The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED. The Evening News, Morning News, Echo. FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 1892.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 18, 22 January 1892, Page 2

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED. The Evening News, Morning News, Echo.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 1892.

.For tho cause that lacks assistaaoe, For the wrong that needs radstaacß, For tlie futuro in tiio distance, Ana the coed that vo ecu do.

A glance at the report read at the annual meeting of the Presbyterian City Mission yesterday evening shows that at least one religious body in Auckland is impressed with the belief that if the waifs and strays of society are to receive any benefit from the services of the stately churches in which the city abouads, it is necessary

to remember the injunction, " Go out into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in." The Presbyterian is, we believe, the only church in the city that employs a city missionary, and the results of his labours are calculated to stimulate other bodies to make similar efforts. The primary object of the mission, as we understand it, is to deal with "lapsed" Presbyteriars, but secondary objects, in our opinion of no less real importance, are aimed at, and apparently with a fair measure of success. Thus, while many nominal Presbyterians who never attend church have been dealt with as spiritual defaulters, and received appropriate counsel and advice, the Mission has extended its scope, and assisted the poor of the city, without regard to sect or creed, in a thoroughly practical manner.

It is this branch of the work which lays socie ,, urider the greatest indebtedness, this latitudinarian age, the public only feels a languid interest as to whether persons brought up in the faith of Calvin continue to attend the church of their forefathers, or in the exercise of their own private judgment adopt some other lorm of religious belief, or even become altogether indifferent. This, in the nature of things, will be of chief interest to the Presbyterian Church itself-; but all who are interested in the welfare of the community will be gratified to know that, in a quiet, unostentatious way, the promoters of the Mission are doing all in their power to provide medicine for the sick, to procure work for the unemployed, and to grant relief as far as possible without pauperising the recipients.

The reasons assigned by the city missionary for so many persons absenting themselves from church service arc interesting at a time when recent returns show that church attendance in the Auckland district has slightly decreased. Some object to attend because they have not suitable clothing. The force of an objection is not always to be estimated by its apparent triviality. In an age when so much stress is laid by all classes upon the importance of fashionable attire, and when among the poor decent clothing is generally regarded as a badge of respectability, it is not surprising that those unfortunates who, either from intemperance or other causes, are shabby and ragged m their apparel, should shrink from mixing with a crowd of well-dressed people. .Such a feeling may be engendered by pride, but it is a pride that leans to the side of virtue-. When women, especially, of the poorer classes, become indifferent p-bout appearances, they deteriorate very fast. The feeling of self-respect that looks upon dirt and rags as in a way incongruous with divine worship has its origin in respect for that cleanliness that "is said to be next to godliness.

The excuse that the church is too much " a rich man's institution " may be sometimes the result of genuine conviction, although more frequently cue of those evasions by which we are apt to lay the blame of our shortcomings on everyone but ourselves. In the' Apostolic age, church officers had to be warned against neglecting the poor man in "vile raiment," and in flunkeying to the man with " a gold ring in goodly raiment." Human nature is much the same in every age. The rich man, whose cheque enables the church treasurer to show a credit balance, or whose legacy forms a splendid endowment, is apt to have the estimate of his character formed, not by the whole, tenor of his life, but by the effect produced by those exceptional acts«ot liberality. But, allowing for the importance which wealth will always give a man even in the church, the feeling in English communities has undoubtedly been carried too far. In Continental churches, the noble, adorned with glittering orders, and the peasant woman in coarse cloching and wooden shoes, kneel side by side. In England, even now, rich and poor worshippers sit wide apart. That we have laid too much stress upon class distinctions is undoubtedly one reason why the poor are not in more cordial sympathy with church ordinances. We do not agree with Mr Macpherson that the real reason why so many of the poor do not attend church is because of "the carnal mind at enmity with God." This is a bit of ecclesiastical claptrap. The poor people, who, according to Mr Macpherson's showing, are ill-clad and insufficiently fed, have not necessarily "carnal" minds. They may be discouraged by the sorrows of life and find nothing Bufficisatly exhilarating in •he ordicsry service of a Scotch church iw-raisu-them above their depression,

without being at " enmity with God." It does not appear that any of them hinted to the missionary what we make bold to suggest, that possibly the services to which they are invited do not always meet the exigencies of their position. We have on different occasions pointed out that a clergyman's success in the pulpit largely depends upon understanding the wants of the age, and appealing to those sentiments that have a passionate interest.for the people. The exercise of this gift is rare, but when brought into play it never fails to " draw." There is a slow but marked improvement in this respect, but still many sermons preached ia our pulpits on Sundays have little more bearing on modern life than the homilies put fortb by divines in the i6th century.

The report states that "the object of the Mission had been thoroughly fulfilled." This is gratifying, and we congratulate the Presbyterians of Auckland on the philanthropic spirit they have displayed. While we share the hope of social reformers that the spread of education and the humanising influences of an advancing civilisation will do much to check poverty and to ameliorate the condition of the masses, we remember that throughout the Middle Ages the Church was the especial friend and protector of the poor, and we believe the reasons for an intense interest in their welfare are not less urgent at the present time.