CHURCH PARADE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1511, 27 May 1886, Page 1

CHURCH PARADE.

A church parade of tlie Ger ildine Rifl"s took place on Sunday last. About 38 men were present, including the Band, Lieutenaot Ward in command, The members of the corps fell in at their present drill shed »t about ten o'clock and matched to the Presbyterian Church, where the Rev. G. Bard iy conducted Divine service. The Church was crowded in every parr, several pi-rsons being accommodat-d in the Ves:ry. The rev. gentleman too i for his text Mehemiab IV., commencing at the 7ih verse. The rev. gentlemm first reviewed what was meant by the word patriot and also the circumstances lending up to the events narrated in the chapter, and instanced sevral patriots in Grecian and Polish liistoiy, and also several mor« modern ones—such as Bruce nnd Wallace, Hampden, Cromwell, Washington aiid Garibaldisome of whom had shed their life's blood for the liberties of their country and the protection of their home", One of th*' greatest patriots which they read of in history was Nehemiah, the restorer of Jerusalem. When the foes of the children of Israel declared their intention of attacking them in order to prevent the building of the wall, Nehcmi'ih h*d directed preparations to ba mad-' in order to repulse them and the result was that the Israelites were never called upon to draw tne sword. Their known courage ami the knowledge of the preparations they had made for tiie war discouraged their eivuv'os and'they never made their appearance in battle at all.. This was .an instance of the whole of the people combining to protect their national interest and uniting in self defence, which examp'e had been frequently displayed in the course of the 1 world's history. The qne.-tion, he staled, had often Wu a*kcd, iVas it right under any circumstances whatever t'j lake up arms to go to war ? Looking at the chronicles of the Christian Church in the earlier days it would lie seen that the great nias-s of Christians in those times considered it quite contrary to the principle of humanity that war, whether offensive or defensive, should he waged. He remembered reading a very s'rong protest against "ar by some of the earlier Christian Fathers. There were persons at the. present day who shared the s me convictions. One modern writer had said that two wrongs did not imke one right, and that even supposing a couotry were attacked tlioy would only be doing evil to attack in return. In our time, efforts of the strongest character were put fo-th to avoid war if possible. There were Peace Societies in England, whec influence had been seen in the settlement of the serious dispute between England and Amorici some few years a jo, but while he haded this state of things with satisfaction and de'ight he thought it was bird to believe that a man should not protect himself and his rights. The examp'e of Neliemiah, he thought, was an instance that a man or nation should protect what God had given them and hand it down to his posterity unfettered. The children of Israel had no standing army of regular military organisation at the time, and therefore the measures adopted to prot ct themselves and to frustrate tli3 designs of their enemies were purely on the volunteer system. Some people at the present day "said that the volunteers would be of no use in a time of danger, but it could be shown from history and from actual experience that the volunteer system was a wise provision on the part of a country, and those persons who were giving their time and energies to volunteering ought to be encouraged and app'lauded. He gave several instances of where designs upon England —while her standing army had been scatteied all over the world —had been frustrated by the 3pirit displayed by her volunteer?. And events had happened herein New Zealand in which the volunteers had prevented what might have been a serious war. Hence the system of volunteering was a wipe provision on the part of a country. The rev. gentleman concluded an excellent address by asking his hearers one and all to read over Epbesians 6, 14, 15, 16 an I 17 and to fight that they might be able to say with the Apostle Paul, " I have fought a good fight, 1 have finished my course. L have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me n crown of righteousness which the Lord, the Rightions Judge, shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but to all them also that love His appearing."