CHURCH'S TEMPTATIONS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15552, 9 March 1914, Page 8

CHURCH'S TEMPTATIONS

"THE POPULAR SERVICE."

PRESENT-DAY ATTITUDE.

CONDEMNED BY BISHOP A\TSRILL.

The temptations with which the Church is assailed were dealt with by Dr. A. W. Averill, Anglican Bishop of Auckland, in a sermon he delivered in St. Paul's Church last evening. The Church, said the bishop, was tempted on its human side presumably in order that its divine side might be made more attractive. As the Church was the body of Christ, it could only be guided by the Head, in spite of the advice given it by the world." The 1 advice of the world was, "Cast thyself! down." There must be, from time to time, a conflict between the visible Church and the world when it ignored the teaching of Christ, or when the State presumed to enact laws which, were contrary to Christian ideals. There was a sort of idea in these days that the one thing to be avoided was suffering and inconvenience, but it was the duty of Christians to sometimes endure a great deal of -discomfort for the sake of their faith. _ The world asked the Church to compromise, to drop the divinity of Christ, to give up its belief in the inspiration of the Scriptures, to cut out the miracles. "This superficial educated age imagines that the Creator of the -universe, can only work within the narrow limits of n-Rn's little minds," said the preacher. " Can the miracle of feeding the 5000 or raising Lasarus be explained by psychology." One part of Hie world, he <>.ntinued> wished the Church to take away the still" from its services by eliminating all references to the penitential, on the ground that sin was a necessary ingredient in the evolution of character. " Turn your services into entertainments," was a cry from tho world. '•' Give us good music and topical sermons, and then you will get the people." " This temptation," said the Bishop, "is not always resisted. Better far that we should shut uin our churches than cast ourselves down at the suggestion cjf the pod 'or devil of this world. Almighty God is to be worshipped, not entertained. Man has to offer worship, not to be entertained. Don't be deceived by that false light that calls itself liberality, broadmindedness, up-to-dateness,- when really it is the spirit of the anti-Christ. Follow the Light of the World, and cast not yourselves down to the devil in 'bis 20th c<£>tury standard of shallowness and want | ot peace."