RELIGIOUS OBJECTORS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2941, 29 November 1916, Page 9

RELIGIOUS OBJECTORS

._——* teIBER OF " THE BRETHREN " STATES THE CASE WHY HE WOULD NOT HELP BELGIUM By Telegraph-Press Association. ChriStohurch, November 2S. ~!. For some time to-day the Military • Service Board for the Oatiterbury Mili-" stary District was occupied in listening to numerous quotations from Scriptures. The board was hearing the first .appeal in this district from a conscientious objector who had been called :wp under. Section 35 of the Military - Service Act, and tho matter had re- ' ■ .'solved itself into a teas'case' with respect to his position, as regards military service, of tho sect 'Blown as "The Brethren." The appellant was William iLrnest Frizzell, electrician. 23 years of age, living at Feudalton. He b!ad appealed on two groulifts: Firstly, that ihis calling up would cause undue hard;ship; and, secondly, that lie had conscientious and religious objections. The appellant said that his sect had no ', formal articles, but he wishodl to call evidence upon the beliefs of the sect. . Henry L: Dartnell,'. an elderly, man, general storekeeper, deposed he was a member of the sect called '.'Tho Brethren." The. sect, had'do such articles as, :for instance, had'[the Church of Eng- ■ land, but it had the teaching of the tHd Testament, and the example of 'Christ. . ; The chairman (Mr. J. S. Evans, S.Jf.): Well, what is it you rely on? • Witness: Well, we regard the teachnng of Christ as supplied to us as covering the world. I'.you take the Ser'■jnoh on the Mount you will see that Christ says, "Ye have heard that it hath been said, an "'eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, but I say unto you .that ye resist not evlij but whosoever . [shall smite theo on the right cheek turn to him the dther also, and! if any inaii will sue thee at the law and take away thy coat, let hiiv- have thy cloak iilso. and whosoever shall compel thee to go a mils go with him twain. Give .to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee. , Turn not 'them away. Ye have heard btfat. it liath been said that thou shall love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy, but .1 say unto you, love your enemies. •Bless .them that curse you, do goodl to. them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you.'" The chairman:' Well; how would you propose to win this war if you rely on that? .'-'. '} AVitness: AVe are confident that in the good and in the faith in Him we have a very powerful weapon that overrules everything else. . The chairman: You don't seriously BUggest that the German- menace can : be met in that way? ,:■-,- ...AVitness: AVe feel pretty sure.that if is one of the most powerful weapons. The chairman remarked that the war tad been going on for some time, and Women and children had been butchered in the most diabolical manner. Ho ~ldid not see how that fitted in. AVitness: The world to-day has left but God pretty much. AVe feel, and it may' he, that certain' things happen to teach us. Witness' went on to quote of Chrisfc before.Pilate. . Tho chairman: That was a _ personal .; flatter that affected only Himself. AVitness submitted that we were called upon to suffer] /That was the teaching to which the sect had subscribed. The chairman quoted the Section of the Act governing the'appeal) and pointed out. that under that Section '" there.must'ho a. religious' body'with certain defined religious tents and 'doctrines which declared hat it was contrary to Divine revelations, to bear arms. AVitness replied that :what ho said .'did express what the sect had believed for years. They had not got a drawniip rule, because the Scriptures were enough for them. /;: After further lengthy argument between Mr. Evans and witness, in reply %o a question from the chairman, who pointed out that it was a matter affecting all parts ' of the Dominion, and .that the board wished to make a thorough investigation : before making any order, the witness Mindertook to commuiiicate With The Brethren, and , other parts of Now Zealand, and endeavour to ascertain the number of members of tho sect who were liable to military service, so that the board could ascertain the possible-number of exemptions. In reply to Captain Pilkington, witness said that the matter, had.been discussed by meetings of The Brethren iri New Zealand, but no minuted re-' . .solutions had been carried. The Brethren felt that the Scriptures were binding on them.. In reply to the chairman, witness 1 said he thought he could got some conciso statement of tlie doctrines of the ,'sect, particularly as regards war. The : sect had no centre. Each was a local gathering, and was a law unto itself, except that it recognised that there was but one body. They could not act in Christchurch contrary to the way The 'Brethren in AA r ellington were acting, jfor example, and vico versa. He agreed ithat .the.ro' had been a little divergence ''sometimes. .... i Evidence was also given by Chas. iHerd, assistant storeman, who said that he had been a member of The 'Brethren sinco 1900. Before that lie •was a Presbyterian, but he was not converted then.- In' the course of his statement, .witness said that Christ had left His earthly people, the Jews, and now had no earthly people. Ho was taking up a peculiar people that would reign in Heaven. Everyone who believed in Christ was expected to take the same path as He trod. AVitness, as evidence of how that teaching was applied, stated that he took no part in politics, and did not vote.. Ho did not want to hold a freehold in Canterbury. , ._ "While. witness was describing his beliefs, the chairman interjected: "How do you propose to meet this war on those lines?" AVitness replied that if he could nave a certain amount of time with Alio chairman he could, perhaps, enlighten him on that point. ' He, too, thought that the war.might hayo been fent to chastise the Christians. Tho chairman: "Unfortunately we pro not the Christians who are suffering." He drew witness's attention to had .happened ja j&jgiiMa, Enaase, Serbia.,, de, Witness replied that fie was speak' ing generally. They Were oris Booty and were interested in all tJiat coir••eni'ed the-Vsaints everywJreTe. ' 1 P'The-'tihairmaa:' .But«*you 'arex not "■go; •*aud»proTeVt'*them ? wifsess-, mmh, vmuw i)w ll.ayo a greats ftetector, £%M. & . Wll come forift o ri the ,WhjV Horse gnd do that. . ' : """ • The chairman: I dw't think ys <ea» get any further ahead Just, now. AVliat wo want is something that will show definitely that tho teachings includo .opposition to bearing arms. The chairmen of tho various boards held a conference in AVellington, and generally agreed that as far as .possible they would adopt uniform decisions, especially in matters of this kind, so that if the majority decide that a body such as this should bo exempted that will be done, even if some of us don't agree individually. : The. board adjourned the case for a jnenth, in whicVtimo Mr. Dartnell is to obtain information about the numbor of Brethren in New.Zealand who are

eligible for service, and-is'to procure definite evidence on tho sect doctrines as the board desired. The chairman intimated that he would consult the chairmen of the other boards and see what view tlioy took of the matter.