C.E.M.S.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 506, 5 October 1912, Page 3

C.E.M.S.

REV. WATTS-DITCH FIELD'S VISIT.

Many people have been asking why the Rev. J. E. Watts-Ditchfield did not visit places like Te Kuiti. This is most easily answered by stating who he is and what his work is. He is an Anglican parish priest, working in the rush of a highly organised London parish of iourteen thousand people. In the parish eleven years ago there was no clergyman. To-day the average attendance at his Sunday school is 2000 with 360 teachers, of whom 150 are men; the attendance at the Bible classes for boys and girls average between 400 and 500 and his Sunday afternoon men's services draw 500 men, and added to this there are 100 letters a day to attend to. He has now seven curates, but we can understand that with this great work, he should not be longer away than necessary and could not spare a longer time for New Zealand. In Hamilton he explained the reason he came. The Church of England Men's Society, was the most powerful and far reaching society the Church of England has ever had, and they had felt in England that there was a danger of the Society losing its spiritual purpose. And by having knowledge of it from the beginning, he consented to travel throughout Australia and Canada to address the branches and at the last included New Zealand, because of the appeal made to him to do so. First, he said, the society was not to be political. Of no one class or church party. It's motto "All in One" declared this. It was a men's society for clergy and laity of the church. In founding it they had looked for the highest foundation. Therefore, full membership was for those whose lives had the hallowed and sacred power of the Holy Communion. The badge, across, the symbol of the Crucifixion where the Body had been broken, the Blood shed. The motto "All in One," clergy, laity, rich and poor. And the ruie of life wa3 two-fold. First towards God with its pledge of daily prayer, to teach its members to go into His presence and see His face turned towards men. for whom His Son died. And secondly, towards men with its pledge of service that all may do something for men and help them to see His face also. The ordinary social club could in no way fulfil the ideal of such a society and he had come to try to help all branches to keep to the object for which the society was started. He knew what the society could do for in his parish there were over 200 members keeping the rules and helping in all kinds of parish work. To keep on right lines it was necessary to be very keen on Bible study. To hold regular prayer meetings at which the members take part. The prayer book and church history ought to be studied and the rrember3 must take an interest in the social problems of the time. At the close of the address a number of question were asked and answered. Thinking now of the address, which must linger long in the minds of all who heard it, it was no-t brilliant speaking or power of oratory that held the attention, but the words "I have a message to thee" seems to sum it all up. A message which he knew could stir hearts, and turn men to God, and so he rivetted attention. It is men like this who are making the Church of England a greater power than she haa ever been in the lives of their people. The following is the report of one of his addresses given before 1200 men in Melbourne on a Sunday afternoon, where he took for the motive of his address the "chance arrow" of the story of Ahab and Jehoahaphat at the battle of Ramoth-Gilead. He prayed that his words might be a chance arrow to hit every man of the congregation; but yet not,an arrow of death but of life and healing. First there was the man who is disguised, pretending to be what he is not. Christ hurled the fiercest denunciation against hypocrites. If such denunciation were drawn by it from the gentle life of Jesus, how heinous must be the guilt of the sin of hypocrisy. Next, there was the man with a doubt; the man who says, "There are so many things I cannot understand." Of him he asked, "Would you have a religion which you can understand? The little boy cannot understand his father, it is reasonable to expect that the man shall be able to grasp the bting of the eternal God? But the boy can feel his father's love, and we can look up and say of God, "Father," and pray to our Father. Then, as to those who woud throw Christianity overboard as a thing out of date. Let them make their minds that the best teachers and the first scientists of the day were set for throwing religion overboard. The men who were moving politics to-day, whether Liberals, Conservatives, or Labourites, realise that the Christian faith is necessary if they would be anything. Every movement which is to do anything must have a Christian man at the bottom of it. The of the Lord Jesus Christ is the only power which can put the world right. Netx, there was the man who has a home. Every such man i 3 a prime minister of that little' State. How are you governing- yours? What had you done for your boy? Housed him well, fed him well, clothed him well, educated him well, started him in life well, but have you prayed for him or with him? Then there is the man who does nothing, whose churchmanship is narrowed to adhesion to that from which he getg good. The church is an army of which Christ is the captain, apd men are soldiers to go our and make the world pure and happy and to put wrong things right. At our baptism we were not signed with the Cross in order to get good, but that we might be soldiers, and servants, and witnesses. Lastly, there is the man whom God wants. Wycliff translates in the hstory of Joseph, "and God was with Joseph,

and Joseph was a lucky man!" The lucky man is the man whom God is with.

A fervent appeal. "If God be God, serve him," ended a great address, which had held the attention for a time that one was surprised to find was fifty minutes. If this is C.E.M.S. what a magnificent power for good it will be in all casses of the community, for all classes were well represented there, and all ages of manhood. .And there was a genuine note in the thunder of that refrain

We will maintain unshrinking, One Church, one Faith, one Lord