For His Name's Sake.

MY official correspondence with the members of Churches of Christ who were suffering for conscience' sake commenced as a result of the request of the Peace Conference held in Annual Meeting week, 1917, at Leicester. With a certain amount of hesitancy I responded to this request knowing that others might have been chosen who would have discharged this responsibility far better. Looking back today, however conscious of failure, one can unhesitatingly say that the labour which was thus spent has been more than repaid by the contribution made to one's life by this pen-friendship, welded in the fires of the world conflagration.

That you may realise how fierce those fires burned and yet how there emerged a new conception of the practicalness of the Christian ethic, exemplified in the conduct of these men, I will stand aside that they may tell in their inimitable way of the problems and the passions which stormed their hearts.

First let them tell of their resolute

as the deliverer of His people.

The following confident note comes from the guard-room at G--- P---:

"We are all standing solid as a rock. I feel very strong and confident, putting all my trust in the Omnipotent. Our message to you is: 'Hold fast to that which is good.'"

This also from the guard-room at F---:

"As for myself, I trust that the Lord will so bless and strengthen me that, like the apostles of old, I may be able to rejoice that I am counted worthy to suffer for His sake."

At a time of peculiar uncertainty for the C.O. one of them wrote:

"I do not think we need fear the future, as God is the same as He was to the faithful people of old, 'the same yesterday, today and for ever,' so whom should we fear? Men may be against us but God will be for us."

Writing from Princetown, after having suffered four months' imprisonment, another thus expresses the realisation of the presence of the Almighty:

"It was always a great comfort to me to feel while I was in prison the continued presence of the Holy Spirit, God's Comforter. I never felt so near to God before, and it has left an impression on me which no power on earth will wipe away."

As one listens to this recurring melody ringing now sweet and clear above the rhythm of marching feet and the curses of the barrack-square, now richer and fuller, as a trumpet sounding through the miserere of a world, one feels that these men have indeed caught the spirit of the sweet singer who said, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the

sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof."

Secondly, let these men tell of the

the ever-running spring at which they imbibed the principles which are now being put to the test, and the influence which, under God, kept them stedfast through it all.

that he may regain his breath as he wends his faltering way up to the house of the Lord. Of how, upon a later visit, when the sheaf ripe with years had been gathered to the eternal harvesting, the writer of the above letter, with his young wife, spoke of the father's beneficient influence, left as a subtle presence with them. I see again the wondrous light in their eyes as they speak of the glory of his passing,. Again, these words call up a memory of a curtained bed upon which the bereaved widow lay, wracked with pain, yet looking intently for the summons home. What a trinity of hallowed memories for one who is but an outsider; what a veritable temple of remembrance for the son who, in God's grace, was restored to minister to them before they were called home!

From the father who was called upon to pay the extreme price, when his son Arthur passed away in M--- prison, as a result of the rigour of continued imprisonment, the following gem was received:

"I thank God for the grace given me to so train my lads from childhood to hate militarism that when the time of testing came they were ready to offer their lives rather than participate in the unholy cause. Yea, I bless God for the honour of fatherhood to four such lads. We mourn, indeed, for the loss of Arthur, but there is joy unspeakable in the knowledge that he is amongst that glorious throng, who wavered not in the presence of death in their loyalty to Jesus Christ. Theirs of a surety is the martyr's crown."

Again my mind goes back to an early autumn night of 1917, when we walked home with the writer of the above, under a glorious sky studded with glittering stars and crescent moon. Again I see him, dignified of mien and deliberate of speech, talking as he goes of the

stand which his four sons are taking and of the glory of it.

A mother in one of our great industrial cities, who already had two sons in prison, wrote of another:

"My son Arthur was arrested last Thursday and is awaiting court-martial. He is only eighteen, but has made a fine witness for the teaching of Christ ... I am very anxious; but not a sparrow falls to the ground but our Father knows. He will not forget His children."

Later:

"He was court-martialled on Friday morning. He expects to go to Wormwood Scrubbs on Tuesday or Wednesday. I have three boys in prison and one in France. These things press us very hard; so few understand, but our Father understands us. We are trying to live up to Christ's teaching. He was the last sent by God to speak to us and that is final."

Later:

"Arthur's sentence is two years with hard labour ... He has worked hard in the Sunday School and has been a faithful member for six years. I have just received a letter from Jack. He has got two years hard labour also. I have looked in vain for help to save these lads. We have a Father who will not see us tried more than we can bear. Our only hope is in Him."

(After having served a period in the Non-Combatant Corps in France, "Jack" withdrew, choosing rather to stand entirely free of the military machine and take his stand with his brothers, with the resultant two year's hard labour).

