THE POWERS OF CLERGYMEN.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3673, 23 April 1883, Page 4

THE POW ERS OF CLERGYMEN.

A soniCAvhat phenomenal, and iv the present day, an exceptional is disclosed, in ministers of religion attempting to set tho la-.v at defiance. Three ministers of the Presbyterian Church at Dunedin have declared their intention of refusing to join in marriage any couple Avhere the Avoinan is the sister of the man's deceased Avife. The Primat. oi' Cautcviim-y al.o recommends that his clergy shall follow the same course—that is, they arc to disobey the law as it stands on our .Statute Books. Certain other clergymen of Christian sects have also declared their intention to refuse marrying man and woman Avho lun-e been divorced, notAvithstanding the divorce has boon duly legalised. The luav does not declare against, this being done, but certain ministers of religion do. Ergo, certain ministers of religion hold themselves to be abovo and superior to the law. The question then comes in, Avill the exercise of such a power be tolerated 'r AA c doubt it: or Avere this to bo so, it -will bo hard to say to what extent in other matters it Avill not'be carried. AYe may next learn of some duly ordained fanatic clergyman refusing to marry a couple because one or both aro not total abstainers: or because ono or other is it seller of strong drink ; or for some other reason -which may appear right and proper in an ordained minister's eyes. AYe need hardly say that the law of Now Zealand permits a. man to marry his deceased Avifo's sister, therefore a minister can bo compelled to perform such acoroinony or accept the consequences which may follow on his disobedience aud recalcitrancy. If a minister of religion dues not fool Avilling to obey the laws of tho country in Avhich he lives, and under Avhich ho is protected, ho lias no alteriiatiA-c other than to throwup his calling and enter upon some other in following Avhich his conscience Avill not bo offended". Tho very existence of all churches in Now Zealand and the colonies generally is entirely dependent on the people thcmsolA-os ; for there aro no State endowments :no grants; no subsidies; no anything in fact excepting A-oluntary offerings, and if the ministers do not keep pace Avith the intelligence of au educated people their offices Avillsoon cease to exist. At au evening sitting of the General Synod, in Napier, avc read of the Bishop of Nelson denouncing tho Catholic schools as teaching things subversive of both civil and religious liberty, in setting the head of their church and his commands (sir) over the Queen and her laws. Now tho Bishop of Nelson must either lie a very ignorant man or a bitter man. The Catholics of New Zealand, and, indeed, of all free countries, aro as law-obeying as any other body of religionists. Why should the Bishop of Nelson be so gratuitously uncharitable in speaking of a Church Avhich certainly existed long before his own came into lifer AA 7 . find at, the same sitting of tho Synod that a petition Avas adopted for the righ of clergy to cutrr schools and givereligious instruction to children of their OAA'n communion. Such a petition is altogether superfluous, for the right has never boon denied or refused : only that ministers are not permitted their own choice and pleasure as to Avhat hours they shall give religious instruction. The public schools of the colony aro for the purpose of giving secular education to all children between certain ages, and the teaching of religion can only be given Avhcn the latter teaching does not interfere Avith the former. Butitmayhorebc asked, supposing such a right avoi'o alloAvedto ministers of religion entering the public schools at, any time it might so please them for the purpose of imparting religious instruction, lioav many Avould avail themselves ofit'r General opinion has it that there Avould bo A-er.y few indeed. Then, again, there is a petition for a local option clause, empoAvering each school committee to order specified portions of Scripture to be read at tho option of each committee. AVhat aro the specified portions which are to be road and Avho shall decide upon this Avhoro opinions are certain to come in bitter conflict r The leaving of such a thing in the poAver of committees to refuse or allow Avould load to many contentions. Some members would be for, and. others against such a permission, and Avhere, as is now the case, committees arc elected for certain proper offices, tho elections in the future Avould turn upon tho long-disputed matter of Bible-reading iv schools. If ministers of religion arc aviso, they Avill refrain from interfering Avith tho schools, and devote themselves entirely to thoir holy functions: for they may bo assured that unless they keep pace Avith tho advancing intelligence of tho pe<_>le, their influence Avill be very small, and Avill in time Avain out of existence.—P.l3. Herald.