"INTO THE SUNLIGHT."

Press, Volume LX, Issue 17985, 31 January 1924, Page 2

"INTO THE SUNLIGHT."

RELIGION IN ENGLAND. "Neither the Church nor the nation is depressed, and I believe there is still a very fine future for old Britain; we ore all the stronger and better for having faced the difficulties we have been passing through; -we are emerging from the darkness into the light." Such was the optimistic view held by the Rev. Dr. J. Alfred Sharp, ex-president of the British Wesleyan Conference when he was interviewed by a representative of "The Pa-ess" yesterday afternoon. Dr. Sharp has visited the United States, Canada, South Africa, and Australia, in order to strengthen the bonds of the different Methodist Churches by bringing the publishing houses more closely together. Continuing on the subject of religion in England, the doctor said : '"The religious outlook is much brighter than it has been for years.. For twelve years prior to the last eighteen months, which included the war period, the churches had a very hard time. Before the war a slump had come in religion and there followed a very difficult period, but there are signs of a great prosperity and revival at the present moment. An altogether different spirit prevails to what did six or seven years ago. The old materialistic spirit is losing its hold on the masses of the people, and the churches have the opportunity of putting in its place something greater and better. lam competent to speak for the "Wesleyan Methodist Church, which is second in size only to the Anglican Church in \ England, and T strongly hold that the greatest days for the Church are before and not behind." Dr. Sharp said thnt the "Wesleyan Church had tried to find a solution of the drink problem. As president of the .conference he called the Church to go with him in a campaign, and that vear £20.000 wis raised for the fighting; fund alone. The new work was taken up by the other churches, and a united campaign was begun, on four principles, which were (1) Persons under the age of 18 years not to be allowed to bnv licjuor for their own consumption, this having been included in Lady Actor's Bill; (2) Sundav closing; (3) local option ; and (4) clubs to be subject to the same conditions as public houses. IV. Shnrn explained that it was not a prohibition movement. He held thnt a nation could never b« coerced into sobriety or morality, and the onlv hope for .prohibition was when it would come by the will of the people. In England they had no local option and the Church was fighting to get the power into the people's hands. "In Australia and New Zealand I believe you have a term 'wowser,' " said the" doctor, "and I suppose it corresponds to our word 'kill-joy.' I don't want to kill enjoyment, but I'm democratic from the top of my head to my feet, and I think the people ought to have the power to stop the drink-shops if thev don't want' them. I don't believe in coercion, but in the event of the majority being in favour of prohibition, I think the minority should buckle down as it has to do in everything else." The doctor is a countryman and acquaintance of Thomas Hardv, the novelist, and he believes that the latter is the one link between present day literature and the Victorian era. Dr. Sharp is also an author, his publications including 'The Life of Abraham Lincoln" and "The Life of David Livingstone."

Describing his mission, Dr. Sharp said that he was. chairman or bishop, ofthe First London District of -the Church, that area containing 3,000,000 souls, besides being the head of the publishing; house of the mother" Wesleyan Church. As president of the British Conference in 1921-22, he had been in the direct line of presidents back to John Wesley. He desired to bring the publishing houses closer together. The doctor left London on August 25th and- first went to South Africa,. where he penetrated some 2000 miles into the interior. That country, he said, had to face many serious problems, and the colour question was very important. Manv people he had met were of the opinion that Africa would have to be "all black," but personally he _ thought that a leavening of the white race was needed. In Australia he had visited Melbourne, Adelaide, Albany, Brisbane, Sydney and Tasmania. He was very enamoured of tho idea of a "White Australia," but the development of the resources would involve difficulties that the average Australian never seemed to realise. ''l was wonderfully struck . with the resources and the fine people there,'' he said.

"What little I've seen of New land speaks more of Home to me than anything I've struck," said Dr..Sharp. Christchurch was a very beautiful city, and the view of the Square, which ho had in the morning,, was on© of the finest things he had seen in the.Southern Hemisphere. He is returning to Christchurch to attend the Methodist Conference in a fortnight after a tour of Auckand, Rotorua, and Wanganui. "All my life I have longed to see the beauty spots of New Zealand, especially the hot springs district round Rotorua,'' he stated. , Dr. Sharp went North last evening. He hopes to see the Southern Alps and soenerv of the South before he leaves New Zealand.