THE NEW DEMOCRACY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17211, 18 August 1919, Page 5

THE NEW DEMOCRACY.

FUNCTION OF THE CHURCH. NEED FOR THE HUMAN TOUCH. '■ The New Democracy" was. the title of % serjnon preach edv by the Rev. Jasper Colder to large congregations m-.St. Aidan s and St. Matthew's Churches vest terday. The most casual observer, "the preacher said, realised that the world was at «ast on the threshold of a" new era. The little cloud, "at first no bigger than <■'. a man's hand," was looming large on the horizon. That cloud, as yet not definitely shaped, was the growing social unrest which must finally culminate in a new democracy. President Wilson had said that the world must -be made, .safe..for that end. " How best guide it that that may be so?" asked "the preacher. Democracy might be viewed .from two standpoints. La the first, the doctrine of individualism held sway, and was not entangled, hi the measures of human,, relationships, but had an individuality. and claim of its . own. From - that -point of view democracy, was ' the "giving to the individual of ' rights and. opportunities which made . for the "largest life. The other viewpoint-' was through the sense of the common good. ""Man is noi an isolated figure in the world, said Mr. Calmer. " Surely God wants ho man to live by himself or for himself. *' Man is really jiot one, he is a race'. "If he bei comes an egpiei he becomes an ; exploiter ■of his fellows. When the citizen,"' however, realises that he is one unit in the throb- | bing life of the city, lie will'Be in a posij tion to contribute to the commonweal. Neither of .these two theories; if _ complete; one must supplement the other. We must jweserve the ' Christian j life and character of the individual, and [ this can onlv be done by contact "with our I fellow men." * . ' . The extreme reformer, the:.-preacher ; continued, said to .. the; Church or;, the pax. son: "We are going" to organist- the redistribution of wealth; and if.the;[6hß>-?h does not join in she will noitefe-A«mfaed." And the Church replies that it-is pot her function to be a- judge and -a.'divider of wealth hut to point to the "greatest facts ' yx life, which are, after all, v men and women. . " You can call thsm"; r l;a.bom\, or capital, or producers, or othepjriambs that hide their human hopes and fears, but, 'a man's a man for a' that.' The Church's duty was to make more Christians by preaching the greatest of Christ!?" doctrines, namely, the brotherhood of man, .and ; it was the duty of those whcrcame under hep: influence to see to the . legislative -part of the work. Any nation that , became a slave to fancy theories devised for the personal : gain of a .class would t fail- * .» .< In conclusion Mr. Calder said: " What .the Church needs, what democracy needs. ■ ; and what the whole world "needs is" just ■ -the human touch which can so" easily fipsk 0 life worth living."