MYSTICAL ELEMENT IN WAR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2367, 25 January 1915, Page 6

MYSTICAL ELEMENT IN WAR

NATIONS SAVED BY THE SHOCKS OF CHANGE. Some of the etnical aspects of tho war were touciied upon by uie Anglican Bishop of Wellington (ur. Sprott) in Ins sermon at tit. l'aul's. pro-Uuthedral yesterday morning. He based his remarks on Zephauiah 1, 12: "1 will search Jerusalem with candles and punish the men tliat are settled on their lees: that say in their heart tne Lord will not do good, neither will Ho do evil." After a short explanation of the leading ideas of the Book of Zephaniah with its references to tin "day of the Lord," which was closely associated with tho- conception or' testing by war, tho Bishop said that long periods of peace and prosperity tend to niako nations morally stagnant and spiritually 'indifferent. They settle on their lees. When all things are going well, and people are enjoying easo and' comfort, they are inclined to be satisfied with thoir moral state. What need is there of change? What need is there of God? Men ask what can God do for them when everything is so prosperous. All they ask is that Ho should leave them'alone. It is necessary to x ensure moral progress that nations should be shaken'out of this stats of moral stagnation, and war is one of tho appointed instruments of change. The prophecy of Zephaniah might havo been written last year. Tho present war came suddenly, in the twinkling of an eye. Tho nations had been settling on their lees, and could only be saved by the shocks of change. Speaking of the great day of tho Lord the Prophet declared "neither their silver nor their gold shall bo able to deliver, them." It would require something more than Mr. Lloyd George's "silver bullet" to save us in this day of trouble. Behind the inimcdiate causes of tho war, said the speaker, are tlio Divine forces of purification and judgment, and it is a superficial reading of history to see in the causes of war nothing more than the schemes of half a dozen men. Professor Cramb tells us that there is a mystical clement In war—something which baffles the human reason. That mystical element, said the Bishop, is God, who is shaking the modern world aud making us realise that our fancied security is largely illustory. Ho is showing us that this civilisation which wo have been building up in ostentatious indifference to Him is not able to bear tho strain of storm and trouble.