PEAYEBS FOB PEACE.

Press, Volume L, Issue 15037, 4 August 1914, Page 10

PEAYEBS FOB PEACE.

ADDRESS BY BISHOP AYEttll_L?t j (*PBESS ASSOCIATION" TELEGRAM. 1- *> "•■ AUCKLAND, August 3. . Tho churches of A uckiand united ye*-.-.-.-terday in prayers for. peacb. " Specif"*,' > hymns wero sung, and'in at least ona.? church the evening'service closed witlr i the singing of the National Anthem._' **" From the pulpits references wero Jnad4" _'*■ to the gravity of the situation. ' , ) A stirring address was delivered by.. ;■ Dr. A. W. Averill, Anglican Bishop ot .2% Auckland, at St. Albans Church, laskr-r-----evening. "Wo are iaca-to face with the 7 • possibility of a great .European ,var," : 7*" the speaker said, "and news which has J reached us to day of the declaration of <_ war between Germany and Russia i? ■*•■ all tho mere disquieting, for no pan*. man would possibly daro to predict the ,| end or issue of Euch a war. And per- .$ haps the saddest part of it all is that. >J many of us must feel that the. present yM war seems to havo no real justification, "-ii I. humbles and shames lis'to think that* j** such a war could be possible in twentieth century, and that our boastful ed civilisation has so failed to about higher and nobler methods, •*"}?•' i* settling international differences. hcve talked alwut international tration; wo have held our peace coiK'tJl Terences'; but we havo really been stutv|;il

tifying ourselves by increasing oW;®fighting forces while wo have been tails-*.?y ing of peaco. War can onl**,bo a , and a curse under such as in Europe at the present tim»»'J-? auu it seems monstrous tnat „ot valuable lives should be lost; and PJ untold misery created, because.two *Ms"3ff. tions have a personal disagreement:-*Ve-?j| are driven to tho'conclusion that much' -*J ot our civilis-ation and so-called Chrisu*y*_ anity is a delusion. Men and nation* havo failed to lay'hold of the fnnda-'j'-| mental principles of Christianity;' hon J*,- ?- failed to attain to any real senso'Ol - brotherhood, upon which real Christian-/-;*! ity is based. It is not Christianity '-- wliich has failed; it is Christianity .7. which is lacking and waiting to he. 1 tried. ,_.'_■'■•' rC ' "We are face to'face with all tno fail- ;*■ ngs of well-nigh effete civilisation. ..7 which has proved itteU powerless to act- •*' upon the noblest and truest principles, ... which has led to disintegration, and not-** coalition; a civilisation which has}/ placed material progie&s. numbere and -?,. commercialiim before nat'onal clwrac-yi ter, and wo are now reaping the fruits z2-~. of our own .sowing. It is even to think of our Jimpiro bemg-2$ dragged into tho conflict. However_|; much wo may deplore the murder the Archduke* Ferdinand, it v stious to tbiiik that mcli a war should*?necessitate a resort to war on our pai\|j', ai the prir-e 01 the Triple Entente. thing, however, is quite certain, that if';., we are bound in honour to light, v0.2'2. shall do our duty, as we have always ,"•* tried to do it iv the pn**r God grant j_ that t ttr Empire may bo saved from hav-. 7 ingto enetr into the conflict. This i,3 a." tine for pi aver more-thin for talking, "_. 1,1 d for humiliation rather -ban jingo- "; h-m. for searching of hearts more than , of tooli-ih boasting. In r<u.eiicss »"■!'. confidence shall be your -r-trcngtb, "be ' si iL and know that I am God ""