THE CHURCH AND THE WORLD.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1242, 26 September 1911, Page 3

THE CHURCH AND THE WORLD.

ADDRESS BY BISHOP AYERILL. In the ronr?i> of his address to the Waianu Diocesan Synod last week Bishop Averill staled: One practical result of Biblical criticism which seems to be tending towards tho conservative and traditional view, especially as far, as the Books of the Aew Testament are concerned, has been the exaltation of the Pcrwn of the Lord Jesus Chrisl. Never, 1 suppose, has the Personality of .lesus stood-forth in such bold relief as in the present age. unless it ba in the more coniiucd area of Apostolic times. The writings of men, representing every phase of thought, ring with words of admiration for the Person, life, and ethics of the Lord Jesus. Well nigh every section of thoughtful and progressive humanity claims Jesus Christ as its ideal, its champion and its authority. Whilst we are not blind to the fact that many of these ardent admirers have so far only grasped the Humanitarian aspect of the Christ, and are endeavouring to confine His sacred Personality within tho narrow limits of a Groat ' Sccial Reformer, ye/ we shall be wise not to ignore this "Time Spirit," this feeling after sanction and authority for efforts which tend towards'the betterment of the social order and the development and intensification of the Kingdom of God. ... The Church has absorbed too much of the spirit of tho world, is relying too much upon the methods of the world, and, men utoo oftea find the world in the Church, [ and fail to find tho Christ as they tee Him in the Gospels. Instead oi the I Church being unlike the world, too often she is so conformed to it that the vision and spirit of Christ are lost, and she fails to be a real witness to the world, and so fails to elevate tho thoughts of the world. . . . We need a clearer grasp of the teaching of Christ and His Apostles with regard to the- Kingdom of God. Christ spoke of the Kingdom of God as in existence during His own earthly life, as coatred in Himself, and as proceeding forth from .Himself into the hearts of men, as they came into personal and vital union with Himself. The central truth of tho revelation of Christ was tho Fatherhood of God, and as men camo under the influence of the teaching of Jesus, they absorbed something of His mind and ideals, saw the Eternal God in a'new and more perfect light, and realised that Fathorhood implied Brotherhood, and Brotherhood implied Social Service, and Social Service meant the death blow to selfish individualism; and to tho Kingdom of Righteousness and Joy and Peace began to come. . . . The Church is not to ally herself with worldly political parties, but to uphold Divine'standards and values. Tho Church is not to imagine that < r iny worldly Utopias can satisfy the ideal of the Kingdom of God, but faithfully teach Hint tho Kingdom of Heaven is from above, and not from below, and that the words of Plato are still true, viz., "Wo shall never' have perfect conditions in this life until character is perfected." Maybe, in the past, wo havo thought too much of influencing tho masses, too much of quantity, of tangible results, of counting heads, instead of aiming at preduciagnuality. and making the few into real disciples and Apo'sties of tho Kingdom of God.