"WHY ARE OUR CHURCHES POORLY ATTENDED?"

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 71, 24 March 1915, Page 7

"WHY ARE OUR CHURCHES POORLY ATTENDED?"

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—3»ay I be permitted to make a short reply to my friend "Pro Bono Publico"? The writer professes to be concerned about the good of the public. I wonder if he is as truly concerned about the good of the Church, if ne __," his letter is a strange way of showing it. Certainly ,t will not raise the opinion of the public so far as the ministry is concerned, and I am certain it will not help to fill many churches. Why j 3 this man, who is an officer of a church, so eager i to quote from the writings of otherspassages, which, perhaps in their context wear another shade of meaning, but which can only serve to give the impression that ministers are guilty of shameful neglect of duties," indolent habits, and a wretched love of money more than a love of men ? Why does he j gO to all this trouble? Surely he knows' that what the "Scotsman" says, and what the Bishop of Carlisle says, applies to I very few men 7 —men -who unfortunately exert a anighty influence. If "Pro Bono Publico" lives a little longer still fee may learn that one offender can work dreadful havoc, especially in a church. The words of the "Scotsman," Dr. Diggle and Dr. Pitchett ought to be spoken, but they ought to be spoken in the right place, as no doubt they were. Then, they dd-goid. - 'Christian" men should know better than to use them as "Pro Bono. Publico" has.

The reason, why these quotations have been given is this. They support opinions long heht—held on some flimsy data. The letter is an illustration of a mind strongly prejudiced and greedy td seize every particle of matter that will support views which he is unwilling to change. It is not difficult to string, quotations together, but the question is not decided by quotations, else some-of. a different 7 nature might be given. :. I <wonM like to say that there are. some ministers, plenty of them, who are -made, of different stuff from those: spoken of in the letter by my friend.

Men who are just as energetic and "just I as fearless as the minister of thatl church in Lancashire. If filling the church was the first duty of a minister he would do it. Put that down in your notebook. There are some people who want something when they get there. These are not the days for talking twaddle. Many ministers work hard in the study, and they are serving the public good then as well as by visiting. The poor are not being neglected by the churches. Much more could be done if the people who talk would help. One more thing I must say. If we would know why some churches are not filled, we have not to ask the minister, for in most cases he is faithfully using his ■time and strength for the good of the chnrch; we do not find the reason in the diminishing population; the difference between one man's success and ariother man's failure is not in ability; not in the amount of work they do. it may be the difference in the atmosphere of hia church created by his officials, and people. The difference may be there; it may be a. few chains of road even. —I am, etc., H. A SHARP.