PRAYING AND FIGHTING

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2519, 14 July 1915, Page 8

PRAYING AND FIGHTING

THE BISHOP'S ADDRESS

REV. GIBSON SMITH REPLIES TO CRITICISM. In his sermon' at St. 'Andrew's Presbyterian Church 011 Sunday night the Rev. J. Gibson Smith said that during the past week two utterances of great significance had been made in Wellington. Ho referred to the address delivered by the Bishop of Wellington (Dr. Sprott) at tlio opening of the Anglican Synod, and the criticism of the address which, had appeared in tt'irE Dominion newspaper. The Bishop's address was a weighty and noble utterance, worthy of. tho speaker and Lis audience, and of the best traditions of the great Church they represented. The Bishop's words were profitable and fruitful, and they might with advantage be pondered by tlie whole Empire. But tho newspaper said the address was lacking in power and inspiration. Mr. Gibson Snutli went on to refer to the story of Moses lifting up his hands in prayer wliile the Israelites' were fights ing under the leadership of Joshua.. Moses was the man of prayer, and Joshua the man of war. Victory was won not by. prayer alone, nor by fighting alone, but by prayer and valour working in harmony . The conditions of real victory werp the same to-day as in the days of Moses. , The victorious nation would be the one able to rise superior to tho enemy both in its praying and its fighting. The article in Tnr, Dominion seemed to have been written by one who had read-the Bishop's address in a hasty and cursory manner, and showed a scepticism as to whether prayer was of any valu.e. The Dominion appeared to think , that the clergy should turn themselves into recruiting agents, and that prayer at such a time as this'was nothing more than, wasted breath. The preacher proceeded' to speak of tho great value of'real prayer, and declared that, if; tho Bishop helped people to pray moro really he was serving his country's cause, and was deserving of the/gratitude of tho community. <The newspaper critic thought that the cultivation of the spirit of prayer made ineffective soldiers—that > the pian of prayer was a worse soldier than others. The critic held that the one thing that matters was to get ( recruits, 110 matter hoiv you'appealed to the baser motives. Mr. Gibson Smith said the Bishop's address was the!best recruiting speech delivered.in New Zealand since the beginning of the> war, for it showed how men might go_ to the front and maintain their Christian character from first to last. The preacher concluded by saying tbat'_ in helping to defeat Germany our soldiers were not only dofng good service to : our Empire and the world, but also doing good to. Germany, herself. A great defeat might bo Germany's . greatest good. They should fight and pray for Germany's defeat, and also pray that the victory of Britain might be a real victory, and, not one of those victories that wore worse than defeats.

THE WAR & NON-RESISTANCE REV. J. R. CLASSON'S VjEWS. "THE REAL TERROR." The sayings of Christ- regarding tho non-resistanco of evil were discussed by the. llev. J. Reed. Glasson in his scrnwii' at tho ■ Terrace Congregational Olmrcli on Sunday:.night. Mr. Glasson argued that these sayings could not.'bo' taken literally, and -supported his contention by quotations iromSjr'William" Robertson XS'icbll, Dr...George .Adam Smith,' ''and tlie, Rev. J. ~M.!' Lloyd Thomas, of Birmingham. Speaking of Mr. Thomas's little book, "Tho Immorality of Non-resistance," Sir William' Robertson Nicoll says: "Mr. Lloyd Thomas, discusses with great power tlio interpretation of the Sermon on the Mount, and especially the precept 'Resist not him that is evil.' In the first place, he argues irresistibly that! it is impossible to insist'on the. literal interpretation of every word spoken by Jesus Christ. .. .. Wo-say that thes<i words must -be taken, •in connection with other words of our Lord's, and with His wliolo life. IS it right :to say, 60? It is-cer-tainly.-right'. • Our- Lord of necessity used metaphor, symbol, figure', parable, paradox, simile, in unveiling His secret, and'those who insist on a bare and bald literality of interpretation will most certainly miss the spirit and quintessence of His meaning'."' Let iis, said Mr. Glasson, apply tho above principles to our text, "Resist not' evil." Of all' tho sayings of Jesus which are quoted as prohibiting war, this is the most frequently quoted) ana probably it i s the moat important, but it seems to be clearly tho duty of every Christian man to rpsist all/ -moral evil) .and at least'' some kinds of 'physical evil. Was not Christ's victory over temptation a . resistance of moral evil? . Did He not resist there the evil one? Was not the healing of tho sick a resistance of physical evil? It is plain then from the best commentary we : possess_ on the words- of Jesus, namely, His .actions, that' tho; words "resist not evil"' aro not to be taken literally. If a .wanton injury is threatened to ono weaker than myself and I have power to prevent that injury then if-I fail to exercise that power I become a participator in the crime, and no casuistry can absolve me from complicity ill the injury itself. No .act is' .more cssontially-Christ-like' than tho deliverance tof... the oppressed'. • Now' to come to this present ;war, I would like to say—and T say it -Without any excitement and with.a due sense of the gravity of the' situation—that I should deprecate any statement or any method of dealing with this question which would lower or .roduco the determination of the British people throughout the Empire to see the tiling right to its finish. I would deprecate any statement ill regard to making light of tho German cruelties and atrocities and saying that we are no bettor than they, because if you begin to argue .ill that way you somehow or other feel that your determination to fight this thing to a finish will relax." After quoting a statoment by Sir W. R. Nicol that a liberal interpretation of the Commandment not to resist evil carried out in all ' ciroumstanccs might very easily tol> us not only of .Christianity.but of our manhood itself, Mr. Glasson said: "And now will you women liston for a moment? -What is tho chief terror of a German invasion? Let us be frank and say that we all foel that tho real terror is that a German invasion would mean to the women of our land what it has 'meant to tho wcnicn of Belgium. It is the honour of our women that is chiefly at stake. ■ When I consider what is .behind tho terrible struggle that is now going on I feel wo need overy ounco of power that tho arms of our nation can put forth, and it in not time just r,-aw to discuss this question academically, but it is a time to .call upon every man- to give himself to the great work;, 11 am going,to leave theso thoughts with ! you as the ample and _ sufficient, justification, of Britain's action in this war. In my judgment they call to overyono in tlio British Empiro to do all in his andiier power to bring this awful carnago to an end; to bring the war to a I successful issuo for Britain and her Allies. And I believe • to. the young men of this community who are ablo lo enlist for the front these thoughts must conio as a .clarion call to service, and to those who cannot no to the front, the .call to support bv their .sifts- and Lihcir .-,