SUCCESS OF CHRISTIANITY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 92, 11 January 1908, Page 10

SUCCESS OF CHRISTIANITY.

BISHOP OP LONDON ON REVERENCE

0 ( F WORKMEN. - - Tho Bishop of London, addressing a crowded congregation of men at St. Philip's Church, Arlington. Squaro,'. Islington,, re- , ceri'tly, and replying to assertions of the fail-" uro-of Christianity, 'as evidenced by ;tho prevalence of drink,': gambling.and other sins—' rcferrixt to his ■ experience of the working men of. East' London during his long labours there. Whatever; criticisms" werb passed by workmen on the Church of' England and; Nonconformist bodies, only. onco - had. he heard a word said against 'Christ..' Reverence for Jesus oil the-part of tho workers was ono of tho most beautiful hopes; for the' future. Eveu-in the Socialistic proposals; now' put. forth, many of which in his heart of hearts ho believed to be impracticable and unworkable, ho'recognised a love of . Christ and a feeling 'that the. world to-day fra's not conducted on Christian principles. He maintained that Christianity, so far from being a failure, was tho ono success of the world.. As ; to the poverty and inequality that existed, ho remarked that,. personally he , was convinced that tho>;' must all work towards, equality of opportunity for. .every son. of .God. It was. alikp bad and wrong for rich and poor that there shoukl be/such marked distinction fe tweon 'tho'-extremely rich and tho oxtremely poor'. 'But it .was. Christ who brought tho contrast distinctly- before thein—-Christ who was'tho'secret'of. the'good work done in the world. In this collection lie particularly alluded to tho foundation, of hospitals.. More' Christianity, and inot less, * was .wanted. Concerning tho differences that ; were sometimes pointed out as existing amongst different. clenominations 'of Christians/he 1 montioned. that while recoutly in Canada he received a'loving .welcome'from the ministers and laymen of all denominations who. met him on the same platform; and while he held <to his distinetiyo tenets, he prayed that the "unity of' the 1 spirit in the bond of '; peace" 'might prevail in •'.all'; Christian bodies,' each doing its best: for their common faith on its own lines, and in sympathy and brotherly love with ono another. Ho admitted that war, and_ the possibility pf war, was a stigma, on. their-common Christianity, but ho bade: them not "to; be ' pessimistic,' Ho rejoiced', that the Emp.erbr'.of Russia, the German -.Eippcror,; ,o'm; own beloved , King,.; and, across '.the - Atlantic,-'.President'' Roosevelt, wero. all passionately, attached to. peace, all longed for peace, and all desired to preservo it, As .lie travelled and consulted men in high authority, men wlio' : knew tho world boater than he did, ho'found they 'were agreed that. Christianity was the one, success i and one hope of theworld everywhere. 1