RELIGIOUS WORLD.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 217, 13 October 1916, Page 4 (Supplement)

RELIGIOUS WORLD.

In the series of Makcra *jf the Nineteenth Century Constable, wc have a. n< >3B '~\ Abraham Lincoln, by Lord The book is of great inter. -: the present time, because '.'here are points of parallelisms between the war that for a time rent the Republic i America and the war in which we ourselves ares o deeply engaged. "Iho C'vil War in America was to the Aniericanp eopla as severe a test as the European war is to us at present. Ie lasted four years and at the end. the total deaths no the Northern ami Southern sides due to the war, was, according to the population % of the. whole country, one to every th/rty-twr Of these deaths about half occurred on tho Northern side, and half on the Southern side, though in proportion J o the population of the South, they Josd twice as heavily as the North. As with ourselves, the Northern States were unprepared for war. The total number of the Northern army only ran to about 10,000, officers and men, and these were scattered on small frontier forts in tha west. The Southerners had more of the military spirit, more officers of genius as General Lee and Jackson; they had the advantage of situation and they operated on interior lines. They were successful at the start, and their whole heart was in the struggle. The superiority of the North was in its navy. The hope »f the South was to strike a deadly blow in the North, before the latter could linng its strength to bear against the South. On the other hand unless the Sou tli was completely conquered, the North could obtain no real victor/. After a time the North began to win steadily, but did not know it. Though they had to sustain a series of disasters, they were more apparent than real. The cause was marching on to victory through waves of deepest mental depression. The question was raised whether civilian statesmen should be allowed to .interfere in war. The answer to that question ia that Abraham Lincoln proved himself to be the greatest strategist of his time, and the war, as we know, was brought to a successful close.

Now what was the aftermath of that war? I will quote from Dr. C H Parrish M.A., President of the Ecki?S'° Norton Institute, Kentucky. ' Hunk what we of the coloured race have clone :n forty years, out of our penury, we, wlio did not know tli«?o a si? B of mone y. n»Te contribute f S.Z,.m,(m for the education of our people. \\ e have fully quipped 36,000 coloured teachers in the publ'c schools - no have had 45,000 negro students m the high schools. 3,000,000 learning wj dt '? m the technical colleges, and .1000 in the classical colleges, and 3000 m the classical and scientific college'. We who had no property at all at the close of the war, own to-day 160 OW iarms valued at £8,000,000. Our personal property is valued at £40,000,000 and we have bought up the mansions or «w slave-owners for our schools and colleges."

What may wo expect the aftermat'i of the present great war to be? The consciousness that God :n His Omniscience- knows, warrants a belief in the coming of a great Revival and Reunion among the churches. The new wor'd ni tCr t,ie war wIU dem and a new Church. It will be proved that the world needs Christianity more than anything else. The men at the front will have learned to appreciate thi power of the Unseen, and they w:J! know that it is "not by might nor by power but by God s Sp"irit "that maa truly lives. May we not expect to see a "Healing of the Nations", and a great Balkan Federation, creating 3 Christian Hellenism freed from the nroads of tha False Prophet and made more glorious than it has ever been before, by the permeation of life with new ideals, and the working out of Christian Principles. Mar we not :.'- bi expect that true spirit" of Altruism amongst peoples composing the varions sections and creeds of the Christian Church-'—when commerce and religion shall be the pride of all our citizens. Dr. J. H.Jowett preaching from "They shall mount up with wings (Isaiah xl, 21) says—The crusaders who wage th« noblest conflicts along the road are just those who get out their wings and soar for a change of air. The man who takes occasional flights to the New Jerusalem is a more efficient labourer •n the old Jerusalem. The man whose citizenship is in heaven is sure to be :t very noble citizen of earth. They have the freshest eye, ;:nd tjie most hopef il vision, and the most inspiring mood, all this just because thev are the most inspired. They are true to the kindred points of heaven and home. And how do we put on tnese wings? Ther that wait upon the Lord . . . shall monw up "With wings! In this realm Communion is ascension. When we tur-i cur hearts to the Lord" the power of wing is ours, and we can rise from onr tiresome road, into the high heaven of spiritual rest and vision." CIVI3.

FIGHT WITH SUBMARINE. CAPTAIN TELLS HOW HIS SHIP SANK THE ENEMY.

On Sundiy, June 18, at 6.40 a.m. (sa>s tlio captain of the steamer 1.,e Coq), an enemy submarine was sighted about lour miles true east of our ship, and immediately opened fire from apparently a 4in. gun on us. After ne had fired three or four shells at us wo opcn.xl fire on him from our gun. Our fifth shot appeared to hit him, but he still kept up a constant lire on us, « u u gradually closed with us. One of the enemy shells hit us .. n the pert side. piorcing our steam pipe and causing a gr,-;;t eseapa of steam with much nose. Our 26th shot hit him on the water line, causing hiin to submerge or disappear m a dense cloud of snioko and fire, and I consider without doubt we sank him. Later the periscope of another submarine was seen about 1000 yards distant, who promptly discharged a torpedo at us, but by the timely use of the helm I was able to arod it. and it passed about 50 f/\>t astvrn of us. We fired throe shells at the second submarine, which caused it to submerge, and after hoisting up our boats we proceeded on our journey, seoing no more of the enemy.