"DRIVEN FROM CHURCH."

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20152, 12 January 1929, Page 14

"DRIVEN FROM CHURCH."

Sir, —"H.R.H." has not toucher) the cause which drove these people from Church. They drove themselves out. Why did they omit the duty of going to their clergyman or fellow-worshippers aud asking :—"Why do you do this or that?" Why did they impute idolatry to devout worshippers of God, who hate idolatry as much as they do ? Why do they permit adoration of God on all sorts of other occasions and perhaps allow outward expression in bodily acts of kneeling and such like, and begin to shriek about idolatry when adoration is outwardly expressed at a sublime and supreme sacramental moment ? Were the shepherds of Bethlehem guilty of idolatry because they adored the silent Babe in the manger? Or the wise men, was their adoration idolatry? Or Thomas on the octave of the Resurrection ? Why then should it be idolatry to adore God. God the Son. Christ, when He gives Himself to us in the Sacrament. No one can explain the Sacramental Presence of Christ. It is nevertheless the clear teaching of the Anglican Church. A little more brotherly consideration and broadminded toleration toward those who express their devotion differently would be far more Christian than this unwarrantable charge oi idolatry, which is ignorant, uncharitable and silly. Neither " H.U.11." nor I believe in the infallibility of one certain man, but. he must bo told that I and many thousands more also have, no belief in the infallibility of his judgment or statements. Jhe trouble is that such ex-cathedra utterances have some power of doing harm, and they are so very untrue.

W. Edward Lush