THE CHURCH.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIII, Issue 10670, 3 June 1895, Page 3

THE CHURCH.

TO THE .EDITOR.

Sir,—'With your permission, I would gladly thank ** Jason,” whoever he maybe, for his letter dealing with the inequalities of stipends in the Church of England. People need not wonder why so many absent themselves from a church wherein such injustice is permitted, where a few of the leaders absorb such monstrous sums. Many years ago, in England, there was an undercurrent of opinion—existing among the poorly-paid curates belonging to the Parliamentary Established Church—which threatened that, if a more equitable adjustment of salaries were not adopted, a strike would take place. I happened to mention- the circumstance to the vicar of the parish wherein I resided at the time. I told him,

if such inequality existed amongst working men, they would soon rectify matters, or strike for more even wages, when much the same work was to be done. He ridiculed the idea, and said: " I consider those clergymen are approaching to blasphemy who wish to interfere with the Divine arrangements of the Church; that some of the good stewards should receive ten, twenty, and even a hundred-fold, is according to the doctrine of Holy writ.” Truly there is no limit to folly, and anybody who can believe such illogical nonsense ought exclusively to support a church wherein such doctrines are taught. It is quite time that the pulpit, which has generally been, through its own fault, set quite apart from the central current of the people’s life, was placed in touch with that life. If the preacher would take up his post as a citizen, and spank to his fellow-citizens from that point of view, dogmatic theology would drop quietly away. How strange that the preaching class have not generally bean able to see that nine-tenths of the. magnificent Hebrew prophecy has to do with the political life of a nation. The noble spirit of social reform has either been ignored or misunderstood by ordinary preachers, or has been made the vehicle for narrow and stupid dogmatism. After all, the opportunity of speaking publicly to one’s fellows in a public building once a week is a very great one. However books may increase the human voice will always be a power—often an inspiration. The man, therefore, who is able to really arouse the public conscience, to fire the imagination with visions of a better social order than obtains in actual societ y around him, will always find an audience and a following, and such a one may do much for the improvement of the world.—l am, &0., H.O.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,— l never said that the Established Church of Scotland was an alien church, nor put forward anything from which such an idea could be inferred. Hero endeth the first lesson. .To my mind there were reasons to render reference to days anterior to persecution unnecessary, therefore I did not touch upon them. Here endeth the second lesson. The Presbyterians were “driven out” of their cathedrals, churches, endowments, tithes, &s. Precisely. Being driven out, of course they did not have them. Here endeth the third lesson. " After the persecutions ceased the Covenanters came back.” They resumed possession of tbeir cathedrals, livings, tithes, &s. Exactly. Hero endeth the fourth lesson. The Presbyterian Church was established in Scotland anterior to the period of the Covenanters and Camoronians, but it was not firmly established, as the event proved. It became firmly established through the Revolution. Hare endeth the fifth lesson. I never said the Established Church of Scotland had impeded the cause of education. Here endeth the sixth lesson. There is not much left in the letter of John Somerville, M.A., worthy of notice... I.do not protend to guess what his experience may have been. I have mingled with the working classes in Scotland, and listened to the free expression of their opinions relative to matters ecclesiastical. I have mingled with bodies of- Scotchmen in the colonies and heard precisely the same sentiments expressed. With regard to one Presbyterian church of about 500 members, I knew every one, and had opportunities of learning their real opinions. I think myself justified in taking my experience of the Scotchmen I have encountered as a pretty fair sample of the mass. It is true that I cannot say I eyor met a Scotch atheist; but, under the belief ,in a God, I have found them generally as unorthodox as any adherent of the Lyceum. “ Waratah ” has quoted the opinion of Mr Labouchere that, in one colony at least, " attendance at church is a mere conventional ceremony (as it is with a large., proportion of church-people at Home).” In my opinion it is more so among the Scotch than any other people. Permit me to thank “ Waratah ” for his letter. lam further of opinion that official statistics bear out my statement in regard to drink and illegitimacy. It may be quite classical to characterise the writings of one with whom you do not agree as “ brimful of stupidity and falsa assertions.” That kind of thing has long ceased to have any weight. I am now an old man. It has been my lot to meet with several instances of very highly educated gentlemen who really had very little sense. Ido not tell Mr John Somerville, M.A., to go back to school. He has been there, and clearly it would be waste to spend further moneys on him, I admit the impeachment of cowardice, eo that story is ended. Once upon a time I bravely signed my name to my letters to the Press, and suffered—suffered severely—in consequence at the hands of such highly Christian gentlemen as Mr John Somerville, M.A. In days of persecution Presbyterians fought and died for freedom of opinion—their opinion ! In the plenitude of wealth and power they ate, probably, in this respect, considerably narrower in their practice than any other Protestant denomination; lam anxious to be understood as capable of being taught by experience, even if my reputation for valour should suffer. I quite agree that Mr John Somerville, M.A., is in all probability one of those superior and exceedingly courageous persons whom no experience would benefit, and so I leave him. "“I &IDj JASON.