It was my privilege in May, 1920, to visit the home of the writer of the above letters. As I looked round upon my almost severe surroundings, as I looked at this mother (whose half family of little boys were trooping in from school) upon whose countenance was

written indomitable faith and almost stoical endurance, I was not surprised at the tone of her letters. And when the three elder lads came in from their day's toil, one could realise something of the power which would go with them into prison cell and barrack-square, from such a home and such a mother.

Of the influence of the Church, the following must suffice as typical of a whole sheaf of letters. It was written by a member of the Church in M---, acquainting me of the arrest of their secretary:

"Our brother had strong convictions of the righteousness of the cause of Peace for which he is prepared to suffer. When arrested, and since, he has shown a strong faith and trust in God ... It has been a severe blow to his wife, who is left with a couple of little ones to be provided for. Our little meeting is now very small and we suffer a great loss through our brother being taken from us."

To realise where that determination to suffer for the cause of peace led; to realise how the influence of home and the 'little meeting' buoyed him up under persecution, the following extract from the Labour Leader of that time must be read:

During this week the columns of the daily press have revealed yet another case of the brutal and illegal treatment of a conscientious objector. Cecil Foster, of 3, Pickering Street, Moss Side, Manchester, was court-martialled at Cleethorpes on Friday for refusing to obey a military order. In his statement he said that because of his refusal to put on his uniform he had been subjected to gross ill-treatment at Ashton. He was forcibly stripped and dressed in khaki, and much knocked about in the process. His court-martial friend, who examined his arms, reports that they are both badly bruised from well below the elbows right up to the shoulders. He was also made to walk about two miles to the station with a kit bag tied round his neck with a cord that chafed his neck, and nearly choked him.

We have now followed these men through police-station, guard-room, detention cell and court-martial into prison; let them, now tell of their

of how the prison cell became not only a Bethel but a Mission Hall!

The man who went through the above, writing from the guard-room, C---, on Sept. 17th, 1917, says:

"I entered into something of the experiences and feelings of David, which he gives expression to in Psalm 140:1-6 when I was at A---, but I thank God that as He delivered David, so also has He delivered me from my strong enemy. Are not verses 1, 2, 16 and 18 in Psalm 18 a true expression of what the Lord does for His people to this day? May the Lord Jesus bless these experiences which we are being called upon to undergo in these days, so that we may endure and receive the crown of life which he has promised to them that love Him."

Speaking for a group of brethren incarcerated at Wakefield, one writes:

"We are not despondent but happy, conscious of the fact that iron bars never made a prison, for the soul can ascend to realms far above the iron gates."

Not that their path was always easy or their burden light. Sometimes the blinding tears would well up in their eyes, obscuring for a moment the path before them. What more pathetic human document can be found than the following, written after regaining partial freedom?

"It (the experience in prison) brings one into the position of knowing, to some slight extent, the agony of the Saviour when, with the consciousness of the burden of all our sins and iniquities lying upon His innocent head, He perforce must cry: 'If it be possible let this cup pass from Me.' Yes, we were numbered with the transgressors, pressed in a suit of broad arrows and every indignity heaped upon us, standing among the criminals of the land. The very first time we

went into the prison chapel we were asked to sing as our first hymn:

Could I sing? No! I felt like the captives in Babylon when they were demanded a song in a strange land. 'There we sat down and wept when we remembered Zion.' I burst into tears as a child, and noticed also W--- and A--- with their faces bowed and the tears streaming from their eyes ... Oh! what an inward struggle it was to bring me into the frame of mind of finishing our Lord's prayer: 'Nevertheless, not my will but Thine be done.' However, let me divert the subject into the present and possible future."

Neither were these men self-seeking martyrs looking everywhere for the inquisitorial chamber. Listen to this lad's joy at freedom:

"Just a few hurried lines to pass on to you the glad news of our release, of which we were informed today. The joy of this day was not even surpassed by the day we left 'Scrubbs.' Truly the Lord is good!"

Let them now tell of their earnestness for

even within prison walls, of their hopes and aspirations when they had regained their freedom. Writing from the guard-room at C---, R. P--- says:

"One thing this war will do is to cause men to overhaul their ideas; there must be a general stocktaking. Following this, there will be a redistribution or rather a substitution of this set of principles for that set of principles. And the time was never more opportune than now for the Christian to put forward his system, with all its splendour, while men are looking for fresh ideas and a better and more peaceful way. May God give His children that strength and courage requisite for such an occasion."

E.C. G---, writing ten months before the armistice was signed, says:

"It does seem that, today, there appears to be a ray of light in the darkness, and oh! that it may prove to be the dawn of Peace, the first glimpse of a new era, in which we shall find abundant joy in the Master's service, in the winning of many souls for Him ... We are all keeping well and busy with our classes, preaching appointments, etc. Two or three of us are attending a Greek class and hope as a result to be able to make ourselves more efficient in the Master's service."

