DEFENCE AND CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 280, 7 August 1909, Page 10

DEFENCE AND CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES

' Sir, —In your issue of to-day-My.: Jolni G. Price,- of Motueka,.dissents very courteously but vory ■stroiigly from -Bishop AVallis's state-merit-that it .is tho duty .or clergymen "to teach- that' a desiro ■ for peace -which' is based upon an-'Unwillingness to,make sacrifices is contrary to tho first principle of tho Gospel of Christ.".; "Not.only," says your correspondent,'"are tho principles of Christ against war,, hut they absolutely inculcate tho oppo-' site,!' arid ho challenges, the JSishop to '.''cite some texts which will justify him, at .the bar of-'Josus Christ for the shedding of human blood.": May I, as a.layman, be allowed to do what 'tho. Bishop may . not- fco] incliiiod to "do in alotter to the pross? Nobody,'l siipposo, would claim that a war of Wantonaggression, is in any way a Christian thing. But there is abundant: proof, not only in tho : general:teaching of Christ, but also in His direct .'admonitions, that it, is'' essentially Christian toyseok peaco through preparedness for-;war—to seek,, peace through dissauding others from'making war. Has Mr. Briico no Knoii'ledgo of our Lord's advice:.i "When a strong man armed konpeth his, palace his goods are in peaco,. But .when 'u stronger than.'he shall coma upon liiin, and overcome

him, ho taketh from him all his armour wherein ho trusted, and diyideth .his spoils." This is a final, and authoritative defence of the two-I'owor standard. •■,• ■.. Again, reproving tlio unprcparcdness of man who hegins to build without tho wherewithal to finish, Ho proceeds: , "Or what King, going to war against another King, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether ho bo able with ten thousand to meet •him that cometli against him with twenty thousand ? Or else, while tho other is yet a great way off, ho sendeth an ambassago, and desiroth conditions of poacc." Christ preached peace, but not helpless dcfencelessnoss: "Think not that I am como to send peaco on eiu'th': I como not to send peace, hut a sword." Would Christ,-if ho-loathed tho soldier's, calling, havo praised tho Centurion: "I. havo not found so great faith, no, not in" Israel"? Consider also Luko xxii, 20: ■ "lint now, ; . ■"■, .', he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one."—l nm, etc., LAYMAN. August i.