RELIGION AT THE FRONT—AND AFTER

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2836, 29 July 1916, Page 10

RELIGION AT THE FRONT—AND AFTER

THE "REAL THING" WANTED.: . The Congregation Union, at its recent meeting in' London; listened with' inteusa interest'to'-ad'dresses given'by two. Congreiiational chaplains. ■ Captain -j. A; Patten drew cheers by declaring that never' in the .whole .-course of his experience as a chaplain had he seen a drunken soldier. There restrictions, no doubt, hut there were also ways of evading them, and the complete absence of intemperance was a splendid tribute to 'the moral' 'tone of their soldiers. As to the religious' situation, the average soldier was silently inclined to give Christi. ani-ty a fair hearing, arid was ready to respond to the message that «-as strong enough ; and deep enough, to"appeal to his true manhood. He believed that when the soldiers, came back from the war' the Church would have the finest opportunity'ihat it. had had for many generations. Om thing bis chaplaincy had taught him—what hosts of young men •there were who had lost all connection with the Chulch, but were wonderfully fine, fellow's-when.they got to know them, generous .'hearted, full of life and'fun, capablft of, great sacrifice. Was Ih'.cc not yet time to win tk?m hack? • .Tommy, said Captain Bernard UlTen, was deliriously Human. . The composition or a. modern army was never more'clear than when they stood behind the counter of a, canteen bar and naso*] penny burs to women;'with an Oxford accent' and cuns of tea to men who had tbe unmis-t-keabl" accent of the London East End. He-could not but feel that from all parts of the. front there would- conic info tho churches men whose.religious exnerience w i deepened; l and who_ would be their best workcrs;,bit as regarded the.majority, he did not .look; for anything in the nature of -a 'revival; but lie was satisfied there would never ngaiii be afforded to tho churches such a magnificent opportunity for evangelistic- service among men as would ho ptoad within their reach after the war. The attitude -nf. the men was sympathetic; tho men had got used to the church lrwie. and lilted it; but the parade only lasted half an hour, and that', he v-arned; thcin amid laiHil-T. mei'nl- v,>i r -? short sermonn.

There Mlfive l, addresses by two who had visited the fron* and done temporary e,hnp''>incv work. T'-ev "Mist sedulo"« ! y set themselves ni churches end /ministers. said the R"v. Sidney' M. Berry, .-.gainst the idea that they wet;e to miir's-tr-r to the wbiip" of anv body of men. The men .from the front, he l.elieved. would . exnect them *o lend. I T " r| from a letter frail the fruu. "We sir- 1 1 all w ; a"t' tlip real;, tl'insr." -They w-iild want the real 'thin.T in! preachi.'i.T. They would nee;! the real 'bing in their sense nf moral val«-% Th" churebes wist have a b'g visi-".i. and 1— q'd" to distinguish . between the little things Mid r»"'h- i'-"--'rfa l 't thiuc.

The he'd; fliiiij.' they could do for the wid Principal T). T.. TCitehie of yoftiiv.'hr-m, w;i= to ; r ivc the 'lien OtI'l'Peitioiiill rlniri'lies nr. their beat. t'ipiii Tiirt p" e'"l to t'-" nrPTiotips ami His ronvenHoinli'iii?. Thev rl'-! "Nt uvot lo Ijo received :vi liei'd"'. find liilt to be T"C?iveil -"p nnd nc Thev must have a rich niv' elfer'tive fhentovy. a>jd inns'' nuf nn end t/r the fviHeis'ii Hut'- l li/n- -lid -f' - "-".v th"ir Chnsl-'niHv t- o"nd. i'r t'w.v irnt awn" 'i' lr l Hriil rn n ~\ i'"'v ll;i(1 "it -iwv f nf t'^ei' - flinnln-"-. Vp...... thev h->.i v.,.;..; iinnlionMens "P ( !i n ' -■■ — ei"> ■■■ ' nut nnd ennlied. F" hi —i--.1 Sliced fn th" Mien e*" tlie ,frn»t dnv flor I'"* nd ,ri "mviiv'd that the chivalv-.- lied c'".i-n •'•• th;' r * t '"n 4 " war. niifht !>e ''"n*nvr'l e>'d used fiT nei-i-e service »'i the Church in her 'a?lr= <-f rr.->?"\