THE CHURCH AND THE WORKER.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10307, 7 August 1911, Page 5

THE CHURCH AND THE WORKER.

ARE THEY ESTRANCED?

Tie Rev. A. Hodge delivered an address in tho Congregationail Church in Mastertpii inst evening on the 'subject, "The Church and Labour: Why have fcbey beem estranged in the past, and why tliey are not going to be in. the future:" Mi- Hodge said that the Church ,a*nd Labour had divided upon the question of the Deity of Christ. It. was no pleasure for tlxe Church to lose its hold upon the masses-, but if it had to- hold them at the cost of ccrrpromi&e, then ■the Church had nothkg to do but suffer the -'c-strangemeint, .though, it cost them so-dear. Tho preacher implied that though there had been a great gulf between the Church and organised labour in the past, this gulf was not fixed, amd 'there was every indication of its speedy removal.' Not because the- Church -was yielding; mot because there was any compromise suggested; but because of the complete change of front on the part of the world'.s most prominent 'labour leaders,- such as Mr! Lanisbury, who 'had just reoently de- ' olared that God was the Father of the. Univierse, arid Jesus Christ was His Son, a<nd tlbe labour movement must realise that His Power was behind .them. Mr Keir Hardie had isaid that rtlhough on the Continent Socialism, was atheism, now the spiri-. tual idea was permeating the entiremovement. Mr Arthur Hendewflon said,.' ''Wiith tlie spirit" of regew&mtapn, which, ,ujuakeisiinenainii.wooiien in" Chrdisifc Jmed"'"*. MrWill Crooks arid Mr &hillifp-:oioTvd l en and ;mamy were ; now urging. ,th©Ua^^ ship of the Soil of God. Aaid laistty, Mi- T. E. Taylor's dying words were to the .Labour party, and wiere:— "Tel my Labour friends that they hav divine chances .in : this land, if they will only recognise tihe religious element, and Eft the whole movement to the highest plane." "This," said Mr Hodge, "is the reason, why the Church and Labour in the future will be one am the great reform work, and of the one common mais»ter, and this change of front on the part of the most prominent Labour leaders is a remarkable, sign of the times, for great changes are pending-"