BISHOP WALLIS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1087, 28 March 1911, Page 8

BISHOP WALLIS.

ENTERTAINED BY THE MINISTERS' ASSOCIATION. INTERESTING SPEECHES. SOME ASPECTS OF CUUHCII UKIOX. A farewell luncheon was tendered to the Anglican Bishop of Wellington (Dr. Wnllisj by the Ministers' Association at the Y.M.C.A. yesterday afternoon. The Bishop-elect ol' Wellington (the liev. T. K. Sprol tj was also present as a guest of the association, and there was n large attendance of members all tho churches and organisations conuectcd with that body being well represented. Tho president of the association (tho Rev. J. Kennedy Elliottj occupied the chair. At the close of the luncheon the health of tho bishop was proposed by Dr. Hi lib and spoken to by tne iiev. J. Heed 05 lasson. The chairman, in calling upon tile speakoß., said he Hurt always nail a very kindly feeling towards tho Anglican Church. Like the Presbyterian, it was a national Church, and it was endeared to him the more that his mother hart been a member of it. Ho spoko of the esteem in which he had ever he-Id Bishop Wallis. Ho had frequently experienced the greatest kindness at the bishop's hands, and had always felt that he was a largehearted man to whom one could readily go in any land of trouble. The bishop was known to many of them as a great scholar, and it was only his remarkable modesty that prevented all the world from knowing it. Their purpose that day was to say good-bye to the bishop, to tell him how sorry they were at losing him from the city, and to wish him God-spc-ed in all his future career. It was also their pleasant duty to welcome Mr. Snrott. H-a snoke in terms of warm appreciation of the Bishop-elect's many good qualities, and said that the members of the Presbyterian Church had been (rreatly pleased at the choice which had been made of him to succeed Bishop Wallis.

Dr. Gibb's Eulogy of the Bishop. Tho Rev. Dr. Gibb said that he understood his task was to propose the health of Bishop Wallis. The chairman had blended tiie name of Mr. Sprott with that of tho Bishop, but the time for singing his praises \youid come when he had proved, as he doubtless would, as good a Bishop as the man he was succeeding. He re-echoed tho chairman's expression of the gratification of the Presbyterian Church at the selection of Mr. Sprott to lilt tlie high position. to which ho had been called. looking round the room that day, it might seem as if the union of the Churches' were about to he accomplished. An ardent Anglican might anticipate a union by a process of absorption —the other Churches to bo merged into the Anglican Church. He did not need to tell them that that, was a baseless imagination, a dream that would never come true. Yet it was highly significant that they, the representatives of tho Methodist, Baptist, Congregational, and Presbyterian Churches, and also of tho Salvation Army, had met to do honour to tho head of tho local Anglican Church. As he recalled tho atmosphere in which a Presbyterian at the timo of his lioyhood in Scotland grew up, ho could not but reflcct how far they had travelled sinc-o then. The story used to go that an old ScDtsivoman, a member of tho Freo Church, after criticising vigorously her own communion, went on to express with still greater emphasis the shortcomings of tlw Established Church, and, finally, came to the climax with: "But heaven hae mercy on thne E'seulopians" (langhter.) And here, they were that day Methodists, whoso cry was "Fire, fire"; Baptists, whose retort was "Water, water"; Presbyterians who thundered "Order, order." met to do honour to tho head of the Episcopalian Church the Church which capped tho cries of the Methodist, Baplist, and Presbyterian with "Be genteel, be genteel." (Laughter.) It was a significant thing — significant of tho changes which had taken place, and. especially' of the fact that they were drawing close together for the great fight. They had need to do so. .Wore there not the devil, and tho world,' and the flesh to fight, to say nothing of the Pope of Rome, who had been very much -in evidence ot late? They gladly did honour to the head of a religious communion whoso prosperity, did not hesitate to say, was a factor of tho highest moment 'to the social, moral, and spiritual welfare of the whole of New Zealand. But the gathering was still more significant of tho esteem in which they held Bishop Wallis personally. Tho Eishop's own people knew him as an earnest. Christian, a devoted churchman, an able organiser, a wise leader. Those present knew him as_a man of a truly catholic spirit, a Bishop who had been as a brother to them all, an ecclesiastic whose disposition and influence had steadily made for. the peace of the churches and for mutual forbearance and esteem. (Hear, hear.) His own experience of tho Bishop had l>een of the most gratifying kind. In the movement for the restoration of the Bible to the schools, Dr. Wallis liad given him, as chairman, the heartiest sympathy and support. They hnd worked together with absolute unanimity for the establishment of the Women Students' Hostel, now owned and supervised by tho Anglican and Presbyterian churches. Bishop Wallis was a prelate, but he had not lorded it over God's heritage. To him might be applied the sentence, "servus scrvorum Dei" (servant of the servants of God). They were truly sorry he was going, and all tho sorrier that' ill-health was the cause of his departure. They would follow iiim with their prayers, and watch his future career with deep interest and sympathy. For himself, he felt that lie was losing a friend—he believed they all did the same. With great heartiness he proposed tho health of their guest. .(Applause.)

