MYSTERY TRAINS

Southland Times, Issue 21853, 2 November 1932, Page 8

MYSTERY TRAINS

SUNDAY EXCURSIONS “AIM TO UNDERMINE PROTESTANTISM” PRESBYTERY URGES BOYCOTT “Whereas the running of mystery trains on Sundays can be interpreted as an aim to undermine Protestantism and is in every aspect inimical to the best interests of Protestantism generally in this Dominion, the Presbytery of Southland instructs its ministers to request members and adherents of congregations within the Presbytery to abstain from patronizing in any fashion such Sunday mystery trains.” By adopting the above resolution at its monthly meeting yesterday the Southland Presbytery, which has in the past strenuously opposed Sunday railway excursions, made it quite clear that its attitude was the same towards the Railway Department’s recent innovation of mystery train trips on Sunday. The first of these as far as Southland is concerned took place during last week-end. The matter was brought before the Presbytery yesterday by the Rev. A. G. Mackintosh Carter, who moved the adoption of the resolution urging a boycott of the mystery trains. “We are passing through difficult times,” he said. “I am not referring to the economic depression, but to the religious depression which is sweeping the whole of Europe. The Protestant Church is divided into two camps at present. On the one hand we have multitudes of people looking at the present situation in this way—that it is the end of the age promising the second advent of Christ. They are sitting down and praying for that day to come speedily, but they are doing nothing else. Then we have the movement inaugurated by Barth, the German theologian, that in view of the crisis in the Protestant Church every effort should be made to get the church back to the Reformation principle. If it is going to fail, as it is likely to do in Europe, there are only two things facing us—Sovietism or the bad days of the Spanish Inquisition.” Continuing, Mr Mackintosh Carter said that the situation was the same in New Zealand as in Europe. Protestantism, divided as it was between schools of thought, was not doing its job. The people should be told that they were facing a crisis. Realizing the existence of the crisis Barth had been trying to get back to the principle of the Reformation—that in times of difficulty the final authority should be the Bible. The speaker declared that ministers ought to impress upon the people that mystery trains were not for the spiritual welfare of their children. “We ought to know the personnel of the people who go hiking,” he said. “We need the spirit of Cromwell with us to-day, that of militant Protestantism. Stand or fall, let us adhere to the Protestant principle. The people must realize that they will have to assist themselves if they want to be heard to-day. Ask them to consider it from that point of view. Mystery trains, after all, are a matter of finance with the Railway Department, but they can be interpreted as an aim to upset Protestantism.” The adoption of the resolution was seconded by the Rev. W. Comber (Lumsden), who said that in the past the Presbytery had gone about the matter in a wrong way. Its protests to the Government about railway excursions on Sundays had fallen on deaf ears. The wiser way was to appeal to the people of the church.

The Rev. J. Johnston (Dipton): I cannot say I read with pleasure the account of the hike and all the publicity it was given. We cannot allow Sunday to be desecrated in this way. The Rev. G. Renwick (Woodlands) declared that the weakness of Protestantism was that so many of its followers were Protestants in name only. There was nothing spiritually active about them. “That is why we appeal in vain and the Government will not listen,” he said. “Protestantism has lost its backbone.”

“The motion is on the right lines and should appeal to our people,” was the opinion expressed by the Moderator (the Rev. J. Chalmers Mill). There was a lack of authority in the Protestant Church, he said, and the people would never regain it unless they got back to the word of God. The resolution lifted the matter up from a paltry one into its right light. “I am glad it is to be sent to our people,” he concluded. The motion was carried unanimously.