LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2412, 18 March 1915, Page 8

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

IS NEW ZEALAND DOINC ENOUCH? Sir, —Herewith please find my cheque, £1000, a3 a donation for tho relief of the Belgian wounded and distressed, a help for those who have fought and are fighting so well in the cause of liberty and our common welfare and freedom. Our colonies have been prosperous for many years, and such commercial prosperity has been mainly due to the protection we enjoy under the Union Jack and the Mother Country and dur allies .as the consumers of our produce. Since tho outbreak of hostilities produco of nearly all descriptions has greatly risen in value. Such rise is to a great extent due to the war, the vast armies needing same for consumption and clothing. As a producer and one who is deriving increased revenue from the' efforts i of those who are dying, fighting, endur- i inj hardships and torture, having their country laid waste and homes destroyed, < it is my duty to return something unto those who are so nobly defending our 1 existence, and whose sufferers, wound- ; ed,- maimed, and destitute, need immediate oare, attention, and assistance. It may be said we have sent our men , and some money, what need for more? The Empire has lots of men and tons of : money? , The sending of our men was a duty, and those who have given most are the ] men who have offered their lives, and the fathers and mothers who have sent their sons as in the days of old, the ; flower of a nation go first to war, and : we axe justly proud of our boys \vho hare rallied at the Empire's call with eagerness to he off. With regard to the amount of relief in cash, and considering the substantial benefits the colony is deriving, .there appears to be ample f room for more assistance from a colony of such -wealth and prosperity, at present living in perfect peace and luxury. The increased price for produce is, in my opinion, conscience' money, or illgotten gains—gains,.derived' from the British and allies on' land and their fleets at sea, and -whatever we give is urgently wanted- by those who are upholding our side across the sea. _ The i only consolation left ,to Belgium is her honour, and for this she has laid down her life, sacrificed her country, and is : still fighting to help lis and our allies :. smash the awful oppression which ' threatens our existence. Do not let us withhold our generosity or stay our assistance until it is too • late, for this nation did not hesitate to fling itself in the .enemy's path, and so prevented a war which might have last- • ed many years, and of grave conk-, quences to the colonies as a whole. Let us not stay our gifts, behind the suggestions that the enemy may .get- a portion, or that they should be .first driven out of Belgium. We have assurances'that the money will be spent in the interest and welfare of 'those for .whom it is intended, and the. appeals .through the Press afford reading which will opeii the heart of those in': a. position to and assist, and surely, iou'r country is. not going to.be found wanting in loyalty to those whose debt is impossible to repay in ooin.—l am, etc., . P. AY M'HABDY. Beanlieu,, Palmerston North.* SHOULD THE CLERGY FIGHT? Sir,'—l deem it- necessary to correct ■ the following. statement of Mr. O'Connor's: "Mr. Milverton says, 'The clergy, : being followers of Christ, should; not, fight."' I said, as anyone can see 1 by ■ referring to correspondence, "I find the Word agrees with the words of So'cratus, 'that war is anti-Christian, and . there- ; fore the clergy professing to be followers of Christ should not fight.' " There ~tnay be and there is- a vast. - difference between a professing Christian and a trueChristian, who not_only.' believes. in, : Christ, but obeys Kim. ' : " *.'y ' Mr. O'Connor, after quoting Numbers xxxi., 1, referring to the command given ,to Moses to slay the'Midianitesy ' says, "Is that love?" thus apparently calling in question the words "God is loveo If men and women would investigate more carefully this .great and wonderful, book the . Bible, there would never be so many so-called- contradictions and difficulties, and it will be seen, regarding this incident recorded Vin Numbers xxxi., 1, that: God; was not only justified in tlie interestj*W civiliBatibn? biit it was consistent with the words "God is love." In Daniel iv.,' 17, we read: "The Most High ruleth in the kingdoms of men and giveth it to whomsoever He will," ant^therefore if certain nations through their wickedi-ess are barriers to the fulfilment of- His purpose, which He has -with this earth, He is perfectly justified in destroying those • nations, and it also shows His love for future generations, and therefore civilisation. As will be seen upon reference to my correspondence, what was just and lawful in time of Moses as regards slaying, etc., is not so now under the law of Christ, given to His followers. To decide this whole question and in fact any Bible question,. will Mr. O'Connor or anyone else wishing to speak on this matter leave the clergy and Canon-W. Jefferson out of the matter, and . go straight to source of information— the Bible? If we do this, light will be shed.on many otherwise incomprehensible difficulties. The question should be, "What saith the Scriptures I am, etc., . ' H. MILVERTON. Kilbirnie, March 16, 1915.