ESSENCE OF RELIGION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20131, 17 December 1928, Page 14

ESSENCE OF RELIGION.

DEFINITION BY BISHOP.

CLEARING AWAY CONFUSION.

JHE SUNDAY SCHOOL SYSTEM

ENJOYMENT OF LORD'S DAY.

'TBY TELEGRAM!. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] HAMILTON. Sunday A further exposition of his views regarding Sunday observance was given by Bishop Cherrington to a large congrega tion in St. Peter's Cathedral tins morning. Tie took as his text the words from 'James i., 27: "Pure religion and undef.led before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world." The bishop said here was the summary, essence and kernel of religion. Everything clso without exception in the Christian religion was subsidiary. Referring to the question of Sunday observance the speaker said as a bishop of tho Church of God it was not his business to interfero witk tho interpretation placed upon the Scriptures by other societies that had separated from the Church .Anything taught by Presbyterian, Methodist or other Christian communions had nothing to do with him, and he would be tho last to instruct them as to what they should teach and practice. The Continental Sunday. Tho bishop said ho would liko to clear the confusion that had apparently arisen through the use of certain phrases. It had been suggested that bo had advocated the Continental Sunday. As far as the two Continental countries he was familiar with, Belgium and France, were con cerncd, if people went to church in Now Zealand with anything like the regularity they (lid m those countries, especially Belgium, ■ five new churches would lie wanted in Hamilton. Pcople% ( hnd been vexed and troubled because they thought ho wanted to do away with Sunday schools. He was second to none in his admiration for the ladies and gentlemen who for years had devoted Sunday mornings and afternoons in teaching the children. However, he considered tho Whole system was wrong, because religious instruction should , not be given on the Lord's Day as such. "I do not believe in the Bible in schools system," said Bishop Cherrington. "I do not fully approve of the Nelson system, but if you cannot have tho religious instruction in schools with the right of entry by the clergy, as was permitted in -New South Wales, there is no alternative to the present system." Sunday schools were started in England last century by Mr. Raikes, not for the purpose of religious instruction, but to teach boys and girls Low to read and write. In those days children were employed in pits and •factories for 12 and 14 hours a day, and no other opportunities of education were ■given than those provided on Sundays. Truth Must Eventually Prevail.

Sunday schools, in the south of England, had died out, in the Midlands tliey were moribund, while in the north of England they were flourishing. When he took over a north of England parish 1000 children ■ were attending the Sunday schools;. Church services followed, and the children utere required to attend. The system seemed to be quite satisfactory, and he did nothing to interfere with it.

The bishop continued that it should be (he aim. of every teacher or preacher to , -endeavour to express only that which ho was convinced was true. The truth must eventually prevail, and if he had said anything which was mistaken, it must fail in its effect. The speaker said ho was perfectly convinced from his reading and studying of the Scriptures that the Sabbath was only a Jewish institution ' established to bind the Jews together nationally while they were in exile. Observance of the Lord's ,I)ay.

: On the other hand, the Lord's Day t aeemedl to have been observed from the very first by Christian converts spontan eously in memory of our Lord's resurrection. There had never been any direction '■to Christian people to make any day a special day for worshipping God. Christian people began to observe the Lord's pay because they could not do anything else, stated the bishop. They couid not , be happy in any other way than to set aside a day for expressing their thankfulness- and gratitude to God by gathering round the Lord's table together. He knew it was impracticable for to come together at one service. Therefore, there must be services at different times. In the Prayer Book no special i services were set down for Sundays. Morning and evening prayer was ordered to lie said every day of the week with the Litany on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. ,Holy Communion was ordered to be said tvary day if possible. Bishop Cherrington added that he did not see how for Christian people there could be any divorce between one day and Another. Every day should be spent to the glory of God. People must bo straight find open and fair. Golf or Tennis on Sunday. If it was right for one person to play golf or play tennis on a private court on Sunday, then ho did not sec how another person who could not play golf or own a private tennis count should bo debarred from playing tennia on a club court on Sunday. He was sorry St. Peter's Tennis , Club courts were not open on Sundays. 'The hours might be restricted to, say, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., so as not to clash •with church hours, but he regretted the action of the authorities in forbidding plav at all on Sundays. Some people enjoyed riding a mot or. cycle -built for two, some enjoyed a pipe and « book, while others enioyed muscular, exercise. What was fair for one must be fair for another, concluded the bishop The Christian religion was not a religion of rules and restrictions, although rules were necessary in a!l walks of life People 'should learn to do (he right thing Christians were lovers of Jesus Christ, and in loving Him should be proud to do His will, to visit the fatherless and (ho widows in their affliction, and to keep (hems-elves unspotted from the world. That was essential. Every! hi ii<x else was secondary and subsidiary.