CHURCH AND LABOUR.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1583, 29 October 1912, Page 3

CHURCH AND LABOUR.

TWO SERMONS. (B» TelnirraDtt—Special CorreeDondent.) Auckland, October 28. Yesterday was kept as "Labour Sunday" in two or three of the Auckland churches, and 6ormons bearing on the relation of tho Church to Labour were preached nt the evening services. Bishop Crossly referred to the dignity of Labour. The preacher said that work embraced every known activity iu. life. If asked to name the occupations that hail given him enjoyment, he would answer: (1) Working in a garden, (2) climbing a mountain, and (3) helping a soul. Tuey could do without such things as gold and.coal, but it was impossible to them to exist without tilling the soil. Therefore, this kind of work was of supreme importance. The speaker likened the trials and hardships of the scholastic life to the dangers attaching to the climbing of a mountain, and ho laid stress upon the great joy awaiting those who succeeded in gaining positions ot eminence which would enable them to look back and survey the visions lelow. Finally tlio Bishop referred to the helping 'of souls. He was a poor book-sdarcher, he said, who did not foster a desire to search into minds and souls as well. Somewhere, or other tliero was a soul which ench one of his hearers could influenco, and he charged them to l>e diligent in the work of soul-service. The Bev. Alex Miller, preaching nt Edendale, said that if the teaching of the Now Testament were followed, there would be no -more idle rich. God put man in the world to do the work of life, and not to livcMipon the proceeds of others industry. If a ma a were a useless member of society, and merely a burden on his fellows, he could not expect itho blessing of God to rest on him. This was not rabid twentieth century Socialism, but the plain teaching of Scripture, which said: "He that will not work neither shall he eat." The Christian regarded honest work of any kind as done in tho sight of God, and this ennobled it in his eyes. Master and man-were alike servants of one muster, and were responsible to Him for the use of their powers and opportunities, so that class distinctions faded away in his presence. In the same way the products of Lalour belonged not entirely to theii own, as tho strength and opportunity for work came from.God, and it was to Him that man was responsible for the use of what he had made. Labour in New Zealand at the present time was divided into two canips-the arbitrationists and tlio federationists. The latter, said Mr. Miller, appeared to be in open hostility to tho Christian religion. Tho former were not opposed to the Christian leaching, and were even ready to enter into relations with tho Church. This was only right and just, as many thousands of Christian men were members of the- Labour unions, and rightly looked ,upon tho Church as an ally and not-as sin enemy. Arbitration stood essentially for adherence to law and order, but tho Federation of Labour moro or less openly sought, to '■attain its end by the use of physical force. This course was a serious menace to the welfare of the community. Hecent developments in Auckland and Wailu had emphasised this, and it was a matter tor general satisfaction thatthe power of the Federation of Labour was apparently on the wane. The Church was in full sympathy with those, who asked for a fair return for their labour, and for fair and equitable working conditions. The worker had a right to expect every Christian man to help him in his efforts to attain these ends, but he must not formt to put first things first," by seeking the Kingdom of God if he expected that help.