SUNDAY READING.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 October 1915, Page 10 (Supplement)

SUNDAY READING.

A PLEA FOR THE ANIMALS SERMON PREACHED BY REV. A. fl. COLVILE, M.A., at St. Mary's Church, New Plymouth, on Sunday, September 28. "Thou makest him to have-dominion of the works of thy hands. Thou bast put all things'in subjection under his feet."—Psalm viii.:d. "In subjection"—there is something pitiful and pathetic about that phrase; it carries with it an appeal not to he resisted at any rate by. those who possess imagination or sympathy. Tlie words have a whole history of their own behind them, a history full of wrongs and cruelties, of blood and tears, of savage oppression and brutal tyranny. There comes to us out of the past tlie memory of man's constant inhumanity to man by the unscrupulous use of superior strength and power; memories of the weak and helpless, crushed, broken and degraded, of the poor and ignorant ruthlessly exploited and driven. "In subjection"—we cannot turn tlie "pages of the history behind those words without feeling both pity and shame. There we read, e.g., of the horrors of the slave-trade —thousands and thousands of unfortunate men and women and children in the cruellest sort of subjection, torn from their home and friends, shipped far beyond the seas to a strange country to work for brutal masters under the lash —no responsibility taken, no rights acknowledged, no justice given, no mercy shown. Was it for this that God made all nations of men of one blood? Was it for tliis that He put it into the power of one race of men to gain dominion over another? Was it not rather that the strong might pity and protect and acknowledge their responsibility those who had come "into subjection"? Have not Englishmen come to understand that now, so that in India, in Egypt—aye, in every country in which we bear rule—those once conquered are cared for and live under a government which, though it makes mistakes sometimes, is in the main just, righteous and merciful? The whole difference lies in the AWAKENED SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY. Or turn'to another chapter in the dark . history of oppression. I\cad of the state of the children of the poor in England during the first half of the last century. Society in those days took no heed of its responsibility for the children. The unscrupulous greed of men—aye, often their own parents—gave themno time for education and no space for play. Childhood ended for them at the age of seven, sometimes earlier. Caught up in the remorseless money-making machine. they had all the light-hearted happiness of childhood crushed out of them. Forced to work in factories and mines and agricultural gangs for hours which would be considered to-day far too milch for the strongest tnan, tliey withered in liiind and body before ever they came to man's or woman's estate; knowing nothing of the brightness and beauty of life, they could Icnow nothing likewise of the love of God and the mr-re.y of Christ. Was it for this tiiat He had sent little children into the world and given men and women dominion over them if Close the i'ba;itcr now and think for it moment, of tin- contrast, the care and t bought we expend upon the children to-day - upon their education, their upbringing, their development. What makes (lie diav.-rin.-e- It is the aroused sense ~j' responsibility which always st imulai-c- imagination and therefore brings <iuj in tnan'- nulure the greatest quality of compas-ion which, as Shake--peare -ay-, ami a- desu- Christ liataught il-. is "an attribute of God Himself." Once more turn the pages, of that -ad history the title of which might well be "In subjection." and ynu vvill come to it very black chapter wherein i-vvrit.leii - for Cod lo -ee—a record of tin- vvr..again! cruel! ie-. and brutal'tn-. -ulicicd bv tile animal creation at tile hand- of man, a ireniendou- indictment which man will . have to an-vver one day before the jii,|cmeni scat of God. lint we are noi giv ine Jo-night lo search out pa-; re-ovd-. , We can understand Ihat in a brutal age 1 when men inflicted pain cavele : -lv, r-,"-k- ---. les-lv. wantonly on their fcli,c,v.,-|ieii they should have cared nothing for ti'e , animals. We can imder-tan.l ihai if ' 1 lie h.-lple—lie— and dependence oi lillle , children made no a,.|ieal f, > ||i,.j r hetier , leclings, tin* faci lie,n animals weie in , -uiijccliou would utterly fail to aroii-.c any in-linci of nicrev and ■om-.n--ion. Moreover, our aurc-to."- leccivcd bill ■ litil lic-alioii. hilt little teaching on , liie subject. Tiie Church -ecim-d In , ha-.e forgotten tiie Ma-ler". coiti'iuunl | to be ; MEm'll'Tl. WITIKU'T Ll\!|TAT|ti\'S. ";i- your Lathi r in Heaven i» niercii'ul." rile religion- cin-cJcnee vva-- -o dead thai when |he- ici|\i,s( vva- made . to form a branch of the So ie! v i'oi the Prevention of Cruelly (o Animal- in , Home the I'ope refused, on tiie ground that animal- were not Christians; and that.,such an as-oc'iation could not be sanctioned by the llolv See. being based on t'hc lhcological erroi that a Chri-tiau owed'any duly to animal- at all, "My ' t friend-, it i- bemuse 1 believe ihat ninny people ha'.c I hi- idea in ihe background of their mind- that comparatively so few of onr church-going people take any real interest in the -object. | Is it a theological error that a Chri-iian I owes any duty to animals? I- it a theological error (hat a Chri-iian owes [ any duty to himself and to God'f Docs lie not owe it to God and to him-eU lo „ develop the higher instincts that God has implanted within him? And the • highest and purest instin-1 of man's , nature is compassion, which is not sentl- ; mentality, but a divine impulse. "Yes," | you will say perhaps, "compassion for . one's fellow men: we all recognise that \ to-day." But don't you see that the whole principle of development' is not [ to cramp or confine or limit a good in- ! stinet. but to let it have its full range, ( controlled not by expediency but by reaj son. "Charity begins at home.'' say some people, often from motives of cx- • pedieney; and the right answer is, "'Yes, hut if it ends there it is a poor cramped soTt of thing and but a shadow of the charity that was in Christ Jesus. , Mercy begins at home, with our rela- ' tions to or fellow-men—right; but if it ends there it does not do all for us and i for the world that it might do, nor does i it honor as it should that God Who is I the Father and Creator of all. "If a i man is a real Christian," said John Wes- , ley, "his horse and dog are the better for it." Quite so. At the time of the i Welsh Revival the miners became so I kind to the pit-ponies that the unfortunate creatures hardly knew what to ■ do without the familiar blow and curse. ' If a man is striving to develop the > Christ within him, his compassion goes out into all the world and lavs hold of

