Citizens Say—

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 455, 10 September 1928, Page 8

Citizens Say —

(To the Editor.)

SUNDAY BROADCASTS

Sir,— I often wonder for whom the Broadcasting Company really caters. The Church had the best of it last night from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. It was advertised in Saturday’s Sun that a gramophone concert or recital was to commence at 8.30 p.m., and yet we were compelled to have three solid hours of church services. FED UP.

LAND FOR SETTLEMENT

Sir,— In your issue of June 28, under the heading “A Desert Railway,” you state in your remarks that Mr. Coates said regarding the Rotorua-Taupo railway that the Government has been considering for some time the opening up of Crown and other land which might be suitable for settlement. “Might be suitable” is rather good, and it gives one cause to wonder why the Government did not have the Karioi Station cut up for settlement instead of devoting that area of agricultural land to tree-planting. The land which the Rotorua-Taupo line is going to tap might be suitable for settlement, and upward of £1,000,000 is to be spent in putting a line into a ”might-be” proposition. There is no “might be” about the Karioi country, as it has been well tested by practical farmers who have made and still are making a success of farming in that district on land not as good as that at Karioi Station. The whole area of the block, which consists of 33,210 acres, is ploughable with the exception of odd swamps and a few small gullies. No preparation is necessary on the land previous to ploughing and no roading is required on any portion of the block except odd crossings over creeks and swamps. The land is all of good quality soil suitable for agricultural farming, and the report circulated that the soil was of a pumice nature is contrary to fact. There is pumice to be found on the block, but it is well below where a plough or any implement would reach it; the top soil is of a dark sandy loam. A settler going on to any portion of Karioi could unload his plough from the train at Tangiwai or Karioi Station and be in action immediately he reached his selection, and he would have no road to make in order to reach any portion of the block. The block could have been leased to settlers at a very low rental an acre. I feel sure that if this land were cut up and put to a ballot many thousands of eager applicants would be forthcoming. SPEED THE PLOUGH.

SABBATH OBSERVANCE

Sir.—When the Law was given at Sinai, the Ten Commandments were spoken and written on tablets of stone by God. All other laws—the ceremonial and national laws—were given through, and written in, a book, by Moses. Thus two codes of law existed—the moral and the ceremonial. One written on stone, the other in a book. The latter

code was made necessary through the transgression of the first (see Lev., 4), and was “added because of transgression, till the seed should come.’’ (Gal.. 3:19.) Bible students know well that the ceremonials pointed to Christ, and when Christ came those ceremonials automatically ended. Then when Israel ceased to exist as a nation, their national laws also ceased- But the Ten Commandments were of a different nature, they were given for all time. Ps,, iii.: 7, 8. This latter fact, all the great denominations freely admit, as is evidenced by their Articles of Faith. Did A.E.C. have a correct understanding of the relation of these two laws, he would never quote such references as he does in support of his contention. They are entirely out of place. Now, none but the law-mak-ers can abolish or alter a law. Man certainly cannot alter a divine law, much less abolish it, and, as absolutely no evidence can be produced to show that the Ten Commandments have ever yet been abolished, or .any one of them, by their Maker, they, therefore, one and all, still continue to be binding on all men. And the Sabbath law is one of them. No need then for any specific utterance in the N.T. enjoining Sabbath observance any more than for anv of the other precepts. They are all of perpetual obligation. Christ said. “Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled,” and, further, “Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so. he shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven.” Matt., 5:18, 19. Haul also says: ‘‘Yea we establish the law.” Rom., 3:31. Christ and Paul both uphold Sabbath observance inasmuch as that it is part of the law to which they both refer. As A.E.C. states that he accepts only "some of the ten” there are some of the ten” then that he rejects. Now if he thinks he has the right to play fast and loose with Divine Law accepting only what “appeals to his reason” and rejecting the rest, he had T‘ ter first of all try his hand with the th f Dominion and he will most n? 1 ? learn the lesson of his life. Does he think that he can with impunity flout laws because they do not appeal to his reason”? I am quite suie lie is not game enough to try it on ■vith the laws of the land; vet it is astonishing what liberties he will nresume to take with Divine Law, regardless of the consequences. Let me remind him that during the French Revolution the law of God was for a time set aside. God Himself was challenged and in His stead the Goddess of Reason (an infamous woman) was publicly worshipped. Yes Rm ™ enthroned and worshipped. But a few years later the Goddess of tat her reason and ended her days in a lunatic asylum. ' Jn a F. L. SHARP.

NOTICE TO CORRESPONDENT

“Stung.”—You do not supply vour name and address.—Ed. The Sun. W.P. —The controversy over machinery and unemployment has now been closed.—Ed. The Sun.