REBUKE FROM THE PULPIT.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLII, Issue 249, 20 October 1908, Page 5

REBUKE FROM THE PULPIT.

RELIGIOUS OSTENTATION.

ARCHDEACON AVERILL'S

VIEWS

[from our correspondent.! CHRISTCHURCH, Oct. 19. Preaching at St. Michael's Church on Sunday evening, the Yen. Archdeacon Arerill inveighed strongly against the love, of ostentations display characteristic of religious ceremonials to-day. The present generation, he said, was suffering not so much from doubt as from indifference and vagueness. He felt that those allimportant events in the lives of allbaptisms, marriages and funerals— were in great danger of degradation and dishonour. If they were going to allow those great religious rites to sink into mere social functions they could expect nothing but indifference and vagueness, and perhaps something

worse. 'Referring to baptisms, the preacher said" that if many of the children did not grow ur> into the consciousness of their position as pod's children and live as such it was not God's fault, it was not the Church's fault, but too often the fault of the sponsors, who so shamefully neglected the duties and responsibilities they had undertaken. The sacred office of sponsorship, in many cases was an absolute farce; godparents were not selected for their fitness, and many gave not the slightest consideration to the promises which they were called upon to make. It would be an excellent thing if every parish had a body of earnest people who would undertake for God and his Church the sacred duty of sponsorship, and thus* rescue the Church's great safeguard, infant baptism, from contempt. The only other alternative was for the Church absolutely to refuse, except in case of danger, to baptise infants unless suitable sponsors were forthcoming. "In regard to marriages,3' the preacher continued, "the majority of people still like the outward appearance of religion, but there, I fear, it ends with many, and we can' hardly wonder at the increase of unhappy marriages, the desire to relax the binding' nature of marriage and to escape from its obligations, when we see the spirit in which men and women so often take upon themselves life-long vows. The' behaviour of the Spectators at weddings is often deorable, and even people who do know better seem to forget that they. are present at a solemn religious ceremony in a Christian Church. I sometimes wonder where God comes in. The sooner we can get rid of the social function part of a wedding from the House of God the better for the sacredness of marriage. It is quite obvious that the spirit of many modern weddings is completely out of harmony with the spirit of the highest service of all. If we are not going to allow our marriage , ceremonies to sink downj to the lowest level we must be prepared for some self-sacrifice for the sake of God and reality, and, strike a blow at the presiding- god at weddings—fashion. W© can hardly, be, surprised at indifference ana vagueness when married life begins under the conditions and circumstances which are so prevalent to-day, nor' even.,at the desire to extend the operations,.of the divorce law." Tftfith reference to funerals, the speaker said that they could be thankful, for the absence of. pagan cerenfLpnies, which once were associated with^ funerals; but alas I fashion had found substitutes, which were nearly as bad. Too often there was the same love of show and parade which disfigured ' weddings. Since 'weddingpresents and funeral-wreaths became the fashion they had lost all meaning, and in these days of telephones and florists they were in danger of killing the beautiful significance of putting a few flowers upon a coffin as a symbol of the resurrection. He asked his hearers to set their faces against Sunday funerals, which 'in many cases were absolutely' unnecessary and only fed the morbid sentiment and unhealthy mania to attract the crowd. Finally, he appealed to them to uphold religious realities, which were in danger of being lost in the maze of fajshibn and insignificant details.