every living thing that it can 'benefit. He prays for mercy for himaelf, and "that same prayer teaches him to sender to all his fellow-creature* the deeds of mercy." •Now, how has man too often repaid God for His great gift? How has he repaid them for their willing service and faithful friendship, those living creatures whom God lias placed in his power? As I have said, we have NO NEED TO EXAMINE PAST RECORDS. The unnecessary suffering of animals at the hands of man has not ceased to-day, and in hundreds of ways the creatures who are "in subjection," whom God made to live brief happy lives—aye, to add to our own joy in life and to help us in our development—are cruelly oppressed, cynically exploited, and often horribly misused. It is true that cruelty to animals is more hidden to-day than it wa3 a hundred years ago. A healthier public opinion has driven much of it beneath the surface. For that very reason it is the more dangerous, for some of us are apt to think that we have no responsibility when we cannot see a thing actually being done. No respectable town would tolerate scenes of brutal cruelty in the public streets. If the citizens regarded such things with indifference they would be condemning themselves. If that wore all there would scarcely be a need of a society to educate public opinion and to help the efforts of police and magistrate. HIDDEN CRUELTY. It is the hidden cruelty that no one sees that makes the demand upon our efforts. Cattle are crammed into railway trucks and left for long hours without food and water, and you don't realise the suffering, because you can't see it. In lonely places in the country horses and bullocks are treated sometimes with savage cruelty, and you dont know; no eye but the eye of God witnesses the wrong done to those who arc in subjection and can make no complaint and no appeal but the appeal of silent suffering. Women who wear complacently the plumes of the osprey and other rare birds in their hats wannot see the horrible and sickening cruelty that has been used to obtain them. They cannot see lying on the beach of Laysan Island, seven days' sail from Honolulu, hundred# of living blrdg with their wings torn off and left to die slowly of haemorrhage while their young perish of starvation, callously sacrificed to gratify the whim of fashion and the lust for gain.

