WITH THE "SPECIALS."
CHURCH PARADE AT SHOW GROUNDS.
SERMON BY CHAPLAIN-LIEUT-COLONEL W. S. BEAN.
A large body of special constables attended a church parade at the Addington Show Grounds yesterday, when Chaplain-Lieut.-Co'-mel W. S. Bean preached an eloquent sermon.
The speaker took as his text, First Epistle of St. Peter, chap, ii., v. 23: "Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not, but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously." The call to law and order, he said, was paramount right through the chapter, which was one that stirred us all to a spirit of patriotism. St. Peter called upon his converts to submit themselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: to the King first, as the supreme head of a nation: then to those placed in a position of lawful authority, whether governors or magistrates.
■ "You were earnestly asked last Sunday," he continued, "to remember that your.present mission was not to show power, but to uphold law and order. Faithfully ypu have upheld .the best traditions of men under duly-constituted authority." The speaker went on to say that, as a military chaplain, he did not think it came within the range of his responsibility to place the blame for the industrial unrest upon any particular union, federation, or organisation. He would say, however, that tho application of Christian principles would have found a solution of the difficulty. Mutual forbearance, the sense of justice, the virtuo of Christian charity, the desire for reciprocal fair dealing, and the knowledge that all errors lay in extremes, would surely have prevented such a national catastrophe. He would not pass judgment on anyone concerned, but ho deprecated the inflammatory language, the angry expressions, the often-times unjust and untrue assertions, that were hurled broadcast at. those who deserved infinitely fairer treatment.
"In days such as we are now experiencing," the preacher concluded, "the necessity for self-control is obvious. If called -upon to preserve law and order, do it honourably and fearlessly. But ever remember that the man who, when treated unjustly remains silent, does not answer back, with cheeks white yet restrains himself, shows no wish to retaliate, but keeps love in his heart—: this, this is the strong man. The wise man puts it thus: 'He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he that rulcth his spirit, than he that taketh a city.' "
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Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14837, 1 December 1913, Page 8
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403WITH THE "SPECIALS." Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14837, 1 December 1913, Page 8
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