CRITICAL AGE

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 139, 16 June 1927, Page 10

CRITICAL AGE

DUTY OF THE CHURCHES

MORALITY AND HOLINESS

(By Telegraph.)

(Special to "The Evening Port.")

AUCKLAND, This Day, The problems of a critical age which would take little for granted were touched upon by the Governor-General, Sir Charles Fergusson, in his address at the laying of the foundation stone of the Methodist Trinity Theological College and Hostel. .

"I suppose there was seldom in. the world's history a.time which gave rise to more anxious thought than the present," said His Excellency "We are living in times of great changes, trying to adapt ourselves to new ideas, new schools of thought, a . new psychology in this rush of new ideas, ana it is of the future aha all this college will mean to it that we are thinking. The churches have a difficult task, ana infinite tact and wisdom are essential in dealing with the problems existing. "People nowadays can be led but they cannot be driven. Leadership requires men- not only with knowledge, wisdom, and education, but possessing personal qualities of sympathy, understanding, and vision. It is useless for a church to-day to say, 'You must not do this' or 'You must do that' unless it has established such confidence as to retain public. opinion on its side and has gained .such influence; as will draw'men to it and not repel them. "The question has often been asked in late years, why has the Church failed? What is wrong with the Church? But it is at least as reasonable to.ask what is wrong with the people? Why have they failed? In any case, such questions ignore the fact that people themselves constitute the Church and imply that there is somo distinction between the two. So long as such a distinction is made progress is impossible. Morality, which of ten means little more than conventionality, must not be confounded with holiness. The one is negative, not doing wrong; the other is positive, trying to be'good. I think it is possible that sometimes iv setting too' much store by the former we are apt to forget the essential nature of the latter." .. ■ •