New Zealand Mail. PUBLISHED WEEKLY. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1875. THE POSITION OF THE CLERGY.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 214, 16 October 1875, Page 12

New Zealand Mail. PUBLISHED WEEKLY. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1875. THE POSITION OF THE CLERGY.

The Church of England Diocesan Synod now in session in Wellington suggests several considerations in connection with the various church organisations in this country. There is no State Church ; —no religious establishment, maintained at the public charge, in New Zealand. Every religious sect is on a footing of perfect equality, and each one depends upon the sympathy and appreciation of the people for support. In short, the “voluntary “ principle” lias full play here. This is in some respects a matter for congratulation. It brings men’s faith and professions to a practical test; and we must say, all things considered, our fellowcolonists come well out of the ordeal. They build churches, pay their clergy, sustain schools and missions, and provide for their ecclesiastical organisations with a liberality which attests the depth of their convictions. If pure scepticism had any root in the minds of men this state of things could not exist. But this liberality in the cause of religion is quite consistent with the existence of a spirit of enlightened inquiry and free criticism. Indeed, were it otherwise, the funds subscribed for the sustenance of religious institutions amongst us would not be the outcome of an intelligent belief, but the slavish offerings of superstition and ignorance. _ But while all this is true, a little consideration will show that the clerical profession, and with it what are known as religious institutions, are greatly overweighted. The demands upon ministers of religion are out of all proportion to their means ; and so far as the clergy are concerned, and more especially in country districts, their life history is one long and hopeless struggle with the world, whose hard maxims relax not in their favor for the sake of their profession and the good they do. We think it will be admitted on all hands that the average earnings of ministers of religion are under the average wages of tirst-class artisans, while society demands that at least they should preserve the outward appearance of respectability. Now, this is the very refinement of cruelty, to which the making of bricks without straw by a certain ancient tribe, while “ in the house of bondage,” was a mere trifle. Servitude with hard hard labor was the lot of that people. If they performed their allotted task they might rest content. They knew nothing of that terrible species of slavery of modern civilization known as Cl keeping “up appearances,” and which entails more misery on nine-tenths of society than any amount of hard labor of itself could possibly inflict. But this social misery seems, in this country at least, to be the special lot of the clergy. We speak now of ministers of religion as a body, and not of any particular denomination. And the cause is not far to soek. Custom, rightly we are inclined to think, requires that the clergy should refrain from worldly pursuits, and confine themselves to their sacred calling ; but custom, which in this country runs on all fours with custom in the old countries of the Northern hemisphere, fails to make suitable provision for the clerical order. There is no State aid, as wo have said, to religion. Everything must bo done by voluntary effort. Not so in England, for

example, where the State Church occupies so much of the religious and educational held, as to render it practicable for members of dissenting bodies to perfect their organisations without unduly taxing the people. In New Zealand, on the other hand, everything is thrown upon the ■voluntary efforts of the laity. Except in the matter of schools the State dees nothing. It certainly extends aid to charitable institutions, but there it holds its hand. It is manifest, therefore, that the cause of religious instruction is weakened in this country, partly on account of the inability of the laity to make due provision for the sustenance of the clergy, and build and endow churches, Ac., and partly also on account of the number of competing sects. In old countries, and especially in countries where the State Church takes charge of the indigent poor, the evil of competing sects is not so patent; but in an economic sense, we must say that it is but too apparent here. Now, we are far from advocating uniformity. We think nothing would be more likely to cramp the intellect than a dead level of uniformity m matters of religious observance, but we do think that where practicable there should be a fusion of denominational effort, which would result in placing the cleigy on a far better footing socially, and relieving the laity from the imputation of niggardliness. Were this done, there would be economy in building, and such a redistribution of the clergy might be possible as would probably result in a pecuniary saving, but at all events as would enable the more pressing wants of the community to be supplied, without adding, to any appreciable extent, to the number of ordained ministers in proportion to the existing population. Something has been done in this direction alreacy. The Presbyterian Church of JNow Zealand may now be said to be consolidate on a platform so liberal as to enable uembers of the various sections of that ecclesiastical system to coalesce. And the Presbyterian Church has become all the Wronger for this union of its branches. But why stop there ? What is to hinder he Baptists and Independents casting m heir lot with their Presbyterian brethren ? We confess that we see no valid reason vhatever why these denominations shoull not accept the constitution of the 1 resbyerian Church of New Zealand as a basis 0 f union. On the other hand, what is u hinder the Wesleyans uniting with the Inglicai Church in New Zealand? Such an-mion would strengthen both branches of tin Christian Church We throw out tlnse thoughts f or the consideration, primary of th* laity who must perceive that didded as the Christian sects now are, it will be impossible, by voluntary effort, to sustain the cause of religion, as it ougit to be sustained, m this country. Population is being poured on our shores by thousands, while the accumulation of Health does not keep pace with the increase of population. I lie clergy, already overworked and underpaml, must eventually break down under their burden of ervitude; whereas were the various religion bodies to unite, it might be possible to pace with the increasing demand wi-hout any very serious disturbance.