CHURCH STONED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21160, 18 April 1932, Page 9

CHURCH STONED.

SERMON ON NEW GUARD.

EXCITING INCIDENTS

Several exciting incidents occurred on the night of Sunday, April 3, at the Mathison Congregation Church, Croydon, Sydney, where the Rev. N. C. Goss preached a sermon on "Thp Religious Significance of the New Guard.

Stones were thrown on the roof of the church by enemies of the New Guard. Men were chased from the neighbourhood of the church, and a number of men, who were alleged to have been tampering with motor-cars, were disturbed.

During the service, patrols were stationed outside the church to watch the motor-cars, many of which belonged to members of tho New Guard. A disturbance attracted watchers to several motorcars parked some distance down the street. A party of men ran across the road and disappeared. One of them dropped something. It is alleged that this was a spanner which was to have been used to disable motor-cars. On a pievious occasion spare wheels had been taken and petrol had been allowed to run from tanks

Mr. Goss was pronouncing tho benediction at the end of his service when there was a rattle of stones 011 the roof. A second volley was thrown before the benediction had been pronounced and the congregation had filed from the church.

Members of 1110 New Guard at onco began to search for the offenders. Several voting men, who had previously been noticed in a lano bc.Mdo tlio church, disappeared through a hole in a fcnco and wci'o not seen again, though a seaich was made of the locality.

Mr. Goss said that ho would not bo turned from his path. lie had spoken on conditions in Soviet Russia some months ago, and incurred the displeasure of ceitain people, but lie would not bo turned from following the ideals that had always been the salvation of civilisation.

In his sermon, Mr. Goss said that there was far too much talk of pacifism whilo the insidious growth of Communism was undermining all that was best in national lite. Men luul been forced to resistance and even to bloodshed to protect their ideals many times in the history of the British people. This might occur again shortly. Members of tlio New Guard should endeavour to foster all that was best in life while they actively organised to resist the enemies of their liberty and ideals. A member of the New Guard who did not support the Church, which had withstood Communism for centuries, was only half a New Guardsman, in the same way that a Christian who did not. actively combat enemies of his faith was only half a Christian.