CHURCH AND WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2950, 9 December 1916, Page 3

CHURCH AND WAR

CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS HIS POSITION FUNDAMENTALLY j UNSOUND. At the recent meeting of the Congregational Union at Birmingham, a paper on "Conscienco and the Community" was read by the Rev. Arthur I'ringle. Conscience, he said, was capable of being degraded from something sacred to something worse than the secular. It was not so much a monarch as a monitor. Sidgwick said that if every man did what ho thought right, without an instructed conscience, the world would be none the bettor but much the worse. Turning to the conscientious objector, lie argued that his. religious position was fundamentally unsound. The Nonconformist said: "Give me freedom of access to God, so that I may bo not a reluctant but a more efficient servant of the community." ' The conscientious objector said: "I must_ refuse to render mito Caesar the things that belong to Caesar. I cannot engago in any service that helps the State." _ The State had the duty to defend itself, and to deal with conscientious objectors whose objections imperilled the safety and the existenco of the State. ■ They, were not to wrest words spoken two thousand y<?ars ago under an'entirely different set of conditions and to convert them into a castiron imperative for all time. At any rate they should not pick and choose. He had noticed that "Lay not up treasure on earth" was not one of the sayings to which the modern conscience was ?riven to pinning itself. The conscientious objectors, if they formed a separate communitv and put their views to' the test, would soon fiiul,'a" such separate communities had always found, that their views were unworkable in any.communal life. When fighting for its existence the community hnd made r +o reeotrmse and make, provision for the men who stood outside the movement, mid the conscientious objector': had not mud" the State's honed; effort on their behalf any too ecsv, He was overheard by the men in the trenches, who were setting syeh a glnnous examole of endurance and saorifipp.. and these r/'on. ficbtinsr conscientious 1 !' - p.<*ninst a cruel and conscienceless miHt-anm, must be considered when ' they talked about conscientious ohiector and bis riehts. \V O s not the ennscientinus object* ™ nfti«ne the tli in as which 1,- ere .bomb's and whip l ' n'nri notii'illv nbhorml, but te whi-1 1 . h"cau co *hey were horrible. it midit be all the mere Iheir co'iseienf-'ins 'lur.' - to themselves. with H>e +hin."= wlrcl'' were of the essence the'' 1 ? Ilieir nieu in the trenches . shonld kno ,,r that in that- Asse'ublv. tliev boncired them nieu "'be for con-eiet'cc 1 srVc "°re fif.'l l '- intr their own ba< 4 '".' Tn the wnjyls of one whom be did "ot know those men "went io ilie of nonce. "'"I )''ov 'lied .without hate thai love might live." TH I: BISHOP OF LONDON ON THANKSGIVING AND HOPE. Attended by a young officer bearing the simple shepherd's crook, the Bishop of London met with an enthusiastic reception at a recent, open-air gathering, and aroused much merriment by commenting' on a current newspaper condemning him for preaching a "Gos■pel of gloom.;' "Why," .said His Lordship, "1 am one ot the most optimistic men in the diocese." and proceeded to address' the meeting 011 thanksgiving and hope. They thanked God for the glorious self-sacrifice and courage of the boys righting for. • tho honour of England.' The Londoner had tho heart of a lion, and they could see that beneath tho comfortable life of the old days the spirit, of their forefathers dwelt in them still. Then there was the unique service of tho women of England brought out by the war, in luwpitals, in canteens, in munition works, and hundreds of other places; there was hardly an idle girl to be found. The .wonderful fortitude of the who had lost their husbands, and Hbc mothers who had given. their sons —these ought to be the pride of tho country. They also thanked God for tho different manhood which the war had brought to light; comradeship forged in the trenches between classes opened the way for a new understand-, ing between rich and. poor, and the old social division must never be allowed to return; These discoveries of the war , wero .their hopo for the future lifo of the nation. Men would loatho the devilis, lies which had deceived them in tho old days, and made them sneer at religion, and think that God and His ■works wore .only for women and children. The- fortitude of the wives and mothers gave hope of a new hold on the unseen ivorld. People were asking "What happens after death?" and "What are the young men who have been suddenly called to tho other world?" By such questionings it was realised that the things seen were temporal, and the things unseen were eternal, and the Kingdom of God and His righteousness would find a place ■ in the future life of tlio nation. After the war a new view of prayer, worship, the observance of Sunday and the Holy Communion would bo taken, and change, tho whole character of London, lticli and poor would be welded into a commoii brotherhood. Tho mendicancy of the latter, with the suspicion and; hardness of the former, would be replaced by a' mutual self-respect and understanding. THE IRISH ON THE EVE OF BATTIiE. A correspondent in the "Daily Chronicle" gives the following picture of the way in which the Irish troops spent the night before-the attack on Guillemont: —"There .was no uncertainty ill the minds' of the men as to tho result of the attack which they were about to make. 'It's all right — wo shall have Guillemont to-morrow.' That is what they said, and they said it with a conviction which was impressive and still without boasting or arrogance. At the same time, these men., so gay and light-hearted, are filled with the ■ deepest and purest feelings of religion. The majority of these Irish soldiers are Roman Catholics. On

tho particular night the writer refers to, just as the camp fires wcro_ dying down and the men were preparing to wrap themselves in their coats for the rest which they might be able to snatch, am officer came over the side of the hill and down to the centre of the camp. It ivas the Catholic chaplain— a devoted priest who had been with the Irish troops in Ireland, in lingland, and in France, and wliose neverceasing work is keenly appreciated by all ranks. In a moment lie was surrounded by the men. They came to him without orders —they came gladly and willingly, and they hailed his visit with plain delight. He spoke to them in tho simple, homely language which they liked. Ho spoke of the sacrifico which they had made in freely and promptly leaving their homos to fight for a- canso which was tho cause of religion, freedom, and civilisation. Ho reminded them that in this struggle they were most certainly, defending tho hollies and tho relations and friends they had left behind them in Ireland. It was a simple, yet most moving address, and deeply affected the soldiers. When tho chaplain had finished his address lie signed to the men to kneel, and administered to them tho General Absolution given in times of emergency. The vast majority of tho men present knelt, and those of other faith stood by in attitudes of reverent

respect. The chaplain then asked tho moil to reeito with him tho Rosary. It was most wonderful, tile effcct produced as hundreds and hundreds of voiccs repeated the prayers and recited tlio words, 'Pray far he now and at tho hour of our death. Amen.' " MORE HONOURS FOR CHAPLAINS Ttoeo more Anglican priests liavo been awarded the Military Cross —tho Rev. A. S. Crawley, Vicar of Bishopthorpe, and Chaplain to tho Archbishop of Yorlc,- for gallantry and devotion to duty while acting' as stretcherbearer under heavy fire; the Rev. Geoffrey Edward Browne, curate of Sfc ; Peter's, Eaton Square, for bravery and indefatigable devotion to the wounded; and the Rev. Kenneth William Mackenzie, 51.13., Ch.B. (Edin.), for his gallant services during tho war. Mr. Mackenzie, who was formerly captain in tho Indian Mqdical Service, was ordained in 1914, and when war broke out he received a commission in the R-.A.M.C., and lias since been with the troops in France. On the recommendation of tlio President of the Board of' Trade tho King Tias been pleased to award the bronze inedal for gallantry in saving life at sea to the Rev. Robert J. P. Peyton-Burbery, Chaplain R.N., in recognition of Ills services: in assisting to rescue the crew of the steamship Pollokshields, of Sunderland, which stranded at Bermuda on Septembor 7, 1915.