Mr. Glasson Supports the Toast. The Rev. J. llced Glasson said they were there not so much as representing the churches to which they belonged, but as members of the Wellington Ministers' Association, to do honour to a man wliom thev all esteemed. lie (the speaker) knew the Anglican Church well in his boyhood, and for it had ever entertained a "most kindly feeling, and he respected the Bishop as the head of that great communion. But was the Bishop himself that they honoured most. He was, ho had no hesitation in laying, a unique bishop. He was a great scholar. His academic record had been 6ne of remarkable ability. But many bishop's of the Anglican Church excelled in scholarship. What endeared Dr. Wallis to them was his unfeigned kindness, his breadth of sympathy, his great charity. He had known him intimately for some years, and the more lie saw of him the more ho hold him in esteem. From his heart he regretted the bishop's departure. Referring to Mr. Sprott, he said that his election had given them all the greatest pleasure. Mr. Sprott he knew well, and he felt sure he would bo a_ worthy successor to Bishop Wallis. Tho vicar they iiad known would merge into the bishop, but (heir friend would, remain. That meeting had more than a merely personal aspect. It did not mean that they were on the eve of organic union, lie"questioned if organic union would be a good thing. Eight years ago he thought it would, and was perhnps about to take place, lie had had reason to alter his opinion. Organic union' might indeed como some day, but lie believed the next step was a great, federation. He referred to a movement in the United States, and to a gift of one hundred thousand dollars, contributed by Mr. Pierpont Morgan to assist the churches in ascertaining whether federation were not possible. Perhaps the wisest thing would bo to drop the word "church" as applied to the separate denominations. I.ct thorn bo regarded as communions, and the term church limited to tho grand totalitytile universal Church of Christ. Again lie expressed the hope that the Bishop's health would improve, and that he would find a suitable sphere of labour in the Mother Country, tie would long be remembered as one of the kindest men they had ever known here. (Applause.)

The Bishop Returns Thanks, Dr. Wnllis faicl lie found it difficult to say all that he felt on Ihnt occasion, nr to thank adequately his brethren for the kind remarks that had been made, and the farewell that had been tendered to him. That was a gathering which he would never forget. It had ever been a ereat pleasure to him to

bs so cjosoly associated iritli the brethren of an the churches in the work they were in common trying lo do ior (jorl. He rcc.iilod with picai-urc his af-s^cintion with them in the cause of liihle-iji-.-choolf, and tlie co-operation wiih the rrcshyteri'ui Church rol'erred to by J Jr. (iibb in connection ivith the Stiidenls' Hostel. It. wns also ti gratifying recollection that; he had on one occasion addressed the Presbyterian Assembly. Ho had learned much from the Church when he was in the Inlands. With all his heart lie thanked them for the kind words that n.id been sjiohen concerning him. His going across the sea would not sev.-r the friendships he had formed here. Jle rejoiced to believe that, as had been said that afternoon, they wore nil members of tin great Catholic Church. Their Lor.l hal set tho sell of His approval on tho work of other churches than his owu communion, and if tho conversion of the world was to bo accomplished they must seel; for closer co-operation still. Tho Bishop thought with Mr. Glasson that incorporating union was not close at hand. They wero yet far from that seeing eye to eye which was needful to organic union. They had doctrines that wero very dear to them, and these could not be sacrificed for a union that might not last. Tho Presbyterians had their views, the Methodists theirs. For himself, he must stand by the doctrine of monarchical episcopacy. But union must eventually come. It might not come till the closo of tho present dispensation, but come it would. Still, the nearer they drew to one another, and the more they co-operated, the better it would be. They , could learn much from one another. The more brotherly they were, and the more they talked the'matter over with one another, the nearer they would come to the goal which ho felt % sure it was their . Lord's desire they should reach. That day had been a day cf greit happiness to h ; ra. He greattv regretted his aepirtaro. Tie loved the country, and it was solely his healtn which had compelled his :etirement. He left in sorrow. He wished all t.ne Churches represented at that gathering God's blessing. (Loud applause.)

Mr. Sprott's Acknowledgement. The Rev. T. H. Sprott Paid ho was glad that ho should be regarded not as a guest-in-chief, but there to co-operate with the gathering iu bidding farewell to (ho Bishop. Hb necessarily knew the Bishop better than any one present. He had been his chaphin for the past seventeen years, and if he had previously held a high idea of the episcipai office, the Bishop had left him with an idea still higher. Every word that had been spoken in praise of Bishop Wallis was more than merited. He returned thanks for the kind expressions which had been used about himself. (Applause.)