It is the wilful shutting of your understanding to the cruelty you can't see with your eyes, and therefore the deliberate washing of your hands of the responsibility for that cruelty that does the mischief. Again, you wabc-h with interest and amusement some travelling circus or what is called a "Wild West show." and don't think of the cruelty that is practised behind the scenes. In the old days men mid women took pleasure in brutal exhibitions. Queen Elizabeth and her court would assemble to witness the spectacle of a chained bear in a pit haitcd by dogs. We would not tolerate such things nowadays. Such an open exhibition of brutality would he too much for our nerves, But we patronise shows that have been eonccived and brought forth in erueltv, because that cruelly i, hidden am] we can't see it, and therefore our nerves are undis(orbed and mil withers uugwung. S'Sueli show- have become to a, large extent discredited in 'Hngl-aml. and animal "turn-" at music-hulls are no longer received with favor and applause, and soon, I believe, all aroused public conscience ivill demand their abolition. Remember, my friends, that a time will come elien all that i- hidden will be revealed, when the STUOM; s|-:aH('III,K:|IT OF (itllVM -.H'Di.MKNT will light up all the dark [daces of the earth, and as-iuedly we who have shirked our respun-ibilily in this matter will not be held Liiiiltle-s. What can we do, you -ay? I'ir-I. you can support the Society for ihi- Prevention of Cruelty lo A u 'in:! U. 1 'in- !o,"a! Society ha- done ijooil work si,i,e it wa- ,-Urtcd three year- ago. hut nothing lo what il might have ilone li it had been more generally supported. The -cope and range of the Society mu-t lie increased so thai bidden eniclty may he brought to light, and t" do t:i ai it necJ- more general »upi»'it. 'I hen by your word- and example Voil rail do Ihui'b. nanii-ularh in a community iike "T-. Say- .Mr. dolin Cal--v orthy. Ihe v. ell-known noveli-t and playwright. "Kwrything yon »ay and do and think ha- its ell V.l on even body around yon. i'oi- eMiniple. it' vou ice! and .-ay buiiliy enuiigi; that the eoursin;; ol have- in ci;. 10-ure- i- a di-Litl-tin:.; piece lit elite! ly ymi wil] infallibly intact a number ui' other people with a feeling of iiHiigmitioii again-t it. and in course lime these people will fee! as.

you do and .v;ll become -u numerous thai such coiir-inM- will be put down by hiv.." So il is, uu friends, wit li all Vnielty. We .hail only arrive at a better -tale oi tliiicj- l.iy our ieS|ioii-ib ; !:ty anil -peakin;' oni boldI v for Cod'- ei'eal urc- whom lie ha- nut. in MiUji'cfion in man. tiver whoiii ll<has L'iviMi item dominion. <;o«! fhem. (bid piti"- them. and Cod has given liiem lo us Ihat ill return for their patient service and the jov they bring us we may be their hue friends and pro lectors against those who would make their lives a ciir-e to them. K-speciallv at tin- time should vv e feel drawn to them. I'or tbev are beiirine their part and tiikine i lieir -bare in the pain and sitfI'eiing of war. As we kneel before (,'od and lift up our hand- to Him for our friend- who far away are in the inid-t of so ninny and great dangers, we may well mid a -ilent prayer for the unconscious creature, who sillier with them, and our power I'or prayer will be in tensified and onr whole lives deepened, for- - ''He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast: lie pmyeth best, who lovest best All things both breat and small, l-or the dear God Who ioveth us He made and loveth all.