THE REV- A- REID ON SOCIAL TOPICS

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 410, 12 October 1889, Page 4

THE REV- A- REID ON SOCIAL TOPICS

Auckland, October 8. Preaching at Graftou Road Wealeyan Church yesterday morning, the Rev. A. Reid dealt with some questions of social interest. Mr Reids text was <l The second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Selfishness was spoken of as the bane of society ; love was its antidote. Christianity has for its main object the impartation of power to enable men to live in harmony with God and His laws, j Why is it that selfishness is so prevalent in j society, in the halls of legislation? Because ot the lack of supreme love, which'recognisea '* All men's good to be each man's aim." Alas, there is not a single church which exemplifies the supremacy of this love to God and men. Yel let us not despair. Both in the Church and State there are examples ol its power over individuals, and the best of the work done in society is done by Christian agency. Yefc much remains to be done. Are the British people to continue to pour the death dealing drink upon the nations of the wot Id just emerging from barbarism ? The churches are only rubbing their eyes on the temperance question, they are not yet awake ; they have power to speak to their legihlators so that the people, by wise laws, ui.-iy have the power of curbing this trafhc. On the relation of capital to labour, the churches should think and speak. The beneficial mediation at the recent dock labourers' s'rike in London was referred to, but we should not wait for crises. The law of love to our neighbour should bo operative through life, so that the tich should realise that they are God's stewards, and dispense their surplus wealth while they live. Mr Andrew Carnegie s arbicle in the " North American Review," on " The Gospel of Wealth," was alluded to. The Christian Church could not aftord to pass by the land question in silence ; she should deeply ponder thn question, and be prepared to help earnest thinkers to solve this important matter in the light of the needs of human brotherhood. On the substitution of arbitration for war the Church should unite in one imperative demand. How sad to &cc Christian nations anxious to get at their Christian brothers' thioats ; what a sad comment on the angelic song. How the interests of the peoples were crushed by the grinding taxation necessary to maintain the present armed oitip of Europe, while the withdrawal of millions of men of the finest physique and intellect is highly detrimental to the well-beint; of the nations. Yet the Church does comparatively nothing to stop this terrible state of things ; she contents herself with singing Te Deums, after awful carnage. It was time sbe t-hook off her apathy and shoulder to shoulder, Protestant, Catholic, Greek Church, Lutheran, Salvationist and Brethren all united to " Ring out the false, riner in the true, Ring in the Christ that is to be," and so will the time be hastened when the Saviour's epitome of the second portion of the commandment will be realised, " Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."