The Dominion SATURDAY, JUNE 12, 1915.
"A NEW AND UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY" C The duty of the Church in regard to the war was discussed a few-days ago in an article in the Manchester \ Guardian, a summary of which appeared in our cable columns. The article states that the war has given the Church a new and unique opportunity, and suggests that ministers from their pulpits should drill the people into a clear sense of the part they have to play in this colossal ef>ic. The pulpits "ought to ring with the call for service." It is quite certain, as has been already pointed out in these columns, that if we are to make sure of victory the whole power of the Empire, spiritual as well as material, must be utilised to the fullest extent. This means that the Church ought to I brace itself up with the object of assisting in the work of mobilising tho moral forces of tho nation and throwing them into the scale on the side of freedom, justice, and national rights. No individual or section of the community can evade responsibility in this tremendous crisis, and the Church can give valuable help to tho State by constantly reminding tho people of the duty and privilege of sacrifice and service. Statistics which have recently been published in Home papers show that the clergy are setting a splcn did example. -No section of the community lias responded mure completely to the Empire's call than the son's of the manses and parsonages. The clergy have won the right to remind tho nation of its duty, for they cannot be accused of asking others to make sacrifices which they themselves arc shirking. Some people may be inclined tu think that the va'v is not a proper subject to be dealt with in tho pulpit. But that would mean that in the greatest crisis in our history tbo Church would have, H? InmsMJio and OQ guidance loi. Uia
people. The famous preacher's of every age have had a broader and deeper' conception of their office. Speaking recently at the celebration of the Chalmers Centenary at Glasgow, Lord Rosebery referred to Dr. Chalmers's war sermon, in the course of which "the most illustrious Scottish Churchman since John Knox" passionately declared: "May I bo the first to ascend.the scaffold erected to extinguish the worth and spirit of the country; may my blood mingle with the blood of patriots; and may I die at the foot of that altar on which British independence is to be the victim." Commenting on this great utterance of a great man, Lord Rosebery remarked: "So ho (Dr. Chalmers) said with regard to the threats of Napoleon, and so we say with regard to the menace of far mightier hosts than Napoleon ever dreamt of. The war has thrust itself into all our thoughts. It is compelling us to look at things from new points of view. It is forcing us to revise many of our moral judgments, and has upset many of our ideas of value. Our national existence—all that we prize most higKly— is at stake." At such a time "people will not listen to sermons on trivial matters." This is the opinion of a leading preacher in England, and he significantly adds: "If the Church dees not stand for the deepest things it does not stind at all." Professor Jacks, the editor of the Hibbert Journal, tells us in his striking and illuminative way that the war is "the real thing." In explaining to American readers the present state of our national psychology, he says they must imagine how they would feel and think if everything they had taken for grants ed and reckoned as secure—country, homo, family, property, life, idealswere suddenly menacei aad bidden to defend themselves from destruc-' tion. "In presence of this scorching flame our metaphysics, our higher criticisms, our scientific ethics, retreat to a distance. Only the very simplest things will stand the test.". He says the simple notions of right and wrong, and elementary instincts of the human heart acquire a. worth and importance we had never suspected them to possess. "We are virtually living in another world compared with that in which we were alive a year ago." How is it possible for a preacher to avoid referring to the tragic conflict through which we are now passing without cutting himself off entirely from tho lffe of the community in which he is living 1 An Oxford preaoher recently declared that a clergyman cannot avoid preaching about the war because there is nothing else to preach about. Tho war (he said) affects all the great topics of religion and all the great prol>lem,3 of philosophy, throwing thorn into a new light and Betting them in a now context. Whatever we might sav about these things, the war would make comments and perhaps challenge the truth of our words. If you mention the name of God, the War replies, "What do you mean by that name?" If you. talk of Loto and Peace, the War says, "What has become of them?" If you announce the ultimate triumph of Good over Evil, the War answers, "Wait and See." if you introduce the narao of Christ, the War asks, "What right have you to call yourself His disciple?" If tou mention Atonement or Sacrifice, the War reminds you that an opportunity is waiting to put your doctrine into praotice. If you decry the wickedness of war, the War decries the greater wickedness of those who Btay at homo and enjoy the blessings for which others are fighting. We cannot get the war out of our minds. Every day wo are thinking about the mon who are risking their livos at the front in our causc, and yet, as tho Bishop or London recently pointed out, the nation as a whole has not yet arrived at a sufficiently vivid realisation of what is going on to causo it to concentrate its wiiole energies on the task of bringing tho struggle to a speedy and victorious conclusion. The Bishop spoilt Easier with tho troops at tho front. He had special opportunities for seeing what was going oil, and conversed with nearly every General in the field, including the 'Commander-in-Chief (Sir John Frknch). When he went back to London he expressed the opinion that "\vc shall never bring this war to an end without more complete national concentration upon it." The whole mind of the nation must, he says, be concentrated upon this ono problem. Our soldiers arc. displaying II rrtn.fjrjiHw-Dt SfrhtlnC fpMt. Ta fcsiiLms (tfiiut oi iiw BAlioa
equally keen ? Are the men at the front being backed up by the whole moral power of the Empire 1 Do we fully understand the value of the iporal factor in warfare? Nafoleox knew how much depended upon it. He regarded the spiritual element as much more important than the material. The staying power of a nation, its capacity for sacrifice and endurance, its grim determination to win at all costs, its steadfast resolve to fight on till victory is achieved are the qualities that count at such a critical juncture as the present. Humours of peace proposals aro again in circulation, and there are influences at work in favour of a premature settlement. The nation needs to bo continually warned against the danger of a patched-up agreement which would leave things verv much as they were before the struggle commenced. Tho clergy might well take every opportunity of discouraging the growth of a false and foolish sentiment whioh might induoe the nation to welcome the insincere overtures of a half-defeated enemy anxious to gain breathing time. Permanent peace can only be secured by decisive victory on' the part of the Allies. Deferring to the enormous sacrifices which France and her Allies have already made, the French Premier recently declared that "it is no precarious peace that can spring from these hecatombs." All those who occupy positions which give them special opportunities to influence public opinion should do their utmost to steel tho hearts of the people against the acceptance of any proposals for a settlement until the enemy has been thoroughly beaten. It is quite certain that any inconclusive peace will only be a truce as far as Britain is concerned. Me. Beuoo is no doubt right when he states that such a truoo would leave Germany in a position to pursue relentlessly her task of undermining British power and prestige. If we do not crush Prussian militarism it will never rest until it has crushcd | us and placed the world under its feet.
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Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2486, 12 June 1915, Page 4
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1,439The Dominion SATURDAY, JUNE 12, 1915. Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2486, 12 June 1915, Page 4
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