As David, fleeing from Jesusalem on account of the rebellion of Absalom, looked down from the heights which surrounded the Holy City, and there arose before him the memory of all those spiritual privileges, precious as living waters, which he had enjoyed in the sanctuary, so these men, cut off from the fellowship of the saints, tell of their longing in wistful terms. One lad, labouring on a farm, says:

"One of the things I miss more than any is the fellowship of my brethren, which is with the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ."

Another, isolated in a seaport town:

"I had long felt the need of a regular place at which to worship, and so last Sunday evening I was received into the fellowship at the Church of Christ here ..."

Others many miles from home:

"We often much regret that circumstances have separated us for so long from a Church, this being our chief concern, but we are fortunate in having Bro. S. T--- from the Church at B--- living with us, and we purpose setting up the table of the Lord for the first time this evening. We are all looking forward with joy to this and expect to be much blessed knowing that where two or three are met together there He will be ..."

"The Home Office has refused us permission to meet with the outside Churches, so we meet in Bro. H---'s cell to break bread every Lord's day. We are spending some happy times together, as we have all things in common."

Thus, in the twentieth century, we find history repeating itself. We find men, scattered by the wind of persecution, spreading the truth and setting up the Lord's table in the prison cell. Further, the joyful report was received that, following on conversations with the brethren at Princetown, one of the men there was immersed in one of the many rivulets which traverse the moor.

Finally, let the men tell of the

upon themselves; let them speak of the effectiveness or otherwise of that "way they have in the army;" how that, rather than breaking them and destroying their faith in the principles they held dear, the menace of the iron rod but served to strengthen their assurance of the ultimate triumph of Right and the power of Love.

After working in a mill for twelve hours per day for many months, P. C--- writes:

"Is it not splendid to think that at last all the unprecedented slaughter has come to a close. Reflecting, one is astounded at the positively barren results of all the havoc that has been wrought. Even from a political point of view, which all, including religious people, have been so fond of expounding throughout the war, the gain of so-called victory is nil. We can only hope that the suffering and spiritual blindness of the people of all nations may prove a solid foundation upon which to build up the Church of our Master. I think suffering makes people feel a need of God more than anything else could do, and it is upon that assumption that we, who have stood for what we know to be Truth and Right and the liberty to make Christ's precepts our only authority, must work to inspire all with whom we come in contact with like faith."

One, working in snow, sleet and rain on a market garden, writes:

"Recently I sank into a deep retrospective meditation of my doings since leaving home and after experiencing

joys and sorrows, pleasure and pain, sunshine and storm, I can readily exclaim 'Hitherto hath the Lord helped me,' 'all things have worked for good and we are truly thankful.'"

The following expresses the thoughts of Clifford Cartwright, upon whom the death sentence was passed in France:

"It is two years last Friday since I was first arrested, and when one looks back one can agree with the words of the poet when he said:

Certainly our efforts have not been useless, for we have accomplished much. Yes! I am pleased that the Churches of Christ were represented amongst those who went overseas although I think too much praise has already been rendered ..."

The following letter speaks for itself, from the man whom the authorities did all in their power to break, who suffered at their hands for more than two years and eventually obtained his release through hunger-striking. Writing from the guard-room, C---, on 10th May, 1918, he says:

"I am now awaiting the promulgation of my court-martial sentence. This, of course, will be two years at the least. This court-martial constitutes my third. You see I am getting quite used to courts-martial, guard-rooms, lock-ups and prisons. I have been in six police stations, ten guard-rooms, four prisons (one a military prison, Les Attaque) court-martialled three times, two terms of detention, thirteen and a half months actual imprisonment. So you see I'm doing my bit! Now I am going to do, not a bit, but a lump."

There is one way and only one way of securing a just and lasting peace, that is by a general application of the principles of the Prince of Peace. Christianity is the panacea for all social and moral ills. It is the last weapon to which, when men have found all others too weak to rest upon, they will turn. I have no doubt in my own mind but that seed sown two thousand years ago will one day cover the whole earth. Then that kingdom will absorb all other kingdoms.

Let the following noble utterance be the note upon which this chapter concludes:

"We had to come to the conclusion that the way to deep and abiding joy is just the same as that traversed by the Master, the way of the Cross. And just as He, in order to attain to His glory, had to suffer crucifixion, even so must we be ever ready to crucify ourselves each day; yea, each hour, and ours must be the spirit spoken of by Paul; in reference to Jesus, 'Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame.'"

As one looks at the way in which these men trod this path of suffering, of their cheerful mien under persecution, of their dignified composure under railing and abuse, of their undimmed faith in Jehovah and in the ideals for which they were suffering, and of the joy which they undoubtedly realised, even through pain, the Miltonic commendation instinctively recurs to the mind: