Conscientious Objectors.

Manawatu Times, Volume XL, Issue 13526, 9 October 1916, Page 4

Conscientious Objectors.

SERMON BY THE REV. F. W. BOYS. A large and attentive audience listened to a sermon by the Rev. F. \V. Boys at St. Paul's Methodist Church last night, when he preached from the text "A Conscience void of offence" (Acts 24.1<>)- The preacher pointed out that the word "conscience" was not found in tho Old Testament and rarely appeared ;'n the New. Yet the thing conscience permeated tlie Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Conscience could be cultivated. Conscience could be falsified. "In view of this," said Mr Boys, "let us examine the position of the conscientious objector." The laws of the land were, or should be, the expression of conscience on the part of the majority but while that vas so there was always a minority to be taken into consideration. Grant that that minority must obey its conscience. But so must the majority, and there you had a deadlock. It was Scripture that the conscientious objector must act up to his conscience or be damned. But while that was the individual aspect there was also the national aspect. If every law passed by a nation was to be nullified by the minority just saying "Conscience!" no law would be operative. Therefore in order to maintain law and order those who would not obey must be punished. People could not live under the protection of the law and refuse to obey it with impunity. To attempt to do so would be anarchy. Therefore if we lived under the law we must be subject to it. We were at present in u life and death struggle. If we went down in that struggle all that Christianity and civilisation stood for —our religious liberties and civil privileges —would go down under the heel of the Prussian militarists. To save us from this our brothers were sacrificing life and limb. Many as the preacher spoke were lying maimed and dying. Were those still in the trenches to be left without succour! The conscientious objectors said: "It is against my conscience to light, no law shall make me go." If his conscience would not let him light. He ought not te tight,, but he must joyfully endure what, the law prescribed as an alternative —joyfully he must go to prison. And even then, safety in prison, he was infinitely better off than the suffering soldiers who had kept the country open for him! The preacher then went on to speak of "the awakening of eonscience," showed how it had inspired Great Britain io free the slave. He would like to awaken #Ko conscientious objector U, the horrors of Bel-, gium so that h-i might feel that he had a right t:i go and defend the weak. In closing, an appeal was,nm<*e for setting the conscience right with God.