THE BROTHERHOOD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 202, 6 May 1912, Page 4

THE BROTHERHOOD

SUCCESSFUL OPENING. The promoters of the New Plymouth BrotVv', r)n ,i j,. lve g 00( j rell9on to feel gratified at tin; unqualified success of the opening meeting held under its auspices, which took place yesterday afternoon in the Good Templar Hall, wher« 280 men had gathered. On the platform there was a representative gathering of citizens, comprising Mr. H. Okev, M.P.. Dr. Home, Revs. Colvile, Burton, Roueveare, and Hales, and Messrs. M. Fraser. E. Dockrill, P. White, W. Ambury, N. K. McDiarmid, R. D. Paterson (Wanganui) and Sidney Smith and G. E. Roper, president and secretary respectively of th# Labor Federation.

The Mayor (Mr. G. W. Browne) presided, and in his opening remarks stated how glad he was to assist in a movement of this character, which was unsectarian, having as its object the uplifting of th# moral character of the town.

The parable of the "Good Samaritan" was l read as a lesson by the Rev. A. H. Colvile, after which the Rev. T. H. Roseveare led in prayer. Miss Nellie Castl# then sang very effectively, "Nearer, my God, to Thee," and at its conclusion the audience broke into applause. Mr. R. D. Paterson, secretary of the Wanganui Brotherhood, brought in person greetings from that organisation. Telegrams were also read from the pregi. dents and secretaries of the Brotherhood» in Wellington and Auckland, congratulating New Plymouth on the start it I had made.

ADDRESS BY THE REV. J. BURTON. The Rev. J. Burton delivered an address upon "Brotherhood as an ideal of Jesus Christ." He commenced by saying how glad he was to see His Worship the Mayor in the chair. The late Mr. Tisch, when Mayor of New Plymouth a year ago, had. continued the speaker, mentioned to him that some movement was very much required on behalf of the young men' of New Plymouth. That meeting, he had then maintained, would have to be unsectarian. The meeting today, added Mr. Burton, was in some measure due to the suggestion of the late Mayor. The speaker then plunged into his subject, and stated that Christ formulated 110 creeds. He set forth the ideal of life. Mr. Burton then went on to say that the ideal was for the individual, and capable of great expansion. The ideal of architecture, for example, was vogue, as also was the ideal of beauty; but it was nevertheless real. Jesue did not attempt to define the ideal of brotherhood. He illustrated it, and thus men saw it. The speaker remarked that the unifying ideal of brotherhood was the great need of the world to-day. It was needed first of all, said Mr. Burton, fn religion. The wrong emphasis had come into Christianity. Stress had been lairl upon creeds and forms which did not tend to unite men. As regards the M Plymouth Brotherhood, the members would all meet in that hall, Sunday by Sunday, as men of all creeds and classes, forgetting so far as possible dividing opinions, and remembering the common ideal which made them one for ever. This ideal of brotherhood was needed in social relations. Every serious van must be aware of the great social unrest of our times. A revolution mo-re rigorous than that which shook France two centuries ago was even now at our doors. .Tesus had no social formula to offer. He left an ideal which was 'to

shape and transform society in every age. We were slowly coming to gee that there was no otb»r way but this to go. (Applause.) Touching upon th» social problem, the speaker described it as an individual one. Cell by cell thi mass was' leavened. He quoted Bushnells fine phrase, "The soul of all improvement is the improvement of the soul Continuing, Mr. Burton remarked: Depose capital from his throne of selfishness. and, unless you change the spirit of .men, labor will mount the vacant dias. The tyranny of democracy can be just as cruel as the tyranny o! capital. (Applause.) The 'get' spirit must he overcome by the 'give' attitude. 1 * They would meet there as brothers, ircreed or calling. Such a relationship must, he emphasised, affect us m our life, day by day. This ideal was needed in personal life. It sapped personal selfishness. Brotherhood thus became an ettiical guide-an expression of the Golden Rule." The speaker instanced its effect upon the social evil, and added that only by regarding women ae brothers could the evil be healed. In conclusion, he declared that Brotherhood was necessary in international life. \ ~ , InamaD ' waß our brother, and he should be (helped towards the true ideals. People were aware of the change coming over the civilised world in respect of war, for man had had a glimpse of Jesus. The time would come when the civilised world would be as ashamed of a bayonet as a Fijian was of a cannibal fork, and when men Would look with tha same horror upon a faded picture of * Dreadnought as they did now upon th« thumbscrew. Mr. Burton concluded by quoting Tennyson's well-known Terses, the Just of which is:,

Ring in the valiant men and free The larger heart, the kindlier hand; King out the darkness of the land; Ring in the Christ that is to be! 4.1. j- s ' n £' n 8 °f the big audience, under the direction of Mr. W. M. Perry waa a feature of tihe meeting. Mr A. V. Carbines was tho pianist. At the conclusion -of the meeting over a hundred men enrolled themselves as permanent members of the organisation.