OBSERVANCE OF SUNDAY.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19481, 30 November 1928, Page 8

OBSERVANCE OF SUNDAY.

A BISHOP'S LIBERAL VIEWS. PERTURBATION IN WAIKATO. [THE PRESS Special Service.] AUCKLAND, November 29, A good deal of perturbation lias been experienced in the Waikato diocese during the past month as a result of a long article written by Bishop Chgiv rington appearing in the November issue of the Diocesan Magazinearticle was entitled "Lord's Day ■ or Sabbath?" At least two country vicars on reading the article retilrned their bundles of magazines to the diocesan office, while another vicar recalled those magazines he had digtributed before reading the view 6 of the Bishop on Sunday observance. . In the article Bishop o|iernngton said that for many y«ars it had been claimed by many Christian teachers that in some indirect fashion authority for the Lord's Pay was given by the Fourth Commandment and by the custom of the Joyvs to observe in a peculiar and rigid manner one day in sqvenFor years it had been supposed to be un-Cmristian to do many things on the first day of the that were ferfsctlv legitimate «wn the other Six. he fallacy of this method of teaching . of late years had been and was still 1 beiifg exposed, but unfortunately many people although discovering that the teaching about the Sabbatical observance of the Lord's Day was fallacious, had not been taught' to grasp the true value and meaning of the weekly feast, and therefore they marked it IB no way whatever. Truth would pro* vail and those who now bemoaned neglect of the Lord's Day Had only themselves to blame for not having in the past, and largely in the present, been able to think clearly and teach correctly, The article went on to discuss the history and early observance of the Jewish Sabbath and added that the ford's Day wag a day of happiness, joy, and thanksgiving. In all liturgies every Lord's Day was a feast. From the trqly Christian point of view thei'3 would always on the Lord's Day he a gathering of the Lord's people round the Lord's table.

After laying stress on the importance of Christian people attending the Holy Communion on the morning of the Lord's Day the article asked "How shall spend Mo rest of the day?" The reply was.'' exactly ss we please, With the proviso that a spirit of joy find happiness shall prevail in its', and through us'; in others throughput the day. Excursions may be made, friends may be visited, and gardens cared for. Young people growing up will ping and dance, or engage in other amusoments, each in accordance with Mb best. A spirit of joyous freedom should pervade the day. A brief message will have been given at Communion, with a note of. fresh inspiration for the weejt. There will be no other sermons nor need there be any other services other than the daily office which is said on a Sunday by those whose obligation it is tp say it, exactly as on a week dtty.'' Continuing, the article stated thatclergymen would not be expected to preach more than one /sermon on Sunday as a rule. Sunday schools and in? struction of children except, perhaps, on special occasions and for special reasons, on a Sunday would cease. "Why should the Lord s Pay bo parked for children by lessons?" it asked. "No one else does them." If the clergy could not yet have the right of entry into all schools as in New South Wale?, instruction should be given first thing on Saturday morning or at any other time lis convenient. Concluding, the Bishop 's article stated that by, observance of the Lord's Day as he had outlined, the happy freedom regarding the use of the 4fty would be fully recognised, and the truth would be more apparent that Christian religion so far from being a tedious, gloomy, and often wearisome affair so far as {Sunday was concerned, was a glad and happy recognition of the goodness of God.'

In his letter to Church people in the December issue of the magazine, Bi?hpp Cherringtoii said he understood some people had teen disturbed in wind by some of his atatc;nente in the article referred to. If thjs. was go, he said, he wo\ild be glad if they would write to him oil the subjoctj or if they preferred it they eoiild writs to the magazine. Discussion amicably carried on did good, and it was not possible tjiat every' pne's interpretation 'of the Scriptures was always the same, All he could say about what he wrote was that it was what he had taught for thirty years, and that his chief point was the importance of making the Lord's Dpy testify to what He stood for; thsit; was the truth of the Resurrection with all that it meant.