A CLERGYMAN ON GIVING.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XXV, Issue 7171, 11 March 1892, Page 3

A CLERGYMAN ON GIVING.

Thk Fev. Henry Howard, jmator of the Wesleyan Church at Wurrngal, Gippsland, Victoria, delivered a sermon ou a recent Sunday which him caused some sensation. His discourse w«s on the ([uemion of "Giving" in the church, "Why do peoplngive?"exclaimed the. rev. gentleman. ".Is not much of the giving in the church tn.-duj simply an imitation ; is it not simply an outward iici. ? 1 have not tlio slightest hesitation in saying that if the plates this morning, instead of being taken round by the stewards, were placed at the doors instead of having our uHiial £1 or £o colled ion we should only have lus or £1, but I am not going to make the ex«

peritnent-rit would be too risky. But what does this mean ? It means tbat we are puttiug our money in the phto simply because other people do so, that the whole of our giving in countless instnuces is a miserable simulation, 1 is a sham. I know too that there are persons in this cliuvcli this morning wh cheerfully gave 5s to go to fc'oles' circus but who drop a* paltry threepenny piece into the plate on Sunday, and part with that with a paug. I have moreover , been told by those who are most in* terested in the matter that there are men in this town who havo stood iu trades* men's books for years past, and aro likely to for years to come, who make no effort to pay their debts, but hud the shameless impudence to appear at tbat circus in reserved scuts. I say this is grossly immoral, imd I maintain that the standard of commercial honesty in, this town must bo unspeakably low ivhen such despicable meauness can thus lift up its head, What right has any own to make his grocer or hia butcher pay his admission to ,i pluco of ainusc* ment? That is what it means. Thove is no question whatever that hundreds of pounds weut into the hands on that occasion which should have gone to the liquidation of long standing debts, and I repeat that a moral condition that can permit of sueh practices is uuspeak-, ably sad, You moy ask what business have I to dictate to poopio how nnd when they Khali spend their money'.' [ claim the right as a public teacher to put my finger ou the woak points of public morality, and when I am deprived of that liberty I shall lay down my commission and cense to preach. Somo of you may say I shall oJlcud somebody, All I can say in reply is that I am going topleaso God, please my conscience, and deliver my soul by letting you all know what I think about it. There are n number of human parasites in this town, who are simply living on society. They seem to think that society owes them a living, but I hold that they ought to be smitten from the body politic, degraded from citizenship, and deprived of its rights. There are men iu this town who drink Hie best whisky, i and smoke the best cigars, and spend money iu numberless ways upon themselves, but who begrudge the smallest contribution to the cause of Christ.

! But, ray brothers, when the dividends if the kingdom of Heaven are declared sjrae of you will wish you had put move if your capital into this investment, God never remain in nny man's debt, ' for there is no man that has loft home, or brethren, or sisters, or father or mother, or children, or lands for Ilia sake or the Gospel's, but he shall receive a hundredfold in this life and in the world to come life everlasting. , "