From Crow-Scaring to Westminster: An AutobiographyEdwards, George, Sir
History
From Crow-Scaring to Westminster: An Autobiography
Edwards, George, Sir
George Edwards, 1850-1933
At this time I received an application from the East Winch Branch
secretary to hold a Sunday meeting on the common in that village. I
objected, and only consented on the condition that the meeting should be
of strictly religious character. This was agreed to, and on the last
Sunday in July the meeting was held, and I advertised it as follows:--
EASTERN COUNTIES AGRICULTURAL LABOURERS' AND SMALL HOLDERS' UNION.
A Camp Meeting will be held under the auspices of the above on
Sunday on the Common, East Winch. Services to commence at 2.30 and
6.30 p.m. Addresses will be given by C. Reynolds, George Edwards,
General Secretary, and others. The Westacre Brass Band will be in
attendance. Sankey's hymns will be sung.
It was a beautifully fine Sunday, and the services were attended by over
2,000 people. Such a sight had never been witnessed before in the
village. The singing was most hearty, accompanied by the band. I took
for my text in the afternoon "The labourer is worthy of his hire," and
in the evening my text was "Thy kingdom come." The evening discourse was
fully reported in the _Lynn News_. This caused a great stir. Some
denounced it as mixing up politics with religion, others said they had
never heard the Gospel preached like it before, and demands for Sunday
meetings came in rapidly. Before the summer was over similar meetings
were held at Wells, South Creake and Swaffham, which were attended by
thousands of people. The later meetings were addressed by Mr. George
Nicholls, M.P., Mr. R. Winfrey, M.P., Mr. H. A. Day and myself. This was
the beginning of the Sunday meetings, and so long as I was responsible
for conducting them they were always conducted on strictly religious
lines. We always opened with prayer and lessons from the Scriptures were
always read. Large collections were received. So great was the interest
taken in them that the committee decided to continue them in 1909. They
also decided to have some Labour hymns of their own, and Mr. Day, Mr.
Green and I were asked to make a selection. Mr. Green composed some of
the most beautiful verses I have ever seen, and they were set to
Sankey's tunes. I often wish the Union had kept them, for they have
never found better. The following are a few of them:--
THE MODEL CHURCH.
(_Tune_: Sankey 608.)
Wife, I have found the Labour Church
And worshipped there to-day:
It's not like those so long we've known
Where parsons preach for pay.
But one that's built of human love
To bless the human race,
No church that ere before it stood
Filled so divine a place.
It's such a church that I, dear wife,
This very day have found.
There's no deception in its faith,
It stands on hallowed ground.
Ground sanctified by martyr's blood
Who o'er its surface trod,
When battling for their liberty
Their Conscience and their God.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account