. Of such Imperial unity there can be no stronger bond, no more impressive expression than the Monarchy.,. .. THE ANCIENT MONARCHY. "For this Empire as an Empire the one best form is the ancient Monarchy. I stress, the word, 'ancient.' Let us return to, the King's Coronation. All the circumstances of that august ceremony take us back to the distant past. The ancient Abbey was founded by Edward the Confessor, last but one of the Saxon Kings; the Coronation Chair is still called 'King Edward's Chair'; the famous Coronation Stone is of great antiquity. We need not believe, unless we like, that it is.the veritable stone on which the Patriarch Jacob reclined, when on the heights of Bethel he had his wondrous vision, and that it was brought to Ireland by the .Prophet Jeremiah. There is^ another account more easily credible, which may possibly be true, viz., that it was the stone on -which. St Columba, the

Founder of lona, was resting when he died. If this be true, we are taken back to the sixth century and to a great epoch in the religious history of our race. The Crown is still called 'St. Edward's Crown,' for, though the gold setting is recent the jewels are the ancient .ones. The Coronation service in its main elements can be traced back to the coronation of William I. When we further take account of the King's hereditary descent, we are taken back to a remote period, centuries before our British race began its world-wide diffusion. SIGNIFICANCE OF MONARCHY. "What is the significance of this? Just this, that the Monarchy belongs just as much to us, who 'dwell afar off on the sea,' as it belongs to those who have never left the shores of England. We have not forfeited our inheritance by changing our place of residence. Suppose for a moment that England should adopt a Republican form of Government, with its President elected by the political party which happened to be in the ascendant at the moment, and himself belonging to that party, holding office for a brief term, and liable to be succeeded by the nominee of a quite different political party. Such an official, however able he' might be, could never be to the Dominions beyond the Seas what the Monarchy is—the living bond and visible expression of the unity of this vast Empire. Manifestly for this Empire as an Empire the ancient Monarchy is 'best.' 'Well may we,'then, at this anniversary, .season, with heart and: voice, say 'Happy are thy. people.' Well may we give thanks to Almighty God that in.these.most difficult times there sits, by His Divine Providence, on the Throne of the Empire a King of a wise and understanding heart, tried and trusted. Weil may we pray that his days may be prolonged, arid that he may live to see the Empire firmly established in peace' and prosperity,: : ; .'.'Well,.; too, may we. pray that the representatives of 4he overseas Dominions, now .in London assembled to discuss difficult economic, problems', may never for v a. moment, lose sight of the pOTamo'unt'importance of maintaining Imperial unity. ■ "'■■"' '■■' ."Finally, pray, we also that this Env pire,; still as of old the Home of Free^ donv may become 'more and more Reverent in the.-use of freedom, .more and-more, just-..and inercifuirin .: .the' .exercise: of -power,' stronger; in! ,.''■ its falthi in God, without Whom nothing is strong, nothing- is .holy, . that "so. it may become ?a source- of blessing to all mankind." - ' " -: • -.-: ■-..