ON THINGS IN GENERAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10082, 18 March 1896, Page 3

ON THINGS IN GENERAL.

SPIRITUAL TYRANNY.

The growth of spiritual tyranny in Protestant denominations is ono of the notable things of the times. Ib was strikingly shown in a little incident that occurred the other day in the Wesleyan Conference, when a vote was taken on the question of the introduction of the Irish Scripture text books into the public schools. As came out on appeal from a speaker, not one minister present had ever seen or read the books, bub through the beating of tho dram ecclesiastic ib has been made an [ article of faith that these books should be introduced, and that anyone opposed to the books should be damned—in an ecclesiastical sense of course—as a man who has no real interest in religious instruction. The necessary sequence of this is that all good men must show their zeal for religion by voting for the introduction of these books, which nob one of the assemblage had ever read. The Wesleyans are not mora responsible for imposing this test of righteousness than the other denominations, bub it has come to be made a sign of real interest in religion, and so the ministers voting in silence carried the resolution by a largo majority. The books at the best are only a blind, having no other purpose than to give an excuse to lazy ministers of religion for neglecting the teaching of religion to the young. Bub that is neither here nor there; the point) for notice is that the moral courage which would call in question a summons to vote, without intelligent reason given, is wanting, and for fear of being marked, as not up to the standard, ministers follow like 8 flock of sheep, and vote for what they knew nothing about.

COMPULSORY ABSTINENCE. An equally notable caso of spiritual tyranny is that) in the sphere of temperance. Temperance is a most excellent thing, and eo is teetotalism in circumstances. But there are many ministers of religion who eincoroly believe, and know both from experience and medical advice, that a little jorum of whisky punch would now and then do them all the good in tin world. But because a few ministers hare gone crank on this, and in a blustering selfrighteous way denounce all ministers that are not strict abstainers as sinful men, man) ministers are afraid, and are by compulsion within the ranks of teetotallers. This is 9

fact that is known to everyone, unless per haps to the rabid advocates who, having no penchant for stimulants themselves, com-?

pound for other weaknesses of thier human nature by refraining from them, and sound aloud the tocsin of war against all who da not go to the same excess. A great deal of teetotalism, and especially amongst ministers and religious people, is merely cowardice ; and though here and there one meets with a minister who maintains his independence of belief and practice, the trial which that man has to undergo in being spoken of by blatant humbugs as a man violating his conscience, and given over to evil, is a very grinding form of spiritual tyranny.

SUPPRESSED OPINION. A very notable instance of the earns phase of religious despotism is in relation to the question of restraining immorality in the public streets. There are numbers of ministers of religion and religious people who sincerely believe in putting legal restraints 011 vice. They see the law restraining drunkenness, theft, violence, evil-doing of every kind, and their reason suggests to them that the same course should be taken in some way with immorality. But they are afraid to declare themselves in public, and why? Because there are certain other people, who nob finding their sphere in the ordinary paths of Christian duty, love to parade themselves in public as the champions of some contestable cause, and having fastened on this question as being as good as any othor for their purpose, they have elaborated the theory that any interference with immorality in the streets would be the State regulation of vice; and that any man advocating such a thing must be an immoral man. Frightened by this, people suppress their opinions, as nobody and especially nobody connected with the public profession of religion, like! to be held up to public scorn as a'sympathiser with immorality.

INCREASING DESPOTISM. Now this system of spiritual tyranny seems to be expanding every day, and a regrettable thing •is that the spirit of Christian Union which is abroad in our time seems to tend in the direction of making this tyranny triumphant. Because it tends to bring to the front and lift up to an equality people of narrow and contemptiblo intelligence, whose impudence is quite equal to the occasion of attempting to ride on top, and of fixing the standards of principles and practice to which everybody else must conform. That this will tend to the degradation of religion and make its dictators contemptible to thousands of intelligenb people can hardly be doubted; and before this work of Christian Union among the Protestant) Churches goes further, soma kind of guarantee should be sought against) the possibility of the Churches being ruled by theories that may have commended

themselves only to the meanest of the people. We have often heard denunciation of the spiritual tyranny of Rome. But tho exercise of spiritual authority by the Pope is incomparably a more respectable tiling than the irregular and.unconstitutional au-

thority imposed in Protestant Churches. The genius of Protestantism is supposed to be revolt against ecclesiastical dictation, yet we cannot close our eyes to the fact that) every step taken in the direction of har[lionising the action of the Churches, and getting them to act in concert, tends to tho petting up and consolidating of a power regulating the thoughts and lives of the Churches that savours very much of a spiritual despotism.

GIVE US A LAMP. Theso are halcyon days for tho robbers, and if things go on as they have been going, Auckland will by-and byo be an Alsatia for the craft. The art of catching thieves seems to bo becoming one of tho lost arts, and the population is quietly settling down into acquiescence in the principle that the chevalier of industry has a legitimate sphere in tho social system, and that mild burglary and unostentatious theft are among tho recognised occupations for a considerable section of tho community. Why there should be a development of crimo of a quiet and unpretending kind is not so much a curious question, as why tho clue is so difficult to pick up, or runs so quickly out. Wo have como pretty much to think now as a rule, that) a crime will nob be found out, and having arrived ab this conclusion, it conduces largely to the public peace of mind. If we worried ourselves over thefts or robberies, messieurs the thieves would have the laugh at us, but as we don'b mind, they have nothing bub what they pick up to show their defiance of society. Somebody has said at homo that an additional lamp is as good as an additional policeman, we ought, therefore, to get some additional lamps, and see if they will better the position ; for certainly at the present time, between the lamps and the policemen, the light-figered gentry have a rare old time of I it, playing high jinks. The General.