The Hawkes Bay Herald. THURSDAY, MAY 23, 1896. AN EPISCOPAL CRITIC.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9997, 23 May 1895, Page 2

The Hawkes Bay Herald. THURSDAY, MAY 23, 1896. AN EPISCOPAL CRITIC.

The Bishop of Salisbury has been glvtag ua a " bad character "at Home. He has Sound in the colony a aad indifference to religion, and an irreligious spirit. He has found commercialism bo prevalent that ohurchea are run in a competitive spirit, as though they were hotels. And the only remedy his Lordship can suggest Ia the re marriage of Churoh and State I Had theae reflections been given utterance to by an ordinary globe-trotter of " religious convictions," they would merely have amused üb. Bab they are the reflections of one of the most distinguished and justly esteemed ot Anglican prelates, who 1b as sincerely pious as he is scholarly, and who, moreover, is nob posing as a I critin. Such being the oase — although we oannot help a ripple of amusement, we at once accept the Bishop's remarks as worthy of discussion, and premising that we highly respect) the man, his office, and hia impulses, and do justice to his attainments and abilities— we shall procaed to dissect his utterances from a colonia' standpoint, It is impossible to help wondering at the superficiality of the view which so eminent a scholar and thinker takes of the situation, and the amazing ignorance which he displays of the philosophy of contemporary history. It might be expected in ordinary individuals, whose vision does nob carry beyond the horizon which bounds their every-day view of affairs, or the domain of parby strife in politics and religion, and to whom the laws that govern social devolopment are a " sealed book " : bub we might have

looked for a more philosophical treatment of the subject from bis Lordship of Salisbury. A glance at his antecedents, however, will serve to famish as with an excuse for this defect Id his vision. Lst us observe the position of the Klght Rev. John Wordsworth, D.D., Bishop of Salisbury. la the Brat place his house is a palace, his offioial income is £5000 a year, or nearly £100 per week, bis social position is as aecare as it is high, and he has a place among the lawmakers of the land, These are three advantages which he derives from the union of Church and State, Were the ohuroh disestablished Or. Wordsworth would find his privileges much oartalled. Add to the possession of those advantages the fact that he was born in the Episcopal purple, and indoctrinated with the ancient national Cnurch and State idea. Thus, if the mere selfishness of human nature did nob warp his judgment and obscure bis vlaion, the Influence o£ tradition would naturally act upon his mental views in considering questions of this sort as the impedimenta of an army does upon its progress. Under these circumstances we may excuse his lordship's unsouudnesa of judgment, as well as his laok of discernment. He findß an evil, and proposes a remedy. Is his diagnosis correct, and is his pathology sound » We shall see. The Bishop has marked a growing Indifference to the traditional observances of religion in the colony, and he Is so shocked at this that he does not stop to make a philo sophical inquiry into the matter. At the risk of beinj? charged with temerity, we venture to say that his lordship's reading of tbe condition of aoolety is in an inverse ratio of accuracy to his reading of the Greek Testament, The truth is we believe that religion is not dead here, nor is it even asleep. It is apparently elbowed out of the arena, it la dominated by the exoitements of oolonial life, and the materialism of tbe age. Society is In a transition state. Every institution that is hoary with oge is tottering ; and those who, like the bishop, are personally interested in supporting these edifices, and whoae surroundings from birth have obscured their vision, and blinded their discernment, do not ccc that the unsettled weather which marks the transition period will bo followed hereafter by a clearing of the atmosphere, and a purifying of corrupb institutions, It is when the unrest subsides and an era of prosperity begins that religion will again as ever be the guide and consolation of men and nations. But before the halcyon day returns many cherished Institutions must fall, and it will require both faith and fortitude to look npon the dilapidation without falling into despair such as the Bishop's doleful remarks indicate. Here 'a the point. Are the principles of religion generally understood, reverenced, and practised in the colonies ? We contend they are, thanks partly to the faithful teachings of the religious organisations, But is the religion which is thus generally reverenced and practised, mirrored in the organisations of to-day ? Too often no. There is a vast difference between religious observance and religions sentiment), We are satisfied of the survival " fresh in eternal youth "of the latter ; and we only regret that the many leaders and teachers of the people view the growing indifference to the former as evidence of a decay of the latter. The truth is the stronger religions sentiment becomes in this day the more impatient does the world become of overgrown formalism and narrow dogma, especially when it is seen that these of themselves produce no derating or purifying offset upon the life ; when it is seen too, that formal observance is too often a cloak to cover up moral deformity and evil doings. These things drive people from churches which are but the repositories of formalism, fiat even while they stand without, they long, with an unspeakable longing, for the consolations of true religion. This illustrates the transition. It is not irrellgion that keeps people away from the Churches— it is that formalism has ceased bo satisfy and console, and that Immunity is slowly bub Burely apprehending the high philosophy of religion. It is a process of evolution. Out of the letter tho spirit evolves. His Lordship of Salisbury j should remember that, though tho faith which upheld our forefathers was founded upon traditions which the search-light of science has dissipated, humauity has discerned the perfect) spirit of the defective letter, and has pinned its iaith to that spirit. Tako an cxnmple, Tho great Teacher said :— " Take no thought for tho morrow, whab ye shall eat or what yo shall drink," at firsb eight

