CHURCH PARADE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11509, 4 October 1915, Page 5

CHURCH PARADE.

SERVICE AT ST MARY'S CHURCH ADDINGTON. A church parade of the E Butterj I &nd Engineers was held yesterday a*i !St Mary's, Addingtou, in connectior i with the forty-eighth, anniversary of the j dedication of the church. There was a good muster on parade under Captair ! th® column marching from i the King Edward Barracks headed by y ; band. The parade state was as loliows: j Regimental Band. Lieutenant Siddal] i and 20 men; E Battery, 55 men; No, | 1 Field Company N.Z". Engineers, £ officers and 115 men; No. 2 Divisional Signal Company, 3 officers and 22 men. W. S'. Bean preached to the men, taking as I his text Samuel xvii. 45: "Thou coniest to me with a. sword, and with a sp«ar, and with a shield, but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the ,* trmies of Israel, whom thou hast defied." The speaker said that it hardly came within the sphere of a military chaplain's duty to turn his pulpit into a recruiting oiiice, but he may feel justified in echoing David's words to Saul, " Let no man's heart fail because of hint. thv servant will go and light with this Philistine." Granti ed the justice of Britain's then every available and medically fit young I fellow from twenty upwards should respond to the call of the Lord against ' the mighty. "I am not going to judge 1 and condemn those who don't enlist," lie continued: ''Some can't, others are I deficient in some . necessary military : erniipment, while many more have near relatives wholly oieperdent upon them. But al! ought to be willing to ' do their bit.' Let those who must stay behind "help in any way that will advance the cause of those in the firing line. We've got to see this struggle through, and wo in New Zealand must rea'ise our great responsibility. The heroism of our boys at Gallipoli should be an inspiration to others to follow where they have led. The women have responded most nobly to the call ou behalf of the sick and wounded. For a time at least the dance has given way to the knitting needle. They are giving the stay-at-homes a glorious example of selfsacrifice. They are working day and night. If they can't fight, they can assist the Red Cross Funds bv raking in the si'ver bullets. Let us help them I all we can. I am no prophet, but in | the words of David. 1 honestly and ■firmly believe that "all this. assembly shall' know that the Lord snveth not with sword and sr>ear. For the battle is the Lord's, and He will give you into our hands.' In no spirit of boasting is this reiterated. It is based upon the justice of our cause, find a firm confidence that' God will defend the right. Let me say 'a word on behalf of thos9 who have fought our battles, and have come home wounded in body, broken in hea'th and shattered in nerve. Hcin the Patriotic "Furd to the best of your ability. And help it now. Past experience lias shown that after the glamour and excitement of war have subsided too many who have been scarred and maimed have been neglected and almost forgotten. This is no credit to any nation. Let us try to place the fund for wounded soldiers on ; a. solid and firm foundation. They 1 should never be allowed to want. They : should all be, looked upon as heroes. ' J