BISHOP NELIGAN'S RETURN.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 444, 1 March 1909, Page 9

BISHOP NELIGAN'S RETURN.

——™&—— FULL OF HOPE) FOB, THE FUTURE, Tho Anglicpn Bishop of Auckland (Dv. Noligan), who arrived in Auckland 011 Thursday bj fhe Monoirsi, Jiftcr his visit to England, Trns nclcomed at the wharf by representatives of the'clergy and laity, ami a corps of cadets from St. Stephen's Maori School greeted the .Bishop by singing tho Doxology, and according him throo cheers. Thpro w.sis a large attcud ( wco at tile welcome social giyen to the bishop and Mrs, Neligan at the Choral Hall in tho evening. Canon MacJ{urray presented to tho bishop fin illuminated address of welcome from tho Clergy and laity of the diocr.se, expressing grateful appreciation of tho bishop's stroma. 0115 lahotirs'ip .Engisud, and of the fact that jio had been able,, to pccure so ir.any muclineeded helpers, both clerical and lay.' In the course of hi,s reply- t!in bishop said he fp)t that ho had como back to tried friends and to known dangers. The Hon. E, Mitchclson, who ras Mayor of Auckland noarly ?ix years ago, had said to Iran then that ho hoped ho would shako tho church people of Auckland up. He (tho bishop) thought lio had shaken them up, but if tiioy wore going to sleep—lvol], the shaking. up" must 'login all over again. Tho bishop wont on to say that already, siijce landing, lis had received soveral applications for clerical assistance. In this conneptiqn hp was glad to hear that St, John's College was very full, |Ie welcomed tho formation of ttio Society for tho of Christian Unity. Fioni ivhat lie had seen at Home, thero was a very real drawing nearer ns b&tweyii tho Mother Church and tho non-epistona! Churches. He was full of hope fop the fiituvo. In ad'tiitioji to the ten clergy who had eorno out with Mm, throe more wore to eor.ic this year. Thus there woro thirteen clergymen and oight women "workers. and £2000 in cash, rs a result of his trip. The S,1 J ,C.K — tho host irjondg-the Clmrch of..tha colonics ever had— J ere the only ones ho had asked for money. J hoy had contributed £600 John's Collogn, find £,(50 ioiynrds tho cost of the freehold of tho Diocesan Girls' School. Ho had never asked for a poiinv piece anywhere else, as ho did not think it would bo c|oing hor.onr to the diocoso of Auckland by going round "cadging" money. Referring to othor matters, tho bishop said:— ■ .•'Tl'o struggle to-day is not between tho religious and the irreligious, but between those who are definitely Christian and those who are Deists or Theists. . ■ . . The science of to-day is pot irreligious. Whether it is Christian or not is another thing," lloason and earnestness characterise tho opinions of men in tho centres of thought. What church people have to do is to stknd upon tho central verity of the Incarnation. Without it everything goes. "England at present is wholly set against secularism. That is abundantly clear, Of course tliero are always )\ few irreconcilable* —they add to the' gaiety of nations, lint all denominations, episcopalians and non-episeo* ; pal badios, are opposed to secularism in, England, Would to' God it were so in New Zealand."