a dlreot and pernicious instigation to improvidence. That was, manifestly, not tbo intention of the speaker, who simply desired to counteract the materialism of his ago. History Is merely repeating itself. At the time these words were uttered, religions observance or formalism bad almost) entirely eclipsed the spirit ol religion, and the Redeemer desired, before He made His great sacrifice, to awaken people's minds to the fact. He did awaken them, and He suffered the fate of every reformer. The disturbances which Hia bold utterances caused was followed by tbe development of simplicity and trne religion. The same thing is taking place now. While the period of transition lasts, the votaries of tradition and formalism are aroused and shocked at the apparent Indifference of humanity bo the constant iteration of dogma and wearisome repetition of symbolic formula.

It Is not right to brand the objectors as w implons or even indifferent, for they are really longing '■ with groans that cannot ba uttered " for o state of things under j which they shall eDJoy all the mental o regulation and the moral guidance which " religion alone can give, without the now |j intolerable burden of formalism. For- \ malism is artificial, and like the pro- i nunclation ond even the meanine cf i words, it changes periodically, But the j spirit la eternal, "the same yesterday, ( to-day, and for ever." Those Indlvl- i duals, as well as those communities, who 1 have cherished the spirit of religion and i discarded formalism have been the most prosperous. "La prospiUe," says Le I Play, "partout ett toujoura lite d la pureU des convietiont religieuses," and he adds that " religion has always been the foundation of society; scepticism is not justified either by science, history, or the actual practice of model peoples." The most superficial observation of the world yields confirmation of this axiomatic remark. We refuse to believe, even on the authority of a visiting prelate; that "purity of convictions" is an unknown quantity in the colony. On the contrary f In the strength and purity of popular conviction on the subject lies one of the •auses of non-cburch-going. Conditions have changed very materially. The needs of humanity differ both in kind and in degree ; but 1b is still only religion thab oin supply the two requirements—guidance and consolation. •' Man cannot live by bread alone " means, in brief, that no trae success can be achieved by men whose light is merely the poor radiance of the taper of expediency. The flower of virtue and the flower of fall prosperity can bloom only In the saalight whose source is outside humanity's ken. There is always a higher Power whose natnre and characteristics are a mystery. Kellgion consists in acknowledging and adoring this shrouded First Cause, and thete ever-inoreaßing masses of mankind who stand " ontsida the pale," are full of reverence for that Supreme Power. The trouble is that the Churches, as at present conducted, do not afford an outlet for their adoration. When the Churches purge themselves of formalism and meet mankind half way, sympathising with its needa, and taking interest in its concerns, they will fulfil the functions for the fulfilment) of which they were insbitnted. When that time oomea, the episcopal critic will be able to speak of us in a different strain. Meanwhile, State aid will never be sanctioned in these freo lands, let alone the acknowledgement of one special branch of the Churches as the State Chnrob. While thb Churches fail in their work they have no tight to State aid; when they succeed they will not need it, for their maintenance will be the people's care.