CHURCH AND THE WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 February 1916, Page 7

CHURCH AND THE WAR.

BISHOP AVERILL'S REVIEW.

An article dealing with the spiritual attitude of the people towards the war hag been written by the Anglican Bishop of Auckland, Dr.. A. W. Averill, and appears in the latest issue of the Church Gazette. The article fe addressed to the clergy and laity of the diocese. "How often has victory seemed to be within the grasp of the Allied forces in this mighty conflict against tyranny and oppression, 'but somebody or something was just too late, and the fruits of victory were lost,'' says the writer. ''Shall we be too late in realising the real nature of this war, too late in acknowledging the contribution which our own unworthy ide:ils are making towards its continuance and bitterness, too late in removing stumbling hocks out of God's way, and too late in helping to supply the spiritual force to counteract the force of the powers of evil let loose in the world! In spite of all the earnest warnings uttered by the clergy, in spite or all the exhortations to come apart and pray, in spite of all Uie earnest appeals from pulpit and trench to realise the seriousness of the present situation, we are still face to face with careless indifference and utter godlessness. The many ramifications of' materialism lie upon our nation like a pall, and the majority of people, 'having eyes, see not.' Is the Church's voice to be silenced, the Church's witness to be deadened, the Church's warning to be stifled? Are the faithful few to be disheartened by the opposition of the world? Is the Church's message to be silenced by shouts of revelry? Are Christian people to be too late in realising the result of their indifference and cowardice?

NEED TO BE WORTHY OF THE CAUSE.

"If wo arc to be victorious in this conflict we must be worthy of the honor, and how often do we consider whether we are worthy? We know for a fact that hundreds and thousands of our brave soldiers have found God and also their true selves during this war, and surely there must be something lacking in ourselves if we are contented to go on in our blindness, either ignoring God altogether, 0 r giving; to Him the minimum of our thought and time. _"lt is splendid to make proper provision for our wounded soldiers, and the dependants of those who 'have made the great sacrifice; 'but it is even more splendid to make the country more worthy of their great sacrifice, aiid more worthy of the sacred cause for which they are fighting; and as the country is the aggregate of the individuals living in it, we must first make ourselves more worthy of the great task to which we have been called. , , , A CARICATURE OF CHRISTIANITY. •'There is a popular, emasculated caricature of Christianity current which is certainly not in accordance with the mind of Christ, and which is popular because it costs us nothing," Bishop Averill proceeds. "Have we fallen victims to its insidiousness? Sentiment is substituted for truth, and the way of selfpleasing for the way of the Cross. Are we trying to be loyal to our own principles, to the terms-of the Baptismal Covenant, or is it nothing more to us than a 'scrap of paper'? "The world needs men of principle, not trimmers, and the Church needs men of principle, men who know the meaning of honor, men who are bound in honor to light for the fuith once and for all delivered to the saints, and not capitulate to a watered-down 20th century ultra-modernist edition .of the everlasting Gospel which subordinates truth to a doubtful expediency. We are not going to help our country or our Empire, and we are certainly not going to help our God and His Christ, by acquiescing in a feeble caricature of' Christianity which neither hurts nor helps.

PRINCIPLE OF THE SADDUCEES. "There is a good deal too much of the 'made in Germany' type of religion in our midst to-day ,and that means too much of the principle of the Sadducees, 'We have no King but Caesar," the writer concludes. "God is not a reality in the lives of many professing Christians, the Christian faith is not a reality either, the Church is not a reality, and so life is not a rcalitv, but merely a drudgery and a plaything. Shall 'we drift on into utter indifference and carelessness, or shall we consider our ways and try to help God, and so help oiir country and Empire to be a little bit worthy of the blessings which God is waiting to give us?

"I hope the first Sunday in Lent will be made a special day of'prayor, intercession and humiliation for 'the many sins which defile our national life anil withhold God's blessing from us.'