SCRIPTURE AND MILITARISM.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 5 June 1913, Page 4

SCRIPTURE AND MILITARISM.

A few—fortunately only a few — people, in New Zealand are defending their opposition to the military training system on the ground that it- is opposed to the teachings of Scripture. In the course of an address in M.isterton on Sunday last, Bishop Sprott dealt effectively with this class of opposition. But I>r Johnson's discission of the question .is quite refreshing. It ,is thus recorded by Boswell:

Johnson: "I do not see, sir, that fighting is absolutely forbidden in

Scripture; I -see revenge forbidden,

l>ut not- self-defence." - Boswell: "Tlie Quakers say it is; Unto him that shiiteth thee on one cheek, offer also the other.'" Johnson: ''But stay, sir, the text i s meant, jrnly to have the effect of moderating passion; it is plain from the text that we are not to take it in , "a"'literal sense. We see this from 1 the context, where there are other Vecommendation's, which I warrant you the Quaker wil not take literally, as for instance, 'From him that would borrow of thee, turn thou not away.' Let a man whose

credit is bad come to a Quaker, and say, 'Well, sir, lend me a hundred pounds'; he'll find him as-unwill-ing .as any other man."