PERIL TO CHRISTIANITY.

Wairarapa Age, 31 July 1936, Page 5

PERIL TO CHRISTIANITY.

IN PLACE WHERE IT HAD ITS BIRTH. ADDRESS BY THE BISHOP IN JERUSALEM. PRESSURE OF DICTATORSHIPS. The dangers threatening Christianity in Palestine were stressed by the Bishop in Jerusalem, the Bt. Rev. Dr. G. F. Graham Brown, when he addressed members of the St. Matthew's Ladies’ Guild yesterday afternoon. “Outside the diocese and to a certain extent within it,’’ he said, “we as Christians are being pressed and squeezed by the three great dictators of Arabia, Persia and Turkey, all of whom are anti-Christian and would give very short shrift to Christianity. People in other lands hardly realise what it is like to live under or near a dictator and if any one of these three were to focus his attention on Jerusalem I hardly dare think what would happen.’’ The Vicar, the Bev. E. J. Rich, presided over a veyy largely attended gathering and a most acceptable programme of musical and others items was presented and afternoon tea served.

Dr. Graham Brown, who was welcomed and introduced by Mr. Bich, said that one of his main reasons for visiting New Zealand was to express thanks on behalf of his colleagues and him. self in the Near East for the friendship and fellowship extended by New Zealanders to the work they were trying to carry out there. Jerusalem was the mother city of the Christian faith, he added, and because of that certain dnties attached to the work of the Bishop in Jerusalem that did not arise in other bishoprics. They had to try to represent the whole of the Anglican communion and to present in its true perspective Christian life, Christian ideals and Christian philosophy. The work of the Anglican Church in the Near East might be termed pan-Angli-can in its extent. Dr. Graham Brown indicated the vast extent of his responsibilities when he stated that his pastoral cere extended over Christians belonging to the Anglican Church in Palestine, Syria, Transjordania, Cyprus and part of Asia Minor, spiritusd supervision over the Anglican congregations in Irak, mission work among the Jews and Moslems, and the maintenance of relations and co-operation with the other Christian churches in Jerusalem. The Sge was under six national administrations and contained 8,000,000 people, speaking six main and 60 subsidiary languages. The maintenance of schools and hospitals was another side of the work. During his first nine months in Jerusalem, the Bishop said, he travelled 29,000 miles by road. Passing on to refer to the administration of Turkey, Dr. Graham Brown said that Mustapha Kemal was one of the most significant dictators who had arisen since the War. Among many reforms, he had set up a new constitution in Turkey and built a new capital. While he regarded the administration of Turkey as magnificent in many respects, Dr. Graham Brown said that the Christian Church in that country had never been in such a precarious ■osition since the third century A.D. Sey were face to face with a sectarianism and lack of religions outlook that were simply appalling. Conditions similar to those in Turkey existed in Persia, where another great dictator, the present Shah, was following the lines of Mustapha Kemal’s policy. Ibn Saud, who ruled Arabia, was said to be the greatest Arab who had arisen since Mahomet. He had given peace, prosperity and unity to Arabia to an extent hitherto unknown in that country. He was a Moslem dictator and had done great work for his country. After referring to the anti Christian leanings of the three dictators, the bishop said that it was the duty of all Christian peoples to endeavour to devise means of combating the great threat to Christianity in the place where it had its birth. Dealing with the responsibilities resting on the leaders of the Anglican Church in the Near East, the Bishop said that in Jerusalem the Anglican Church had been placed in the position of leadership by all the other churches save the Latin Church (Catholic Church) and it was to the Anglican Church that they looked for advice, guidance and help. Referring to the thoroughness with which men destined for the Church were trained by the Armenians, Dr. Graham Brown sard “If you wish the Church to maintain its position of leadership in the Dominion, you must see that your elergy in future receive the very best in spiritual and intellectual training. Do not accept them as soon as they are made deacons, but insist on a further period of seven years’ training.’’ The bishop proceeded to discuss the relations of the Anglican Church with the various other churches in the Near East which had representatives in the Holy City and had much more to say that was of interest. At the conclusion of his address he was accorded a vote of thanks by acclamation on the motion of Mr. Rich. Mr. Rich also thanked those who had contributed items and the Ladies’ Guild for making the afternoon gathering possible.

AN INTERESTING SURVEY. DR. GRAHAM BROWN SPEAKS AT ROTARY CLUB. Various aspects of the situation in the Near East were touched on in a highly interesting and informative manner by Dr. Graham Brown in the course of an address at yesterday’s luncheon of the Masterton Rotary Club. Dr. Graham Brown sketched the historical background leading up to the modern position in Palestine and then went on to deal with the political situation. Observing that for some reason or other the Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem was regarded by the populace as the mouthpiece of the Government, the bishop requested that his remarks regarding the political situation be not reported. He bad, he said, to maintain a stolid impartiality and as far as possible to view the scheme of things impartially. "I have to try as much as I can not to look too much like an

Englishman, an Arab or a Jew," he said. The president, the Rev. E. J. Rich, presided over a large attendance of members and visitors present were the Rev. N. 8. Barnett, Vicar of Tinui, Messrs Wm. C. Mann, P. Wallace and A. D. 8. Duncan. In welcoming the bishop, Mr. Rich said it was an honour to-be president of the club on such an occasion. Too often in the past, he said. Masterton had not been included in the tour of the distinguished overseas visitors and he was particularly glad that they had been included on this occasion. The Masterton Rotary Club felt that it had a definite connection with Jerusalem as its foundation president, Sir Herbert Hart, had left recently to take up an important position there. At the conclusion of his address, the bishop was accorded a hearty vote of thanks by acclamation on the motion of Rotarian H. M. Peacock. SERVICE AT ST. MATTHEW’S. The Bishop in Jerusalem preached in St. Matthew’s Church last night. There was a very large congregation and Dr. Graham Brown gave a splendid and inspiring sermon.